EPISODE 52 - "BIG SCREEN TO SMALL SCREEN: CLASSIC CINEMA'S TV REMAKES." (052) - 09/09/2024

** This episode is sponsored brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

Sometimes, a classic film is primed for being turned into a successful television series — think “M*A*S*H*,” “Alice,” “In The Heat of the Night,” or “Peyton Place.” But this isn’t always the case. There have been many classic films turned into TV shows with less-than-stellar results. Does anyone remember the “Casablanca" TV show on ABC with Starsky & Hutch star DAVID SOUL filling in for HUMPHREY BOGART? Don’t worry, nobody else does either! This week, we take a look at a few of the TV series that were based on classic movies that didn’t quite hit the mark.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Television Series of the 1950s (2016), by Vincent Terrace;

Encyclopedia of TV Shoes: 1925 - 2010 (2011), by Vincent Terrace;

The Complete Directory To Prime Time Network TV Shows (1988), by Time Brooks and Earle F. Marsh;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

Operation Petticoat (1959), starring Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Dina Merrill, and Arthur O’Connell;

Halloween (1978), starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence;

Topper (1937), starring Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, and Billie Burke;

How To Marry A Millionaire (1953), starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell;

The Third Man (1949), starring Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, and Alida Valli;

My Sister Eileen (1942), starring Rosalind Russell and Janet Blair;

My Sister Eileen (1955), starring Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, and Jack Lemmon;

Please Don’t Eat The Daisies (1960), starring Doris Day and David Niven;

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison;

Casablanca (1942), staring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet;

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EPISODE 51 - “Richard Conte (Star of the Month) ” - 09/02/2024

** This episode is sponsored brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

In the great film noir classic Thieves Highway, a gripping drama that takes on the dirty underbelly of the trucking industry, the spectacular RICHARD CONTE plays Nick Garcos, a world-weary, jaded, World War II vet who returns home. After finding his family's produce business in shambles and his father crippled, he seeks revenge against the crooked rival produce dealer who caused his father's accident. In his gripping portrayal, Conte shows his strengths as an actor. With his square shoulders, cleft chin, and intense eyes, Conte gives the impression that he means business. Conte was just as comfortable playing mobsters and street hoods as he was playing charming, sympathetic leading men. He always projected manly strength, and you knew he was no one you wanted to mess with. So say hello to our Star of the Month, RICHARD CONTE.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir (2003), by Karen Burroughs;

“Conte In the Sun,” March 3, 1946, by Thomas M Pryor, New York Times;

“A Star Comes Home,” March 3, 1950, by Louis Berg, Los Angeles Times Magazine;

“The Role I Liked Best…” May 20,1950, by Richard Conte, Saturday Evening Post;

“Richard Conte: Official Biography,” June 14, 1951, Universal Pictures;

“Conte Forms Indie Pix, TV Company,” January 21, 1960, Variety;

“Conte Has His Own Method,” February 14, 1960, by Don Albert, Los Angeles Times;

“Actor Conte, Wife Reveal Divorce,” July 12, 1962, by Harrison Carroll. LA Herald Examiner; 

“Richard Conte Getting Offers He Can’t Refuse As Ideal Mafia Type,” March 14. 1973, Variety;

“Richard Conte, Cold-Eyed Movie Gangster, Dies at 61;” April 16, 1975, by Jack Jones, Los Angeles Times;

“Richard Conte Dies In Hollywood at 65,” April 23 1975, Variety;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

Heaven With A Barbed Wire (1939), starring Jean Rogers and Glenn Ford;

Guadalcanal Diary (1943), Starring William Bendix, Lloyd Nolan, and Anthony Quinn;

The Purple Heart (1944), starring Dana Andrews and Farley Granger;

Captain Eddie (1945), starring Fred MacMurray and Lynn Bari;

A Bell For Adano (1945), starring Gene Tierney and John Hodiak;

A Walk In The Sun (1945), starring Dana Andrews. Lloyd Bridges, and John Ireland;

The Spider (1945), starring Faye Marlowe;

13 Rue Madeleine (1947), starring James Cagney;

The Other Love (1947), starring Barbara Stanwyck and David Niven;

Call Northside 777 (1948), starring James Stewart and Helen Walker;

