11,737 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is Tommy Chong’s birthday, yo. Don’t tell me how you plan to celebrate, I don’t want to know. At least, not in writing. This may surprise you (or maybe it won’t…
Usually, the zoological nickname of a sideshow anomaly bears some relation to the performers’ physical appearance. The Alligator Girl has scales; the Leopard Woman has spots; the Pengu…
Today is the birthday of Franz Mesmer (1734-1815). He’s someone I’ve been planning to write a play about for over a decade. One of the great charlatans of all time (the best kind…
Today is the birthday of beloved character actor Benjamin “Scatman” Crothers (1910-1986). Scatman’s cheerful, bald-headed visage seems just as indispensable as his husky, m…
Originally posted in 2010. The man whose name became synonymous with "swashbuckler" began his adult life in tame enough a fashion. After a brief stint at Harvard and a desultory early st…
Today is the birthday of Jose Collins (Charlotte Josephine Collins, 1887-1958). The daughter of Lottie Collins, she was second generation English music hall royalty, which enabled her to mak…
Today is the birthday of Henri Brustad (1844-1899). Born on the Island of Ytteroy, Norway, he was to grow to a height of seven and a half feet tall and travel with shows in his homeland befo…
Starting at 8pm tonight and going all the way into tomorrow at 6am, TCM will be showing Harold Lloyd films, including four features and 16 shorts. The menu will range from the well-known (su…
Originally posted in 2009. Today is the birthday of Harry Ritz. Back in the 20s and 30s when someone used the word "madcap" to describe certain comedians it actually made some sense. thi…
Originally posted in 2009. One of the great actresses of the early twentieth century, Nazimova was also one of vaudeville's great sensationalists. She was born Mariam Edez Adelaida "Alla…
Between 2000 and 2010 I wrote 30 different pieces for the Village Voice, a few of which I’m quite proud of. More than that — I was beyond proud to be associated with that legenda…
The Hall of Hams is my series on some of my favorite actors who have brought the art of melodramatic acting into the modern era. Today is the birthday of Laurence Olivier (1907-1989). Often …
Herb Williams’ (Herbert Schussler Billerbeck, 1884-1936) whole act revolved around a trick piano that fell apart like Harry Langdon’s automobile, but also was the source of many …
Today is the birthday of Dennis Day (Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, 1916-1988). Day came along too late for vaudeville; we celebrate him here today for his long, close professional association…
Originally posted in 2010. Best known as an incomparable jazz piano and organ player, a hilarious showman, and songwriter of such hits as “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, …
Today is the birthday of Richard Bennett (1870-1944). I quoted him in No Applause without really explaining who he was: a major New York stage star (and later film star) who sometimes deigne…
Today is the birthday of the original “human skeleton”, Isaac W. Sprague (1841-1887). His weight loss began at age twelve, although he wasn’t to join a sideshow until age 2…
Today is the birthday of Imro Fox (Isidore Fuchs, 1862-1910). Fox moved to the U.S. from his native Poland at age 17 and began his working life as a hotel chef. An amateur magician,…
Today is the birthday of Cher (Cherilyn Sarkasian, b. 1946). I wish it had occurred to me to write more about her in No Applause – she is absolutely the modern equivalent of a No…
Today is the birthday of brilliant Canadian comedian Dave Thomas (b.1949). While he has a long list of impressive credits, he is most notable for having been head writer and key cast member …
A good day for lady comedians! Today is also the birthday of Lyda Roberti (1906-1938). Born into a Warsaw circus family she began as a trapeze artist and singer in music halls, touring throu…
Today is the birthday of one of America’s first female comedy stars, Alice Howell (Alice Clark, 1886-1961). A New York City native, she appeared in vaudeville and musical comedies unti…
Today is the birthday of Mary and Margaret Gibb (1912-1967). Born in Mount Holyoke, Massachusetts, they generated publicity from the time they were born, having been one of the first pairs o…
Today is the birthday of Frank Capra (1897-1991). While the films of his peak years of the 1930s and 40s are almost universally known, many don’t know that he began his career in silen…
Today is the birthday of Big Joe Turner (1911-1985). His existence makes it hard to see what all the fuss about rock and roll was in the mid 50s. His brand of boogie-woogie and jump blues go…
