Mostly Movies, Maybe Music

For our Halloween episode, horror-comedy expert Paul Castiglia joins us for a discussion on one of Abbott & Costello's last movies, "Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde." We discuss the reasons why the film is divisive to Abbott & Costello fans and the inconsistencies in the script, we discuss Bud and Lou's characterizations in their films and the reasons they are so often...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into 1940's "The Ghost Breakers" starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. We're joined by movie expert Katharine Lhota. We discuss Hope's early movie persona and the way it evolved over time, we comment on his acting ability, we try to figure out the convoluted plot of the movie, we discuss Willie Best's role in the movie and racial stereotypes in old movies in...

In our first October episode, we discuss the 1942 fantasy comedy "I Married A Witch", with comedian Ken Reid, host of the TV Guidance Counselor podcast. We discuss the many inconsistencies in the film's plot and humor, our reservations about Cecil Kellaway's presence in this film, Fredric March being too old for the part, the lack of chemistry between him and Veronica Lake, and Anthony reveals his...

In this episode, film historian and TCM intro writer Hannah Jack talks about her experiences watching movies growing up, her writing and research process for TCM, Pre-Code movies, her favorite character actors, her work as a theater director and as a teacher, and much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, film collector Lou Sabini joins Brian and Anthony and me for a lively and free-wheeling discussion of the wild 1934 Pre-Code comedy "Hips, Hips, Hooray", starring the popular but now largely forgotten comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. Enjoy!

On this episode, former "Kids Corner" radio host and all-around movie buff Kathy O'Connell talks about her love of TCM, our favorite actors, her favorite movie theater experiences, what movies she would show if she could program TCM, Pre-Code movies, seeing inappropriate movies when she was a child, Kathy's love for the British actress Jessie Matthews, I plug my Alice White book, and much more. En...

In our second episode, we are joined by the host of the "TV Guidance Counselor" podcast, Ken Reid, for a lively conversation about the zany 1941 film "Hellzapoppin'", starring the team of Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson. We discuss the many ways in which the film breaks the fourth wall, the film's behind-the-scenes production problems, the legal issues that have prevented it from being commercially rel...

In the premiere episode of my second podcast, "Classic Comedy Conversations", Brian Paige, Anthony Gargano and Andrew Gilmore take a look at the 1932 Marx Brothers movie "Horse Feathers", with our guest, Marx Brothers expert Noah Diamond! We discuss how we all got into classic comedy movies, how we first saw "Horse Feathers", the similarities between it and the Wheeler & Woolsey film "Hold 'Em...

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the 1930s comedy team Wheeler and Woolsey, with fans Brian Paige, Anthony Gargano, Paul Castiglia, and Bert Wheeler's great-grandson Patrick Laurence. We discuss the similarities between W&W's "The Nitwits" and Abbott & Costello's "Who Done It?", the censorship cuts to W&W's 1933 film "So This Is Africa", whether the team would have worked...

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!