11,729 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is the 104th birthday of Rebecca Isabella “Carla” Laemmle (b. 1909), and she lives to celebrate it! The niece of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle, she appeared in a s…
Tonight Turner Classic Movies is continuing its excellent Halloween programming with a night devoted to the excellent horror director Tod Browning (for more on Browning’s interesting b…
Today is the birthday of Evelyn Silverstone, a.k.a Evelyn Kaye a.k.a Evelyn Kaye Klein (1911-1990). Â A Julliard trained violinist she was discovered by bandleader Phil Spilatny, who made …
Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, Horror (Mostly Gothic), PLUGS Tagged: Blood Moon, burlesque, Dead Sexy, Duane Park
Seeing as how it’s the birthday of director Roy Del Ruth (for more on that far-ranging director go here), and it is also the Halloween season, it seems fitting to share one of his last…
The hilarious Kevin Maher returns tomorrow just in time for Halloween with a new evil-themed show at the Alamo DraftHouse. All the dope on the show is here. But words cannot truly describe w…
How effective a transformation has Abigail Breslin made as an actress? Well, let’s just say I watched the entirety of Haunter yesterday without ever remembering that she was that…
Today is the birthday of Clifford Thompson (1904-1955), billed variously as “The Scandinavian Giant”, “The Wisconsin Paul Bunyon” and “Count Olaf”. While …
Today is the birthday of beloved Broadway and Hollywood character actress Spring Byington (1886-1971), a fitting time (since it’s also Halloween season) to show a film containing one o…
Set your DVRs, working people! Tomorrow morning TCM will be showing two classic Wheeler and Woolsey comedies, both directed by George Stevens (for more on this seminal cinematic comedy team …
Every Thursday in October, Turner Classic Movies is screening the films of the incomparable Vincent Price (for my full appreciation of Price, go here.) The programmers …
Today is the birthday of Gary Puckett (b. 1942). Â A native of the Pacific Northwest, his band was originally known as the Outcasts when he formed it in 1966. By the following year under t…
I have now seen every extant feature film by Alfred Hitchcock including all the silents, his skits in the revue film Ellstree Calling, and…his 1930 adaptation of Sean O’CaseyR…
Filed under: BOOKS & AUTHORS, Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, EXHIBITIONS & LECTURES, VISUAL ART, Women Tagged: Amy Touchette, ClampArt Gallery, Shoot the Arrow, World Famous Bob
Today is the birthday of Alfred Sylvester, Sr. (1813-1886), billed in variety halls as the Fakir of Oolu. Sylvester started his professional career in his native England as an assistant to i…
Originally posted in 2010 Buck and Bubbles were a piano-playing, song and dance combination act with plenty of humor. (A famous bit had them moving the piano on stage and a non-pushing Buck …
As an addendum to our earlier post celebrating Oscar Wilde’s birthday we attach this pleasing artifact, the 1925 silent version of Lady Windermere’s Fan, directed by Ernst Lubits…
A brief addendum to our earlier post about Eugene O’Neill on his birthday. O’Neill was of course of the “legitimate” theatre (second generation in fact), and in his d…
Today is the birthday of Big Joe Williams (Joseph Lee Williams, 1903-1982). It’s so tempting to include him in my Stars  of Vaudeville series since he seems to have gotten awfully c…
Today is the birthday of George Francis Ethinger (1905-?). Born with a parasitic conjoined twin, George possessed three legs, three buttocks, two stomachs and two kidneys. In addition to thi…
Today is the birthday of George Melville Cooper (1896-1973). Â With his langourous manner, heavy-lidded eyes, thin, pursing lips, and slightly droll countenance Cooper was ideally cast as …
Today is the birthday of the great early blues queen Victoria Spivey (1906-1976). The native Texan got her professional start as a child, singing and playing piano in movie theatres, saloons…
Filed under: BROOKLYN, Contemporary Variety, Dixieland & Early Jazz, Marches, Music, PLUGS, Rock and Pop Tagged: Honky NYC, Hungry March Band
Today is the birthday of Yvette Rugel (1896-1975). A native of Philadelphia, she got her start as an actress, as a supernumerary at the Chestnut Street Theatre. At some point she received op…
Today is the birthday of British pop star Sir Cliff Richard (b. 1940), that rare artist who was an English rock and pop star both long before the advent of the Beatles, and long after their …
