Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Here's a fine how-do-you-do.I was about to do a squib on radio/tv/film scribe Philip Rapp (1907-1996), whose birthday it is, but here I find that my publisher at Bear Manor Media Ben Ohmart …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:47AM[SHARE]From the standpoint of memory Sir Gerald du Maurier (1873-1934) has the mild misfortune of being a middle link in a chain that connects two behemoths. But if he is less remembered, it is pur…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:26AM[SHARE]Monday, March 25, 2019
Now, now, don't jump to conclusions. Yes, Shirley Jean Rickert (1926-2009), was both a child star and a burlesque dancer, but at entirely different times in her life, much as the Hovick sist…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:17AM[SHARE]The movie career of Jackie Condon (1918-1977) was over by the time he was 11 years old, but by that point he had appeared in 88 movies! Most of those credits were with Hal Roach's Our Gang s…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:53AM[SHARE]Stage and screen star Violet Horner (1892-1970) was second generation show biz. Her parents had been on the music hall stage. Violet was born and raised in New York, where she sang in church…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:09AM[SHARE]British actress Binnie Barnes (Gertrude Maud Barnes, 1903-1998), born this day. One of sixteen children born to a London policeman, Barnes became a chorus girl and a dance hostess and appear…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:34AM[SHARE]Sunday, March 24, 2019
Fragments on female impersonator Arico Wild (1894-1966). We learn of her from the Sobels' Pictorial History of Vaudeville, which labeled her "sensational". in his 1953 book Vaudeville From t…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:34AM[SHARE]Just to confound things, Lois Andrews (Lorraine Gourley, 1924-1968) was not one of the Andrews Sisters. With only a half dozen screen credits to her name she is a bit of a footnote in these …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:07AM[SHARE]Some tribute today to Syd Saylor (Leslie Raymond Sailor, 1895-1962), sometimes billed under his given name or as Leo Sailor, Sid Sailor, or Sid Saylor. Born in Chicago, a bit of legend attac…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:23AM[SHARE]Friday, March 22, 2019
March 22 was the birthday of Julius Stern (1886-1977), who along with his brother Abe (1888-1951) formed a producing partnership called the Stern Brothers. The Sterns' sister Recha was marri…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:42AM[SHARE]Born this day, music hall star and pantomime dame Harry Randall (1857-1932). London-born Randall as encouraged in the stone engraver's trade by his bootblack father, but balked, beginning to…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:34AM[SHARE]Thursday, March 21, 2019
Apparently today is National Teenager Day, which is pretty revolting…as EVERY day in this country is National Teenager Day. Still, it presents me with an opportunity to release this post I…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:26AM[SHARE]Carmelita Geraghty (1901-1966) was the daughter of screenwriter Tom Geraghty, whose credits included things like Douglas Fairbanks' 'Til the Clouds Roll By (1919) and The Mollycoddle (1920).…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:50AM[SHARE]Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Sometimes I worry that I have too much competition in the vintage show biz blogging field. On the other hand I am quite confident that I will be the only person on the internet celebrating t…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:17PM[SHARE]March 20, 1854 was the day the Republican Party was founded (at any rate, it's the day it was named). While there hasn't been much to celebrate about that organization in quite some time, it…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:38AM[SHARE]Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Western lawman Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) is well known to movie buffs, having been portrayed in Hollywood movies and television shows by such stars as Henry Fonda, Randolph Scott, Richard Dix, …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:14AM[SHARE]Ubiquitous character actor Roy Roberts (Roy Barnes Jones, 1906-1975) acquitted himself memorably in almost every genre, on stage, screen and television. I associate him with comedies, as wel…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:44AM[SHARE]Monday, March 18, 2019
March 18 was the birthday of the late Peter Graves (Peter Aurness, 1926-2010). Here's something I either didn't know or forgot " Graves was the brother of Gunsmoke's James Arness. Like his b…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:16AM[SHARE]What an excellent way to begin the day " becoming acquainted with pugilist, pro athlete and character actor Frank Moran (1887-1967). Cleveland born Moran initially studied dentistry at the U…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:00AM[SHARE]Plus-sized bit player Jody Gilbert (1916-1979) was often cast for the air of authenticity she lent to a role. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas she was often cast as intimidating working cla…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:54AM[SHARE]Country musician and western sidekick Smiley Burnette (Lester Alvin Burnett, 1911-1967) was born this day. Burnette was born in rural Summum, Illinois, not far from the Illinois River, and r…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:47AM[SHARE]Josephine Rose Lederer (1910-1935) was the daughter of Reinie Davies and Broadway producer/director George Lederer. Her parents divorced when she was two; she subsequently lived a good deal …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:35AM[SHARE]Slovenian born Desha Eva PodgorÅ¡ek (1899-1980) came to the U.S. in 1913, and became a pupil of ballet master Michel Fokine, eventually becoming the lead ballerina in his company. She also…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:32AM[SHARE]Sunday, March 17, 2019
His birthday was a couple of days ago, but I couldn't squeeze it into a very busy blogging day, and besides what better day than St. Patrick's to appreciate a man named J. Pat O'Malley (1904…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:39AM[SHARE]Irish-American dance prodigy John "Jack" Diamond (1823-1857) was a phenomenon of the blackface minstrelsy** era. At age 17 Diamond won a citywide jig contest, and P.T. Barnum booked him for …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:02AM[SHARE]Saturday, March 16, 2019
The Happiness Boys were Thomas Ernest "Ernie" Hare (1883-1939) and Billy Jones (1889-1940). Hare was the more seasoned professional of the two. At age 16, he went on Broadway in the show Hav…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:24AM[SHARE]Friday, March 15, 2019
Having already did a thinky tribute to the great Andy Kaufman, we hang today's Taxi post on the show's actual star Judd Hirsch, whose birthday it is. It's rare to meet someone who doesn't co…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:11AM[SHARE]Everybody in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is somebody, even if it takes a little digging to find out who they are. I keep thinking I've written about everyone in that film, but then keep …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:13AM[SHARE]Today is the National Day of Hungary, commemorating the 1848 Revolution when Hungary sought independence from the Austrian Empire. I thought I would take the opportunity to celebrate Hungari…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:48AM[SHARE]Thursday, March 14, 2019
If you've had the grave misfortune to be named Dennis any time after March 1951, you've had ample reason to curse Hank Ketcham (1920-2001). I've never known anyone named Dennis who wasn't ni…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:07PM[SHARE]I only just became aware of supporting player Gene "Pop" Rogers (1866-1919) " he has a great turn in the L-KOÂ comedy Under New Management, which is in The Alice Howell Collection. During …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:14AM[SHARE]Loading more stories…
