In “It’s A Wonderful Life,” BEULAH BONDI played the most loving mother to JAMES STEWART. Ma Bailey is the epitome of sweetness, kindness, and supportiveness so it’s quite shocking when we meet the Ma Bailey who would have existed had George Bailey not been born. She’s cold, bitter, and unkind. It gives Bondi the wonderful opportunity to play two versions of the same character, which she does flawlessly. So to celebrate Mother’s Day, Nan and Steve are taking a page from Bondi’s playbook as they d...
May 06, 2024•48 min•Ep. 34
EPISODE 33 - “Zachary Scott: Star of the Month (May)” - 04/29/2024 Suave, debonaire, and effortlessly charming, ZACHARY SCOTT is best known for his role in MICHAEL CURTIZ's film noir classic Mildred Pierce (1945). As the duplicitous, silver-tongued charmer Monte Beragon, he romances Mildred, played by JOAN CRAWFORD (in her Oscar-winning role), and Mildred's daughter, Veda (ANN BLYTH). This became Scott's signature role: the sexy cad who was usually at his best swindling, seducing, or being a gen...
Apr 29, 2024•29 min•Ep. 33
EPISODE 32 - “The Mary Astor Purple Diary Scandal” - 04/22/2024 One of the most scandalous trials in early Hollywood history involved actress MARY ASTOR, who had made a name for herself playing virginal ingenues and good girls. Mary, who had kept a diary for most of her life, found her words used as a sensationalized weapon against her in her quest to regain custody of her 4-year-old child in 1936 after her acrimonious divorce from her doctor husband. The trial made worldwide headlines. Her sexy...
Apr 22, 2024•38 min•Ep. 32
EPISODE 31 - “The Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Preview” - 04/15/2024 From April 18th through the 21st, the 15th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival will be held in Hollywood. Steve and Nan were fortunate enough to be invited to be a part of the media that covers the festival this year. To get everyone in the mood, we have a special episode about all the festival and everything you need to know. We will give you an overview of what to expect, and we’ll let you know who is scheduled to attend....
Apr 15, 2024•35 min•Ep. 31
EPISODE 30 - “Robert Walker: Old Hollywood’s Tragic Boy Next Door” - 04/08/2024 No one played sensitive, lost souls quite like ROBERT WALKER. However, he is best known for playing one of the most complicated, psychopaths in film history, Bruno Antony in ALFRED HITCHCOCK’s masterpiece “Strangers On A Train” (1951). His journey from playing sensitive innocents to playing Bruno is reflective of his troubled, turbulent life, and the heartbreak from which he never recovered. This week, we’ll discuss ...
Apr 08, 2024•40 min•Ep. 30
EPISODE 29 - “Jan Sterling: Old Hollywood Star of the Month” - 04/01/2024 Our “Star of the Month” is the fabulous JAN STERLING, who was married to our March “Star of the Month,” PAUL DOUGLAS. Blonde, beautiful, and often deadly on screen, Sterling started in theatre, but made a name for herself portraying tough dames, femme fatales, and sexy seductresses in films such as “Caged,” “Ace In the Hole” and “The High and the Mighty.” However, her upbringing was quite different from these wayward women...
Apr 01, 2024•32 min•Ep. 29
EPISODE 28 - “Golden Era Stars in 1970s Disaster Films” - 03/25/2024 Just when many classic films stars thought they were finished in showbiz, a wonderful thing happened — 1970s disaster movies! Producers like IRWIN ALLEN and JENNINGS LANG shepherded in an exciting, over-the-top, new genre that capitalized on our fears. They also smartly cast many classic film actors in these movies, providing familiar faces who added comfort and emotional investment. These films proved not only lucrative for th...
Mar 25, 2024•35 min•Ep. 28
EPISODE 27 - “Dona Drake: What Price Fame” - 03/18/2024 Latina star DONA DRAKE, who signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1941, was many things — singer, dancer, actress, bandleader, musician — but one thing she wasn’t, as it turned out, was Latin! While Paramount promoted their new discovery as a spitfire Latina born in Mexico City, Drake was, in fact, an African-American woman from Florida who pretended to be Latin, going so far as to learn Spanish fluently, in order to have a better ch...
