11,729 stories by "Trav S.d."
A nod today to ventriloquist Ronn Lucas (b. 1954). El Paso native Lucas has been a professional vent for nearly 50 years. Judging strictly from video clips, he just might be the most technic…
As we write this, Putin's armies are streaming over Russia's western border in a bid to swallow the sovereign nation of Ukraine. There is no denying that historically Ukraine has long been p…
Having already done a post today with a down ending about a young talented star who died way too young, I contemplated a kicking the can down the road and saving this one on Mitch Hedberg (1…
Pete Duel (1940-1971) would have been 82 today, which seems unthinkable, for like so many who would be so old now (James Dean, JFK) he left this world when he was in the prime of life. In ol…
Today something I almost never do: plug a book that's decades old (as opposed to 150 years old or new). My friend Last-Up Larry kindly gave me some used books a few months back; two were by …
Of all things, a rare appeal to support a website I write for that isn't the Travalanche campaign. In point of fact, I'm super proud of many of the articles I've cooked up for Chelsea Commun…
The provocative title of this morning's post happens also to be the name of an actual American court case, one of the most ironically yet aptly named in history, right up there with "Loving …
I sure hope you recall a project I contributed to a while back, organized and presented by the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, entitled Windows on the Bowery, which put informative placards in…
Playwright Leonard Melfi (1932-2001) would have been 90 years old today. In a time when many people live to that advanced age, it's worth looking at the circumstances as to how and why Melfi…
I'm not a sci-fi guy per se, nor even a steam-punk guy, but more like a straight-up, uncut Victoriana guy, which is why you may find posts on H.G. Wells and Jules Verne here on Travalanche, …
A portmanteau post this morning, concerning two different men with a very real connection. The first is English novelist Henry Cockton (1807-1853). I often opine that various public figures …
We'll expend just a few lines on William Henry ("W.H.") Turner (1845-1941), for that's about all we have! As Delno Fritz also shares this birthday, February 20 is apparently a very good day …
Born 100 years ago today: broadcast personality Sandy Becker (George Sanford Becker, 1922-1996). Becker enjoyed both a national and local (NYC) show biz imprint over a quarter century in the…
I few syllables about British-American character actress Queenie Leonard (Pearl Walker, 1905-2002). She's Travalanche's third Queenie, by my count, following on the heels of Queenie Vassar a…
New York Readers of Travalanche, I bring you Glad Tidings! This Sunday at 11am, the Film Forum (Jr) will be showing Charles Lane's wonderful 1989 film Sidewalk Stories, and Mr. Lane will be …
Arkansas native Arthur Hunnicutt (1910-79) traveled for years with medicine shows and stock companies before making it to Broadway in Love's Old Sweet Song (1940) by William Saroyan, one of …
William LeBaron (1883-1958) is a figure I knew chiefly about as a Hollywood executive who gave a lot of opportunity and support to some of my favorite classic comedians, but it's important t…
Self-evidently, the writing of history is vital because it tells us what happened before we were to witness events. Sometimes, however, it is also useful because we don't mark important deve…
Like any diligent Marx Brothers fan I know about Florence Rice (1907-1974), primarily through her appearance as the ingenue in At the Circus (1939). If you ever wondered how we go from the l…
We in America have no true equivalent to British music hall and television impresario Valentine "Val" Parnell (1892-1972). The closest would be if you crossed Edward Albee (the vaudeville bo…
Ernest "Tennessee Ernie" Ford (1919-1991) was the sort of figure we don't seem to have in American pop culture any more: a country artist with mass, mainstream appeal, less because the count…
February 13, 1884 was the likely natal day of Lillian Margaret St. Cyr, though some sources say the less likely 1873, which would have made her 101 at the time of her death. This "Lilly" is …
The year 2028 will mark 150 years of acting Adlers in this world. Jerry Adler (b. 1929) is arguably the best known nowadays in strict numerical terms, by virtue of his film and television wo…
Today we scratch out a few lines on an obscure and minor figure whom we stumbled across while (of all things) making corrections on Wikipedia. (Making factual corrections is not my bag at al…
Oh, don't worry, Valri Bromfield fans " she's very much alive. It's just that Bromfield (b. 1949) left show business a couple of decades ago, so my memories of her as a performer are at leas…
