11,502 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 28, 2025 are about comedienne and dancer Dody Goodman, mind-reader J. Randall Brown, and ill-fated stunt pilot and silent movie star Ormer Lockyear.…
How fortunate for one's Halloween mood that the best pic of J. Randall Brown (1851-1926) is this spirit photograph? While the ghost is unidentified, we do have some knowledge of Brown, one o…
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 27, 2025 are about burlesque queen Rose La Rose and actor and director Ted Wass (Soap, Blossom). Earlier Travalanche posts for October 27 (in no par…
I am convinced that the only reason Ted Wass (b. 1952) was never better known was because he has one of the worst professional screen names I have ever heard. "Wass" is an exhalation, an ani…
Born of an October 27, burlesque legend Rose La Rose (Rosina DaPello or DaPella, 1916-1972). ' Originally from New York, La Rose started out as a cashier at a Minsky's house, and decided to …
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 26, 2025 are about the 100th anniversary of the world premiere of the Marx' Brothers The Cocoanuts; and the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal comp…
100 years ago today, October 26, 1925 marked the first out of town tryout for The Cocoanuts, starring the Marx Brothers: Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo. The show opened in Boston on that d…
The Erie Canal was completed on October 26, 1825 " 200 years ago today. In light of the Halloween season, and the fact that my first impulse is always to spell it Eerie, but it isn't. It mig…
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 25, 2025 are about The Wiz (just turned 50); Johann Strauss II (for his 200th birthday) along with some other Strausses; and silent screen comedian …
Brief acknowledgment of the career of silent screen comedian Eddie Barry (Edward Burns, 1887-1966). Not to be confused with Eddie Lyons, and no relation to Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Barry, Eddie Ba…
Today marks the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) " and not coincidentally it's also World Opera Day. Folks of Strauss's day would be distressed to learn that Strauss would com…
October 23 was the birthday of Charlie Smalls (1943-1987), best remembered as the composer of the songs in The Wiz. Smalls was a child piano prodigy (or "whiz", if you prefer) who was alread…
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 24, 2025 are about Several Stars Who Had Polio, and Grass, the first film made by Merian C. Cooper, creator of King Kong. Earlier Travalanche posts …
October 24 was the birthday of Dr. Jonas Salk (1914-2995), who literally gave the world the polio vaccine. By literally, I mean, he didn't patent it. He chose not to profit from his discover…
A century ago: the world premier of Grass (1925)! That's right! Grass was invented in 1925! Prior to that, nothing but sand pits, gravel banks, mud holes! Once grass arrived, there could be …
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 23, 2025 are about Warhol Superstar Baby Jane Holzer, and burlesque dancer (and much more) Jennie Lee. Johnny Carson (born 100 years ago today) Also…
October 23 was the birthday of burlesque dancer, pin-up model, actress, labor organizer and entrepreneur Jennie Lee (Virginia Lee Hicks, 1928-1990). A Kansas City native, Lee was billed as "…
Today marks the 85th birthday of Baby Jane Holzer (Jane Brukenfeld, b. 1940), on of the first of the Warhol Superstars and one of the few not to have self-destructed in some spectacular way.…
Today's new Travalanche posts for October 22, 2025 are about John Reed and the movie Reds, Dory Previn, Parker Fennelly (The Fred Allen Show) and Sidney Miller. I have also done a complete o…
Comic actor Parker Fennelly (1891-1988) has to rank among the last performers with a vaudeville background to have a prominent place in American pop culture, though most Americans never knew…
Wow! Just wow. I am so floored by the credits of actor/director/songwriter Sidney Miller (1916-2004) and shocked myself that I'm just now getting around to him. Miller started out as a juven…
October 22 was the birthday of journalist John Reed (1887-1920) and October was the month of the Russian Revolution (by the old calendar; it took place in November according to the modern on…
Born 100 years ago today, Dorothy Langdon Previn Shannon (1925-2012), commonly known as Dory Previn, through her marriage to composer/conductor Andre Previn, to whom she was married from 195…
Today's new Travalanche post for October 21, 2025 is a menu of recommendations for some cool new things you might want to check out! Earlier Travalanche posts for October 21 (in no particula…
Having no planned essay for today, and an ungodly number planned for tomorrow, I thought I'd share this little goody bag of plugs for things I am excited about at the moment. Together they m…
