Larry Namer is an American entertainment entrepreneur, television visionary, and media innovator best known as the co-founder of E! Entertainment Television. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Namer began his career as a cable TV engineer before moving into programming and business leadership roles across the industry. In 1990, he and his partner developed the idea for what became E!—a 24-hour network focused on Hollywood, pop culture, and entertainment news. The network grew into a global brand that forever changed how audiences consume celebrity and entertainment coverage. Following E!, Namer continued launching and consulting for media ventures worldwide. He co-founded Metan Global Entertainment Group, which specializes in developing Western-style content for Asian markets, including China. Throughout his career, he has remained a key figure in shaping entertainment media around the world. Namer is widely regarded for his pioneering vision, strategic media insights, and for helping bridge international entertainment markets in today’s global content economy. Doug Hess talks to him about all of that! Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon.com

In this episode I spoke with Barry M. Putt, Jr about his book "Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon". Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel’s Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More) takes you behind the scenes of one of television’s most beloved sitcoms. It all started with Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award–winning film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Learn how the movie and series were developed, peruse the fact-filled episode log, and test your Alice trivia knowledge with a fan quiz featuring over 120 questions.
Doug Hess is the Producer/Host. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon!

In this episode, I spoke with Danny Reid about his latest book "Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood's Untamed Era, 1930-1934".  With unparalleled freedom in the Golden Age of Hollywood, movies produced during the “pre-Code” era between 1930 and 1934 boldly confronted a wide range of provocative subjects, including sexual freedom, the glorification of outlaws, racial taboos, and class consciousness. Films of the period include beloved classics likeGrand Hotel(1932) and King Kong(1933) but also lesser-known gems like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang(1932) and Ann Vickers (1933). These films, produced at the height of the Great Depression, pushed the limits of contemporary social norms at a time when Hollywood studios were desperate to attract audiences—by any means necessary. 
Doug Hess is the Producer/Host. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon

In this episode, I spoke with author Thomas Hischak about his book "Bringing Song and Dance to the Screen! Directors of Golden Age Hollywood Musicals". The role directors have played in American cinema cannot be overstated, particularly how they shaped and developed the medium during Hollywood's golden age. Little appreciation has been paid though to the individual directors' accomplishments with regards to the musical film, a genre that remains popular today. When the first film musicals were made, there were no experienced movie directors for the new genre. Instead of recruiting stage directors, Hollywood turned to the seasoned directors currently under contract and assigned them to make talkies with song and dance.

In this epiosde, I spoke with one of the co-authors, Wheeler Winston Dixon about his book "A Short History of Film, 4th Edition". This updated and expanded edition of A Short History of Film provides an accessible overview of the major movements, directors, studios, and genres from the 1880s to the present. Succinct yet comprehensive, with more than 250 rare stills and illustrations, this edition provides new information on contemporary horror, comic book, and franchise films; issues surrounding women and minority filmmakers; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on movies worldwide; the shift from film to digital production; the rising use of artificial intelligence in cinema; and the impact of streaming on the industry.

In this episode, I discuss with author Stephen Rebello his book "Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train". Take a deep dive into the shadows and light of one of the most subversive, corrosively funny, and beloved suspense thriller masterworks as author Stephen Rebello unravels for the very first time the tense and drama-filled story of the making Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

In this episode, I discuss with author Jennifer Ann Redmond about her book "Too Fast, Too Short: The Life of Diana Barrymore". American actress and socialite Diana Barrymore (1921–1960) was a figure often overshadowed by her famous lineage and tragic narrative. In Too Fast, Too Short: The Life of Diana Barrymore, author Jennifer Ann Redmond illuminates Barrymore’s complex world, revealing a woman caught between the glittering facade of Hollywood and the dark shadows of her personal struggles.
Doug Hess is the Producer and host!
Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon.

In this episode, I spoke with author John Malahy regarding his book " Rewinding The ’80s: Cinema Under the Influence of Music Videos, Action Stars, and a Cold War". The movies were flying blind in 1980. “New Hollywood” was over and the era of auteur-driven, personal films that had defined moviemaking since the late ‘60s came to a symbolic end withHeaven’s Gate (1980), replaced by a new world of multiplex blockbusters supported by massive marketing campaigns.

In this episode I spoke with Neil O'Brien about his book "After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Media Company". The untold succession struggle at Walt Disney Productions following the death of its founder, and the generational transformation which led to the birth of the modern multibillion-dollar animation industry.

In this episode I spoke with author Mark Archuleta about his boo; "The Reel Thrilling Events of Bank Robber Henry Starr: From Gentleman Bandit to Movie Star and Back Again". In 1921 headlines across the country announced the death of Henry Starr, a burgeoning silent film star who was killed while attempting to rob a bank in Harrison, Arkansas. Cynics who knew the real Starr were not surprised. Before becoming a matinee idol, Starr had been the greatest bank robber of the horseback bandit era.