House of Strangers (1949), starring Susan Hayward;

Thieves Highway (1949), staring Lee J. Cobb and Valentina Cortese

Big Jack (1949), starring Wallace Beery and Marjorie Main;

Whirlpool (1950), starring Gene Tierney and Jose Ferrer;

The Sleeping City (1950), starring Coleen Gray 

Under The Gun (1951), starring Audrey Totter;

The Blue Gardenia (1953), starring Anne Baxter;

Highway Dragnet (1954), starring Joan Bennett;

The Big Combo (1955), starring Cornel Wilde;

I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955). Starring Susan Hayward;

New York Confidential (1955), Starring Broderick Crawford;

Full of Life (1956), starring Judy Holiday;

The Brothers Rico (1957), starring Dianne Foster;

They Came To Cordova (1959), starring Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth;

Ocean's 11 (1960), starring Frank Sinatra;

Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed? (1963), starring Dean Martin;

Circus World (1964), starring John Wayne and Rita Hayworth;

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965);

Tony Rome (1967);

The Lady In Cement (1968);

Hotel (1967);

Operation Eagle Cross (1968);

The Godfather (1972);

Shoot First, Die Later (1974);

Evil Eye (1975);

Violent Rome (1975);

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EPISODE 50 - “Birthday Tribute to Classic Film star Vera Miles” - 08/26/2024

** This episode is sponsored brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

After placing 3rd runner up to Miss America in 1948 as Miss Kansas, VERA MILES soon embarked on a long and illustrious career in Hollywood and was soon working with great directors like ALFRED HITCHCOCK (“Psycho” and “The Wrong Man”) and JOHN FORD (“The Searchers” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”). This week, we pay tribute to Miles as she turns 95 on August 23rd. Listen as we celebrate this beautiful, talented, and somewhat underrated star. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Hitchcock’s Heroines (2018), by Caroline Young;

Women In The Films of John Ford (2014), by David Mevel;

“Vera Miles: Country Girl in Hollywood,” May 13, 1956, by J.D. Spiro, Los Angeles, Times;

“Vera Miles: She’s Alfred Hitchcock’s Newest Acting Find,” January 13, 1957, Parade Magazine;

“Vera Miles Says: I’m Glad I Was Poor,” May 1959, by Amy Francis, Screenland Magazine;

“Vera Miles: Official Biography,” September 1961, Paramount Pictures;

“The Loser Who Became A Star,” May 15, 1973, by Earl Wilson, The New York Post;

“Fighting Trim Vera Miles Still A Doer,” February 20, 1981, by Mark Hemeter, The Times-Picayne (New Orleans);

“Psycho Actress Defends Hitchcock,” June 25, 1983, by Richard Freedman, The Spokesman-Review, Newhouse News Service;

“Vera Miles: Hollywood Walk of Fame,” June 29, 2010, by Carina MacKenzie, Los Angeles Times;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

For Men Only (1952), starring Paul Henried;

The Rose Bowl Story (1952), starring Marshall Thompson;

The Charge At Feather River (1953), starring Guy Madison and Helen Westcott;

Pride of the Blue Grass (1954), starring Lloyd Bridges;

Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (1955), starring Gordon Scott;

Wichita (1955), starring Joel McCrea;

The Searchers (1956), starring John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter;

The Wrong Man (1956), starring Henry Fonda;

Beau James (1957), starring Bob Hope;

Web Of Evidence (1959), starring Van Johnson;

The FBI Story (1959), starring James Stewart;

A Touch Of Larceny (1960), starring James Mason and George Sanders;

5 Banded Women (1960), starring Jeanne Moreau;

Psycho (1960), starring Anthony Perkins, Janey Leigh, and John Gavin; 

Back Street (1961), starring Susan Hayward and John Gavin;

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), starring John Wayne and James Stewart;

A Tiger Walks (1964), starring Brian Keith;

Those Calloways (1965), starring Brian Keith, Brandon De Wilde, and Linda Evans;

Follow Me Boys! (1966), starring Fred MacMurray;

The Spirit Is Willing (1967), starring Sid Caesar;

Gentle Giant (1967), starring Dennis Weaver and Ralph Meeker;

Hellfighters (1968), starring John Wayne and Katharine Ross;

