11,936 stories by "Trav S.d."
Today is the birthday of the great Brill Building songwriter Carole King (b. 1942). Most people know (either or both) her spectacular solo success in the early 1970s…or her equally imp…
Today is the birthday of Gypsy Rose Lee (for my full biographical article on this burlesque legend go here). Though famous for her class she still had a lot of sass, as evidenced by this cli…
The Hall of Hams is my series on some of my favorite actors who have brought the art of melodramatic acting into the modern era. The preposterous pose of superiority assumed by many a legit …
Today is the birthday of the great American humorist, journalist, novelist and playwright George Ade (1866-1944). He is sadly neglected today. I only discovered him because an old 30 pound d…
Today is the birthday of Johann Petursson (1913-1984). Born in Dalvik, Iceland , he was completely normal until age 15, when his astounding growth spurt began. He eventually reached a hei…
This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. Ginger Jack Wiggins got his start on the TOBA circuit and black vaudeville, training with the Whitman Sisters and performing with t…
Today is the birthday of the great film director King Vidor (1894-1982). There is so much to celebrate about the man: his 1928 silent comedies with Marion Davies The Patsy and Show People; h…
Today is the birthday of Hollywood character actor Lyle Talbot (1902-1996). And the timing couldn’t be better, as my son got me this terrific new book for Christmas. A biography of Lyl…
Today is the birthday of the great science fiction pioneer Jules Verne (1828-1905), a great favorite of my youth as he no doubt was of yours. And if you are one of those impediments to human…
Some of us must work to find our place in show business; others are lucky enough to be born into dynasties. “Baby Ruth” Pontico (1904-1941) was a THIRD generation circus fat lady…
This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. Today is the birthday of the great bluesman Lonnie Johnson. For his full bio go here. In honor of the day, we share his 19…
Brooklyn native Eddie Masher (nee Hagner, 1892-1962), billed himself in side shows as the “Skeleton Dude”. However, one notes with interest that he begins to appear on the scene …
The Irish Rep has grown to be one of my favorite companies in the city. They just have a knack for programming, and they consistently hit what they aim at — that’s the least one …
Today is the birthday of the great American satirist Sinclair Lewis (1885-1851).  I went through my Sinclair Lewis phase in my early twenties, when I read his best known novels Main St…
Today is the birthday of Eddie Bracken (1915-2002), best known today for his tour de force turns in two Preston Sturges films The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hail the Conque…
Today is the great star of the serials Larry “Buster” Crabbe (1908-1983). A medal-winning Olympic swimmer, he first got into films (like fellow Olympic swimmer Johnny Weismuller)…
This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. Today is the birthday of the great ragtime songwriter and piano man Eubie Blake (for more on him and his vaudeville partner Nobl…
Today is the birthday of Anita Stewart (1895-1961). A native of Brooklyn, she started out in 1911 playing bit roles at Vitagraph Studios, which was based locally. (She was in the all-star…
Today is the birthday of Spanish magician Frakson (Jose Seville, 1891-1981), billed as “The Man witha 1,000 Cigarettes”. Seville came from a family in which everybody (father, un…
This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. The short play below was written by me for the Metropolitan Playhouse’s annual Lower East Side one-act play festival in…
 Today is the birthday of Henry Irving (1838-1905), the first actor ever knighted by the British monarchy (nowadays they seem to give away knighthoods with green stamps). From where we s…
Today is the birthday of Babe Ruth (for more on him and his surprising connection to vaudeville go here). And see below for his funny turn in the 1928 Harold Lloyd comedy Speedy: To find …
Today is the birthday of teen idol “Fabian” (b. 1943.) A sort of craven record company attempt to cash in on the Elvis craze (and a fairly successful one), I still can’t he…
Today is the birthday of Dot Farley (1881-1971). A second generation thespian from the Chicago area, she made her stage debut at the age of three. After several years as a professional actre…
Today is the birthday of Roy Smeck (1900-1994). Billed as the “Wizard of the Strings” he was proficient and entertaining on the uke, banjo, guitar and steel (Hawaiian) guitar. A …
