In this episode I spoke with Dwayne Epstein regarding his latest book Killin' Generals: The Making of The Dirty Dozen, the Most Iconic WWII Movie of All Time. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss with author Benard F. Dick about his book That Was Entertainment: The Golden Age of the MGM Musical. That Was Entertainment: The Golden Age of the MGM Musical traces the development of the MGM musical from The Broadway Melody (1929) through its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s and its decline in the 1960s, Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I along with Don Sanders discuss the career of Chuck McCann. A third-generation performer and the son of a singing band leader, Chuck McCann was already a show business veteran by age eleven.McCann went on to become a successful comic/character actor and mimic, doing voice-over for many television cartoon shows and playing character parts in numerous dramatic and comedic TV series and movies. Doug Hess is the host!

The history of Warner Bros. is not just the tale of a legendary film studio and its stars, but of classic Hollywood itself, as well as a portrait of America in the last century. It’s a family story of Polish-Jewish immigrants—the brother's Warner—who took advantage of new opportunities in the burgeoning film industry at a time when four mavericks could invent ways of operating, of warding off government regulation, and of keeping audiences coming back for more during some of the nation's darkest days.

In this episode, I discuss with author Herbie J Pilato regarding his latest book "Retro Active Television: An In-Depth Perspective on Classic TV's Social Circuitry". This book captured so many things about Retro Active Television that I had forgotten about and brought other stories to light that I never knew existed. Herbie J. Pilato shares so many stories, interviews and facts about what I believe television was made for. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode I had a discussion with author Stuart Klawans regarding his latest book "Crooked, but Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges". In a burst of creativity unmatched in Hollywood history, Preston Sturges directed a string of all-time classic comedies from 1939 through 1948―The Great McGinty, The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels, The Palm Beach Story, and The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek among them―all from screenplays he alone had written.Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss with Polly Rose about Buster Keaton. Polly is a film editor by trade and is working on her Ph.D. with her paper on Buster Keaton as an editor.


The DVD commentary Polly recorded for the early version of Our Hospitality: https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/buster-keaton-our-hospitality-go-west-college/

The article Polly wrote for the International Buster Keaton Society on the making of Sherlock Jr (free download): https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/he-floats-from-the-operating-booth-the-tale-not-told-of-sherlock-

Slapstick Festival: https://slapstick.org.uk

South West Silents: https://www.southwestsilents.com


The International Buster Keaton Society: https://busterkeaton.org

Charlie Chaplin's digitized archive: http://www.charliechaplinarchive.org/en/

In this episode I discuss the life of Grace Bradley. A petite and extremely lovely blonde "B" film actress who eventually deserted her career in favor of standing by her man (cowboy icon William Boyd, aka, "Hopalong Cassidy"), Grace Bradley spent the rest of her life in his shadow and devoting herself to her husband's career. Bill's Hoppy was the longest span of any fictional character played by the same actor. Following his death in 1972, she spent a good deal of her time keeping his good name and image in tact. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss with author Edward J Delaney his book "The Acrobat".“Everyone wants to be Cary Grant,” mused the world’s most famous leading man. Even I want to be Cary Grant.” In The Acrobat, fiction writer Edward J. Delaney takes on the elusive character of Cary Grant. He imagines the inner life of a man who spent a career brilliantly creating a persona as ethereal as his best roles.

Episode 125 Author Ron Backer regarding his book Mystery Movie Series of 1940's Hollywood

In this episode I spoke with author Ron Backer regarding his book Mystery Movie Series of 1940's Hollywood. Ellery Queen, Boston Blackie, Michael Shayne, Dick Tracy, the Falcon these are but a few of the celebrated fictional sleuths who appeared in popular Hollywood movie mystery series. This volume focuses on 19 series (146 films) that were primarily released during the 1940s.

Doug Hess is the host!