The Wild Country (1970), starring Steve Forrest;

One Little Indian (1973), starring James Garner;

The Castaway Cowboy (1974), starring James Garner;

Run For The Roses (1977), starring Stuart Whitman;

Smash Up On Interstate 5 (1976), starring Robert Conrad, Buddy Ebson, Sue Lyon, Terry Moore, and Tommy Lee Jones;

Psycho II (1983), starring Anthony Perkins;

The Initiation (1984), starring Clu Galugar and Daphne Zuniga;

Separate Lives (1995), starring Linda Hamilton and Jim Belushi;

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EPISODE 49 - “Birthday Tribute to Classic Cinema Star Ann Blyth ” - 08/19/2024

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With her crystal clear soprano voice, porcelain doll face, and fierce acting talent, ANN BLYTH became a much-in-demand star in the 1940s and 1950s. While known mostly as a romantic musical comedy star in films such as “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” (1948), “Rose Marie” (1954), and “Kismet” (1955), she was also a deft dramatic actress when given the chance. Who can forget her as Veda, the daughter who made JOAN CRAWFORD’s life a living hell in “Mildred Pierce” (1945), or as the downtrodden alcoholic singer in “The Helen Morgan Story” (1957)? Blyth turns 96 on August 16th and is truly a living legend. Listen this week as we pay tribute with an episode about Ann Blyth’s remarkable life and career.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Ann Blyth: Singer, Actress, Star (2018), by Jacqueline T. Lynch;

“Ann Blyth: Official Biography,” July 1956, Paramount Pictures;

“Film Actress Breaks Back in Accident,” March 10, 1945, LA Examiner;

“Actress Ready to Work After Skiing Accident,” January 18, 1946, LA Examiner;

“Ann Blyth’s Mother Dies,’ July 23, 1946, Los Angeles Times;

“Bright Future Visioned For Youthful Ann Blyth,” September 10, 1949, by Hedda Hopper, Los Angeles Times;

“Angelic Annie,” September 27, 1952, by Richard G. Hubler, Collier’s Magazine;

“The Blyth Spirit,” October 12, 1952, by William Brownell, New York Times;

“Ann Blyth: Bride of the Year,” June 1953, Photoplay Magazine;

“A Blyth Spirit From An Earlier Error,” February 28, 1985, by Jack Hawn, Los Angeles Times;

“She’s Still Singing Just As Beautifully,” March 19, 1989, by Mitchell Smyth, Toronto Daily Star;

“Looking Back: Ann Blyth” June 5, 1990, by Ann Blyth, The Hollywood Reporter;

“Playing Thier Songs,” October 14,1994, by Libby Slate, Los Angeles Times;

“Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That,” September 29, 1997, by Candace A. Wedlan, Los Angeles Times; 

“Not Like Veda,” August 12, 2013, by Susan King, Los Angeles Times;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

Chip Off The Old Block (1944), starring Donald O’Connor, and Peggy Ryan;

Babes On Swing Street (1944), starring Peggy Ryan;

Mildred Pierce (1945), starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, Jack Carson, and Eve Arden;

Swell Guy (1946), starring Sonny Tufts;

Brute Force (1947), starring Burt Lancaster, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Ella Raines;

Killer McCoy (1947), starring Mickey Rooney;

A Woman’s Vengeance (1948) starring Charles Boyer;

Another Part of The Forest (1948), starring Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Edmond O’Brien, and Dan Duryea;

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), starring William Powell and Irene Hervey;

Top O’ The Morning (1949), starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald;

Once More My Darling (1949), starring Robert Montgomery;

Free For All (1949), starring Robert Cummings:

Our Very Own (1950), starring Farley Granger;

Katy Did It (1951), starring Mark Stevens;

The Great Caruso (1951), starring Mario Lanza;

Thunder On the Hill (1951), starring Claudette Colbert;

All The Brother’s Were Valiant (1953), starring Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger; 

Rosie Marie (1954), starring Ann Blyth;

The Student Prince (1954), starring Mario Lanza;

Kismet (1955), starring Howard Keel;

Slander (1957), starring Van Johnson and Steve Cochran;

The Buster Keaton Story (1957), starring Donald O’Connor;

The Helen Morgan Story (1957), starring Paul Newman;

