Front Row Classics: A Hollywood Golden Age Podcast

Front Row Classics is pleased to welcome back our friend John Malahy. Brandon and John are taking a look at the year 1951. It was a banner year of films that reflected both the Hollywood studio era and the new Actors Studio style of acting that have migrated over from the New York stage. The two discuss the five best picture nominees from that year as well as other popular films ranging from musicals to film noir to animation.

Front Row Classics is celebrating the 55th anniversary of one of the most beloved family films ever made. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory remains an genuine work of "pure imagination". Brandon and Emmett Stanton chat about all of the most memorable moments that have pushed Wonka into the zeitgeist for the last half century. They also pay tribute to the performance of the incomparable Gene Wilder.

Front Row Classics welcomes back author Kristen Lopez to chat about her newest volume of "But Have You Read the Book?". Kristen recently penned "But Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition: 40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films". The book chronicles forty great romantic literary works and how they adapted to the big screen. From the Golden Age through Modern Day, Brandon and Kristen celebrate how romance has defined the movie going experience

But Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition: 40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films is available from TCM and Running Press wherever books are sold.

Kristen Lopez is a pop culture essayist, critic, and editor whose articles have appeared at Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, TCM, and Roger Ebert. She was previously the Film Editor for TheWrap and the TV Editor for IndieWire. She is a two-time National Arts and Entertainment winner and was nominated for a SoCal Journalism Award by the LA Press Club.

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most popular films in the catalog of Rita Hayworth. Brandon is, once again, joined by author John Di Leo to discuss 1944's Cover Girl. The film showcases Hayworth at the height of her star power. The film also mark the first important display of the talents of Gene Kelly. Brandon and John discuss the highlights of this escapist musical fantasy.

Front Row Classics is taking a look at Ingrid Bergman's dramatic return to Hollywood after a seven -ear exile. Brandon is joined by film historian Sloan De Forest to chat about Anastasia from 1956. With a screenplay by Arthur Laurents, the film is a romantic look at the mystery surrounding Anna Anderson (the best known of the Grand Duchess Anastasia impersonators). The sparking cast also includes Yul Brynner and Helen Hayes.

Front Row Classics is pleased to welcome back Entertainment Weekly Editor, Rance Collins. Brandon and Rance are celebrating the wonderful Deborah Kerr. The two are taking a look at Kerr's 6 Oscar nominations spanning the years from 1949-1960. They examine her competition and what potentially kept her from ever winning that elusive Academy Award.

Front Row Classics is taking a look at a classic example of a Broadway play turned into a movie. Brandon and Peter Martin are discussing 1952's The Member of the Wedding. Based on the novel and play by Carson McCullers, the film maintains the themes of the play which include isolation, loss of innocence and race. The stage performances of Ethel Waters, Julie Harris and Brandon deWilde are also preserved for posterity in the film. 

Front Row Classics is pleased to welcome author Mark Bego. Mark has updated Mickey Dolenz's memoir just in time for the 60th anniversary of The Monkees. This honest and funny look back recounts Mickey's memories of the highs and lows of the crazy adventures of The Monkees. Brandon and Mark chat about their impact on pop culture and what made the show such an instant hit. The two also chat about Mark's history in show business and the many legendary personalities he has encountered.

"I'm a Believer: My Life of Monkees, Music, and Madness" by Mickey Dolenz and Mark Bego is available from Lyons Press wherever books are sold.

Mark Bego is a New York Times best-selling author of sixty-two books on rock ‘n’ roll, country music, and show business. Heralded in Publishers Weekly as “The Prince of Pop Music Bios,” his biographies have covered Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Billy Joel, with 11 million copies of his books in print. Bego lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most taut political thrillers of the 1960s. Brandon welcomes ,film historian, Paul T. Klein to discuss 1964's Seven Days in May. The film captures the paranoia and claustrophobia of the Cold War era in a way that still captivates. Brandon and Paul break down the direction by John Frankenheimer, script by Rod Serling and performances of the legendary ensemble cast.

You can find more information about Paul at https://www.ptklein.com/

Front Row Classics is happy to welcome author Howard Gutner. Howard has recently penned a book devoted to the life and career of costume designer, Travis Banton. "Banton of Paramount: Haute Couture in Hollywood's Golden Age" looks at the man responsible for creating the images of legendary women like Carole Lombard, Mae West and Marlene Dietrich. 

"Banton of Paramount: Haute Couture in Hollywood's Golden Age" is available from Lyons Press wherever books are sold.

Howard Gutner first became interested in the Hollywood studio system and its traditional blend of business and art while attending the film studies program at Northwestern University. In 2001 he published Gowns by Adrian: The MGM Years1928–1941 (Harry N. Abrams). This book was the first comprehensive review of Adrian’s career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Gutner's most recent book is MGM Style: Cedric Gibbons and the Art of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He lives in Schaumburg, Illinois.