Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 16, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for September 16, 2025 are about Ed Begley Jr, the Lady Aye’s new book on 19th century spiritualism, and the late Robert Redford: September 16 is a great da…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:24PM

Lady Aye’s New Book Drops Today! by Trav S.D.

Just a real quick note to let you know the exciting news that the new book by Ilise Carter a.k.a. The Lady Aye drops today! It’s entitled When We Spoke to the Dead How Ghosts Gave American…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:06PM

The Edifying Ed Begley, Jr. by Trav S.D.

It’s a rare blog, I make bold to assert, that lavishes attention on Ed Begley the Elder long before it sets its sights on his much better known progeny Ed Begley, Jr. (b. 1949). The origin…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:06PM

R.I.P. Robert Redford by Trav S.D.

Just got the memo that Robert Redford (b. 1936) has passed. To someone who remembers a time when he was America’s biggest male sex symbol, nothing is as well calculated to make you feel ol…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:54AM
Monday, September 15, 2025

A Wonderful Day Full of Free, Populist Theatre by Trav S.D.

It was a glorious late summer day yesterday (Yes, it’s still summer. Why is Labor Day held several weeks PRIOR to the end of summer, I want to know?! Even now, there’s still a week of su…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:32PM

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 15, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 15, 2025 is about game show host Jack Bailey and Queen for a Day, and some cool shows I saw yesterday. Other Travalanche posts for September 15 i…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:32PM

Of Jack Bailey and “Queen for a Day” by Trav S.D.

September 15 was the birthday of actor, announcer, and emcee Jack Bailey (1907-1980), best known in his time as the host of the game show Queen for a Day for nearly 20 years. Originally from…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:54AM
Sunday, September 14, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 14, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 14, 2025 is about movie director Alfred Santell, who started out in the days of silent comedy. Other Travalanche posts for September 14 include o…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:18AM

The Alfred Santell Story by Trav S.D.

September 14 was the birthday of Alfred Santell (1895-1981). Santell was a director who started out in the days of silent slapstick comedies and made over 100 films over a 30 year period. He…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:12AM
Saturday, September 13, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 13, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 13, 2025 is about producer and agent Leland Hayward. Other Travalanche posts for September 13 include ones on: Claudette Colbert Jesse Lasky Mae …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:42PM

Lunching with Leland Hayward by Trav S.D.

Born of a September 13, talent agent and producer Leland Hayward (1902-71). Hayward wasn’t the flashy impresario type like so many I’m drawn to and have written about. He’s one of thos…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PM
Friday, September 12, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 12, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for September 12, 2025 are about the 15 Best Movie Comedy Stars of All Time; an upcoming seminar series on Charlie Chaplin; and tomorrow’s 400th birthday ce…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:32PM

Tomorrow: The 400 Celebrate New York’s 400th by Trav S.D.

As generally happens to me on September 11, yesterday I found myself thinking the phrase “I love New York so MUCH”. In In the Shadow of the Towers, Art Spiegelman said that the closest e…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:32AM

The REAL 15 Best Comedy Movie Stars of All Time by Trav S.D.

This exercise is due to the fact that Looper recently published a listicle they called the 15 Best Comedy Movie Stars of All Time, Ranked — and it was so dreadful it was downright risible.…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:18AM

Charlie Chaplin: World Conquest Through Comedy by Trav S.D.

This is an unpaid endorsement for an online class produced by the 92nd Street Y starting in a couple of weeks. I don’t usually shill for such things (and the class is a little pricey) but …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:54AM
Thursday, September 11, 2025

You Travalanche Daily Digest for September 11, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 11, 2025, includes several new posts connecting the events of 2001 to the world of show business, including ones on Ultra Violet and her 9/11 art…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:36PM

The Deeds of Debi Ryan: A 9-11 First Responder with a Coney Island Connection by Trav S.D.

While I have participated in oral history projects about both September 11 and Coney Island, both of which topics factor into this post, Travalanche is not an oral history blog, by a long wa…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:06AM

Art Spiegelman: In the Shadow of No Towers by Trav S.D.

20 years on, it is interesting in new ways to engage with In the Shadow of No Towers, Art Spiegelman’s lesser known second comic masterwork. There are ways, technically, in which it surpas…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:06AM

Ultra Violet and IXXI by Trav S.D.

About a week ago I did a post on Superstar Ultra Violet and learned about an art project she created in 2011 for the 10th anniversary of September 11. It made sense to me to save talk of tha…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:54AM
Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Your Travalanche Digest for September 10, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 10, 2025 is about my kid! And I Iied! I promised some new show biz posts for today, but the truth is I had a dental implant installed yesterday a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:06PM

The History of “Cashel Byron Stewart” by Trav S.D.

My son Cashel Byron Stewart hits the benchmark of 30 years old today so I hope you’ll forgive a sentimental old father the indulgence of doing something here in his honor. And after all, t…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:54PM
Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 9, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 9, 2025 is on Richard Webb, star of Captain Midnight. Other Travalanche posts for September 9 include ones on: Adam Sandler Colonel Sanders The D…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:48AM

Richard Webb: The Man Who Played Captain Midnight by Trav S.D.

Actor Richard Webb (1915-1993) was born on September 9. Webb was best known for starring in the serial The Invisible Monster (1950), and for playing the title character in the television ver…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:32AM
Monday, September 8, 2025

A Sid Caesar Finding Aid by Trav S.D.

September 8 being the birthday of comedian Sid Caesar, I thought it would be useful to do this post linking you to the many Travalanche posts relevant to the comedian. Consume responsibly! M…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:12PM

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 8, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for September 8, 2025 is a brand new finding aid for my posts related to Sid Caesar. Also today happens to be the centennial of the birth of Peter Sellers! My …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:12PM
Sunday, September 7, 2025

R.I.P. Stephen Mendillo by Trav S.D.

They’re dropping like flies lately over on Eve’s Obits so that one can hardly keep up. The saddest news of the last few days has been the passing of Mark Volman of The Turtles, The Mothe…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PM

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 7, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for September 7, 2025 are on Sir Anthony Quayle and the late Stephen Mendillo. Today is the first day of Suicide Prevention Week — my post on that somber to…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PM

Flushing Sir Anthony Quayle by Trav S.D.

I acknowledge off the bat that the title of this post is unfortunate. The intention is to suggest the drawing out of an elusive bird, not for the purposes of shooting him but for getting a b…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:12AM
Saturday, September 6, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for September 6, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for September 6, 2025 are about Max Schreck (Nosferatu), Warhol superstar Ultra Violet, big band singer and actress Julie Gibson (who lived to be 106), and tw…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:48PM

Tuning in to Ultra Violet by Trav S.D.

September 6 was the birthday of Ultra Violet (Isabelle Collin Dufresne, 1935-2014). Dufresne was a French debutante who fell into Salvador Dali’s orbit immediately after graduating college…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:42PM

Julie Gibson: Longest-Lived Person on Travalanche! by Trav S.D.

I don’t know if it’s true to a certainty, but it sure sounds correct — of the thousands of public figures I have profiled on Travalanche, the longest-lived was likely Julie Gibson (Gla…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:42PM

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