Forgotten Hollywood

In this episode I spoke with author Kathleen Brady about the 75th Anniversary of I Love Lucy.  The 75th anniversary of I Love Lucy is October 15, 2026. The iconic sitcom, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, originally premiered on CBS on October 15, 1951. Doug Hess is the host and producer!

In this episode, I spoke with author Chris Enss about her latest book "Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women". Discover the untold stories of the bold women who rode harder, roped faster, and stole the spotlight in early Hollywood. Since the famous “first” western movie, The Great Train Robbery, starring Broncho Billy Anderson, made its debut in 1903, cowboy heroes have continued their easily won dominance—but little has been written about the cowgirl stars and their fans.

In this episode I spoke with authors Kathy Fuller and Frank Thompson regarding their book "The First Movie Studio in Texas: Gaston Melies's Star Film Ranch".  In 1910, the Méliès Star Film Company of Manhattan set up a moving-picture studio outside San Antonio, the first in Texas. Determined to make the most authentic Westerns possible, the company filmed there for a little over a year. In that brief time, it created more than seventy single-reel films, leaving a lasting mark on moviemaking.

In this episode I spoke with author William J. Mann about his latest book " Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood". The brutal murder of Elizabeth Short—better known as the Black Dahlia—in 1947 has been in the public consciousness for nearly eighty years, yet no serious study of the crime has ever been published.

In this episode I spoke with Suzy Miles, the widow of the late filmmaker Christopher Miles. To be a filmmaker, Miles had to sidestep parental plans to enrol him in the family steelworks. He had already been filming in communist China and Argentina when he escaped to Paris where he made his first professional film.

In this episode I spoke with Anthony Taylor about his book "Classic Monsters, Modern Art." Explore the groundbreaking (and terrifying) pantheon of monsters from the 20th century’s greatest films and fiction interpreted by the world’s most exciting contemporary artists and illustrators in Classic Monsters, Modern Art!

Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights unveils the captivating duality of one of America's most revered theatrical legends. Known for her poise, talent, and commanding presence on stage, Ethel Barrymore was paradoxically a woman of deep reserve and quiet introspection. This richly detailed biography offers an intimate portrait of the First Lady of the American Theatre, tracing her journey from the gilded footlights of Broadway to the screens of early Hollywood. This book explores how Barrymore's quiet strength shaped a dynasty―and how her shy soul reigned behind the curtain of fame. A must-read for lovers of theater, classic film, and untold stories of iconic women.

In this episode, I talk about my three favorite films regarding Abraham Lincoln to support "President's Day'.  They are from 1939 "Young, Mr. Lincoln, 140 Abe Lincoln in Illinois and from 2012 Lincoln.

In this episode I spoke with Susan Morrison about her book "Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live". Over the fifty years that Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live, he has become a revered and inimitable presence in the entertainment world. He’s a tastemaker, a mogul, a withholding father figure, a genius spotter of talent, a shrewd businessman, a name-dropper, a raconteur, the inspiration for Dr. Evil, the winner of more than a hundred Emmys—and, essentially, a mystery

In this episode I spoke with author Brian Raftery about his book "Hannibal Lector: A Life". Drawing from exclusive interviews and previously unseen archival materials, this one-of-its-kind biography of Hannibal Lecter documents the cannibal’s journey from terrifying villain to unexpectedly adored antihero