11,841 stories by "Trav S.D."
Tonight (tomorrow, really) at 1:00am (E.S.T.) on Turner Classic Movies, Harold Lloyd in Dr. Jack (1922). Dr. Jack is easily my least favorite (and the weakest) of Lloyd's features. …
Today is the birthday of one of the greatest cartoon voice-over actors of all-time, Daws Butler (1916-1988). Butler got his start as a teenager in the last days of vaudeville (post-vau…
Today is the birthday of Jim Jordan (1896-1988). Together with his wife Marion Driscoll Jordan, he was creator and star of the groundbreaking radio sitcom Fibber McGee and Molly. Original…
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Laurel and Hardy short The Hoose-gow (1929), directed by James Parrott. The pen! This is a familiar scenario for Laurel and Hardy, shar…
Today is the 100th anniversary of the release of the Keystone comedy Fatty’s Jonah Day a.k.a Fatty’s Hoodoo Day, directed by and starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbu…
Filed under: Music, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: Rudy Vallee, Vagabond Lover, Ziegfeld Society
Filed under: LEGIT, EXPERIMENTAL & MUSICAL THEATRE, PLUGS Tagged: Engaged, Gary Upton Schwartz, W.S. Gilbert
Thanks Barry Mitchell, for alerting me to the fact that Richard Zoglin’s new book Hope: Entertainer of the Century includes a generous reference to, quote from, and shout-o…
Today is the 100th anniversary of the world premiere of the seminal all-star Mack Sennett comedy feature Tillie’s Punctured Romance, starring Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel …
Today is the birthday of the great American actor Edwin Booth (1833-1893). Booth was perhaps the greatest of a great theatrical family, son of Junius Brutus Booth, and brother of Junius Brut…
Today is the birthday of Eddie Buzzell (1895-1985). Brooklyn-born Buzzell broke into vaudeville at the age of 13 in a Gus Edwards kiddie act, along with Eddie Cantor, George Jessell, et al. …
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Charlie Chaplin movie Behind the Screen (1916). While made at the peak of Chaplin’s Mutual period, this comedy feels to me like a…
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Stan Laurel comedy Mud and Sand (1922), produced by Broncho Billy Anderson. The film is Laurel's parody of Valentino's Blood and Sand,…
 Today is the birthday of Helen Mack, sometimes billed as Helen Macks (Helen McDougall, 1913-1986). Mack had extensive credits in nearly every branch of American show business: silent fil…
Today is the birthday of Errol Brown (Lester Errol Brown, b.1949), best known as the front man and songwriter (with bassist Tony Wilson)Â for the 70s’ hit machine Hot Chocolate. Hot …
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Douglas Fairbanks romantic comedy American Aristocracy (1916). This has always been a special Fairbanks film for me because it was s…
I would have said it would be tough going for the Mad Marchioness to top last year’s birthday — a trip to Ireland chronicled here. But I do believe she managed to do it. On Satur…
Today is the birthday of Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007). Vonnegut was my favorite contemporary fiction author during my high school years; I read every book he’d written up to that point (g…
Today is the anniversary of the release of the early Harold Lloyd comedy The Flirt (1917). In this silent Hal Roach short, Lloyd plays a young man who spies lovely Bebe Daniels walking th…
When I first met Jerry Tallmer, I was so excited that I thrust out my hand to shake, and crowed some glib introduction, something along the lines of, "An honor to meet you, Mr. Tallmer. I'm …
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Eddie Cantor comedy Kid Millions (1934), directed by Roy Del Ruth. This is not Cantor’s best movie, mostly because of the script,…
 Today is the birthday of country singer Donna Fargo (b. 1945). For some reason her most popular tune popped back into my consciousness a few months ag0, and I thought I’d blab abo…
Today is the birthday of Leo White (1882-1948), best known today as Charlie Chaplin’s foil during his Essanay period. White was an unconventional foil for Chaplin. When we think …
Today is the anniversary of the release of the classic Buster Keaton comedy short The Boat (1921). This energetic, focused little movie has always been a particular favorite among Keat…
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A mighty day for celebration and bells should toll throughout the land. The world is far from perfect, but some aspect…
