11,893 stories by "Trav S.d."
I have found that there are certain cultural figures who loom so large (at least in my personal world) that I can’t just do a single definitive blog entry on them as I have tried to do…
July 22 of this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the seminal 1966 album John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. The album had been recorded in March of that year; th…
Filed under: Bowery, Classical, Contemporary Variety, Music, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: 10 year anniversary, benefit, Freddy's Bar, Opera on Tap
Today is the birthday of Russ Columbo (Ruggiero Eugienio di Rodolpho Colombo, 1908-1934). One of 12 children born to Italian immigrants in Camden, New Jersey, Columbo was already playing vio…
Today is the birthday of Harry Jolson (Hirsch Yoelson, 1882-1953). Born in Lithuania, the son of a cantor who would settle the family in Washington DC, Harry was the older brother of singer …
Source: Coney Island 20 16: Pizza Hut Express Signs Lease on Coney Island's Surf Ave As always Amusing the Zillion has the latest scoop on Coney!Filed under: Uncategorized
Today is the birthday of Joseph Santley (Joseph Mansfield, 1898-1971). Santley was second generation show biz, and grew up on the stage performing and traveling with his mother, stepfather a…
I’ve been remiss! I meant to plug this in time for Christmas…but ya know what? It would be a really strange Christmas gift. Buy it for yourself, but first buy this and this. step…
Tomorrow at Noon, hear me talk vaudeville (new and old) with the multi-talented Jennifer Harder on her new Radio Free Brooklyn show “Blonde Thunder Presents”. Also in the line-up…
Today is the birthday of Henry E. Dixey (1859-1943). Dixey started out as a child performer, acting in a production of Augustin Daly’s Under the Gaslight at the Howard Athenaeum in …
Filed under: Clown, Comedy, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS Tagged: class, clown, Hilary Chaplin, physical comedy
Today is the birthday of Peter F. Dailey (1861-1908). A major star of his day, Dailey had a hand in most of the popular theatrical forms then going. The son of a Brooklyn fishmonger, he brok…
Today is the birthday of the American operatic baritone David Bispham (1857-1921). Bispham’s should be a heartening story for all late bloomers. The son of Philadelphia Quakers, Bishop…
The lovely Carol Martinheira of The Old Hollywood Garden has nominated me for a Liebster Award. It’s an award given to bloggers/blogs and when one gets a nomination, they have to answe…
Today is the birthday of Blanche Walsh ( 1873-1915). The daughter of an Irish Tammany Hall politician, Walsh was a professional New York stage actress from the time she was 15. Â For years…
Today is the birthday of Lina Abarbanell (1879-1963). Abarbanell was a Berlinese soprano who appeared in both opera and musical theatre. She trained and began her career in her native German…
Saddened to hear of the passing of Wayne Rogers a couple of days ago. Not deeply saddened, but nostalgic. My best friend in high school and I absolutely modeled ourselves on Trapper an…
Today is the birthday of Edward “Eddie” Dillon (1879-1933). New York native Dillon was a professional horse jockey who transitioned into acting in stage plays with the likes of O…
Oh, to be only the third most famous person named William Morris! Neither the famous show biz agent, nor the famous Renaissance Man of the Arts and Crafts movement , this William Morri…
Filed under: HOLIDAYS/ FESTIVALS/ MEMORIALS/ PARADES, Hollywood (History), Movies, New Year's Eve Tagged: New Year's Eve, Poseidon Adventure
Today is the birthday of Mike “King” Kelly (1857-1894). Irish-American Kelly was one of the first sports stars to go on the vaudeville stage. Baseball right fielder, catcher and …
Happy New Year! (in a few hours). Below is my little pictorial recap of some high points from 2015, in the way of Thanksgiving to the Universe and to You. And below that some hints at our pl…
I knew TCM wouldn’t let me down! Tomorrow, they close out 2015 in the best way possible: a day of Marx Brothers films. (Followed by a Thin Man marathon, but you know where our heart li…
The sad passing of Meadowlark Lemon prompts this post, of course. Meadowlark has easily got to be my first black hero, as I’m sure he was for millions of others of kids, and it was lar…
The great cinematographer Haskell Wexler died yesterday at age 93. There will be a million appreciations of him today; I just thought I’d tip my hat to him about something quite small …
