Cinema Sounds & Secrets

Encore! Encore! With Valentine's day right around the corner, we thought what better way to bring the love than to revist two films about the story of love, The Apartment (1960) and Terms of Endearment (1983).

Join Janet, John (and Pen) as they dive into two films that defined the culture of their decades, garnered heaps of Oscar nominations, and showed a glimpse of normal people with imperfections and foibles in a humorous, touching and heart-aching way.

To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit our official Cinema Sounds and Secrets website.

Encore! Encore! This February Janet, John, (and Pen) wanted to revist the spectacular life and career of this absolute Queen of Rock and Roll... Tina Turner! Born on November 26. 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, this star was the youngest of three daughters. Her childhood characterized as frenetic and unstable due to her parents' work and personal lives. By the age of 16, Anna Mae (Tina Turner's birth name) was enamored with the nightclub scene. There she met Ike Turner, who invited her to be a backup vocal for his band after she stole the microphone from him and sang out "You Know I Love You," by B.B. King. By 1960, Anna Mae found her first big break when she stepped in for a missing vocalist on the track, "A Fool in Love." Soon she was rebranded as Tina Turner and continued performing with Ike Turner in their band, Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Unfortunately this stint in stardom came to an end, as Turner's marriage to Ike to a turn for the worst. To keep herself afloat during their separation, Turner continued to sing and perform as a celebrity guest on game shows and sitcoms— one of her happiest times. Turner found her big break into stardom again when she released a cover of Al Greene's "Let's Stay Together." From there, Turner would go onto release multiple sucessful albulms like Private Dancer and What's Love Got to Do with it— in which a single off the latter would garner Turner three grammys! She would also appear in George Miller's Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985), for which she also wrote two hit songs. By 1999, Turner would release her tenth and final solo album, "Twenty Four Seven"— what a life well lived!

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Gazebo (1959), How to Murder Your Wife (1965), What A Way To Go (1964). This week, Janet, John, (and Pen) explore three wacky films that all live within the same thematic "neighborhood" in the world of 1960s suburbia. America's singing darling finds herself burying a body in her garden, a darling Broadway star unintentionally becomes a black widow and one of the greatest comic-dramatic actors ever uses an alter ego to "murder" his wife! Oh No!

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Extra Extra! Listen hear all about it! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) dive into the life of the zeitgeist of zeitgeists, the legendary, revolutionary, groundbreaking, funny force of nature who sang like a blue angel, our logo….Marlene Dietrich! Born on December 27, 1901 at Leberstraße 65 in the neighborhood of Rote Insel in Schöneberg, now a district of Berlin, Dietrich became one of the most iconic figures in the entertainment industry, known for her distinctive voice, smoldering sex appeal, glamorous style, and androgynous allure. Originally planning to become a classical violnist, an injury turned our starlet to theater. After a failed audition for Max Reinhardt, Dietrich got her start as a chorus girl in his theaters, but never seemed to get her big break on the stage. She moved her career towards film, acting in So sind die Männer (1923) and The Tragedy of Love (1923), while still maintaining a career on the stage and in cabaret— embodying the "New Women" lifestyle. By 1930, She got her big break in the film Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) after film director, Josef Von Sternberg saw her performance in Zwei Krawatten (Two Ties). She would go on to act in Morocco (1930), Dishonored (1931), Blonde Venus (1932), The Scarlet Empress (1934), The Devil Is a Woman (1935), A Foreign Affair (1948), Stage Fright (1950), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), Touch of Evil (1958), and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). She was also nominated for a best actress cast in 1932 for Morocco, Golden Globe and a Laurel Award in 1958 for WItness for the Prosecution.

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

In our latest tribute, Janet, John, (and Pen) celebrate the life and career of an extremely talented musical genius who wrote some of the most iconic and enduring songs of the 20th century... Burt Baharach! Born in Kansas City, Missouri on May 12th, 1928, Burt seemed to be destined for greatness. Encouraged by his amateur painter and songwriting mother, Burt took up practicing piano, drums, and the cello during his childhood. Using his musical gift, Bacharach continued his education at McGill University in Montreal, Mannes School of Music, and the Musica Academy of the West studying all kinds of music. At the age of 28, he was reccomended to Marlene Dietrich (fun fact: the star our logo is modeled after!) by Peter Matz as she needed an arranger and condutor for her nightclub shows. After becoming her part-time musical director, Baharach and Dietrich toured worldwide together, on and off, until the early 1960s. Eventually this musical genius met Hal David and Dionne Warwick. This trio would make songs that would sell over 12 million copies and have 39 consecutive chart hits. Some of those songs being "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (1963), "Walk On By" (1964), "Message to Michael" (1966), "I Say a Little Prayer" (1967), "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" (1968), "This Girl's in Love with You" (1969) and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (1969). Eventually this composer moved towards creating scores for film such Casino Royale (1967) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), which won them a Academy Award, an Oscar, and a Grammy for best score. In his lifetime, Burt would go onto to creating many wonderful songs, gain many nominations, and win many awards for his absolutely outstanding music.