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EPISODE 48 - “STEVE & NAN'S FAVORITE CLASSIC FILMS OF THE 1940s ” - 08/12/2024

** This episode is sponsored and brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

The 1940s was a phenomenal time for movies. Auteurs like ALFRED HITCHCOCK, GEORGE STEVENS, WILIAM WYLER, and BILLY WILDER were coming into their own with important and personal films that changed the landscape of cinemas. Also, stars like BETTE DAVIS, KATHARINE HEPBURN, CARY GRANT, and HENRY FONDA were defining the screen roles that would make them legends. This week, Nan and Steve will discuss and disect a few of their very favorite films of the most golden of all decades in film. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Preston Sturges By Preston Sturges: His Life in His Words (1991), by Preston Sturges and Sandy Sturges;

George Cukor: A Double Life (2013), by Patrick McGilligan;

Raoul Walsh: The True Adventures of Hollywood’s Legendary Director (2013), by Marilyn Ann Moss;

Robert Rossen: The Films and Politics of a Blacklisted Idealist (2013), by Alan Casty;

Michael Curtiz: A Life In Film (2021), by Alan K. Rode;

Possessed: The Life of Joan Crawford (2010), by Donald Spoto;

George Stevens: The Films of a Hollywood Giant (2019), by Neil Sinyard;

Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel (2015), by Wiliam Wellman, Jr;

Stanwyck (1994), by Axel Madsen;

Fonda: My Life (1981), by Henry Fonda;

Ingrid Bergman: My Story (1980), by Ingrid Bergman and Alan Burgess;

Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise (2020), by Scott Eyman;

Ida Lupino: A Biography (1996), by William Donati;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

Christmas In July (1940), starring Dick Powell, Ellen Drew, William Demarest, Raymond Walburn, Jimmy Conlin, Rod Cameron, and Franklin Pangborn;

Penny Serenade (1941), starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Beulah Bondi, and Edgar Buchanan;

The Lady Eve (1941), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, William Demarest, and Eugene Pallette;

High Sierra (1941), starring Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino, Joan Leslie, Cornel Wilde, Arthur Kennedy, Henry Travers, and Alan Curtis;

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Harry Morgan, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn, Jane Darwell, William Eythe, and Harry Davenport;

Gaslight (1944), starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten, Angela Landbury, and Dame May Witty;

Mildred Pierce (1945), starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, Jack Carson, eve Arden, and Bruce Bennett;

All The Kings Men (1949), starring Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Joanne Dry, Anne Seymour, and John Derek;

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EPISODE 47 - “Laird Cregar (Star of the Month) ” - 08/05/2024

With his sad, dark eyes, hulking frame, and aristocratic speech, actor LAIRD CREGAR often played the complex villain tortured by a sinister past or an unrequited love that turns into an obsession. No one played characters with suppressed anguish, a tortured soul, or darkness lingering beneath the surface better than he did. While he only made 16 films in a period of five years, he is unforgettable. His desire to be thin was his achilles heel that turned tragic. This week join us as we take a deep dive into the short life and career of this amazing actor. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Laird Cregar: A Hollywood Tragedy (2017), by Gregory William Mank;

“Atlas With A Grin,” by Fredda Dudley, December 1941, Screenland magazine;

“Setbacks To Fame,” by Dorothy B.Haas, June 1942, Silver Screen magazine;

“Bold, Bad, (Bluffing) Cregar,” by Barbara Berch, January 1945, Screenland magazine;

“Ripping Tales: Laird Cregar: The Forgotten Ripper,” by Kevin G. Shimick, Fall 1991, Scarlett Street;

“Queers In History: Laird Cregar,” December 9, 2012, by Elisa Rolle, livejournal.com;

“Heavy: The Life and Films of Laird Cregar,” October 7, 2013, by Jennifer Garland, Virtual Virago;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

I Wake Up Screaming (1941), starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, and Laird Cregar;

The Lodger (1944), starring Merle Oberon and Laird Cregar;

Charley’s Aunt (1941), starring Jack Benny, Kay Francis, James Ellison, and Laird Cregar;

Rings On Her Fingers (1942), starring Gene Tierney, Henry Fonda, Laird Cregar, and Spring Byington;

