11,746 stories by "Trav S.D."
Here’s a charming if problematic object to contemplate this Thanksgiving Day: my 1925 copy of “The Land of the Pilgrims” by one Jay Earle Thomson, Principal of School #3, J…
Today is the birthday of Ruth Etting, “The Sweetheart of Song”. My bio of her (here) is too brutal, I think, but after all it’s all a matter of taste. She sings wonderfully…
Here now our second installment in the Vaudephone series, Jenny Lee Mitchell as Deirdre Pazzeco in “sopravvalutato”:
Today is the birthday of Charles Mack (1887-1934) of the team of Moran and Mack, a.k.a “Two Black Crows” (see article here). For your delectation, we present their 1929 comedy re…
Ethel Levey is unfortunately best known today as George M. Cohan’s wife. Unfortunate, because, if not for that, she’d be known primarily for own stage stardom, which was interrup…
Far be it from me to turn this blog into TV Guide, but sometimes I just gotta alert the public to developments of vaudevillian interest! Tonight at 10pm (EST) TCM is showing one of my favori…
Today is the birthday of the amazing Eleanor Powell (see full bio here) Now here she is dancing to  to George and Ira Gershwin’s “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” in the 1941 M…
This very promising-sounding documentary about Woody Allen premiers tonight and tomorrow on PBS’s American Masters. Mr. Allen and others often spout off about how he alone among the up…
Alan Corelli (ca. 1895-1980) had an unusual act: essentially he was a strong man who specialized in lifting other people up…and rendering himself almost impossible to be lifted up hims…
Today is the birthday of Clifton Webb, latter day Renaissance man. (see full bio here). Here he is in one of his best loved roles, Mr. Belvedere in Sitting Pretty. To find out more about …
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite character actors Ned Sparks (full bio here) . Below, find a a great montage of some of his characteristic lines in Hollywood movies: To find out m…
This may be too much awesomeness all in one place! And furthermore it’s free! I highly endorse…. Peter and the Wolf is not supposed to include an elephant and a cockroach. And Th…
Most photos of Imogene Coca accentuate (usually with her help) her homeliness for comic effect. In the photo above, I was struck by how beautiful she was, and so I defy tradition by selectin…
Buatier deKolta (1845-1903) was a French magician who also toured England and America in the 1870s and 80s. He is credited with devising many illusions still in use today, including the Milt…
The infant who would become Aileen Stanler (1893-1982) was christened Maude Elsie Aileen Muggeridge. She was born in Chicago to English parents. The father died when she was very young; the …
Morris Meyerfeld (born Moses this day in 1855) was sort of the Keith to Martin Beck’s Albee in the real creation and expansion of the Orpheum Circuit, which ruled the Big Time west of …
Today is the birthday of the much-loved and much-hated Frank Fay, much emulated by generations of stand-up comedians and emcees (For a full bio go here). Also featured with him the documenta…
I’ll be there, and how! For more on the film’s director Todd Browning, go here. Him Moore, of course, is my collaborator on Vaudephone.
Presenting the perfect love child of Vaudevisuals.com and Travalanche/ The American Vaudeville Theatre: Vaudephone! The Vaudephone revives the old concept of Vitaphone vaudeville for the Vim…
MONDAY NIGHT FESTIVAL OF MGM SILENTS STARTS AT THE FILM FORUM TONIGHT,NOVEMBER 14, WITH NEW 35mm PRINT OF KING VIDOR’S THE CROWD. LIVE PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT BY STEVE STERNER!
This post is one in a series that defines for the layman the various types of variety arts. For the full panoply go here. In 1926, live vaudeville was slammed with a new type of competition …
Opening tonight at the Metropolitan Playhouse! A rare chance to see a stage production of the ultimate “tradition vs. show business” melodrama, Samuel Raphaelson’s The Jazz…
Today is the birthday of the great Bert Williams, one of American comedy’s great geniuses, and the Jackie Robinson of American show business. For a full bio on him and his partner Geor…
Well, we made it! As promised earlier, here is our eleventh post of the day. This amazing clip from the Library of Congress collection is nearly a century old. These entertainers certainly n…
