Friday, November 14, 2014
Thanks Barry Mitchell, for alerting me to the fact that Richard Zoglin’s new book Hope: Entertainer of the Century includes a generous reference to, quote from, and shout-o…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:43AM[SHARE]Today is the 100th anniversary of the world premiere of the seminal all-star Mack Sennett comedy feature Tillie’s Punctured Romance, starring Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:53AM[SHARE]Thursday, November 13, 2014
Today is the birthday of the great American actor Edwin Booth (1833-1893). Booth was perhaps the greatest of a great theatrical family, son of Junius Brutus Booth, and brother of Junius Brut…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:17PM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Eddie Buzzell (1895-1985). Brooklyn-born Buzzell broke into vaudeville at the age of 13 in a Gus Edwards kiddie act, along with Eddie Cantor, George Jessell, et al. …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:36AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Charlie Chaplin movie Behind the Screen (1916). While made at the peak of Chaplin’s Mutual period, this comedy feels to me like a…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:31AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Stan Laurel comedy Mud and Sand (1922), produced by Broncho Billy Anderson. The film is Laurel's parody of Valentino's Blood and Sand,…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AM[SHARE]Wednesday, November 12, 2014
 Today is the birthday of Helen Mack, sometimes billed as Helen Macks (Helen McDougall, 1913-1986). Mack had extensive credits in nearly every branch of American show business: silent fil…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:45PM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Errol Brown (Lester Errol Brown, b.1949), best known as the front man and songwriter (with bassist Tony Wilson)Â for the 70s’ hit machine Hot Chocolate. Hot …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:46AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Douglas Fairbanks romantic comedy American Aristocracy (1916). This has always been a special Fairbanks film for me because it was s…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:22AM[SHARE]Tuesday, November 11, 2014
I would have said it would be tough going for the Mad Marchioness to top last year’s birthday — a trip to Ireland chronicled here. But I do believe she managed to do it. On Satur…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:46AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007). Vonnegut was my favorite contemporary fiction author during my high school years; I read every book he’d written up to that point (g…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:02AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release of the early Harold Lloyd comedy The Flirt (1917). In this silent Hal Roach short, Lloyd plays a young man who spies lovely Bebe Daniels walking th…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:21AM[SHARE]Monday, November 10, 2014
When I first met Jerry Tallmer, I was so excited that I thrust out my hand to shake, and crowed some glib introduction, something along the lines of, "An honor to meet you, Mr. Tallmer. I'm …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:47PM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Eddie Cantor comedy Kid Millions (1934), directed by Roy Del Ruth. This is not Cantor’s best movie, mostly because of the script,…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:08PM[SHARE]Â Today is the birthday of country singer Donna Fargo (b. 1945). For some reason her most popular tune popped back into my consciousness a few months ag0, and I thought I’d blab abo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:48AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Leo White (1882-1948), best known today as Charlie Chaplin’s foil during his Essanay period. White was an unconventional foil for Chaplin. When we think …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:01AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release of the classic Buster Keaton comedy short The Boat (1921). This energetic, focused little movie has always been a particular favorite among Keat…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:48AM[SHARE]Sunday, November 9, 2014
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A mighty day for celebration and bells should toll throughout the land. The world is far from perfect, but some aspect…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:35PM[SHARE]Tonight at midnight, as part of their usual Silent Sundays series, Turner Classic Movies will be showing two classic Buster Keaton comedies from 1924.: The Navigator and Sherlock Jr…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:16PM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Edna May Oliver (Edna May Nutter, 1883-1942). Throughout the 1930s, Oliver was an indispensable ensemble player in some of the greatest films of the decade. She was …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:20AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of the release of the Harry Langdon short All Night Long (1924). In this comedy, directed by Harry Edwards and co-written by Frank Capra, Arthur Ripley and oth…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:22AM[SHARE]Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Keystone comedy His Trysting Place. Nowadays it’s marketed as a Charlie Chaplin comedy, but what it really is, is an ensemble comedy sta…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:56AM[SHARE]Saturday, November 8, 2014
Today is the anniversary of the release date of the Harold Lloyd talking feature Feet First (1930), co-directed by Lloyd and Clyde Bruckman. Feet First was Lloyd’s first prope…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:00AM[SHARE]Today at 3:30pm (EST) Turner Classic Movies will be showing Charlie Chaplin’s last indisputably great movie Limelight (1952). Limelight was a victim of history twice over; …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:37AM[SHARE]Friday, November 7, 2014
Today is the birthday of Alice Day (Jaquiline Alice Newman, 1905-1995). While not as well known as her younger sister Marceline Day, Alice Day did make a mark of her own. She began her caree…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:46PM[SHARE]Opening Reception TONIGHT: Friday, November 7th, 6-9 PM  Scott Eder Gallery 18 Bridge St., Brooklyn NY If you have any doubts about whether I’m going to this, you must be Cra…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:05PM[SHARE]Today marks the 100th anniversary of the release of the Charlie Chaplin comedy His Musical Career, co-starring Mack Swain. They play a pair of piano movers who mix up their orders (note t…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:57AM[SHARE]Today is the anniversary of Douglas Fairbanks’ first film The Lamb (1915). An adaptation of his most recent Broadway hit The New Henrietta, The Lamb established a formula for Fai…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:31AM[SHARE]Today at 5:45pm EST on Turner Classic Movies:Â The Bad Seed. This movie is significant for all sorts of reasons. One, it is based on Maxwell Anderson’s final play, which was itself b…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:47AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of comedy director Edward Sedgwick (1889-1953). Originally from Galveston, Texas, Sedgwick began his career as a performing child in the family vaudeville act The Sedgw…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:53AM[SHARE]Thursday, November 6, 2014
This song has been in my head a lot lately because one of our actors takes a shaving cream pie in the face in the current production of Dead End Dummy. It’s one I haven’t thou…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:31AM[SHARE]Loading more stories…