Hudson Bay (1940), starring Gene Tierney, Paul Muni, Vincent Price, and Laird Cregar;

Blood and Sand (1940), starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Laird Cregar;

This Gun For Hire (1942), starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, and Laird Cregar;

Ten Gentlemen From West Point (1942), starring George Montgomery, Maureen O’Hara, and Laird Cregar;

The Black Swan (1942), starring Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara, and Laird Cregar;

Heaven Can Wait (1943), starring Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main Spring Byington, and Laird Cregar;

Hello Frisco, Hello (1943), starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Laird Cregar;

Hangover Square (1945), starring Laird Cregar, Linda Darnell, and George Sanders;

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** This episode is sponsored brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

As CAROLE LANDIS was known as “The Ping Girl” and ANN SHERIDAN was known as “The Oomph” Girl,” actress MARIE McDONALD was saddled with the equally misogynistic title, “The Body.” Yes, she was tall, leggy, and curvy, but she was also talented, a fact that many of the powerful men of Hollywood seemed to forget. Unfortunately, Marie was better known for her wild private life that included seven marriages, high profile romances, tabloid escapades, and one of the most bizarre kidnappings to ever happen in Hollywood. This week, we tell the colorful story of this long-forgotten leading lady. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

"Fallen Angels" (1988), by Kirk Crivello;

Tragic Hollywood: Beautiful, Glamorous, and Dead (2013), by Jackie Ganiy;

“Marie McDonald ‘Gets Sick’ With Former Husband,” January 6, 1955, Toledo Blade;

“Millionaire Asks Divorce From Marie McDonald,” May 22, 1956, Daytona Beach Morning Journal;

“Marie McDonald Reported Held By Kidnappers,” January 4, 1957, Ellensburg Daily Record;

“Marie McDonald Tells Police How She Was Seized By Two Men,” January 5, 1957, Reading Eagle;

“Marie McDonald Stars In Police Film of Kidnapping,” January 8, 1957, The Telegraph;

“Grand Jury Probes Marie’s Kidnap,” January 16, 1957, The Deseret News;

“Marie McDonald Leaves Hospital” June 15, 1958, Reading Eagle;

“Actress Marie McDonald Weds Again,” May 25, 1959, St. Petersburg Times;

“Marie McDonald’s Fourth Husband Seeking Divorce,” September 18, 1962, Daily News;

“New Ruling Calls Marie McDonald Death Accidental,” December 30, 1965, The Toledo Blade;

“Marie McDonald, Actress, Is Dead; Autopsy Was Inconclusive, Glamour Girl Was 42,” October 21, 1965, The New York Times;

“Movie Producer Donald Taylor Apparent Suicide,” January 3, 1966, Rome News-Tribune;

“Phantom Intruders Abducted A Pin-Up Star,” July 2, 2022, Medium.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

Pardon My Sarong (1942), staring Lou Abbott and Lou Costello;

Lucky Jordan (1942), starring Alan Ladd and Marie McDonald;

I Love a Soldier (1944), starring Paulette Goddard, Sonny Tufts, and Beulah Bondi;

Guest In The House (1944), starring Anne Baxter and Ralph Bellamy;

Getting Gertie’s Garter (1945), starring Marie McDonald and Dennis O’Keefe;

Living In A Big Way (1946), starring Gene Kelly and Marie McDonald;

The Geisha Boy (1958), starring Jerry Lewis and Marie McDonald;

Promises! Promises! (1963), starring Jayne Mansfield and Marie McDonald;

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EPISODE 45 - “Forgotten B-Leading Men of the Golden Age of Hollywood” - 07/22/2024

** This episode is sponsored brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

Sometimes, there is nothing quite like a good old B-movie. Maybe the production values aren’t the best, and maybe the story is grittier than most, but these little gems have provided hours of viewing pleasure to so many. These films also had great leading men in them. Studly, sturdy, reliable actors who might not be GARY COOPER or CARY GRANT or CLARK GABLE, but were handsome and talented and knew how to beat up the bad guys and win over the lovely leading lady. As an homage to the leading men of the B's, this week, we’ll take a look at the lives and careers of five of our favorites.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Film Actors (1965);

“Successor To Gable,” by Robbin Coons, September 30, 1943, Big Spring Daily Herald; 

