11,436 stories by "Trav S.D."
We've been long overdue to deliver a post on character actor Walter Connolly (1887-1940), star of Broadway, Hollywood and radio of the 1920s and '30s. Most articles ignore what I take to be …
Today's new Travalanche posts for April 7, 2026 are about Francis Ford Coppola's You're a Big Boy Now (1966), as well as songwriter Jack Lawrence, actor Gavin Gordon, screenwriter Carl Erick…
It's the birthday of Francis Ford Coppola today, and since I've already done a biographical appreciation of the film-maker, and one about his first feature, I thought this would be a propiti…
April 7 was the birthday of Tin Pan Alley songwriter and Broadway producer Jack Lawrence (Jacob Louis Schwartz, 1912-2009). Brooklyn-born Lawrence studied to be a podiatrist at the insistenc…
Surely you recognize Joanna Lee (1931-2003) from her best known screen role, Tanna in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956). What you may not know " and I was delighted to discover " is t…
The second of my two posts today concerning people connected with Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), the previous one focusing on screenwriter Carl Erickson. This one is about actor Gavin Gor…
This marks the first of two posts today concerning people connected with one of my favorite movies Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). A young man named Carl Erickson (1908-1935) co-wrote the …
Today's new Travalanche post for April 6, 2026 is about Vernon Dalhart, debatably the first country singer. Earlier Travalanche posts for April 6 (in no particular order) include ones on:…
What is a country singer? That is a question raised by the career of a man deemed by some to have been the first of them, Vernon Dalhart (Marion Try Slaughter, 1883-1948). First of all, to c…
Today's new Travalanche post for April 5, 2026 is an appreciation of Gregory Peck. It also happens to be the 100th birthday of the late Roger Corman. And Happy Easter to these who celebra…
Q " Why did the chicken cross the road? A " To see his friend Gregory Peck. (A favorite joke of my high school girlfriend) As I pen this, the birthday of Gregory Peck (1916-2003) falls on Ea…
Today's new Travalanche posts for April 4, 2026 are about Richard Coogan (Captain Video) and Laurie Beechman (The Laurie Beechman Theatre). Earlier Travalanche posts for April 4 (in no pa…
While I've mentioned the name of Laurie Beechman (1953-1998) a couple of dozen times on this blog, it has invariably been in the context of the theatre that is named for her, a cabaret venue…
Richard Coogan (1914-2014) died a dozen years ago, just shy of his 100th birthday, one half century since leaving the acting business. By which time, most people had long since forgotten who…
Rarely have I dragged my ass so pitifully as I have today in terms of cranking out a blogpost. Normally I turn out one or two before noon. Now it's past four, and I've produced zip. Oh, I ha…
Today's new Travalanche post for April 3, 2026 is about The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. For real! Earlier Travalanche posts for April 3 (in no particular order) include ones on: Geor…
Your correspondent found himself at Under St Marks twice this week, and it did me much good, as it always does. I was going to amend that to "almost always", but I honestly could not think o…
Today's new Travalanche post for April 2, 2026 is about a couple of great solo shows at Under St. Marks starring Killy Dwyer and Nelly Reznik. Earlier Travalanche posts for April 2 (in no…
Today's new Travalanche posts for April 1, 2026 are about bandleader Eddie Duchin, and Robert Dwan (You Bet Your Life). Also, Happy April Fool's Day! If you're in the mood, please check o…
As an outgrowth of working on my book No Applause (now over 20 years ago!) I became something of an aficionado of what may well be one of the worst of all cinematic subgenres, film for film …
I could find no good photo of radio and television director Robert Dwan (1915-2005), but this one of his memoir As Long as They're Laughing: Groucho Marx and You Bet Your Life (2000) will do…
A few months ago I learned (from Eve's Obits, I think) of the death of Eva, the taller member of the Berlin performance art duo (and married couple) Eva and Adele. I have no idea who they re…
Today's new Travalanche posts for March 31, 2026 are about jazz great Red Norvo, and performance art couple Eva and Adele (for Trans Day of Visibility). Earlier Travalanche posts for Marc…
Born of a March 31: jazz great Red Norvo (Kenneth Norville, 1908-1999), master of the melodic mallet instruments: vibraphone, xylophone, and marimbas. Norvo started in a Chicago band called …
Today's new Travalanche post for March 30, 2026 is about an upcoming New York screening of Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush. ALSO: Today is National Doctors Day. I've created two previous …
