Monday, October 29, 2012
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #70, Walter C. Kelly, “The Virginia Judge” (for more biographical details go here). Now for your delectation, a sampling of one of …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:43AM[SHARE]After the last iteration of P.T. Barnum’s American Museum burned to the ground in 1868, the showman did the unthinkable; he retired. In actuality he was just temporarily down. Whil…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:35AM[SHARE]Sunday, October 28, 2012
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 Manor Media…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:21AM[SHARE]Saturday, October 27, 2012
Edward V. Darling (1891-1951) was one of the most powerful men in big time vaudeville. He began working for Edward Albee as secretary in 1905; within four years he was chief booker for the e…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:24PM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), my favorite poet when I was about 20. This is far from his best poem, but I like the contrary spirit of it, and I note that it was on…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:28AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of John Cleese (b. 1939). I made up for a great defficiency in my education a few months ago by watching Fawlty Towers in its entirety. I won’t be adding anything…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:01AM[SHARE]Friday, October 26, 2012
Just heard that Candy Johnson passed away. The Countess and I first became aware of her when we were paying attention to beach party movies for our reading of Beach Blanket Bluebeard. She…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:22PM[SHARE]I can’t think of a better place on earth to watch these horror classics than the atmospheric old Loew’s Jersey, in Journal Square (Jersey City). for full details go to www.loewsj…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:57AM[SHARE]Somehow he went from being the most beautiful child in the world, to this man. Did he spit in the face of a witch? Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #380: Jackie Coogan (see …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:32AM[SHARE]Alright…this is the second time WordPress has eaten part of one of my reviews somewhere in the draft stage. I am attempting to recreate my brilliant post of 5am this morning from memor…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:57AM[SHARE]Baby Peggy (Peggy-Jean Montgomery, born this day in 1918) began her career as a child star in silent movies at the age of three (her father had been a stunt man and stand-in for Tom Mix). Sh…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:35AM[SHARE]If done properly the Scottish Play already is a gorefest. The Crook Theatre Company promises to dial that aspect up a notch in this “horror-inspired” production…and to do s…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:47AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Margaret Wycherly (1881-1956). Born in London, she began her stage career in 1898. She made her vaudeveville debut in 1906 in a Protean act called “In Self …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:38AM[SHARE]Thursday, October 25, 2012
I’d like to go out on a limb and say that life without Minnie Pearl is not worth living, but I’m 16 years too late. But you know what I mean. I miss the world of human beings, wh…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:57AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Stars of Vaudeville #67: The Dolly Sisters (for full article go here). Here is a clip from the preposterous, ahistorical film George Jessell made about their live…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:36AM[SHARE] Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #251: Billy Barty (for a complete squib on him go here). Â In honor of the day (and in honor of the Halloween season) we present a clip f…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:25AM[SHARE]I only alert you to this now because it starts at dawn tomorrow. In honor of Jackie Coogan’s birthday (tomorrow) TCM is showing a bunch of his earliest pictures. The line up is: 6:00am…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:18AM[SHARE]Menotti’s THE MEDIUM starring Jeffery Roberson aka Varla Jean Merman October 25 – November 11 The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater 10 West 64th Street New York, NY Presented by P…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:38AM[SHARE]If you look through the circus sub-category on this blog you will find much kveching over the years about the art of modern circus, and some praise for Coles Bros.’ and Ringling Bros.&…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:12AM[SHARE]Wednesday, October 24, 2012
And…just like that, after months and months of waiting The Slipper Room is open again. Â Very sly, very sly. It’s a couple of levels high now, to accommodate sight lines and ae…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:41PM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #379 Gilda Gray, whom I was first alerted to by the Countess. For my full article go here. Now here she is in later years talking about her cha…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:31AM[SHARE]There are plenty of things about Yael Kohen’s new book We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy that seem almost calculated to bug me. One is the prejudice against old school va…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:45AM[SHARE]Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Adapted from a talk I gave at Clay McLeod Chapman’s “Fear Mongers” in March 2012, in which the participants are asked to talk about the one horror movie or show that…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:32PM[SHARE]The Countess and I popped around the corner over the weekend to catch The Art of the Coney Island Hysterical Society exhibition at 440 Gallery. Brooklyn natives Richard Eagan and…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:53AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of the great Johnny Carson (for my full article on him go here). I found this cool artifact this morning…an early Tonight Show in which Johnny gets serious,…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:54AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #66, the Divine Sarah, Sarah Bernhardt (for full my bio go here). I’m guessing many of our readers have seen at least short clips of s…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:58AM[SHARE]This is being released today by Shout Factory, featuring the hard work of friend Ben Model! You should buy it! here’s my review of Volume 1:Â http://www.downtownexpress.com/ernie-kov…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:43AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Gertrude Ederle (1905-2203). A New Jersey native, she became a champion swimmer at her local YWCA, and went on to win a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. She be…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:27AM[SHARE]Monday, October 22, 2012
I was flattered to be asked to write the intro to this unique new book by L.A.-based playwright/ ventriloquist/ scholar Rich Mitchell. It’s really a unique tome – - sorts of hits…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:38PM[SHARE]Loading more stories…