"John Hodiak Dies Suddenly of Heart Attack,” October 20, 1955, Los Angeles Times;

“The Story of Bob Cummings,” September 2, 1950, Voice;

“Skip E. Lowe 1987 interview with Robert Cummings,” December 17, 2016, by Alan Eicler, Youtube.com;

“Robert Cummings on Honesty,” May 1959, by Bob Cummings, Guideposts;

“Robert Cummings Is Dead at 82; Debonair Actor in TV and Film,” December 4, 1990, by Peter B. Flint, The New York Times; 

“Dennis O’Keefe, Son of Vaudeville Performers Knows The Theatre,” July 7, 1939, The Times (Muncie Indiana);

"O'Keefe Achieves Stardom; Seeks Director's Post,” October 12, 1944, Los Angeles Times.

“Dennis O’Keefe, Screen Veteran, Is Dead at 60,” September 2, 1968, The Marion (Ohio) Star;

“Bill Lundigan’s Success Recipe,” March 29, 1942, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle;

“The Life Story of William Lundigan,” March 24, 1951, Picture Show;

“Actor William Lundigan Dies; Began Career in 1937,” December 22, 1975m by Ted Thackery, Jr. Los Angeles Times;

"The Life Story of Alan Marshal,” January 11, 1941, Picture Show; 

“Alan Marshal, Actor, 52, Dead; Stage and Film Performers Appeared in ‘Wagon Train’,” July 10, 1961, The New York Times;

Alan.kitmarshal.site;

IMDBPro.com;

IBDB.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

JOHN HODIAK:

Maisie Goes To Rio (1944);

Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944);

Life Boat (1944);

Sunday Dinner For A Soldier (1944);

A Bell For Adano (1945;)

The Harvey Girls (1946);

Somewhere In The Night (1946);

Desert Fury (1947);

ROBERT CUMMINGS:

The Virginia Judge (1935);

Hollywood Boulevard (1936);

So Red The Rose (1935);

King's Row (1941);

Saboteur (1942);

Dial M For Murder (1954);

DENNIS O’KEEFE:

T-Men (1947);

Raw Deal (1948);

Saratoga (1937);

Topper Returns (1941);

The Story of Dr. Wassel (1944);

Up In Mabel's Room (1944);

Doll Face (1945);

Brewster's Millions (1945);

Cover Up (1949);

The Lady Wants Mink (1953);

WILLIAM LUNDIGAN:

The Lady Fights Back (1937);

Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939);

The Old Maid (1939);

Dodge City (1939);

Santa Fe Trail (1940);

A Shot In The Dark (1941);

Apache Trail (1942);

The Fabulous Dorseys (1947);

The Inside Story (1947);

Pinky (1949);

Mother Didn't Tell Me (1950);

I'll Get By (1950);

Love Nest (1951);

I'd Climb The Highest Mountain (1951);

The House on Telegraph Hill (1951);

ALAN MARSHAL:

The Garden of Allah (1936); 

After The Thin Man (1936);

Night Must Fall (1937);

Parnell (1937); 

Conquest (1937); 

Dramatic School (1939); 

Four Girls in White (1939);

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939); 

Irene (1940); 

He Stayed For Breakfast (1940); 

Lydia (1941); 

The White Cliff's of Dover (1944);

Bride By Mistake (1944);

The Opposite Sex (1956); 

House On Haunted Hill (1959);

Day of the Outlaw (1959);

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EPISODE 44 - "THERESA HARRIS: HOW OLD HOLLYWOOD STOPPED HER STAR FROM RISING" - 07/15/2024

** This episode is sponsored brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BENEATH and get on your way to being your best self.” **

When THERESA HARRIS appears on screen, you cannot take your eyes off of her. Beautiful, talented, and a skilled singer and dancer, she lights up any scene she’s in. Despite appearing in over 100 films, she rarely received screen credit and most often played a maid, waitress, or other types of domestic servant. Her parts were small, but her charisma and presence on screen were enormous! As a black woman in the early days of Hollywood, she was limited in the roles she could perform by the restrictive Hayes Code of 1934 and the horrible Jim Crow laws of the South. Still, she is a welcome presence in so many classic films. This week, we look at the extraordinary life and career of the talented THERESA HARRIS. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

