Forgotten Hollywood

In this episode, I spoke with author Andrew Patrick Nelson about his book "Still In The Saddle: The Hollywood Western, 1969 -1980". By the end of the 1960s, the Hollywood West of Tom Mix, Randolph Scott, and even John Wayne was passé—or so the story goes. Many film historians and critics have argued that movies portraying a mythic American West gave way to revisionist films that influential filmma...

In this episode, I discuss the life of actress Helen Walker.

In this episode, I spoke with author Lesley Coffin regarding her book "Hitchcock's Stars: Alfred Hitchcock and the Hollywood Studio System". Although he was a visual stylist who once referred to actors as cattle, Alfred Hitchcock also had a remarkable talent for innovative and creative casting choices. The director launched the careers of several actors and completely changed the trajectory of oth...

In this episode I spoke with author Dan Callahan about his latest book "Bing and Billie and Frank and Ella and Judy and Barbra" which will be out on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, from Chicago Review Press. Crosby, Holiday, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Garland, and Streisand were the major interpreters of the American songbook, and this is the interlocking story of their lives and careers. Here is the epic t...

Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance by Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère is an all-encompassing work following the American dance legend from her premature birth into a single-parent home in Springfield, Massachusetts, to her first Broadway performance at age fifteen, through her days as a blazing icon in the world of Hollywood, and finally, to her inspiring comeback. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, my friend of the show, Warren Croom and I spoke with actor Johnny Whitaker. Johhny talks about his years as a child actor. The redheaded Whitaker played Jody Davis on Family Affair from 1966 to 1971. He also originated the role of Scotty Baldwin on General Hospital in 1965, and played the lead in Hallmark's 1969 The Littlest Angel , and portrayed the title character in the 1973 mu...

In this episode I spoke with Bambi Moe about her book "Part of the Magic". Part of the Magic: A Collection of Disney-Inspired Brushes with Greatness is a book of remarkable and wildly entertaining anecdotal stories told through the lens of an entertainment industry insider.

In this episode, I discuss the life of Colin Clive. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss the life of the actress Thelma Ritter. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss the life of actor Andy Devine. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with author Robert Miklitsch and his book I Died A Million Times: Gangster Noir In Midcentury America. In the 1950s, the gangster movie and film noir crisscrossed to create gangster noir. Robert Miklitsch takes readers into this fascinating subgenre of films focused on crime syndicates, crooked cops, and capers.

In this episode, I talk about the life of actor Lewis Stone. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, author Spence Wright returns to discuss the career of Lucilla La Verne. Many of you will know her as the Evil Queen/Old Hag from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

In this episode, I spoke with author Ruby Blondell about her latest book "Helen of Troy In Hollywood" which will be out on August 1, 2023, by Princeton Press. Helen of Troy in Hollywood examines the figure of the mythic Helen in film and television, showing how storytellers from different Hollywood eras have used Helen to grapple with the problems and dynamics of gender and idealized femininity. Y...

In this episode, I discuss the life of John Carradine. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I have a conversation regarding the TCM turmoil with a former employee JayJay Epega. TCM has officially closed airing in England. Jay Jay offers insight. James Lott JR talks about the business and social implications. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss with author Bernard F. Dick on his book Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars. Hal Wallis (1898-1986) might not be as well known as David O. Selznick or Samuel Goldwyn, but the films he produced—Casablanca, Jezebel, Now, Voyager, The Life of Emile Zola, Becket, True Grit, and many other classics (as well as scores of Elvis movies)—have certainly endured. The publisher of the...

In this episode I discuss with author Michelle Morgan about her lates book "When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe's Life in England" which was published by Pegasus Books and is available for purchase. In July 1956, Marilyn Monroe arrived in London—on honeymoon with her husband Arthur Miller—to make The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier. It was meant to be a happy time . . . Do...

In this episode, I spoke with the President/CEO of JLJ Media James Lott Jr, and we discussed the current turmoil of TCM.

In this episode I spoke with author Nat Segaloff regarding his latest book "The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear" which will be out on July 25, 2023 . Since 1973, The Exorcist and its progeny have scared and inspired half a century of filmgoers. Now, on the 50th anniversary of the original movie release, this is the definitive, fascinating story of the scariest movie ever made and its lasting imp...

In this episode, I spoke with Mark Kratzner who is the curator of the Red Skelton Museum. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with author Spencer Wright about his latest book Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film from BearManor Media. In its centennial year, take a journey through the history of the Walt Disney Company through the lens of the studio’s live-action films, and the life of its co-creator Walt Disney. By discussing the life and work of fifteen people who c...

In this episode, I spoke with Eddie Muller about his book Noir Bar: Cocktails Inspired By The World Of Film Noir. Mr. Muller is the host of TCM's Noir Alley and one of the world's leading authorities on film noir, taking film buffs and drink enthusiasts alike on a spirited tour through the "dark city" of film noir. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode I spoke with John Kelsch and Janie Heitz from the Judy Garland Museum. The museum is located in Grand Rapid, MN. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with Keith Phipps regarding his book "The Age of Cage". Age of Cage is a smart, beguiling book about the films of Nicolas Cage and the actor himself, as well as a sharp-eyed examination of the changes that have taken place in Hollywood over the course of his career. Critic and journalist Keith Phipps draws a portrait of the enigmatic icon by looking at―what else?―Cage’s ex...