Watching Classic Movies

Millie de Chirico has long been a knowledgeable and accessible champion for classic film in her work programming for TCM and the TCM Classic Film Festival, as co-host of the essential I Saw What You Did podcast, and now as co-author with Quatoyiah Murry of the amazing book TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema . I loved having her back on the show...

The 1989 film Chameleon Street , written, directed by, and starring Wendell B. Harris Jr. won the grand jury prize for a dramatic film at Sundance Film Festival in 1990. But that honor didn’t lead to the accolades and long directing career that it should have. This quirky masterwork tells the true crime story of William Douglas Street, Jr., a con artist from Detroit who has successfully impersonat...

I was happy to welcome back novelist Martin Turnbull, my most popular guest on the podcast to date. We talked about Bogart, Bacall, Hollywood and Warner Brothers Studios during World War II and how they are featured in his Hollywood Homefront Trilogy including the recently released finale to this fascinating blend of fact and fiction You Must Remember This. You can learn more about Martin Turnbull...

My guest is Michelle Squiccimara, registrar and outreach coordinator of The Stoogeum in Ambler, Pennsylvania. This three-story museum dedicated to the 3 Stooges contains thousands of artifacts and works of art. It’s also the home of the 3 Stooges fan club, one of the largest and most enduring in the nation. We talked about the many surprises the Stoogeum holds, the supportive fan community that ha...

My guest is Janie McKirgan, Executive Director of the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania We talked about the long history of this museum that seems humble from the outside, but has an extensive collection within and a movie theater that shows Stewart films every day. It’s a beloved institution in a town that still shows a lot of love for its most famous native.   You can learn more abou...

My guest is Nelson Page, Executive Director of the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the birthplace of the United States film industry. The center is an evolving cultural institution, featuring a reparatory movie theater that brings back the comforts and style of classic cinema and a museum that is free to the public and has already been a source of great fascination to its visitors i...

My guests are Lynell Seabold, Executive Director of the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina and Lora Stocker a longtime volunteer for the museum who has served as a social media consultant and board member.  We talked about what the museum has to offer both as a physical and virtual experience, including the many ways the museum celebrates Ava Gardner and unites fans and collectors fr...

My guest is Dorothy Schultz, curator of the James Dean Museum We had a great talk about this thriving tribute to an actor who burned bright in his short life and left an enduring legacy. The museum is home to the largest collection of Dean artifacts and attracts visitors from around the world. It is also deeply loved and supported by the surrounding community, which includes Dean’s family. Dorothy...

Watching Classic Movies podcast returns on April 12 and this one’s going to be special.   I wrote a travel guide for classic movie fans, full of destinations sure to delight lovers of vintage Hollywood.   At the heart of The Classic Film Fan USA Travel Guide: Over 500 Attractions for Road Trips and Online Exploration are good people running fascinating places that bring the movies to life.   This...

When I saw that a social media filter featuring the dancing ghost of Koko the Clown had gone viral, I had to know the story behind it. What I found was a great team that is working to preserve the timeless ‘toons of Max Fleischer, which featured Betty Boop, Popeye, Koko the Clown, and consisted of hundreds of fascinating animated shorts. This is my first dual interview on the show. Ray Pointer has...

My guest, Lara Gabrielle is the author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies . We talked about Davies career, which was more successful than rumor would have it, her unique and mysterious long-term relationship with William Randolph Hearst, the enormous good she did for friends, family, and the community, and how unraveling the myths about her is a crucial part of telling her story.&nb...

My guest, Paula Yoo is a screenwriter, producer, violinist and author of several books for young readers including the gorgeous picture book Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story , with illustrations by Lin Wang. We talked about the significance of the new quarter featuring Wong, the first Asian American to be on US currency, her difficult, but fruitful career as a movie actress and how her story...

My guest, Tom Zimmerman is the author of The Queen of Technicolor: Maria Montez in Hollywood .  Montez was a unique star, imperious, but warm, not known for her acting ability, but skilled in committing completely to a role, whether in a skimpy costume for the six legendary Neverland films she made for Universal, or in a grittier setting, such as for her more noirish European roles.  We...

My guest, Luis Reyes, is the author of Viva Hollywood: The Legacy of Latin and Hispanic Artists in American Film . We talked about the changing representation of this varied and vibrant group in Hollywood, and artists from the popular to the underseen, while celebrating the fact that Latin and Hispanic people in film have long been an integral part of the industry with many towering accomplishment...

I was honored to spend time with my guest, director, writer, producer, and playwright George Stevens Jr., founder of the American Film Institute, creator of the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors, and winner of honors including the Emmy, Oscar, Peabody Award, and Writers Guild Award.  He began his career helping his father, Hollywood director George Stevens make films an...

My guest, Lora Stocker is a graphic designer, artist , and illustrator who has worked with Turner Classic Movies social media. She’s also a board member of and social media strategist for the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina. We talked about the different phases of Gardner’s five decade career, how she went from an untrained discovery to an accomplished actress, and both her popula...

My guest is Millie De Chirico, programmer for Turner Classic Movies, including TCM Underground, and co-host of the essential movie podcast I Saw What You Did .  While it is a period in her career that many find lacking, Millie and I are big fans of the movies Elizabeth Taylor made from the mid-sixties through the seventies. We had a talk about the unique magic of Taylor in middle-age, still b...

My guest, Rachel Boyce is an expert on 1960s and 18th Century fashion and the films that feature these styles. She shares that knowledge on her fascinating Instagram account, where I learn new things all the time.  Rachel also collects vintage fashion. We talked about her most treasured acquisition: a dress owned by Sharon Tate, in addition the care of and ethics around vintage fashion, findi...

My guest, John DiLeo, has written seven books about film. His latest is There are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less. We talked about the special characteristics of a brief, but potent screen performances and the many stars who made a lasting impression in a short appearance.  To learn more about John DiLeo and his books, go to his officia...

In 1973, filmmaker Bill Gunn’s vampire/addiction movie Ganja & Hess was a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival. Starring Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, musician Sam Waymon, and Gunn himself, this mysterious, fascinating film should have been an arthouse sensation in the States. Instead it played a single New York theater for two weeks, before it was pulled and eventually re-edited in a more conv...

My guest, Alicia Malone is a TCM host and the author of Backwards in Heels: The Past, Present, and Future of Women Working in Film , The Female Gaze: Essential Movies Made by Women and her latest Girls on Film: Lessons from a Life of Watching Women in Movies . We talked about her journey to embrace her authentic self, what she’s focusing on next in her remarkable career, and how her perspective on...

My guest Brian Sauer writes the review site Rupert Pupkin Speaks , hosts the podcast and YouTube channel Just the Discs , and is co-host of the official New Beverly Cinema podcast Pure Cinema .  As the complete Thin Man mystery series has been released on Blu-ray for the first time, we celebrated by talking about the many fascinating and amusing elements of these six movies and the legendary...

Kristen Lopez of Ticklish Business is one of my favorite classic film bloggers and podcasters. She's long had an interest in classic film biopics. We talked about the hits and misses in this most fascinating genre.  Keep up with Kristen:  Ticklish Business Blog  Ticklish Business Podcast   Instagram  Twitter The show is available on Spotify , PocketCasts , Breaker , Stitch...

Martin Turnbull is the author of several novels, including the nine book Garden of Allah series and his latest, All the Gin Joints . We talked about the history of the Garden of Allah Hotel and how it has influenced his writing.  Learn more about Martin’s novels here .  For loads of great Hollywood history and photos, follow Martin on Twitter . The show is available on Spotify , PocketCa...