“Theresa Harris, Credited and Uncredited in Over 100 Films,” March 28, 2024, by Herb Boyd, New York Amsterdam News;

“Just a Maid in Movies, But Not Forgotten,” April 21, 2011, by Manohla Dargis, The New York Times;

“The Underrated Charms of Theresa Harris,” July 11, 2020, by Constance Cherise, TCM.com;

“Theresa Harris: Television and Film Actress of the 1930s,” August 18, 2023, by Jae Jones, BackThen.com;

“Actress Theresa Harris Hollywood Vixen Turned Servant,”September 2, 2011, by Veronica Wells, Madamenoire;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

Thunderbolt (1929), starring Fay Wray and George Brent;

Hold Your Man (1932), starring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable;

Baby Face (1933), starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent;

Professional Sweetheart (1933), starring Ginger Rogers, Norman Foster, and Zasu Pitts;

Horse Feathers (1932), starring The Marx Brothers and Thelma Todd;

Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), starring Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, and Ginger Rogers;

Morning Glory (1933), starring Katharine Hepburn and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr;

Flying Down to Rio (1933), starring Delores Del Rio, Gene Raymond, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire;

Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935), starring Jack Benny and Eleanor Powell;

Banjo On My Knee (1936), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea;

Bargain With Bullets (aka The Gangster’s On The Loose) (1937), starring Ralph Cooper and Theresa Harris;

Jezebel (1938), starring Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, and George Brent;

Tell No Tales (1939), starring Melvyn Douglas and Louise Platt;

Buck Benny Rides Again (1940), starring Jack Benny, Ellen Drew, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, and Theresa Harris;

What’s Buzzin’ Cousin? (1943), starring Jack Benny and Ann Miller;

Blossoms In The Dust (1941), starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, and Marsha Hunt;

Our Wife (1941), starring Melvyn Douglas, Ruth Hussey, and Ellen Drew;

Cat People (1942), starring Kent Smith, Simone Simon, Jane Randolph, and Tom Conway;

I Walked With A Zombie (1943), starring Frances Dee, Tom Conway, Darby Jones, and Christine Gordon;

The Dolly Sisters (1945), starring Betty Grable, John Payne, and June Haver;

Three Little Girls In Blue (1946), starring George Montgomery, Vera-Ellen, and June Haver;

Miracle on 34th Street (1947), starring Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne, and Natalie Wood;

Out of the Past (1947), staring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas;

Angel Face (1952), starring Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons;

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EPISODE 43 - “Favorite Classic Films of the 1930s” - 07/08/2024

During the golden era of old Hollywood, each decade brought forth exciting films that helped define the motion picture industry. In a new feature, Steve and Nan will dissect each decade and highlight movies that resonated with them as they started their individual study of film. Beginning with the 1930s, listen as they discuss films that made an impact not only on them but on the film industry as a whole. And yes, a few of the films they discuss are from that magic year of 1939.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Pursuits of Happiness: The Hollywood Comedy of Remarriage (1981), by Stanley Cavell;

The Screwball Comedy Films: A History and Filmography 1934-1942 (2022), by Grégoire Halbout;

The Art of the Screwball Comedy (2013), by Doris Milberg;

Wiliam Holden: A Biography (2010), by Michelangelo Capua;

The Life and Loves of Barbara Stanwyck (2009), by Jane Ellen Wayne;

The Lonely Life: An Autobiography (2017), by Bette Davis;

Leslie Howard: The Lost Actor (2013), by Estel Eforgan;

Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew (1997), by John Oller;

The Films of Frank Capra (1977), by Victor Scherle and William Turner Levy;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

The Women (1939), starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Mary Poland, Joan Fontaine, Lucille Watson, Virginia Pohvah, Virginia Weidler, Marjorie Main, Virginia Grey, Hedda Hopper, Ruth Hussey, and Mary Beth Hughes;

The Petrified Forest (1936), starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Porter Hall, Genevieve Tobin, Dick Foran, Joe Sawyer, Charley Grapewin, and Paul Harvey;

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939), starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Beulah Bondi, and Guy Kibbee;

Easy Living (1937), starring Jean Arthur, Ray Milland, Edward Arnold, Luis Alberni, Franklin Pangborn, Mary Nash, William Demarest, and Esther Dale;

