11,749 stories by "Trav S.d."
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Wheeler and Woolsey comedy Diplomaniacs (1933). This crazy comedy was penned by Herman Mankiewicz who had written Million Dollar Legs a…
 Today is the anniversary of the release date of Harold Lloyd’s The Nonstop Kid (1918). The plot of this early “glasses” comedy is simple. Harold and a half dozen…
I was planning a little mother’s day tribute for Minnie Marx today, and behold! My Marxfest colleagues made this swell card! Minnie (1865-1929) is a solid, cherished part of Marx Broth…
In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire team, …
Filed under: Burlesk, Comedy, Comedy Teams, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, VISUAL ART Tagged: burlesque, dr. sketchy's, drawing, Marx Brothers, Marxfest
 Today is the anniversary of the release date of Laurel and Hardy’s last film for a major U.S. studio The Bullfighters (1945), directed by Mal St. Clair. Like all of their fi…
In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire team, …
Today is the birthday of Dolores Vallecita  a.k.a Dolly V. Hill (1877-1925). Little is known about her, aside from the fact that she was a Spanish-born animal trainer in big time vaudevil…
Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS, MEMORIALS & PARADES, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, Women Tagged: Burlesque Brunch, Highline Ballroom, Mother's Day, New York Burl…
In 1929 and 1930, the four Marx Brothers, stars of Broadway and vaudeville, made their first two talking pictures The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers at Paramount’s Astoria Studio facili…
In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire team, …
If I look oh-so-smug its because in the last couple of days I learned about two dozen important facts about the Marx Brothers that aren’t in any book and I’m honor bound not to d…
Seems to be Phil Silvers day today on TCM, and that’s okay with me, Pal. As is well known, Silvers spent time not only in vaudeville but in burlesque (see my full bio on him here). Two…
In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire team, …
In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire team, …
Today is the 100th anniversary of the release date of the Charlie Chaplin film A Busy Day. This one is priceless — priceless! Directed by the man Mack Sennett himself, this is…
Today is the birthday of Gary Cooper (1901-1961). Over a half century after his death, Cooper remains one of the greatest movie stars of all time. Modern stars struggle mightily to fill thos…
Today is the birthday of the great wild west show man William Frank “Doc” Carter (1851-1937). His nickname originated in the fact that he had originally  been a frontier denti…
“Marxfest Memories?!” you ask, “How can you have made any? You’re only on day six!” But much can happen in six days. By the sixth day of Creation, God had alrea…
In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire team, …
 Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Eddie Cantor silent feature Special Delivery (1927). This was Eddie’s second feature, and there is much to intrigue about…
Today is the birthday of Frances Lee (Myrna Tibbets, 1906-2000). Originally from Iowa, she was scouted and hired for Gus Edwards’ travelling vaudeville act. She was a chorus girl in th…
 Today is the birthday of Tyrone Power (1914-1958). Despite his birth into an acting dynasty with roots all the way into the 18th century, despite having been one of the biggest box offi…
 In celebration of Marxfest, every day this month we will be paying tribute to a different Marx Brothers film. While there are only 13 extant cinematic features including the entire t…
Just a quick note (before my coffee even!) to let you know I’ll be on WBAI’s Cat Radio Cafe today (May 5) with Janet Coleman and David Dozer. WBAI is one of the best radio statio…
