Thursday, May 7, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 7, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 7, 2026 are about hypnotist Pat Collins and stage and screen actress May Cloy. Earlier Travalanche posts for May 7 (in no particular order) include on…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:40PM[SHARE]

Warning: May Cloy by Trav S.D.

Her name sounds like a warning label on a bottle of floral perfume — or maybe one of her movies, but May Cloy (Mabel Larsen, 1880-1977) went by it anyhow. We’ve just been able to find so…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:15AM[SHARE]

Pat Collins: The Hip Hypnotist of Hollywood by Trav S.D.

May 7 was the birthday of glamorous lady hypnotist Pat Collins (1935-1997). Collins was well paid for her specialty, even ran her own Hollywood club, and was featured in movies and on televi…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 6, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 6, 2026 are about the late Ted Turner, and the much later June Gittelson. For No Diet Day: The Travalanche Hall of Plus-Sized Comedians Earlier Traval…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:55PM[SHARE]

R.I.P. Ted Turner by Trav S.D.

Well, I was about to leave it at one blogpost today and give myself a break but this one is too big to ignore. Ted Turner (1938-2026) has passed away at the age of 87. Younger folks may not …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:55PM[SHARE]

The Joys of June Gittelson by Trav S.D.

By some mischievous quirk of fate, character actress June Gittelson (1910-1993) was born on May 6, International No Diet Day, which was designed to promote body positivity, of which we stron…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:30AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 5, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 5, 2026 are about kiddie star impresario Ethel Meglin and comedian Sandy Baron. Also Happy Cinco de Mayo to those who celebrate. In observance of whic…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:15PM[SHARE]

Digging Sandy Baron by Trav S.D.

I noticed to my delight yesterday that I passed 10,000 blogposts a few days ago. Atsa lotta posts, boss. I’ll be truthful with you, I’ve done all this much more because I want to learn t…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:10PM[SHARE]

Ethel Meglin, The Meglin Kiddies, and Their Copious Connections to Oz by Trav S.D.

May 5 was the birthday of Ethel Meglin (Ethel Marie Redman, 1890-1988), Hollywood’s top kiddie act impresario during the Golden Years. To the best of my knowledge, this is the most thoroug…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:50AM[SHARE]
Monday, May 4, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 4, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 4, 2026 are about Orange Julius, Frederic Church, and Jim Moore’s all-star variety show tonight. How’s that for a crazy bill of fare? And May the …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:35PM[SHARE]

The Frederic Church Bicentennial by Trav S.D.

Born 200 years ago today, the great American landscape painter Frederic Church (1826-1900). I developed an appreciation of this important American artist and his fellows of the Hudson River …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:35PM[SHARE]

Jim Moore’s All-Star 80th Birthday Show by Trav S.D.

Happy 80th Birthday to Jim R. Moore, the best friend the contemporary variety arts scene in New York has had, as just about anyone will tell you. Jim has chronicled circus, burlesque, sidesh…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:10AM[SHARE]

A Century of Orange Julius by Trav S.D.

May the 4th may be popularly observed far and wide as Star Wars Day, but there are some who use the date to celebrate something closer to our own galaxy: it’s also Orange Juice Day. We tho…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:10AM[SHARE]
Sunday, May 3, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 3, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 3, 2026 are about Ann B. Davis, and a tremendous resource created by an alum of the American Vaudeville Theatre. Earlier Travalanche posts for May 3 (…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:13PM[SHARE]

For World Press Freedom Day: The Gal Behind Decoding Fox News by Trav S.D.

May 3 is World Press Freedom Day and I thought of the perfect way to mark it. I want to point you toward a beacon of clarity, truth, and that rarest of all things in today’s media landscap…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:27PM[SHARE]

The Ann B. Davis Centennial by Trav S.D.

Born 100 years ago today, a much beloved and missed American icon, Ann B. Davis (1926-2014). Davis is interesting for many reasons, among them that she is almost entirely known for just TWO …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:29AM[SHARE]
Saturday, May 2, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 2, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for May 2, 2026 is about Lorenz Hart and the recent bio-pic Blue Moon. And since it’s Kentucky Derby Day, this little post about on and around horse racing. …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:09PM[SHARE]

On Lorenz Hart and “Blue Moon” by Trav S.D.

May 2 was the birthday of genius Broadway and Hollywood lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895-1943), best known for his 25 year songwriting partnership with Richard Rodgers. I wrote about the pair as a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:27AM[SHARE]
Friday, May 1, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for May 1, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 1, 2026 are about: Joy Harmon, Sylvia Gerrish, and The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition. And several posts for May Day: peruse the s…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:57PM[SHARE]

The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition by Trav S.D.

Today we tie up one of the few remaining loose ends from our recent excursion to our ancestral Southern homelands (as reported in this series of posts). May 1, 1897 was opening day of the Th…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:55PM[SHARE]

Sylvia Gerrish: The Girl With Poetical Legs by Trav S.D.

A few words on a star of old who fell on hard times, Sylvia Gerrish (Lillian Rollins, 1860-1906). Gerrish was a native San Franciscan; her parents were Mainers drawn to the west coast by the…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:44AM[SHARE]

R.I.P. Joy Harmon (Tell It To Groucho, Cool Hand Luke) by Trav S.D.

I was already planning a post on Joy Harmon (1938-2026), probably because she was in beach party and other teen oriented movies in the 1960s, and perhaps I had confused her in my head with J…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:10AM[SHARE]
Thursday, April 30, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for April 30, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for April 30, 2026 are about Gary Collins, William H. Crane, and the Till Marionettes Today we also celebrate: Walpurgisnacht and the Witches of Travalanche a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:40PM[SHARE]

The Goods on Gary Collins by Trav S.D.

At this juncture, I feel the need to reorient my attitude toward TV personality Gary Collins (1938-2012). Is it a fit subject for worry? I reckon not. At any rate, I always found him likable…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:50PM[SHARE]

William H. Crane: The Original David Harum by Trav S.D.

William H. Crane (1845-1928) had a long career in the theatre, but is best known to us today from the handful of silent motion pictures he made during the last years of his life, a couple of…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:20AM[SHARE]

Till’s Marionettes by Trav S.D.

April 30 was the birthday of puppeteer and vaudeville entertainer John Coates Till (1843-1910). Forgive me, but I can’t recall now who put me on to the existence of “Professor” Till an…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:15AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for April 29, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche posts for April 29, 2026 are about big bandleader Russ Morgan, and actress Eve Plumb, best known from The Brady Bunch. Also it is International Dance Dance, birthda…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:55PM[SHARE]

Happy Birthday, Eve Plumb: A Tribute to the Genuine Jan by Trav S.D.

Yes, I am an unabashed fan of the lovely Eve Plumb (birth year redacted for both our sakes) for all sorts of reasons, including 1) the fact that I met her once, when she was acting in my for…

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

Russ Morgan: Music in the Morgan Manner by Trav S.D.

Strange that in all of our thousands of posts we haven’t yet had occasion to mention big bandleader Russ Morgan (1904-1969) even once. Remedied today! Morgan was born and raised in Scranto…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:10AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for April 28, 2026 by Trav S.D.

Today’s new Travalanche post for April 28, 2026 is about Harper Lee (born 100 years ago today) and To Kill a Mockingbird. Also for National Superhero Day, check out nearly 50 posts about s…

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

The Harper Lee Centennial (Reflections on “To Kill a Mockingbird”) by Trav S.D.

Alabama novelist Harper Lee (Nelle Harper Lee, 1926-2016) was born 100 years ago today. A relative of Robert E. Lee (though not a descendent), the author was born, raised, and died in the sm…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:10AM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off