Mar 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 27
EPISODE 26 - “Oscar Fever: A Brief History of the Academy Awards” - 03/10/2024 The winners. The losers. The speeches. The gowns. The glamour. The cringey moments. Nothing toys with a film lovers’ emotions like the pageantry of the Academy Award ceremony…or the Oscars, as it has become known. Somewhere, right now, there are people still arguing over whether GRACE KELLY deserved to win the Best Actress Oscar in 1955 for “The Country Girl” over JUDY GARLAND for “A Star Is Born.” The Oscars breeds i...
Mar 10, 2024•43 min•Ep. 26
EPISODE 25 - “Paul Douglas: Star of the Month” - 03/04/2024 In a new feature, we are highlighting a “Star of the Month” where we will dive into the life, career, and legacy of a single performer. To kick things off in this episode, we’ll be discussing the great PAUL DOUGLAS. You may not know his name, but you certainly know his face. With his somewhat craggy mug that usually sported a hang-dog look, he made a career at playing gruff, tough guys who were usually softies underneath, as he does so ...
Mar 04, 2024•26 min•Ep. 25
EPISODE 24 - “The Hollywood Studio Club: Where The Good Girls Lived” - 02/26/2024 During the early days of Hollywood, hordes of young women pilgrimaged West to try to break into the movie business. And like sheep to slaughter, there were just as many men in Hollywood ready to take advantage of these young, inexperienced, and vulnerable young women. However, the Hollywood Studio Club, a hotel for women, run by women, tried to give these women a safe haven in the storm. Started by a librarian and ...
Feb 26, 2024•33 min•Ep. 24
EPISODE 23 - “I Coulda Been a Contender: Classic Casting That Almost Happened” - 02/19/2024 It is well documented that the film “Gone With The Wind” started filming before an actress was cast in the lead role of Scarlett O’Hara. Producer DAVID O. SELZNICK made a spectacle out of who would win the coveted role. It became a national obsession. He considered everyone from TALLULAH BANKHEAD to BETTE DAVIS to LUCILLE BALL. He eventually narrowed the field to three finalists: PAULETTE GODDARD, JOAN BE...
Feb 19, 2024•34 min•Ep. 23
EPISODE 22 - “Cupid’s Epic Fails” - 02/12/2024 Cupid has been stirring things up in Hollywood ever since the very first camera rolled. And when he gets it right, we get CLARK GABLE and CAROLE LOMBARD, JOEL McCRAE and FRANCES DEE, and PAUL NEWMAN and JOANNE WOODWARD. But when Cupid gets it wrong…well, let’s just say it ain’t pretty. In this episode, Steve and Nan discuss some Hollywood couplings that should never have happened. SHOW NOTES: Sources: Ernie: The Autobiography (2009), by Ernest Borgn...
Feb 12, 2024•38 min•Ep. 22
EPISODE 21 - “Love Is In The Air” - 02/05/2024 Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day can be a mixed bag. Either you’re blissfully in love and the day is a romantic dream, or, you are not in love and part of you wants to stomp all the roses and put the chocolate bon-bons in a sling shot and pummel Cupid. Whatever your head space this Valentine’s Day, Steve and Nan have a movie for you. Listen in as they share some of their favorite romantic movies to get you in the mood, or give you something to aspire ...
Feb 05, 2024•41 min•Ep. 21
EPISODE 20 - “Greg Bautzer: Hollywood’s Legal Lothario” - 01/29/2024 Long before notorious trials like O.J. SIMPSON's made momentary celebrities out of legal eagles like JOHNNIE COCHRAN, ROBERT SHAPIRO and ROBERT KARDASHIAN, there was attorney GREG BAUTZER. From the working class docks of San Pedro, this ambitious Golden Boy with movie-star good looks and a brilliant legal mind became the most trusted confidante of the elite of Hollywood. Not only was he a peerless power broker for the likes of ...
