Forgotten Hollywood

In this episode, I spoke with author Phillip Gefter about the book "Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" From its debut in 1962, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  was a wild success and a cultural lightning rod. The play transpires over one long, boozy night, laying bare the lies, compromises, and scalding love that hav...

In this episode, I discuss a "Forgotten Hollywood" Oscar winner, Ronald Colman. Doug Hess is the host! 

In this episode, I discuss the life of actress Marsha Hunt.

In this episode, we discuss the life of actress Joan Blondell.

In this episode, i spoke with author Henry Parke about his book “The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them”. The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them provides an eclectic review of the Western film and television genre, from John Ford’s classic, black and white films, to Deadwood and indie darlings. Doug Hess is the host!

It's the 3rd anniversary of the HIT podcast on JLJ Media! James Lott Jr and Doug Hess celebrate! Thank you to all the guests, PR persons, and listeners!

In this episode, I spoke with author Brian Clune and his book "Ghost and Legends of Hollywood". Hollywood is supposed to be the place where dreams come true, but it's also where nightmares come to life. Spirits haunt the halls of renowned studios, legendary cafes, and lavish estates, while rumors of curses lurk in the shadows of the rich and famous. It's said that stars like James Dean, Carrie Fis...

In this episode I discuss with Dave Karger (a host with TCM's) his book "50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers On Their Career-Defining Wins".An exclusive look behind the scenes of the Academy Awards as top stars and filmmakers discuss their Oscar wins and tell never-before-told tales of Hollywood's biggest night, in a collection of original interviews with Turner Classic Movies host and en...

In this episode I discuss with author E. J. Stephen his book "Legends of Westwood Village Cemetery". Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery, located on Los Angeles's trendy west side, has been the leading choice for celebrity burials since Marilyn Monroe was interred here in 1962. The cemetery houses the remains of a plethora of household names, including Patty Andrews, Eve Arden, Lew Ayres, Jim Backus,...

In this episode, I spoke with author Marc Wanamaker and his book "Hollywood on the Santa Monica Beach". Since pioneer filmmakers arrived on its shoreline in the early 20th century, the Santa Monica beach has been a popular location for the making of movies and television productions. Its enchanting beauty led studio moguls, producers, and celebrities to build beach houses there, creating what beca...

In this episode, I discuss the life and career of Will Geer. He is best-known role was his last, Zebulon Walton, grandpa in the long-running television series The Waltons . Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with author Anthony Uzarowski about his book "Jessica Lange: An Adventurer's Heart". Brilliant, beautiful, driven, uncompromising, elusive, iconic―Jessica Lange is one of the most gifted and fascinating actors of her generation. From her rise to fame in Dino De Laurentiis's remake of King Kong (1976) and her Oscar-winning performances in Tootsie (1982) and Blue Sky (1994);...

In this episode, I discuss the career of Tom Neal. Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. (January 28, 1914 – August 7, 1972) was an American actor and successful amateur boxer best known for his co-starring role in the critically lauded film Detour, for having a widely publicized affair with actress Barbara Payton, and for later being convicted and imprisoned for involuntary manslaughter. Doug Hess is the host.

In this episode, we discuss Danny Kaye with Warren Croom and Liz Caputa who runs the Facebook page Danny Kaye King of Jesters. Please make sure to check out their website.

In this episode, I discuss with author Christian Esquevin this latest book "Designing Hollywood".Since the 1920s, fashion has played a central role in Hollywood. As the movie-going population consisted largely of women, studios made a concerted effort to attract a female audience by foregrounding fashion.

In this episode, I discuss with author Donal Brackett his book "Double Solitaire: The Films of Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder". Before Hitchcock and Herrmann, before Herzog and Kinski, there was Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. Despite their shared nickname, writer-producer Charles Brackett and writer-director Billy Wilder were not, in fact, the “happiest couple in Hollywood.”

In this episode, I spoke with Tom Shubilla about his book "Primetime 1966-1967 The Full Spectrum of Television's 1ist All-Color Season". The year 1966 was when many TV viewers all over America discovered the wonders of "in living color." The 1966-1967 primetime television lineup was remarkable not only for the legendary shows that aired but also because it was the first season in which every show...

In this episode, I spoke with Gary Cooper's daughter, Maria Cooper Janis, about her father and the book she provided family photos for "Gary Cooper Enduring Style". Maria also discussed a film that she thinks is under appreciated and that is "The Hanging Tree". Check it out!

In this episode, I discuss with author G. Bruse Boyer his book "Gary Cooper Enduring Style". Few things are truly timeless. Martinis, The Beatles, bespoke tweed…and, of course, Gary Cooper. Perhaps the nonpareil of Golden Age Hollywood's gentlemen, Gary Cooper was a beloved icon of manliness and style in his prime—and has aged like fine wine. He is the definition of classic.

In this episode, we discuss the film life of Dennis O'Keefe. Dennis was a tall, cheerful, outdoorsy leading man of Hollywood B movies who started in show business as an infant accompanying his vaudevillian parents on the stage. In his teens, Dennis started to write film scripts while attending college.

In this episode, I discuss the life of Dennis Morgan. Many of you may remember his performance as seaman "Jefferson Jones", with Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut (1945) .

In this episode, I spoke with the author Sam Wasson on his book regarding Francis Ford Coppola titled "The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola". story. Francis Ford Coppola is one of the great American dreamers, and his most magnificent dream is American Zoetrope, the production company he founded in San Francisco years before his gargantuan success when he was only thirty. Through Zoetrope’s...

A special message to commemorate this occassion!

In this episode I look at the life of actor Charles Boyer.