Mostly Movies, Maybe Music

In this episode, silent film accompanist Ben Model talks about his experiences teaching silent film to college students, dealing with problematic material in old films, the challenges of improvising a live film score, the ways his audiences connect with silent films, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, film expert Bruce Calvert talks about his lifelong interest in movies, studying film in college, his collection of memorabilia from silent movies, the history of movie theaters, his favorite actors, his experiences going to film festivals, meeting silent film star Baby Peggy, his experiences working as an extra in movies, and more. Enjoy!

In a special episode of "Mostly Movies, Maybe Music", we have a panel discussion on the 1930s comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey. Longtime fans Anthony Gargano and Brian Paige are joined by Bert Wheeler's great-grandson Patrick Laurence to discuss their memories of watching the team's movies, what Patrick has learned about his family's history, our favorite moments from the team's movies, the suppo...

In this episode, the host of WXPN's "Kids Corner", Kathy O'Connell, talks about her love of old movies, her friendship with Soupy Sales, meeting Groucho Marx, seeing SNL dress rehearsals, her appreciation for old-time radio, and of course her work on "Kids Corner." Enjoy!

In this episode, Secret Cinema founder Jay Schwartz talks about his involvement in the Philadelphia punk music scene, how he started collecting films, how the Secret Cinema shows started, the challenges of sustaining an audience, his upcoming film screenings this year, and more. Enjoy!

In this episode, film collector Lou Sabini talks about his lifelong passion for old movies, his friendship with film scholar William K. Everson, Pre-Code movies, his Facebook group "My Reel Life", how he met his wife, crossing paths with Stan Laurel, Joanne Woodward and Sylvia Sidney, seeing Cary Grant in person, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, "Forgotten Hollywood" historian Manny Pacheco talks about his books, his passion for classic Hollywood, character actors, movies he watched growing up, his work in radio, performing in a radio version of "It's A Wonderful Life", his experiences teaching media history, his appreciation for Spencer Tracy, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, the Library Of Congress' George Willeman talks about his work in the LOC's nitrate film vaults, the process of scanning film to digital, his record collection, his work as a screenwriter, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, "Universally Me" host Antonia Carlotta joins me to talk about her family's history in the film business, her experiences as an actress, her process for creating and editing her YouTube videos, our thoughts on the future of film history, our favorite Pre-Code actresses, and much more. Enjoy!

On this episode, Randy Skretvedt talks about collecting old records, his radio shows, teaching film to young people, his experiences meeting and interviewing famous people, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, film historian and biographer Laura Jerrolds joins me for a lively discussion of her writing, her intererst in old movies, her involvement with Capitolfest, and especially her research on actresses Laura La Plante, Marian Nixon, and Minna Gombell. Enjoy!

In this episode, film historian Nelson Hughes chats with me about all things silent comedy. Our friend Charlie Judkins is also on hand to join in the fun. Enjoy!

In this episode, I talk to comedy expert Zach Mitchell about old time radio, his love for The Goon Show, his own experiences in writing and filmmaking, Harry Langdon, Jerry Lewis, The Marx Brothers, James Joyce, Tori Amos, Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, cartoons, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, I talk to filmmaker and horror expert Jason Paul Collum about his lifelong interest in watching and making horror movies, his friendship with many of the great horror actresses, his documentary "Screaming In High Heels", his writing process, his experiences meeting celebrities at conventions and being a guest at conventions himself, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, I talk to musicians Miss Mayebll (Lauren Sansaricq) and her husband Charlie Judkins about their interest in vintage music, their experiences touring and performing live, how their group Miss Maybell and Her Ragtime Romeos came to be, their upcoming album of unrecorded songs, and more. Enjoy!

In this episode, I talk to actor, comedian, songwriter, playwright, and just about everything else, Noah Diamond. We talk about his love for the Marx Brothers and other classic comedians, his writing process, how he met his wife, working in radio, his interest in writing about politics, his radio play "Pintele", and many other subjects. Enjoy!

In this episode, I interview film expert Shannon Quinty, who is the programming co-ordinator for the Renew Theaters chain in Pennsylvania. We talk about her love of classic actors like Joan Blondell, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, and others. We also discuss her work at the Ambler Theater, how their films series are curated, her thoughts on showing problematic films to a modern audience, her exp...

In this episode, I talk to film historian, journalist and writer Jordan Young. We talk about his interest in old time radio, his love of King Vidor's "The Crowd", his work as a a playwright, and the many celebrities he has met and interviewed, including Carroll O'Connor, Lionel Stander, George Burns, Jack Benny, Laura La Plante, Ralph Richardson, Zero Mostel, and many more. Enjoy!

In this episode, music historian and "Phonograph DJ" Michael Cumella talks about his interest in collecting old records, working on radio station WFMU, getting Nora Bayes a tombstone, being interviewed by the New York Times, playing vintage music at public events, meeting Queen backstage, our mutual love for Frank Zappa and Tori Amos, and more. Enjoy!

In this episode, I talk with animation expert Matt Hunter about our mutual love of classic cartoons (especially Looney Tunes). Enjoy!

In this episode, screenwriter David Greenberg talks about his experiences writing screenplays and teaching screenwriting, teaching film history, his favorite comedy films, his lifelong love of horror films, his admiration for Orson Welles, attempting stand-up comedy, the issues with showing problematic films to students, and much more. Enjoy!

Film historian Samantha Glasser, founder of the Columbus Moving Picture Show film festival, joins me for a conversation about our mutual love of old movies. We discuss Our Gang and the Three Stooges, finding like-minded movie fans, her experiences at Cinevent, Betty Hutton, Dick Powell, Van Johnson, Clara Bow, and of course the highlights of the 2025 Picture Show. Enjoy!

For the pilot episode of "Mostly Movies, Maybe Music", I'm posting an interview I did in 2008 with my friend, jazz musician Bill Frabizio. Bill talked about growing up in New Jersey, his life as a working musician, and his encounters with legendary figures like Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and more. Enjoy!