11,754 stories by "Trav S.d."
Unlike our contemporary Serpentina, snake-charming star of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, the original Serpenta (possibly named Irene Ferrill, b. circa 1898), was billed to be boneless, l…
Thanks to one and all who came out to Dixon Place for our Chain of Fools launch event. I was so grateful to all those who braved the rains to come out. It proved to be a veritable who’…
Today is the birthday of Louise Lasser (b. 1939). Some may know her as Woody Allen’s first wife and the co-star of his early films through 1972. (Very few) others of you may know he…
Clico (1857-1940) was actually Franz Taabosh, a Bushman native of what is now South Africa. Fond of, and skilled at, his native Khoisan folk dances, the four foot tall Taabosh was first pres…
Today is the birthday of Rosa Richter (1862-1922), known professionally as Zazel, one of the first of the human cannonballs. Born in England, she was already an acrobat and tightrope walker …
Hello and welcome again to Vaudephone, your one stop shopping for all the best contemporary variety acts! Today we feature — me! With a very special message for  – you! (Wa…
Henry Darrow (b. Enrique DelGado, 1933) is best known for his role as Manolito Montoya on the hit tv western The High Chaparral (1967-1971). The good looking Darrow was one of tv’…
We most this one today in conjunction with our post on the new book about Henry Darrow. The High Chaparral (1967-1971) is one of the very first tv shows I can remember watching. (I have a…
Low, Hite and Stanley was a highly vaudevillian act of the post vaudeville era who performed together from the mid 1930s through 1961. Amusingly, Roland Picaro Low was not the little person:…
I recently wrote an article for the next issue of The Berlesker that talks about four performing artists with a connection both to clowning and to burlesque (Dottie Lux, Melissa Roth a.k.…
Dagobert Roehmann (sometimes given as Dagmar Rothman, 1920-1952) was one of the sideshow world’s most legendary geeks and regurgitators. Billed as Waldo the Great or “the Human O…
Please Join Us For the FREE Chain of Fools Launch Event Wednesday, April 10, 7:30-9:30 pm in the Dixon Place Lounge Trav S.D. launches his new book Chain of Fools: Silent …
Part two of today’s birthday tribute to comic actor Stuart Pankin (for part one go here). Here’s a show that was not only quite prominent for a time, but was actually on tv fo…
 The Hall of Hams is my series on some of my favorite actors who have brought the art of melodramatic acting into the modern era. One of the great thespians of his day, Frank Keenan (Apr…
This is the first of two posts today celebrating the birthday of comic character actor Stuart Pankin (b. 1946). While you may not know the name, his is an an extremely recognizab…
Today is the birthday of Shecky Greene (Fred Sheldon Greenfield, b. 1926). I don’t know how it happened, but somewhere down the line his name became synonymous with “hack comedia…
Today is the birthday of Sonja Henie (1912-1969), who for ten years enjoyed an unlikely second career for a world champion ice skater — movie star. (although there were others who atte…
Today is the birthday of Gladys Marie Smith, a.k.a. Mary Pickford (1892-1979). She was of course most famous as a film actress and one of the most powerful people (male or female) in Hollywo…
Friends Michele Carlo and Heather Quinlan have teamed with Bridget Bartolini to produce this series of New York themed story nights, with awesome storytellers like Alexis Sottile, Kam…
Horace Ridler (1892-1969) was a self-made British freak billed as The Great Omi and the Zebra Man (although to me he looks more like a poison dart frog). His early years are shrouded in myst…
Today is the birthday of Jack Osterman (1902-1939). His mother had been an operetta star; his father a publicist and company manager. His first major show was Jerome Kern’s Oh, Boy (19…
One of many leopard boys employed by P.T. Barnum, A.E. Bishell (1869-1909), like most who bore the name, was an African American who had the condition called leucoderma, which produces a spo…
George Lippert (1842-1906) was born in Bavaria, Germany with two functioning hearts and three functioning legs (sort of). His right leg split off into two, one of which was normal-sized, clu…
Born in 1919, Illinous native Clyde “Tiny” Hicks got with it in 1945 when he joined the Standard Shows in Wyoming as a fat man”. Claims about his eigh ranged from over 500 …
Today is the birthday of Bert Swor (1878-1943) (or, rather it may be; another source says January 9, 1871 is the actual birthdate). A native of rural Texas, he got his start as a minstrel pe…
