Forgotten Hollywood

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!

Host Doug Hess does something a little different and talks about Film Star Burl Ives!

In this episode, I talk with author David C Tucker regarding his book Rochelle Hudson: A Biography and Career Record. Hudson won her first film contract at the age of 14.

In this episode I speak with author Kristen Anderson Wagner regarding her book Comic Venus Women and Comedy in American Silent Film. Comic Venus is the first book to explore the overlooked contributions made by comediennes in American silent film. Those with an interest in film and representations of femininity in comedy will be fascinated by the analytical connections and thoroughly researched histories of these women and their groundbreaking movements in comedy and stage. Doug Hess is the host !

In defiance of the alleged "death of romantic comedy," After "Happily Ever After": Romantic Comedy in the Post-Romantic Age edited by Maria San Filippo attests to rom-com’s continuing vitality in new modes and forms that reimagine and rejuvenate the genre in ideologically, artistically, and commercially innovative ways. No longer the idyllic fairy tale, today’s romantic comedies ponder the realities and complexities of intimacy, fortifying the genre’s gift for imagining human connection through love and laughter. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with author Robert Hofler regarding his book "The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen".It’s one of the greatest movie romances of all time. Fifty years on, the chemistry between Barbra Streisand as Jewish working-class firebrand Katie Worosky and Robert Redford as all-American golden boy Hubbell Gardiner remains potent. Yet the friction and controversy surrounding The Way We Were was so enormous, the movie was nearly never made at all. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode I spoke with author John Stangeland regarding his book Aline MacMahon: Hollywood, the Blacklist, and the Birth of Method Acting. During the 1930s and 1940s, MacMahon starred in countless films and was among the most influential actors of the era, her talent revered as highly as peers Katherine Hepburn, Paul Muni, and Bette Davis. Her pioneering use of a new acting style brought to America from Russia by Konstantin Stanlisavsky―now widely known as the Method―began a revolution on the screen and made her an industry darling. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode I discuss with author Michael Seth Starr regarding his latest book "Don Rickles: Merchant of Venom". Riding a wave of success that lasted more than sixty years, Don Rickles is best known as the “insult” comic who skewered presidents, royalty, celebrities, and friends and fans alike. But there was more to “Mr. Warmth” than a devilish ear-to-ear grin and lightning-fast put-downs. Rickles was a loving husband, an adoring father who suffered a devastating loss, and a loyal friend to the likes of Bob Newhart and Frank Sinatra. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode I discuss with author Chris Palmer regarding his book The Fresh Prince Project. More than thirty years have passed since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on NBC but unlike other family sitcoms of its era, it has remained culturally relevant and beloved by new generations of fans.