11,919 stories by "Trav S.d."
Today is the birthday of prolific comedy director Harry Edwards (1887-1952), best known today for his work with Harry Langdon from 1924 to 1926, but in his 30 year career he seemed to work w…
According to Streetswing, today is the birthday of Joan Sawyer (1887-1966). Sawyer was a society dancer (playing fancy private parties and teaching the wealthy to dance), who also performed …
After ten months’ break from doing any columns, I fell off the wagon and did a new Fall wrap-up for the Villager/ Downtown Express/ Chelesea Now etc…and it felt like I had never …
Every Thursday in October, Turner Classic Movies is screening the films of the incomparable Vincent Price (for my full appreciation of Price, go here.) The programmers seem to be backloading…
Filed under: Contemporary Variety, Illusionists, Indie Theatre, Jews/ Show Biz Tagged: Asi Wind, Axis Theater, Concert of the Mind, mentalism, mind reading
Originally posted in 2012, Today is the birthday of Edward D. Wood, Jr. a.k.a. Ed Wood (1924-1978). A number of years ago I was fortunate enough to take part in the Ed Wood Festival p…
Today is the birthday of Al Flosso (Albert Levinson, 1895-1976). This legendary magician got his start playing in vaudeville and at Coney Island, thus his stage name “The Coney Island …
Originally posted in 2010 Today is the birthday of Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944). The famous female evangelist Sister Aimee, one of the country’s premiere fundamentalists, receive…
Today is the birthday of the sublime Jacques Tati (1907-1982), the world’s premiere exponent of clown cinema in the post silent era. Of Russian and Dutch extraction (his full las…
 Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey   directed by Charlotte Moore October 9th- December 8th starring: Ciarán Byrne * J. Smith-Cameron * Terry Donnelly * Joh…
Today (or tomorrow, the birth record is a little ambiguous) is the bicentennial birthday of the great opera composer Giuseppi Verdi (1813-1901). Jokes are often made about the fact that his …
If there’s any building in New York liable to have spirit inhabitants it’s the old Merchant House Museum (http://www.merchantshouse.org) and according to many, it does. I caught …
Today is the birthday of Wally Brown (1904-1961). A Massachusetts native, Brown had been monologist in vaudeville and finally made it to pictures at RKO in 1943. Initially appearing in a Leo…
Today is the birthday of Marjorie Beebe (1908-1983). Originally from Kansas City, the 18 year old began acting in shorts and features for Fox in 1927, starring in at least one feature The…
Today is the birthday of tv and movie comedian Cornelius Crane “Chevy” Chase (b. 1943). To the slapstick comedy fan, Chase’s cinematic career (like nearly everybody’s…
Originally posted in 2010Â Today is the birthday of Clarence Williams (1893-1965), one of the first artists to use the word “jazz” to publicize his work. The Plaquemine, Louis…
Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS, STEAMPUNK/ VICTORIANA Tagged: R Bar, Steampunk Gothica
Originally posted in 2010 "THE GREATEST SINGLE WOMAN SINGING COMEDIAN IN THE WORLD" Vaudeville's greatest diva (and that's really saying something), Bayes was a complex mixture of traini…
Today (the Duchess reminds me) is the death day of Edgar Allen Poe, a fitting time to let you know that on Saturday the Edgar Allen Poe House in Baltimore (pictured above) re-opened for visi…
I had the BEST time this weekend bonding with my progeny at the University of Vermont’s Parent’s weekend (officially known as UVM Alumni and Family Weekend). Not a minute of t…
Just got word that Ain’t In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm is now available to pre-order from Kino Lorber. We note the occasion with a re-posting of our earlier review…
Tonight, October 7, Steve Massa will discuss silent comedy and his recent book Lame Brains & Lunatics at the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Some rare…
This is one in a series of posts we are producing in connection with our new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, available from Bear Ma…
Today is the birthday of late funny-man/ impressionist Fred Travalena (1942-2009). Travalena was someone I recall seeing constantly in the 1970s on programs like the Merv Griffin show …
Today is the birthday of the great screen light comedienne Carole Lombard (1908-1942). As impossible as it may seem to disassociate your mental image of her from that ethereal voice, t…
