All stories by Trav S.d. on BroadwayStars

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Mink Stole's New album by Trav S.D.

Over the course of her long career, Mink Stole has been associated with many shocking projects, but the big shock about her new music CD Do Re Mink is how tasteful it is. After a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:15AM[SHARE]

That Girl by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Marlo Thomas (b. 1937). It may be ironic, but it’s likely that Ann Marie’s Quixotic attempts to be a successful Broadway actress in New York would have b…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:37AM[SHARE]

A Bing Crosby Thanksgiving by Trav S.D.

Here’s Bing Crosby and co-star  Judy Garland in an episode from his NBC radio program which originally aired Thanksgiving week 1946. For more on the history of show business cons…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:18AM[SHARE]

Century of Slapstick #17: Kri-Kri Domestico by Trav S.D.

A few days ago we wrote a post about Raymond Dandy, a.k.a. Kri-Kri (see post here.) Today marks the 100th anniversary of the release of his film Kri Kri Domestico a.k.a. Bloomer Man…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:55AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Some Surprising Words in Praise of Joe Walsh by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Eagles’ guitarist Joe Walsh (b. 1947) Every so often I’ll do or say something and the Duchess will look at me and say “Who are you?”Â…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:01PM[SHARE]

On the Brief, Transitory History of Wild West Shows by Trav S.D.

Here’s another post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  The Wild West Show was a unique and popular branch of popular entertainment, akin to the circus, the sideshow, th…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:31PM[SHARE]

The Hekawis: A Field Study by Trav S.D.

Here’s another post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  When I was a very young kid (perhaps the years between kindergarten and second grade) my sister and I would have …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:50PM[SHARE]

Bob Hope is "The Paleface" by Trav S.D.

Here’s another post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  A couple of days ago, we posted Don Knott’s The Shakiest Gun in the West,  a 1968 re-make of the much…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:25PM[SHARE]

Stars of Slapstick #168: Reginald Denny by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Reginald Denny (1891-1967). Many know him as a third and fourth billed English character actor of the classic studio era. But he was a much, much bigger star during …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:44PM[SHARE]

Judy Canova on radio by Trav S.D.

Today is the history of yokel comedienne and singer Judy Canova (for more on her, see our full essay here). In addition to her stage and screen performances Canova was a constant presence on…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:05PM[SHARE]

A Century of Slapstick #16: A Muddy Romance by Trav S.D.

  Today (according to IMDB) marks the 100th anniversary of the release of one of the most well known of the pre-Chaplin Keystone comedies, A Muddy Romance. This is the famous one whe…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:34AM[SHARE]

Esquerita! by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Steven Quincy Reeder, a.k.a S.Q. Reeder a.k.a Eskew Reeder, a.k.a. Esquerita (1935-1986). WHO?, you ask. Well that is why we are doing a post on him! I have been …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:07AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The Bastard is Back! by Trav S.D.

Very excited to report that our old pal Red Bastard (Eric Davis) is back in town, taking a few days off from his world travels with Cirque du Soleil to tickle and terrify us once again. (Rea…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:08PM[SHARE]

New Edie Adams Collection is Out Today! by Trav S.D.

Hats off (top hats and derbies mostly) to our old pal Ben Model who has just released yet another hot-lookin’ DVD collection. And when I say hot-lookin’, I mean  — well,…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:42PM[SHARE]

Buster Keaton and The Indians by Trav S.D.

  Here’s another post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  It’s not surprising Native American Indians would be a recurring theme in Buster Keaton’s comedy…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:45PM[SHARE]

The Famous Mr. Ed (Thanksgiving Episode) by Trav S.D.

Continuing our tribute to Alan Young’s birthday…I tend to think most people today know his later show best, the immortal Mr. Ed which ran from 1961 to 1966, and thereafter …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:45PM[SHARE]

The Alan Young Show by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Angus “Alan” Young (b. 1919) who, true to his name, always had a youngish face and voice…and is still with us at age 93! English born, and with a r…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:27PM[SHARE]

Stars of Vaudeville #260: Clifton Webb by Trav S.D.

Originally posted in 2010 Webb Parmalee Hollenbeck was a mama's boy, and mama was a stage mother. A frustrated actress, Mrs. Hollenbeck pushed young Webb into dancing school at the age of se…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:21AM[SHARE]

Stars of Vaudeville #259: Ned Sparks by Trav S.D.

Originally posted in 2010 Ned Sparks is on my very short list of favorite character actors — in fact, I have gone so far as to channel him in certain past performances, and I plan to d…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:37AM[SHARE]

On the Phenomenon of the Indian Medicine Show by Trav S.D.

Here’s another post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  This post is a refinement on some earlier related posts, on the history of the mountebank and the medicine show.…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM[SHARE]
Monday, November 18, 2013

The Squaw Man by Trav S.D.

Here’s another post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  In an early post today we mentioned some of the theatrical precursors to the cinema’s treatment of Native A…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:53PM[SHARE]

The Shakiest Gun in the West by Trav S.D.

Here’s another little post in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  Because of the nature of this blog, a lot of these posts looking at negative stereotypes will be drawn fro…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:36PM[SHARE]

P.T. Barnum and the Indians by Trav S.D.

Here’s another little post in honor of Native American Heritage Month. There were many live theatrical precursors to 20th century depictions of Native Americans in film and broadcas…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:09PM[SHARE]
Sunday, November 17, 2013

"Pow Wow Highway" and "Smoke Signals" by Trav S.D.

Here’s another little post in honor of Native American Heritage Month. How many movies are there in which Native Americans are misrepresented, inaccurately represented, cruelly represe…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:36PM[SHARE]

On Lorne Michaels and the SNL Revolution by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Lorne Michaels (b. 1944). It would be impossible to overstate the revolution brought about in pop culture by his principal brain child Saturday Night Live during …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:17PM[SHARE]
Saturday, November 16, 2013

The Hall of Hams #57: Burgess Meredith by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of the great character actor Burgess Meredith (1907-1997). Meredith holds a special place in our Hall of Hams by being one of the very last of the English-sounding Amer…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:50PM[SHARE]
Friday, November 15, 2013

Hall of Hams #56: James O'Neill by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of James O’Neill (1847-1920). Best known today as the father of the great playwright Eugene O’Neill, in his heyday he was regarded as one of the era’s…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:53PM[SHARE]

This Deco Thing is Tomorrow by Trav S.D.

Filed under: PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: Art Deco Society, Deco Decadence, Flatiron Lounge

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:57AM[SHARE]

Solomon the Perplexer, Tonight & Tomorrow! by Trav S.D.

Filed under: Comedy, Contemporary Variety, Illusionists, PLUGS, Women Tagged: Big Sky Works, Corn Mo, Perpelexer, Tanya Solomon

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:39AM[SHARE]

A Slide Show of My Family Vacation by Trav S.D.

Well, a blog being what it is, that is a web log, an online diary of sorts, from time to time I am apt to trot out stories a little closer to home. In the past I’ve have had to unfrien…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:21AM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 14, 2013

Dick Powell on Television by Trav S.D.

Another addendum to our earlier post on Dick Powell. There’s no two ways about it: Dick Powell was a very savvy individual. When he sensed he was aging out of the boy ingenue parts tha…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:05PM[SHARE]

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