Yesteryear Ballyhoo Revue

The Ballyhoo returns to Film Breakdowns! This week, Zach welcomes Sterling J. Cook (Filmmaker & CFVA Board Member) as the two take a comedic bicycle ride through the world of Jacques Tati with a look at his 1949 debut feature, 'Jour de fête' (The Big Day). Settle in as the boys go international to unlock the early history of Tati, look into how his career as a mime cultivated his future talents wi...

On this very special 39th episode of the Ballyhoo, Zach pays tribute to the man who never aged past 39... Mr. Jack Benny. Settle in this evening for 4 episodes of 'The Jack Benny Program', with commentary surrounding the context and stories behind the episodes. You will also be treated to stories about Jack Benny the violinist and Jack Benny... the special effects enthusiast? Yes, all that and mor...

This week on the Ballyhoo, The Two Zach(k)'s (Eastman and Beins) bring the legendary Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment onto the program for an unforgettable discussion. Listen in as the boys listen to Lloyd express his love for folks like Sam Fuller and Preston Sturges, learn about how Mizoguchi Chaplin have influenced choices in his films, and listen to him express his love for Ernst Lubitsch'...

Zach is joined this week by podcaster Jamie Dyer (Old Time Review, A Brit Talks Vintage TV, The Hudsons) to take a hilarity fueled dive into old time radio as they unravel an episode of the short lived comedy series, 'The Mel Blanc Show'. First: Get ready to laugh at the hijinks that ensue when Mel tries to fix Mr. Colby's radio in an episode from 'The Mel Blanc Show' from November 5th, 1947. Then...

Zach welcomes back filmmaker Ryan Francis Johnson (Writer's Workshop, Such a Nice Car (We Have)) to at long last cover the spiritual sequel to 'The Bad and the Beautiful' as they take trip through Vincente Minnelli's 1962 film, 'Two Weeks in Another Town'. Buckle up for a wild international filmmaking journey as the boys catch up with how the creative combo of Minnelli, Douglas, Schnee, and Housem...

Zach is joined this week by Author and Film Historian Pam Munter (Fading Fame: Women of a Certain Age in Hollywood) to unpack the trunks and get ready for a debut on the Vaudeville stage as they dive into Eddie Cantor and his 1944 film, 'Show Business.' Listen as the two discuss Pams work in researching the subjects that formed her short stories in the book, discuss the origins of Eddie Cantor and...

Zach is joined by Podcaster extraordinaire Jon Ekstrom (Jon of All Trades) to give proper tribute to the one and only W.C. Fields with a deep dive into 1934's 'It's A Gift'. Pack up the jalopy and watch out for the molasses as the guys get into the origins of how William Claude Dunkenfield became the W.C. Fields we know and love, learn a bit more about director Norman McLeod, break down the plot a...

Zach is joined by Film Critic and Podcaster Jack Hanley (The Superlatives Podcast, A History of You In 5 Films) to tackle the enduring and ever powerful hand of Charles Laughton as a director as they take a dive into the world of a Mother Goose Nightmare with 1955's, THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Cue Sideshow Bob Theme) Be entranced by the sermons of two film fans as they breakdown in detail the unique...

Zach welcomes back the one and only Adam Jewell to return to the Wild World of Wilder with a look inside the goings on in 1960's 'The Apartment'. Listen in as the boys discuss the origin of the films creation and its connection to real life events, breakdown and analyze each performance within the context of its era and where that falls into today's understanding, revel in the superb production de...

Zach welcomes back Podcaster and Musician Cev Moore (Film Guff, Here Lies Amicus, House of Hammer) to help him survive the dread that will unfold from Vorvolaka's and Quarantine's with a look at the chilling Val Lewton produced and Mark Robson directed classic, 'Isle of the Dead'! Pass the Cerebus at the shore to enter a place filled with Terror and Timeliness as the guys sift through the laughs a...

This week, Zach takes a moment to remember the life of Joan Benny: author, film history lecturer, mother, grandmother, and the daughter of Jack Benny. Broadcast Information: 'The Jack Benny Program' Original Airdate 10/15/1950 Starring: Joan Benny Jack Benny Mary Livingstone Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson Dennis Day Joe Kearns Blanche Stewart and yours truly Don Wilson

This week Zach welcomes back filmmaker and podcaster Henry Jarvis (Reel Nerds Podcast) and he brings along The Arkansas Traveler as the boys dive into Elia Kazan's prescient and audacious 1957 , 'A Face in the Crowd'. Tune in to engage in the spiraling madness as the boys learn more about the complicated histories of Kazan and screenwriter Budd Schulberg, how the films unsettling narrative draws a...