Jan 29, 2024•39 min•Ep. 20
EPISODE 19 - “Fallen Angel: The Helen Walker Story” - 01/22/2024 Cast as ALAN LADD’s leading lady in her film debut, Massachusetts-born HELEN WALKER was destined for Hollywood greatness. With her deep voice, coolly blonde good looks, and immense talent, she were perfect for Hollywood of the 1940s. However, her rising star abruptly came crashing to earth after a tragic accident sent her life into a downward spiral of despair and alcoholism. This is a cautionary tale of the dark side of fame. List...
Jan 22, 2024•33 min•Ep. 19
EPISODE 18 - “The Scene Stealers (Male)” - 01/015/2024 Films of Hollywood’s Golden Era are often brightened and made all the better by the fantastic character actors who show up playing fathers, grandfathers, bankers, farmers, chefs, clerks, bosses, and neighbors. The moment you hear the distinctive voice of WALTER BRENNAN, not only do you know it’s him, but you know the film will have at least one interesting element. Last week we paid tribute to the ladies, this week we are giving the wonderfu...
Jan 15, 2024•32 min•Ep. 18
EPISODE 17 - “The Scene Stealers (Female)” - 01/08/2024 In the film Mildred Pierce (1945), EVE ARDEN manages to steal almost every scene she’s in. And, while talking with JOAN CRAWFORD’s Mildred about her spoiled, bratty daughter, Veda (ANN BLYTH), she even delivers the film’s most iconic line, “Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young.” That is the power of a skilled character actress. Their scenes might be limited, and their names may not be abo...
Jan 08, 2024•38 min•Ep. 17
EPISODE 16 - “Beginner’s Luck” - 01/01/2024 To win an Oscar sometimes takes decades of hard work and dedication to your craft — just ask PAUL NEWMAN, GERALDINE PAGE, and JESSICA TANDY. In fact, when Newman finally won the Oscar in 1987 for “The Color of Money,” after being nominated six times previously, he didn’t even bother to show up to the ceremony. “It’s like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years,” he told the Associated Press. “Finally, she relents and you say, ‘I’m terribly sorry. I’m ti...
Jan 01, 2024•37 min•Ep. 16
EPISODE 15 - “Old Movies For A New Year” - 12/25/2023 There’s something about New Year’s Eve and assessing the past year that is bittersweet, yet cathartic. It’s a time of self-evaluation, introspection, and assessment. In case you’re looking for the perfect film to match the myriad of emotions you may be feeling as you reflect, regret, or seek revenge in anticipation of the new year ahead, we’ve got four that should get you in the mood for 2024. And NEVER forget…There’s GOT to be a morning afte...
Dec 25, 2023•41 min•Ep. 15
EPISODE 14 - “…And Your Little Dog, Too!” - 12/18/2023 From RIN TIN TIN to LASSIE to TRIGGER, to TONTO, from the 1974 film "Harry and Tonto," who can resist those cute, furry little nuggets who can straight-out steal a scene right out from under the most-trained Shakespearean thespian with the wag of a tail, the flop of an ear, or the purr of a cry? In this episode, Steve and Nan explore some of the four-legged stars who have won the hearts of millions during the classic era of film. SHOW NOTES:...
Dec 18, 2023•43 min•Ep. 14
EPISODE 13 - Scram Kid…You Bother Me - 12/11/2023 As W.C. FIELDS famously said, "Never work with children or animals." Of course, he was probably referring to their ability to steal a scene or their unpredictability. But what would cinema be without child performers? From SHIRLEY TEMPLE to MICKEY ROONEY to NATALIE WOOD to MARY BADHAM, so many incredibly talented tots danced across the silver screen and into our hearts during Hollywood's golden era. This week we’ll be taking a look at the lives a...
