11,721 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 29, 2026 are about British comedian Lenny Henry, vaudeville singer Edward M. Favor, and the Orton Brothers Circus (and a deadly fire in 1884). Previ…
In August, 1991 I went to check out a major new comedy release by Touchstone Pictures. It was called True Identity, and it had received a lot of ink, at least a lot that I had happened to co…
In the wee hours of August 29, 1884, a circus train was making its way from Fort Collins to Greeley, Colorado when an appalling disaster struck. A barrel full of gasoline exploded in one of …
August 29 was the birthday of stage, screen and recording star Edward M. Favor (Edward Addison Favor, 1856-1936). Though he was of Anglo-American stock, much of Favor’s material, both as a…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 28, 2026 are about the Bow Ties of Vaudeville, and Archeophone Record’s new release, an anthology of historic tracks by Irish tenor George J. Gas…
August 28 is National Bow Tie Day! I’ve wanted to observe the day here for quite some time on account of the bow tie’s vaudeville associations, much as I have done with such accoutrement…
Excited to report the news that our friends at Archeophone Records have dropped their latest landmark release, George J. Gaskin Anthology: The Silver Voiced Irish Tenor. Belfast born George …
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 27, 2026 is about silent comedy supporting player (and brief star) Tom Wilson. Also (very important!) today marks the 250th anniversary of The Battl…
Tom Wilson (1880-1965) was a key player in the ensembles of several major silent comedies by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Douglas Fairbanks, and Lloyd Hamilton; was in both of D.W. Griffi…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 26, 2026 is about Jules White’s series of Dogville comedies for MGM. Also Happy Women’s Equality Day! Okay, I know it’s a sad one. We just los…
The title of this post is of course intended to clarify that it is not about the 2003 arthouse film by Lara Van Trier. But you probably new that anyway! Today being National Dog Day, it seem…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 25, 2025 is about vaudeville, radio, and screen performer Dick Ryan. Previous August 25 posts include ones on: Chic Sale Ruby Keeler Monty Hall of L…
I’m not sure how I stumbled upon the existence of Dick Ryan (1896-1969), a minor figure to be sure, but he has the kind of stage and screen credits we pay attention to! Originally from New…
The oft-reproduced image above was taken by photojournalist Stan Honda of Agence France Press. The picture captures the moment when Marcy Borders (1973-2015) was pulled into the lobby of a b…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 24, 2026 are about Nedda Harrigan, Lew Kelly, and Marcy Borders, the “Dust Lady” of September 11. Also: RIP Shelley Fabares. Previous August 24…
What a charmed life was enjoyed by Nedda Harrigan (1899-1989) daughter of Edward “Ned” Harrigan of the team of Harrigan and Hart (on my short list of contenders for the title of Father o…
Thanks Ritch Shydner for inspiring this post (though I can’t remember how! I just remembered to thank him!) August 24 was the birthday of vaudeville, burlesque, and screen comedian Lew Kel…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 23, 2026 are about the death of Rudolph Valentino, as well as Ernie Bushmiller and his comic strip Nancy, and Edgar Lee Masters and his book Spoon …
August 23 was the birthday of poet and author Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950), today almost exclusively known for his sui generis work Spoon River Anthology (1915). As I have written elsewhere…
It’s hard to turn an ocean liner around, but I may be weakening in my lifelong animadversion to the art of Ernie Bushmiller (1905-82) as represented by his comic strip Nancy. Some may balk…
Today we unavoidably think of our late friend Donna Hill (a.k.a. RudyFan) who surely would have been marking this date in some significant fashion, it being the 100th anniversary of the deat…
Someone reminded me the other day that I had mentioned Sam Devere (1842-1907) in my book No Applause, and I was startled to realize that he hadn’t gotten a shout-out here on Travalanche ye…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 22, 2026 is about 19th century stage star Sam Devere. Previous August 22 posts include ones on: Dorothy Parker Valerie Harper and Rhoda George Herri…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 21, 2026 is a sad farewell to Coney Island photographer Kenny Lombardi. Previous August 21 posts include ones on Senior Citizens Day (several, in fa…
I received news yesterday that Coney Island stalwart Kenny Lombardi (b. 1959) passed away on Tuesday (August 18). If Kenny had held on a day longer, he would have died on World Photography D…
