11,744 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is the birthday of the great American playwright Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) In my view he towers over (nearly) every other American playwright..because of his ambition, his restl…
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…
Today is the birthday of the great (and almost universally misunderstood)Â German philosopher Friedrich Neitzsche (1844-1900). Properly appreciated he is not the enemy of goodness, as is c…
Today is the birthday of stage and screen actress Ina Claire (nee Fagan, 1893-1988). The Washington D.C. native got her start in vaudeville as an impressionist at age 17 before breaking i…
Two weeks before Hallowe’en, you can hopefully forgive the Countess and myself for thinking an “interactive event” called “the Warehouse of Horrors” with tou…
Today is the birthday of the great American poet e.e. cummings (sic) (1894-1962). Here’s a little number he wrote when Buffalo Bill passed away: Buffalo Bill’s: defunct who used …
Today is the birthday of Eli Bowen, the Legless Acrobat (1844-1924). Bowen had feet — just no legs. Like many people born with such a condition, he developed his arms into extremely…
Today is the birthday of Harry Anderson (b. 1952). While more famous for his acting roles in the sit-coms Night Court (1984-1992)and Dave's World (1993-1997), and the tv movie version of Ste…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #244: Pert Kelton; among many other credits, she was the original Alice in The Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason. For the full bio on her go he…
Today is the birthday of Lenny Bruce (1925-1966). When I was 19 and 20 years old I was DEEP under the Brucean spell, enthralled by way of a handful of existing records borrowed from a friend…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #63: Lillie Langtry (for more on her and her connection to vaudeville go here). And, because you weren’t doing anything better anyway, here …
Today is Paul Simon’s birthday. While (like everybody else) I prefer him in a duo with Garfunkle, I do also like his earlier solo records, in particular this 1973 collaboration with th…
William H. Fox (ca. 1840-1915) had several phases to his career. He ran away from home as a youth in his native Kentucky to appear in circuses and early vaudeville touring units where he …
Today is the birthday of film and radio actress Irene Rich (1891-1988). The house wife and real estate broker began working as a film extra in 1918 and quickly worked her way up to substanti…
This weekend! For more details go here:Â http://parachuteconeyislandfestival.blogspot.com/
Atlas Shrugged, Part Two is being released into theatres today. I just watched Part One in preparation for this post, and I must say that it seems to me that all the reviewers who trashed it…
Today is the 80th birthday of African American comedian and activist Dick Gregory, instrumental in breaking down the stereotypes that had governed representation of African Americans in come…
Today through October 18, the Film Forum is showing the 1954 horror classic The Creature from the Black Lagoon in its original 3-D format. This film will always occupy a special place …
Grave Encounters 2 is in theatres today (see local listings for where/ when). See my review of the original Grave Encounters, which came out a year ago, here.Â
I wish I upstate for this cool looking event at the Hudson Opera House! Tonight and tomorrow night only: The Lost Victrola Sessions Live Music Experimental Film Live Video Theatrical Staging…
Little Motown “the heat wave lightin’ up the night” has been performing out of NYC for about a year. She’s quickly won over the hearts and groins of fans and fellow p…
“Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole of the Law” On this day in 1875 was Aleister Crowley issued forth from the loins of his brood mare! It is written in books that he passed fr…
Dave Marion (ca. 1875-1934) was an example of the range of creativity within burlesque. As a performer he was best known for playing a stuttering character called Snuffy the Cabman, well-lov…