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Encore! Encore! This January Janet, John, (and Pen) wanted to revist the astounding life this actress with her 80-year long career in film, television, and the stage... Angela Lansbury. This English-born, though Irish-bred actress began her career, after escaping the Blitz by moving to United States, at the age of eighteen by playing a cheeky Cockeny servant to Charles Boyer in the thriller Gaslight (1944). This role brought her a contract with MGM and her first Academy Award nominaton for best supporting actress. At the time, she was seen as a b-list actor, but her role in The Manchirian Candidate (1962) put her on the map and is often considered, to this day, one of her best perfomances. She also quickly gained stardom for her lead role in the Broadway musical Mame in 1966, a catergory of performance she absoluted dominated. This role lead to her winning her fist every Tony Award. However, this starlet didn't stop only at theatrical appearances. In fact, she made her way to worldwide fame after playing the sleuth, Jessica Flecther, in the American whodunit series Murder She Wrote. The show ran for 12 seasons until 1966. Earning it the title of one of the longest-running and most popular detective dramas in television history. Some of Lansbury's projects include, Dear World, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, National Velvet (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), Nanny McPhee (2005), and Mary Poppins Returns (2018). She also acheived many acolades such as 6 Tony Awards, 6 Golden Globes, 2 honorary BAFTA Awards and many more. So join us and relax as we revist Tribute 9 Mini-Sode: Angela Lansbury!

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Encore! Encore! After spending a wonderful New Year's with our loved ones we thought what better way to start off this new year of Cinema Sounds and Secrets than revist two films with two takes on love!

We'll drop back in time 500 years to the time of Lords and Ladies and sword fights, then leap ahead in time to hot rods, Little Richard and poodle skirts! Uptown Girls, Downtown Boys…you get the drift – but as is the way with love – both young lovers meet on the dance floor! Franco Zeffirelli directed his iconic young love masterpiece with actors who were actually the correct ages that The Bard had written in his version of Romeo and Juliet (1968) …while our sixties version goes dancing, rock'n'roll style where boy swings girl…on the dance floor in Emile Ardolino's Dirty Dancing (1987).

Join us in busting a move as we revist Episode 13: Starcrossed!

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Encore! Encore! This December Janet, John, (and Pen) wanted to revist the astounding life of the director of A Warm December, an extremely talented actor, activist, and diplomat... Sidney Poitier! Born in Miami, Florida on February 20th in 1927, this Bahamian-American actor changed the game for black actors forever in the motion-picture industry by becoming the African American to win the Academy Award for best actor and the first Black movie star. Even though he seemed destined for the stage and stardom, Poitier worked hard to amass such a massive career in Hollywood. He got his start in the American Negro Theatre after applying for the second time after a previous rejection because of his accent (which he worked on changing to American pronounciation for six months). While studying acting, he made his Broadway debut in Lyrsistrata in 1946. His first film role was as Dr. Luther Brooks, a hospital's only Black doctor who treats a bigoted white cirminal, in No Way Out (1950). His refusal to play into racial sterotypes helped create inroads for Black people into American media culture. He later starred, worked in, and directed many films such as, Porgy and Bess (1959), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), and A Patch of Blue (1965), A Warm December (1973), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and Stir Crazy (1980). He also went onto winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field (1963). He also received a Grammy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a British Academy Film Award! Join us as we revist Tribute 10 Mini-Sode: Sidney Poitier!

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Encore! Encore! Some may not know her but that's why we're here to remind you of one of the most iconic, legendary goddesses of film, stage, and cabaret who has ever lived. The Blue Angel, The Scarlett Empress, Lola Lola, and The Blonde Venus - in other words…the woman who graces our logo!

The legendary Marlena Deitrich.

Join us as we revist the tribute to this icon and delve into why she graces our and your screens!

To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Encore! Encore! - This winter we wanted to keep things cool and what better way then to revist the "King of Cool," himself, Steve McQueen! The iconic man's man from the 60's and 70's… broke into a bank while wooing the glam faye dunaway, got locked up with Dustin Hoffman and made the great escape on a classic Triumph motorcycle dressed up as a BMW… only in Hollywood. Join us for Episode 6: "The Manly McQueen."

To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit our official Cinema Sounds and Secrets website.