Charlie Chaplin in "The Champion" by Trav S.d.

  Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Chaplin Chaplin comedy The Champion (1915). One of his early Essanay comedies, The Champion is a nice snapshot of Chaplin in…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:14am on March 11, 2014☆⚑

Because We Love Marie! by Trav S.d.

Filed under: African American Interest, Blackface & Minstrelsy, BROOKLYN, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, VISUAL ART Tagged: exhibition, Freedom Fighters, Marie Roberts, Tuohy Hall

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:03am on March 10, 2014☆⚑

Vaudephone #27: Keith Nelson by Trav S.d.

Hello and welcome again to Vaudephone, your one stop shopping for all the best contemporary variety acts, viewed through our patented retroscope. Today we feature the Bindlestiff Family C…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:32am on March 10, 2014☆⚑

Bindlestiff 20th Anniversary Show This Week! by Trav S.d.

Filed under: BROOKLYN, Circus, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS, Vaudeville etc. Tagged: Bindlestiff, Brooklyn Lyceum 20th Anniversary, Circus, vaudeville

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:29am on March 10, 2014☆⚑

Tomorrow on TCM: Berle's Big Picture by Trav S.d.

Tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. Eastern, Turner Classic Movies is showing a most interesting artifact, Milton Berle’s 1949 film Always Leave Them Laughing.  This was neither BerleR…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 4:20pm on March 9, 2014☆⚑

Century of Slapstick #29: Tango Tangles by Trav S.d.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the release of the Keystone comedy Tango Tangles, co-starring Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle and Ford Sterling, directed by Mack Sennett. This is ano…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:16am on March 9, 2014☆⚑

Tonight: The Murray Hill Show by Trav S.d.

Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, Drag and/or LGBT Tagged: burlesque, Gramercy Theatre, Murray Hill

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 9:39am on March 8, 2014☆⚑

Fatty's Chance Acquaintance by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release of Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance (1915), directed by and starring Roscoe Arbuckle. A fairly typical “park bench” comedy, it stars Arbu…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:27am on March 8, 2014☆⚑

On "The Great Dictator" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of one of my favorite films, Charlie Chaplin’s first talkie The Great Dictator (1940).  By the 1930s there was no avoiding the fac…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 2:06pm on March 7, 2014☆⚑

On Chaplin's "City Lights" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release of Charlie Chaplin’s great masterpiece City Lights (1931). Despite being released well into the sound era, City Lights may be thought of a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:27pm on March 7, 2014☆⚑

Douglas Fairbanks IS "The Nut" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release of Douglas Fairbanks‘ last out-and-out comedy, appropriately named The Nut (1921). As I wrote in Chain of Fools, the pure distilled swa…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 3:47pm on March 6, 2014☆⚑

Tonight the Downtown Donnybrook: FDNY vs. Dublin! by Trav S.d.

TFiled under: PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, Sport & Recreation Tagged: boxing, Downtown Donnybrook, Dublin, FDNY

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:15am on March 6, 2014☆⚑

Apply for the Bindlestiff First of May Award! by Trav S.d.

This just in!  You’re crazy if you’re in the variety arts and don’t apply!  First of May Award 2014 Bindlestiff Family Cirkus welcomes variety and circus artist to su…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 5:23pm on March 5, 2014☆⚑

Drew Freidman's "Old Jewish Comedians": Opens Today and Tomorrow! by Trav S.d.

Filed under: Comedy, EXHIBITIONS & LECTURES, Jews/ Show Biz, PLUGS, VISUAL ART Tagged: Drew Friedman, Old Jewish Comedians, Society of Illustrators

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 9:55am on March 5, 2014☆⚑

Ben Turpin in "The Shriek of Araby" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release of the Ben Turpin comedy The Shriek of Araby (1923). Turpin was one of Mack Sennett’s biggest stars during the period between his retentio…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:57am on March 5, 2014☆⚑

Hall of Hams #76: Henry Daniell by Trav S.d.

Today is the birthday of one of Hollywood’s greatest screen villains, the ice-cold, lizard-like Henry Daniell (1894-1963). Daniell was an English stage actor who’d been on the bo…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 5:25am on March 5, 2014☆⚑

Laurel and Hardy in "Any Old Port" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the hilarious Laurel and Hardy comedy Any Port in a Storm (1932). In this, the boys are a couple of salts just off a whaling vessel. They c…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 4:39am on March 5, 2014☆⚑

Wife and Auto Trouble by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Mack Sennett Tri-Stone comedy Wife and Auto Trouble (1916). This was one of just a handful of silent pictures made by Broadway star …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 3:52am on March 5, 2014☆⚑

The Post-Psychedelic Hope and Crosby by Trav S.d.

I realize not everyone shares my perverse propensity for rubbernecking at car wrecks, so forgive me if this is the wrong advice. Tomorrow in the wee hours, Turner Classic Movies is showing a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 1:30pm on March 4, 2014☆⚑

Bindle, Bramble, Baby, Bumpus by Trav S.d.

We stopped by Dixon Place last night to tape a couple of Vaudephones with company members of Bindlestiff Family Cirkus during the exciting preparatory moments before their monthly open mike …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:06am on March 4, 2014☆⚑

The Salon: Mardi Gras by Trav S.d.

Filed under: PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: Mardi Gras, Players Club, The Salon

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:29am on March 4, 2014☆⚑

Buscemi to Be Crowned King! (and much more) by Trav S.d.

Filed under: HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS, MEMORIALS & PARADES, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: Jo Andres, Lower East Side Girls Club, Mardi Gras, Steve Buscemi, Two Boots

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:27am on March 4, 2014☆⚑

Fatty's Reckless Fling by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Keystone comedy Fatty’s Reckless Fling (1915), starring and directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. The title refers, not to an adulterou…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:45am on March 4, 2014☆⚑

Stars of Slapstick #180: Jean Harlow by Trav S.d.

Yes! Jean Harlow! Before being spotted scouts for Howard Hughes for his film Hell’s Angels and thence becoming Hollywood’s archetypal “Blonde Bombshell”, Jean H…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 1:58pm on March 3, 2014☆⚑

W.C. Fields in "The Fatal Glass of Beer" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the hilarious W.C. Fields short The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933). Comedy buffs cherish this film to a degree that you can scarcely imagine…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 1:13pm on March 3, 2014☆⚑