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White hairstylists backing away from doing Black hair. Makeup artists resorting to mixing special effects product. Black style and fashion veterans recount struggles, yet signs of change are peeping through: [...]

From the archives of Variety: AUGUST 12, 1935 'Dumont Dukes It Out with Groucho, Harpo' Portly matron Margaret Dumont, the long-suffering straight woman to Marx Brothers hijinks, pranks, and gags, [...]

Last year in early March, just as it was becoming clear that the U.S. wouldn't be able to avoid a COVID-19 lockdown for much longer, executives at Westbrook Media began [...]

Mount Clemens established a nationwide reputation as a health resort after its first public bath house opened in 1873. The abundant and potent mineral water discovered beneath the city was [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Harry Houdini watched helplessly as the sheriff seized his props for non-payment of debts. Disappointment and frustration turned to despair as his lovingly crafted illusions disappeared into a […]

FOR FANS OF PROFESSIONAL fling, Memorial Day was never so memorable. When back in 1996 Scott Hall jumped the ringside barrier and entered a WCW ting to announce that the [...]

'Abigail, darling.... This is a farm! This isn't Broadway!' That's Judy Garland as country gal Jane Falbury in the film 'Summer Stock.' She's telling her sister, played by Gloria DeHaven, [...]

On July 14, 1941, the opening night of a brittle French farce titled 'Her Cardboard Lover,' Miss Tallulah Bankhead made an unforgettable appearance at Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse. For her [...]

Nestled along the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore blends urban renewal with a markedly historic past and is known for its ethnic, cultural and artistic diversity. Founded in 1729 and incorporated in [...]

Pat Reithoffer, Jr. has dedicated his life to the development of Reithoffer Shows. Reithoffer continues to be actively involved in the day-to-day operations and planning for the carnival despite being 75 years old. Reithoffer Shows began the innovative practice of mounting its rides on trailers under Pat Reithoffer, Jr. Pat's children and grandchildren are involved in the development of Reithoffer Shows., Pat Reithoffer Jr., owner of one of the largest carnivals in the world, has been many things in his life, including a schoolteacher, coal miner, janitor and fighter pilot. 'It [...]

Reithoffer Shows celebrates its 100th anniversary in 1996. The family-run carnival, which was started by German immigrant Julius Reithoffer, was one of the first carnivals to import rides from Europe. Reithoffer Shows includes two additional units, the Blue and Orange units, managed by brothers Rick Reithoffer and Pat Reithoffer, III. Jack Stoorza is the business manager for Reithoffer Shows., A history of Reithoffer Shows reveals an organization with a remarkable ability to adapt to changes, be they cultural, economic or political in nature. The decline in railroads as the [...]

The history of the entertainment industry in the 20th century has been reported on by the publications 'Billboard Advertising,' 'The Billboard' and 'Amusement Business.' 'Billboard Advertising' and later 'The Billboard'provided coverage of the vaudeville business, the music publishing industry and theater. Coverage of motion pictures, big bands and nightclubs followed. 'Amusement Business,' which debuted on Jan 9, 1961, continued this coverage., Imagine a world newly liberated by technology, a land opened by the railroad and a population swelling in numbers, all eager to be entertained. This was the America of 100 [...]

The history of the publication 'Amusement Business' is integrated with the history of carnivals and circuses. The publication, which is known as the 'Showmen's Bible,' has documented information about these businesses through the two World Wars, the Great Depression and numerous disasters. A discussion of the changing economic conditions and how it affected carnival and circus businesses is also included., It is virtually impossible to separate the history of the carnival and the history of Amusement Business. From the time of their beginnings -- the carnival as an outcropping of [...]

'The Billboard,' a publication from which 'Amusement Business' was born, was an important source of entertainment industry news and information. The periodical focused much of its effort from 1894 to 2000 on covering the fair business. Later the publication initiated coverage on carnivals, circuses and other live events. A partial history of the amusement industry is included., By the time Billboard Advertising debuted 100 years ago, the Ferris wheel was already an overwhelming success; Ringling Bros. Circus had put Baraboo, Wis., on the map; the world had [...]

The most influential personalities in the history of the live entertainment and amusement industry are discussed. Biographical information and the influence personalities such as William H. Donaldson and William F.Cody are included. Also included is information about the Strates family, the Ringling Brothers, Charles McElravy, James Westley Conklin, George Ferris Jr, Harry M. Stevens, Bill Graham, George Hamid and Walt Disney., It's only fitting on the occasion of our 100th Anniversary that we honor those outstanding individuals who have made an undeniable and indelible impact on the live entertainment and amusement [...]

Delayed perhaps a decade by World War II, television programing took root in the late 1940's on four national networks - ABC, CBS, NBC and DuMont. In its first year, [...]

Leisure and Allied Industries (LAI), an amusements company based in Western Australia, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008. The company has grown to employ more than 3,000 workers and has an annual revenue of $150 million. LAI's 50-year history and details on their products are discussed.

The Amusement and Music Operators Association provided leadership to amusement and music machine operators in its 60-year existence. The Association must continue innovating to lead the industry into new directions and realize its full potential.

It might not have had the incantatory elegance of E=MC2 but when the Beatles first performed on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on Feb. 9, 1964, the physics of pop culture [...]

AS the saying goes, the devil has all the best tunes. In the seemingly eternal James Bond film series, the baddies have all the best gadgets, too. From Rosa Klebb's [...]

In 1903, having spent most of their lives outside the law, the country's most infamous outlaws, Cole Younger and Frank James, made a bid at legitimacy with a foray into [...]

Byline: GRAYDON CARTER OF KINGS AND QUEENS Those who remember New York in the 1970s, as I do, look back on a city that had hit a very rough patchdecaying, [...]

The following is a look at some of the voices and faces that helped turn a mode of communication into the most prolific news and entertainment medium the world has [...]

Even five years ago, critical mass was the talk of SP, with Bates Group buying Graham Green's Blue Skies. Bates' chairman Graham Hinton put it thus: 'We wanted Graham and [...]

In October 1884, during the halcyon days of America's Gilded Age, wealthy young Englishman Evelyn Booth ventured to the United States to sample all that burgeoning country had to offer. [...]

Crystal Shards John Shaner's play After Crystal Night takes its name from the infamous night of Nov. 6, 1938, when Nazi thugs stoned windows of Jewish shops and homes throughout [...]

You're not just a triple threat, you're a quadruple one: you act, sing, dance, and juggle. Or you do magic. Or maybe you eat fire. Whatever your obscure or specialty [...]