Of Byron and Mazeppa (and Our New Play) by Trav S.d.

Today is the birthday of George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824). Two years ago we wrote about his comical epic poem Don Juan, which is now one of our favorite pieces of literature. Toda…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 1:37pm on January 22, 2015☆⚑

Embargo on Griffith by Trav S.d.

  Today is D.W. Griffith’s birthday. What I typically do on this day is to try and strike a balance, by celebrating the pioneer film-maker’s contributions while condemning his…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:19pm on January 22, 2015☆⚑

Sweet Soubrette Tonight by Trav S.d.

Filed under: BROOKLYN, Music, PLUGS Tagged: Freddy's Bar, Sweet Soubrette

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36am on January 22, 2015☆⚑

Charlie Hebdo Comedy Benefit Tonight by Trav S.d.

Filed under: Comedy, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS, Stand Up Tagged: benefit, Charlie Hebdo, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Scott Blakeman

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 9:39am on January 22, 2015☆⚑

Charlie Chaplin in "Easy Street" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of one of Charlie Chaplin’s best known and best loved comedy shorts Easy Street (1917). Easy Street was made and released at the p…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 9:14am on January 22, 2015☆⚑

Stars of Slapstick #205: Felix Adler by Trav S.d.

Today is the birthday of one of at least three distinguished Felix Adlers (1884-1963). This one, it just so happens, was not the Founder of the Ethical Culture Movement, nor was he the circu…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:42am on January 22, 2015☆⚑

Tomorrow AM on TCM: Mae West in "She Done Him Wrong" by Trav S.d.

Tomorrow at 9:30am (EST) Turner Movie Classics will be showing the Mae West classic She Done Him Wrong  (1933). I think most people agree that She Done Him Wrong, West’s fi…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 3:22pm on January 21, 2015☆⚑

by Trav S.d.

There’s a reason I’m a repeat offender on  the Halli Casser-Jayne show. I love it! Today the subject is the great Sophie Tucker, Last of the Red Hot Mamas, and the guests will…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:19am on January 21, 2015☆⚑

Arbuckle, Keaton and St. John in "Out West" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle silent comedy short Out West (1918), also featuring Buster Keaton and Al St. John (and written by Nata…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:42am on January 20, 2015☆⚑

Helen of Troy, New York by Trav S.d.

The Mad Marchioness and I had an unseemly amount of jollity at Medicine Show’s revival of the 1923 musical Helen of Troy, New York. This show has long been a missing puzzle piece in…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 1:28pm on January 19, 2015☆⚑

Century of Slapstick #65: Love, Speed and Thrills by Trav S.d.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the release date of the rollicking Keystone silent comedy short Love, Speed and Thrills.  I love such such movie titles, don’t you?  It…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 4:41pm on January 18, 2015☆⚑

Tonight on TCM: The Baroque Splendor of "Duel in the Sun" by Trav S.d.

Tonight at 10:15pm (EST), as part of its evening of Gregory Peck films, Turner Classic Movies will be screening that over-the-top masterpiece Duel in the Sun (1946). Duel in the Sun…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 9:32am on January 18, 2015☆⚑

Century of Slapstick #64: Fatty and Mabel's Simple Life by Trav S.d.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the release date of the Keystone silent comedy short Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life, starring Mabel Normand and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuck…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:40am on January 18, 2015☆⚑

Tonight on TCM: Buster Keaton in "Our Hospitality" by Trav S.d.

Tonight (tomorrow really) at 12:45am Eastern, Turner Classic Movies will be showing the Buster Keaton classic Our Hospitality (1923). Our Hospitality may be called Keaton's fi…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:06am on January 18, 2015☆⚑

W.C. Fields at el in "David Copperfield" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of David O. Selznick’s all-star 1935 Hollywood adaptation of Dickens’ David Copperfield.  Today this film is best remembe…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:55am on January 18, 2015☆⚑

Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop: An Appreciation by Carla Rhodes by Trav S.d.

Today is the birthday of Shari Lewis (Sonia Phyllis Hurwitz, 1933-1998). This influential puppeteer and ventriloquist was such a ubiquitous and comforting presence on tv when I was growing u…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:34am on January 17, 2015☆⚑

Harold Lloyd in "The Kid Brother" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of Harold Lloyd’s 1927 feature The Kid Brother. In The Kid Brother, Lloyd stretched somewhat, venturing into what one thinks of as Keato…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:40am on January 17, 2015☆⚑

Hey, Kids! This Sunday, Follow the Bouncing Ball! by Trav S.d.

Filed under: BROOKLYN, Coney Island, Movies, PLUGS Tagged: Bouncing Ball, Coney Island, Museum of Interesting Things

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:49am on January 16, 2015☆⚑

Busby Berkley Dreams: Tribute to the Music of Stephin Merritt by Trav S.d.

Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, Drag and/or LGBT, PLUGS Tagged: Busby Berkley Dreams, Matt Knife, Stephin Merritt, Stonewall Inn

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 2:57pm on January 15, 2015☆⚑

Laurel's Last Film Without Hardy by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Hal Roach silent comedy film short Should Tall Men Marry? (1928). The film is interesting for a couple of reasons. One is that it…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:31am on January 15, 2015☆⚑

W.C. Fields in "The Potters" by Trav S.d.

Today is the anniversary of the release date of the silent W.C. Fields comedy feature The Potters (1927), directed by Fred C. Newmeyer.  The Potters is one of several lost Fields fe…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 8:36am on January 15, 2015☆⚑

Tonight on TCM: Great Train Robberies by Trav S.d.

Tonight on Turner Classic Movies: A welter of westerns centered on train robberies! Except for this first one, which is an “Eastern”: 8:00pm (EST): The Great Train Robbery (1979)…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:24pm on January 14, 2015☆⚑

Tomorrow AM on TCM: Two B Movie Comedies by Trav S.d.

When we think of “B movies”, most of us are conditioned to go straight to genre pictures:  science fiction, horror, murder mysteries, noir, and westerns. (Thanks, French New W…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:16am on January 14, 2015☆⚑

Century of Slapstick #63: Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day by Trav S.d.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the release date of the silent comedy short Mabel and Fatty’s Wash Day.  In this one Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and Mabel Normand pl…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 7:17am on January 14, 2015☆⚑

Anita Ekberg: The Comedies by Trav S.d.

On Sunday Anita Ekberg had the bad fortune to pass away as 1.5 million people were filling the streets of Paris. This is my apology (and my excuse) for not getting to this little tribute unt…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 2:40pm on January 13, 2015☆⚑