Dec 11, 2023•41 min•Ep. 13
While chestnuts roasting on that open fire and sleigh bells ringing are nice, nothing gets you in the mood for the holidays like a good ole seasonal movie. Well, get ready to unwrap an early present from Steve and Nan as they share their favorite lesser-known holiday films. And along the way, they discuss everything from Clarence the Angel, French nuns, boxing nuns, ROBERT MITCHUM’s drug bust, and millionaires tossing money out of their Park Avenue apartment window. Don’t miss this holiday spect...
Dec 04, 2023•41 min•Ep. 12
Ireland-born MAUREEN O’HARA was not only one of the silver screen's great actresses, she was also a strong independent woman who did not suffer fools gladly. When Confidential magazine, a tabloid known for false stories and unethical journalistic practices, came for her in 1957, she fought back with a vengeance. Her efforts, along with DOROTHY DANDRIDGE, ROBERT MITCHUM, LIZABETH SCOTT, and a bevy of other stars, helped stop the scandal-crazed magazine in its sleazy tracks. Read all about the eve...
Nov 27, 2023•32 min•Ep. 11
Actor STEVE COCHRAN’s life was like a page out of the American macho man’s handbook. Raised in Wyoming where he was once a cowhand, he carved a memorable career in Hollywood playing gangsters, villains, adulterers, and bad boys in great films like “The Best Years of Our Lives” and “White Heat.” But in a case of art imitating life, this rowdy, randy actor’s personal life was just as chaotic and dramatic as his film roles. Find out how his love of women, booze, and trouble proved to be his Achille...
Nov 20, 2023•27 min•Ep. 10
As we continue our exploration of famous siblings who thrived during the Golden Era of Hollywood, we’ll discover that you are definitely not your brother’s keeper, especially when we discuss the lives, careers, and relationship of a famous film noir actor and his movie star beefcake brother. We’ll also discuss a couple of brassy blonde comediennes who ruled the silver screen in the 1930s and 40s and a pair of beautiful and talented Italian sisters who took Hollywood by storm in the 1950s, but wh...
Nov 13, 2023•36 min•Ep. 9
Ever since Cain killed Abel — or, to put it in old Hollywood terms, ever since JOAN FONTAINE rebuffed OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND at the 1941 Oscar ceremony — sibling relationships have been complicated. In this episode we take a look at famous Hollywood siblings, some of whom you may know, others who may be a complete surprise. We’ll discuss the operatic singing superstar and her ghoulish TV star sister, the suave urbanite brothers who played bad guys and heels with equal aplomb, and a quartet of singi...
Nov 06, 2023•36 min•Ep. 8
Halloween has always been a special time for classic movies. From the early Universal Studios monster films to the psychological thrillers of ALFRED HITCHCOCK to the gory blood-bathes of the 1980s slasher films, Hollywood understood that people love to be frightened. In this Halloween episode, hosts Steve and Nan share some of the perhaps lesser-known scary movies to enjoy this Halloween season. Some are really great; some...not so much. But they all have a special place in Steve and Nan’s demen...
Oct 30, 2023•38 min•Ep. 7
Actress CAROLE LANDIS was a rising star in the 1940s, but her bright light was short-lived. She came from a troubled background and learned early that her looks and sex appeal were valuable commodities that could help her dreams of fame come true. She scratched and clawed her way to Hollywood stardom only to find the dream was hollow. Her quest for love led her to all the wrong men. Her ill-fated love affair with the very-married star REX HARRISON drove her to her untimely death at age 29. Ruled...
Oct 23, 2023•34 min•Ep. 6
The name ANNE REVERE may not ring a bell to many today, but during the 1940s, the Broadway-trained, Tony-winning actress, who was a descendant of Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere, was one of the most revered character actresses in Hollywood. She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1944 for National Velvet and left an indelible mark on the landscape of film as Gregory Peck’s sympathetic mother in Gentleman’s Agreement in 1947. Learn about her life, career, and the shameful witch hunt of an...
Oct 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 5