Zach is joined once again by filmmaker John Strelec ('Antlers: The Web Series', 'Gunther') to engage in a podcast of the Archers as they take a long and thorough look at Powell and Pressburger's 1946 masterpiece, 'A Matter of Life and Death'. Listen in as the boys find about the origins of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, learn more about the state of the British film industry upon their arr...

Holy Ballyhoo Batman! That's right Robin, this week the Ballyhoo will discuss your most daring adventure as Zach sits down with podcast and filmmaker Bradley Haag (Reel Nerds Podcast, 'Legend of Drunken Brew Master') to talk about the Pow, Wham, and Zocko 1966 film, 'Batman: The Movie'. Hop in the Bat-mobile and join our heroes as they recall their respective Batman Beginnings, dive into the forma...

Zach is joined by podcasters Anthony Cubba and Brent Ballard (Poptimistic) to take a journey to the end of civilization with a look at 1964's 'The Last Man On Earth.' Travail the abandoned city of Los Angeles (or is it Rome?) with the boys as they slay Vampires with Vincent Price. Along the way, they will find out about the films rocky pre-production, more on how Richard Matheson was involved and...

Zach is joined by Author and Filmmaker Olivia Carmel (A How To Guide on Surviving Your First Bee Sting) to unravel the emotional highs and the lows found in Mitchell Leisen's 1946 picture, 'To Each His Own', and the triumph of its star, Olivia de Havilland. Get ready to have all the feelings as the two discover how the film holds a true balance that can make melodrama work, soak in the rich detail...

Zach is joined by filmmaker and graphic novelist Tony Grosz (El Chupakabra) to have a unique Ballyhoo chat about the demise of Old Time Radio and how it pertains to 'Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.' Listen in as the boys go through a brief history of radio's origins, dig into the world of hard bitten detectives and how Johnny Dollar stands out amongst them, unravel the sad and tragic life of Bob Baile...

And now ladies and gentlemen, we bring you that solemn sphinx of the prairie, that man among men where men are men, JACK BENNY! Thats right, the Ballyhoo goes back to Benny. This time Zach is joined by an old hand on the YBR trail, Mr. Brandon Rose (Filmmaker, 'When She Showed Up'), to chat about the second installment in the Benny/Sandrich trilogy, the 1940 film 'Buck Benny Rides Again'. Saddle u...

The Ballyhoo takes a minute to look at where it's been and where it's going. A thank you in audio form to the listeners and the guests of the show ths far. With a special song at the end in salute to a prominent Ballyhoo legend. -------- To listen to our wonderful guests on their own shows or to see their works, please visit the following: Zack Beins https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talkin-tr...

Zach is joined by author Kathy Fuller-Seeley ('Hollywood in the Neighborhood: Historical Case Studies of Local Moviegoing', 'Jack Benny and the Golden Age Of American Radio Comedy') to undergo a journey through the great depression by way of laughs with Preston Struges' 1941 masterpiece, 'Sullivan's Travels'. Join them as they set out to learn more about the history of Preston Sturges leading up t...

Zach is joined by Podcasters UndeadMatt and KrampusCody (Punk Rock Horror Podcast), who together face the terror of two legendary figures of science fiction and terror with a double bill of Irvin Yeaworth's 'The Blob (1958)'and Ishirō Honda's 'Gojira (1954)' (US Title: GODZILLA). Get ready for tales from beyond the stars and beneath the depths of the oceans as the boys discuss the ingenuity and ch...

Zach is joined by podcaster Hope Sears (All of the Classics) to find out about the amazing things a letter can do when they discuss Ernst Lubitsch's 1940 classic, 'The Shop Around The Corner'. Head on over to Matuscheck's with them as they break down the many wonderful characters inhabiting the shop, revel in the balance between light frivolity and sincere drama, praise Frank Morgan up and down, s...

Zach is joined again by filmmaker Matt Willocks to celebrate their love for Abbott and Costello as they laugh their merry way way through 1942's 'Rio Rita'. Get ready for a festival of giggles as the guys share their first encounters with Bud and Lou, discuss the intriguing behind the scenes happenings for them as a pair during production, have a discussion around frivolous love plots, and get int...

Zach is joined by Filmmaker Marshall Rosales to take a trip through Andre De Toth's thrilling tale of 3-D terror, 'House of Wax'. Wander through the museum with us as we learn more about the oft neglected importance of De Toth, speak the history of 3-D and its short shelf life in the 50's , elaborate on the urgency the studio had with leaping onto this film, asses the contributions 3-D made to thi...

Zach is joined by podcaster Smokey (Rated H, All The Best Lines) to take a look at cinema's most legendary sideshow as they dive into Tod Browning's 1932 horror classic, 'Freaks'. See the show and stay behind to hear the boys unveil the origins of such a bizarre and controversial film, learn more about the legacy of Todd Browning and his eventual decline, discuss the various lives and legacies of...