My Man Godfrey (1936), starring William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick, Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette, Jean Dixon, Misha Auer, and Alan Mowbray;

The Awful Truth (1937), starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Ralph Bellamy, Cecil Cunningham, Molly Lamont, Alexander D’Arcy, Joyce Compton, and Esther Dale;

Stage Door (1937), starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Andrea Leeds, Eve Arden, Gail Patrick, Adolphe Menjou, Franklin Pangborn, Samuel S. Hinds, and Constance Collier;

Golden Boy (1939), starring Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Adolphe Menjou, Lee J. Cobb, Joseph Calleia, Edward Brophy, and Sam Levene;

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EPISODE 42 - “Eva Marie Saint: Star of the Month (July)” - 07/01/2024

Blonde, beautiful, sophisticated, and chic, there was no one in Hollywood quite like EVA MARIE SAINT. This versatile, elegant actress had an incredible emotional range and left an indelible mark on the landscape of film. July 4th marks her 100th birthday of this national treasure and in this episode we take a look at her extraordinary career. Come hear about her incredible life and a career that spanned from live TV to Broadway to film and television where she was directed by all the greats — Hitchcock, Kazan, Preminger, Fred Zinnemann, John Frankenheimer, Paul Bogart — and held her own opposite Hollywood’s greatest leading men — Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Gregory Peck, Paul Newman, Montgomery Clift, James Garner, Bob Hope, and Warren Beatty. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Eva Marie Saint: A Journey From Newark to Hollywood’s Iconic Heights (2024), by Alexander Harmony;

Hitchcock’s Heroines (2018), by Caroline Young;

Kazan: The Master Director Discusses His Films (1999), by Jeff Young;

Hitch (1978), by John Russell Taylor;

Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest (2000), by Peter Fitzgerald;

“As Eva Marie Saint Turns 97, Celebrating Her Seductive Turn in ‘North by Northwest’,” July 4, 2021, by Brent Lang, Variety;

Robert Osborne interview(s) with Eva Marie Saint, www.TCM.com;

“In Search of a Classic Saint Revisits Hitchcock Role,” September 10, 2000, by Gene Triplett,

The Oklahoman;

“Saint in Hollywood; Forthright Star Actress Illustrates Devotion to Work and Family,” May 10, 1964, New York Times;

“All About Eva Marie,” February 22, 2011, Vanity Fair;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 

On The Waterfront (1954), starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, and Karl Malden;

That Certain Feeling (1956), starring Bob Hope, Eva Marie Saint, and George Sanders;

A Hatful of Rain (1957), starring Anthony Franciosa, Don Murray, and Eva Marie Saint;

Raintree County (1957), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Eva Maire Saint, and Rod Taylor;

North By Northwest (1959), starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint;

Exodus (1960), starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, and Sal Mineo;

All Fall Down (1962), Warren Beatty, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Angela Lansbury, and Brandon deWilde; 

The Sandpiper (1965), staring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Eva Marie Saint;

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966), starring Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, and Eva Marie Saint;

Grand Prix (1966), starring James Garner, Yves Montand, and Eva Marie Saint; 

The Stalking Moon (1968), starring Gregory Peck, Eva Marie Saint, and Robert Forster;

Cancel My Reservations (1972), starring Bob Hope, Eva Marie Saint, Forest Tucker, Ralph Bellamy, and Anne Archer;

Splendor In the Grass (1981) (TV-movie), starring Melissa Gilbert, Cyril O’Reilly, Ned Beatty, Eva Marie Saint, and Michelle Pfeiffer;

Nothing In Common (1986), starring Tom Hanks, Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint, Bess Armstrong, and Sela Ward;

I Dreamed Of Africa (2000), starring Kim Basinger, Daniel Craig, and Eva Marie Saint;

Because of Winn Dixie (2005), starring Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, and Eva Marie Saint;

Don’t Come Knocking (2005), starring Sam Shepherd, Jessica Lange, and Eva Marie Saint;

Superman Returns (2002), starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and Eva Marie Saint;

Mariette in Ecstasy (2019), starring Geraldine O’Rawe, Eva Marie Saint, Mary McDonnell, and Rutger Hauser;

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