Forgotten Hollywood

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In this episode, I spoke with author Christopher S. Connelly about his recent book "Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziefeld's Last Star". An emotive soprano voice, heartrending melodies about unrequited love, and a draped-over-the-piano persona made Helen Morgan (1902–1941) the original torch singer, but she was so much more. The versatile actress appeared on Broadway, in film, and on...

In this episode, I spoke with Bethan Jones about her book "The Truth Is Still Out There: 30 Years of the X-Files". In September 1993, a TV show like no other appeared on our screens, asking us to consider the essence of truth and belief, to think about the nature and roles of science and humanity, and to question what we were told by those in power. Combining horror, science fiction, drama, crime,...

In this episode, I spoke with Justin Owen Rawlins about his book "imagining The Method".  Only one performance style has dominated the lexicon of the casual moviegoer: “Method acting.” The first reception-based analysis of film acting, Imagining the Method  investigates how popular understandings of the so-called Method—what its author Justin Rawlins calls "methodness"—created an exclusive brand f...

James Lott Jr introduces you to the Forgotten Hollywood Reference Book Collection. All can be found on Amazon.com as kindle or paperback! 

In this episode, I spoke with author Burt Kearns about his book "Shemp! The Biography of The Three Stooges Shemp Howard, The Face of Film Comedy".  Shemp Howard not only had one of the most distinctive faces of the twentieth century, but was also one of its most accomplished, influential comic actors and showbiz personalities. Along with his brother Moe and comedy violinist Larry Fine, Shemp was a...

In this episode, I spoke with author Samuel Garza Bernstein about his book "Starring Joan Crawford". Joan Crawford: the name has an enduring fascination. Forty-five years after her death, Crawford remains a familiar icon in pop culture and the entertainment world. Certainly, the camp bathos of Mommie Dearest  have played a part in her continued relevance. But it is ultimately her work and career t...

In this episode, I discuss some of the upcoming topics/books we will be discussing in the coming weeks. goto Facebook @forgottenhollywood

In this episode, I spoke with John DiLeo about his latest book "Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances" which is out on October 10, 2024 .  John DiLeo's  Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances puts the focus on some shockingly neglected achievements. James Stewart indeed won an Oscar for The Philadelphia Story (1940) while Cary Gran...

In this episode I spoke with Herbie J. Pilato about his two books on Elizabeth Montgomery and the upcoming Blue Ray "Bewitched: The Complete Series – 60th Anniversary Special Edition" which is scheduled for a February 2025 release.

In this episode, I spoke with authors Michael Benson and Craig Singer about their book "Moguls: The Lives and Times of Hollywood Film Pioneers Nicholas and Joseph Schenck".The sensational, lurid, and wickedly entertaining true story of the brothers who invented Hollywood to become the godfathers of cinema - movie moguls Nicholas and Joseph Schenck - studded with glamorous stars, scandals, mobsters...

In this episode, I spoke with Emily Marinelli about her book "Comfort Sequels". Comfort Sequels is a sneaky memoir, celebrating the campiness and nostalgia that these films evoke. Every chapter is a love letter to a specific movie sequel.

In this episode, I spoke with author Kathleen Spaltro about her book "Lionel Barrymore: Character and Endurance in Hollywood's Golden Age". Once called "the most gifted character actor of our time" by Broadway theater producer Arthur Hopkins, Lionel Barrymore (1878–1954) was part of the illustrious Barrymore acting dynasty.

In this episode we look at the life of Alice Terry.

In this episode, we spoke with author Herbie J. Piato about his latest book "One Tough Dame: The Life and Times of Diana Rigg". One Tough Dame: The Life and Career of Diana Rigg  offers a sweeping portrait of the revered performer’s life and career. Deemed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1994, Diana Rigg (1938–2020) initially found fame as super sleuth Mrs. Emma Peel in the...

In this episode, we spoke with author Yunte Huang about his book "Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History". A trenchant reclamation of the Chinese American movie star, whose battles against cinematic exploitation and endemic racism are set against the currents of twentieth-century history.

In this episode we discuss the life of director W. S. Van Dyke.

In this episode I discuss the life of Anne Francis

In this episode, we discuss the life of actress Betty Hutton.

In this episode, I spoke with actress Tina Cole.  Many of you will remember her as Katie Miller Douglas on the sitcom My Three Sons. We talk about her career as an actress, singer, and on the stage.  Plus, we talk about her book "My Three Lives".

In this episode, I discuss the life of actor Victor Mature.

In this episode, Spencer Wright talks about the life of actress Pola Negri.

In this episode, I spoke with author Greg Ehrbar about his book "Hanna-Barbera The Recorded History from Modren Stone Age to Meddling Kids". Featuring the first extensive Hanna-Barbera discography ever published and over 140 photos and illustrations! Whether it’s Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, the Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, or hundreds of others, the creations of the Hanna-Barbera...

In this episode, I spoke with Molly Schneider about her book "Gold Dust". From the late 1940s to the early 1960s, anthology dramas presented “quality” television programming in weekly stand-alone television plays meant to entertain and provide cultural uplift to American society. Programs such as Playhouse 90 , Studio One , and The Twilight Zone  became important emblems of American creative poten...

In this episode we discuss the life of actress Anita Page.