Forgotten Hollywood

In this episode, I spoke with author Nicholas Parisi regarding his book Rod Serling His Life, Work, and Imagination. Many know Serling for being the creator, host, and primary writer for The Twilight Zone but he had written over 250 scripts for film and TV. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode I speak with author Kristen Anderson Wagner regarding her book Comic Venus Women and Comedy in American Silent Film. Comic Venus is the first book to explore the overlooked contributions made by comediennes in American silent film. Those with an interest in film and representations of femininity in comedy will be fascinated by the analytical connections and thoroughly researched hi...

In defiance of the alleged "death of romantic comedy," After "Happily Ever After ": Romantic Comedy in the Post-Romantic Age edited by Maria San Filippo attests to rom-com’s continuing vitality in new modes and forms that reimagine and rejuvenate the genre in ideologically, artistically, and commercially innovative ways. No longer the idyllic fairy tale, today’s romantic comedies ponder the realit...

In this episode, I spoke with author Robert Hofler regarding his book "The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen".It’s one of the greatest movie romances of all time. Fifty years on, the chemistry between Barbra Streisand as Jewish working-class firebrand Katie Worosky and Robert Redford as all-American golden boy Hubbell Gardiner rem...

In this episode I spoke with author John Stangeland regarding his book Aline MacMahon: Hollywood, the Blacklist, and the Birth of Method Acting. During the 1930s and 1940s, MacMahon starred in countless films and was among the most influential actors of the era, her talent revered as highly as peers Katherine Hepburn, Paul Muni, and Bette Davis. Her pioneering use of a new acting style brought to...

In this episode I discuss with author Michael Seth Starr regarding his latest book "Don Rickles: Merchant of Venom". Riding a wave of success that lasted more than sixty years, Don Rickles is best known as the “insult” comic who skewered presidents, royalty, celebrities, and friends and fans alike. But there was more to “Mr. Warmth” than a devilish ear-to-ear grin and lightning-fast put-downs. Ric...

In this episode I discuss with author Chris Palmer regarding his book The Fresh Prince Project. More than thirty years have passed since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on NBC but unlike other family sitcoms of its era, it has remained culturally relevant and beloved by new generations of fans.

In this episode I spoke with Daniel Titley's regarding his latest book "London After Midnight The Lost Film". For decades, the mystique of Lon Chaney's 1927 mystery-thriller, London After Midnight, has pondered the minds of horror buffs, silent film enthusiasts and film collectors alike. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss with the author Jeff Keene II in his book Under the Rainbow. There's No Place Like Home The magical Ruby Slippers, worn by actress Judy Garland in MGM's beloved 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz is perhaps the most iconic example of movie memorabilia in the world. The pair on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History draws more visitors than any...

In this episode we discuss with authors Carol Ford and Linda Groundwater about their biography on Bob Crane titled "Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography". Since his untimely death on June 29, 1978, Bob Crane's unofficial biography has become akin to a broken record. Like a skip in the acetate, his murder and the scandal that grew from it have been the repeated focus of attention, to the exclusion o...

In this episode, I discuss with former executive director of the Academy for over twenty years regarding his book The Academy Award and The Award: The Coming of Age of Oscar and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For all the near-fanatic attention brought each year to the Academy Awards, the organization that dispenses those awards—the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—has...

In this episode, I discuss with author Paul Fischer his latest book The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and The Movies. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss with actress Jessica Sherr on her play Bette Davis Ain't No Sissy. Actress and playwright, Jessica Sherr, powerfully channels Bette Davis in her fight against the male-dominated studio system. On the night of the 1939 Oscars, Bette returns home knowing she’s to lose Best Actress to Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara, because the press has leaked the winners. Miss Davis takes...

In this episode, we talk with Eric Grayson who is a film preservationist, author, and Indiana film expert.

In this episode, I speak with author Cathy Fitzgibbon Rudolph on her book Paul Lynde A Biography His Life, His Love(s) and His Laughter. This book will let you into the heart and soul of Paul Lynde. Best remembered for outrageous jokes on The Hollywood Squares, as Uncle Arthur from Bewitched, and as the frantic father in Bye Bye Birdie, Paul was never satisfied with his career - or his personal li...

In this epiosde I discuss with author Jason Isralowitz regarding his book Nothing To Fear Alfred Hitchcock and The Wrong Man which will be released on January 14, 2023. in 1956, the world's most famous director focused his lens on an issue that cuts to the heart of our criminal justice system: the risk of wrongful conviction. The result was The Wrong Man, a wrenching and largely overlooked drama b...

In this episode, I speak with author Kevin Mori on his book Third Act a Novel of Buster Keaton. "Buster Keaton had been a child prodigy in vaudeville and a star of the silent screen. But by the age of 40, he had been left behind by Hollywood. His fortunes changed following a chance meeting on the set of The Wizard of Oz. Eleanor Norris was a dancer under studio contract using her classical trainin...

JLJ Media President James Lott JR has a few words to say to the listeners!

In this episode I speak with author Herbie J Pilato regarding his book The 12 Best Secrets of Christmas: Treasure House of December Memories Revealed. Doug Hess is the host! goto patreon.com/forgottenhollywood

In this episode my guest is Karolyn Grimes, many of you know her as Zuzu from It's A Wonderful Life. She was also in another "Christmas Movie" The Bishop's Wife as well as many other films. Karolyn worked with Jimmy Stewart, Carey Grant, David Niven, John Wayne, and Lewtta Young to name just a few of the stars she was in films with.

In this episode I have a conversation with Lara Gabrielle about her new book "Caption of Her Soul The Life of Marion Davies ". From Marion Davies's humble days in Brooklyn to her rise to fame alongside press baron William Randolph Hearst, the public life story of the film star plays like a modern fairy tale shaped by gossip columnists, fan magazines, biopics, and documentaries. Yet the real Marion...

In this episode, I discuss with author Adrienne McLean her latest book "All for Beauty Makeup and Hairdressing in Hollywood's Studio Era". We discuss the men and women that have been overlooked for years regarding the hard work they do to keep the stars shining. You can check out Adrienne and order her book at https://www.adriennelmclean.net/ Doug Hess is the host

In this episode, I interview Caroline Young regarding her book "Crazy Old Ladies The Story of Hag Horror". From the moment Bette Davis served up a dead rat to Joan Crawford in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? a subset of camp horror films was born. The ‘Hag Horror’ genre exploited the former Oscar-winners and glamour queens who had effectively built Hollywood, transforming them into grotesque cari...

In this episode, I speak with author Elva Green who wrote a book about her father. The book is "Eddie Green: The Rise of an Early 1900 Black American Entertainment Pioneer". Doug Hess is the host! for more goto patreon.com/forgottenhollywood

In this episode, I discuss with Heather Massie on her one-person performance of Hedy Lamarr. We chatted about what it takes to perform a one person show and the research that was needed to write and perform. Doug Hess is the host! Also goto patreon.com/forgottenhollywood