11,726 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is the birthday of Sylvester Schaffer (1885-1949). Schaffer was a second generation star of the Berlin variety stage. His father was the Austrian-Bohemian juggler and painter George Sy…
Today is the birthday of the one and only Merwyn Bogue (1908-1994), better known by his professional name Ish Kabibble. What a mysterious thing is this Ish Kabibble — old time show …
Today is the birthday of Minnie Dupree (1875-1947). Dupree was a star of the old melodrama stage who’d acted with such figures as William Gillette, Nat Goodwin and Richard Mansfield. I…
Today is the birthday of the great 19th century libertarian philosopher Lysander Spooner (1808-1887). Born onto a Massachusetts farm, Spooner studied to become a lawyer and then proceeded…
Got a press release in my e-mail box a couple of days ago from Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus announcing that they have moved up the retirement of all their elephants from 2018 t…
We were in a doc-watching mood the other night, yet not in the mood for anything  or time-consuming or heavy. Thus, much in the same way as when you’re looking for something for som…
E’ vero! I came across this delightful information yesterday when writing up my eulogy of Dan Haggerty of tv’s The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.  As I wrote yesterday, t…
This post debuts today for obvious reasons: the passing yesterday of Dan Haggerty, best known for his screen role as Grizzly Adams. First thing you should know off the bat: Grizzly Adams …
I have found that there are certain cultural figures who loom so large (at least in my personal world) that I can’t just do a single definitive blog entry on them as I have tried to do…
July 22 of this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the seminal 1966 album John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. The album had been recorded in March of that year; th…
Filed under: Bowery, Classical, Contemporary Variety, Music, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: 10 year anniversary, benefit, Freddy's Bar, Opera on Tap
Today is the birthday of Russ Columbo (Ruggiero Eugienio di Rodolpho Colombo, 1908-1934). One of 12 children born to Italian immigrants in Camden, New Jersey, Columbo was already playing vio…
Today is the birthday of Harry Jolson (Hirsch Yoelson, 1882-1953). Born in Lithuania, the son of a cantor who would settle the family in Washington DC, Harry was the older brother of singer …
Source: Coney Island 20 16: Pizza Hut Express Signs Lease on Coney Island's Surf Ave As always Amusing the Zillion has the latest scoop on Coney!Filed under: Uncategorized
Today is the birthday of Joseph Santley (Joseph Mansfield, 1898-1971). Santley was second generation show biz, and grew up on the stage performing and traveling with his mother, stepfather a…
I’ve been remiss! I meant to plug this in time for Christmas…but ya know what? It would be a really strange Christmas gift. Buy it for yourself, but first buy this and this. step…
Tomorrow at Noon, hear me talk vaudeville (new and old) with the multi-talented Jennifer Harder on her new Radio Free Brooklyn show “Blonde Thunder Presents”. Also in the line-up…
Today is the birthday of Henry E. Dixey (1859-1943). Dixey started out as a child performer, acting in a production of Augustin Daly’s Under the Gaslight at the Howard Athenaeum in …
Filed under: Clown, Comedy, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS Tagged: class, clown, Hilary Chaplin, physical comedy
Today is the birthday of Peter F. Dailey (1861-1908). A major star of his day, Dailey had a hand in most of the popular theatrical forms then going. The son of a Brooklyn fishmonger, he brok…
Today is the birthday of the American operatic baritone David Bispham (1857-1921). Bispham’s should be a heartening story for all late bloomers. The son of Philadelphia Quakers, Bishop…
The lovely Carol Martinheira of The Old Hollywood Garden has nominated me for a Liebster Award. It’s an award given to bloggers/blogs and when one gets a nomination, they have to answe…
Today is the birthday of Blanche Walsh ( 1873-1915). The daughter of an Irish Tammany Hall politician, Walsh was a professional New York stage actress from the time she was 15. Â For years…
Today is the birthday of Lina Abarbanell (1879-1963). Abarbanell was a Berlinese soprano who appeared in both opera and musical theatre. She trained and began her career in her native German…
Saddened to hear of the passing of Wayne Rogers a couple of days ago. Not deeply saddened, but nostalgic. My best friend in high school and I absolutely modeled ourselves on Trapper an…
