11,549 stories by "Trav S.D."
Now, now, don't jump to conclusions. Yes, Shirley Jean Rickert (1926-2009), was both a child star and a burlesque dancer, but at entirely different times in her life, much as the Hovick sist…
The movie career of Jackie Condon (1918-1977) was over by the time he was 11 years old, but by that point he had appeared in 88 movies! Most of those credits were with Hal Roach's Our Gang s…
Stage and screen star Violet Horner (1892-1970) was second generation show biz. Her parents had been on the music hall stage. Violet was born and raised in New York, where she sang in church…
British actress Binnie Barnes (Gertrude Maud Barnes, 1903-1998), born this day. One of sixteen children born to a London policeman, Barnes became a chorus girl and a dance hostess and appear…
Fragments on female impersonator Arico Wild (1894-1966). We learn of her from the Sobels' Pictorial History of Vaudeville, which labeled her "sensational". in his 1953 book Vaudeville From t…
Just to confound things, Lois Andrews (Lorraine Gourley, 1924-1968) was not one of the Andrews Sisters. With only a half dozen screen credits to her name she is a bit of a footnote in these …
Some tribute today to Syd Saylor (Leslie Raymond Sailor, 1895-1962), sometimes billed under his given name or as Leo Sailor, Sid Sailor, or Sid Saylor. Born in Chicago, a bit of legend attac…
March 22 was the birthday of Julius Stern (1886-1977), who along with his brother Abe (1888-1951) formed a producing partnership called the Stern Brothers. The Sterns' sister Recha was marri…
Born this day, music hall star and pantomime dame Harry Randall (1857-1932). London-born Randall as encouraged in the stone engraver's trade by his bootblack father, but balked, beginning to…
Apparently today is National Teenager Day, which is pretty revolting…as EVERY day in this country is National Teenager Day. Still, it presents me with an opportunity to release this post I…
Carmelita Geraghty (1901-1966) was the daughter of screenwriter Tom Geraghty, whose credits included things like Douglas Fairbanks' 'Til the Clouds Roll By (1919) and The Mollycoddle (1920).…
Sometimes I worry that I have too much competition in the vintage show biz blogging field. On the other hand I am quite confident that I will be the only person on the internet celebrating t…
March 20, 1854 was the day the Republican Party was founded (at any rate, it's the day it was named). While there hasn't been much to celebrate about that organization in quite some time, it…
Western lawman Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) is well known to movie buffs, having been portrayed in Hollywood movies and television shows by such stars as Henry Fonda, Randolph Scott, Richard Dix, …
Ubiquitous character actor Roy Roberts (Roy Barnes Jones, 1906-1975) acquitted himself memorably in almost every genre, on stage, screen and television. I associate him with comedies, as wel…
March 18 was the birthday of the late Peter Graves (Peter Aurness, 1926-2010). Here's something I either didn't know or forgot " Graves was the brother of Gunsmoke's James Arness. Like his b…
What an excellent way to begin the day " becoming acquainted with pugilist, pro athlete and character actor Frank Moran (1887-1967). Cleveland born Moran initially studied dentistry at the U…
Plus-sized bit player Jody Gilbert (1916-1979) was often cast for the air of authenticity she lent to a role. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas she was often cast as intimidating working cla…
Country musician and western sidekick Smiley Burnette (Lester Alvin Burnett, 1911-1967) was born this day. Burnette was born in rural Summum, Illinois, not far from the Illinois River, and r…
Josephine Rose Lederer (1910-1935) was the daughter of Reinie Davies and Broadway producer/director George Lederer. Her parents divorced when she was two; she subsequently lived a good deal …
Slovenian born Desha Eva PodgorÅ¡ek (1899-1980) came to the U.S. in 1913, and became a pupil of ballet master Michel Fokine, eventually becoming the lead ballerina in his company. She also…
His birthday was a couple of days ago, but I couldn't squeeze it into a very busy blogging day, and besides what better day than St. Patrick's to appreciate a man named J. Pat O'Malley (1904…
Irish-American dance prodigy John "Jack" Diamond (1823-1857) was a phenomenon of the blackface minstrelsy** era. At age 17 Diamond won a citywide jig contest, and P.T. Barnum booked him for …
The Happiness Boys were Thomas Ernest "Ernie" Hare (1883-1939) and Billy Jones (1889-1940). Hare was the more seasoned professional of the two. At age 16, he went on Broadway in the show Hav…
Having already did a thinky tribute to the great Andy Kaufman, we hang today's Taxi post on the show's actual star Judd Hirsch, whose birthday it is. It's rare to meet someone who doesn't co…
