Forgotten Hollywood

In this episode, I spoke with Dean Butler about his book "Prairie Man: My Little House Life and Beyond".  An illuminating, insider’s journey through the world of Little House on the Prairie and beyond, from Dean Butler, who starred as Almanzo Wilder, the man Laura “Half Pint” Ingalls married—on the iconic show still beloved by millions of fans as it reaches its 50th anniversary.

In this episode, I spoke with author Simon Lewis regarding his book "Making A Bridge To Far".  A Bridge Too Far, released in 1977, was the last epic WWII movie made in the Hollywood studio system. Its ambitious goal: to recreate the Allied plan Operation Market-Garden in September 1944.

In this episode, I spoke with author Jared Stearns about his book "Pure: The Sexual Revolutions of Marilyn Chambers". The untold story of the world’s most famous X-rated star, who rose to fame as the face of Ivory Snow and the star of Behind the Green Door but struggled to find her true self in a world of sex, scandal, and shattered dreams.

In this episode, I spoke with author Scott Ryan regarding his book "The Last Decade of Cinema".  Ah, the nineties. Movies were something in those days. We're talking about a decade that began with GoodFellas and ended with Magnolia, with such films as Malcolm X, Before Sunrise, and Clueless arriving somewhere in between.

In this episode, we look at the life of Roland Young.

In this episode, I spoke with Alexis Hunter about her book " Joi Lansing: A Body To Die For". Joi Lansing: A Body to Die For colorfully chronicles personal and intimate details of the last four years of the talented '50's "blonde bombshell" star's fascinating life. After three decades of successful TV and movie appearances and Vegas singing stardom, Ms. Lansing died far too young at just 43.

In this episode, I spoke with author A. Ashley Hoff about his book "With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of An Unintentional Camp Classic." 

When she died in 1977, Joan Crawford was remembered as an icon of Hollywood's Golden Age—until publication the following year of her daughter’s memoir, Mommie Dearest.

Christina Crawford’s book was an immediate bestseller, combining the infrequently discussed topic of child abuse with the draw of Hollywood drama.

Episode 238 Kevin Winkler about his book "On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide"

In this episode, I spoke with Kevin Winkler about his book "On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide". Bette Midler today is a beloved legacy star, best known for her comic witch in Disney's Hocus Pocus (1993) and its 2022 sequel.

In this episode, I spoke with Matthew Kennedy about his book "On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide".  A sweeping look at the career of a truly singular Hollywood star.

In the oceans of ink devoted to the monumental movie star/businesswoman/political activist Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (1932-2011), her beauty and not-so-private life frequently overshadowed her movies. While she knew how to generate publicity like no other, her personal life is set aside in this volume in favor of her professional oeuvre and unique screen dynamism.

In this episode, I spoke with Josh Young and Manfred Westphal about their book The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn. A riveting tell-all biography that delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.