I Wanna Be Loved By You

We’re taking another look at one of the greatest comedies in movie history. Billy Wilder’s Some Like it Hot is celebrating its 65th anniversary and remains a fresh and funny as it was in 1959. Jackson Cooper joins Brandon this week to discuss every memorable moment. We also pay tribute to the incomparable performances of Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis and Jackson Cooper

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Welcome John Fricke

Front Row Classics is pleased to welcome renowned Wizard of Oz expert & Judy Garland historian, John Fricke. John has contributed his knowledge and expertise to countless books, documentaries, and home video releases over the decades. He provides insight into why Garland remains a powerful pop culture figure more than fifty years after her death. Brandon and John discuss his earliest experiences as a Garland fan, including an unforgettable story of seeing Judy in concert. They also commemorate the 85th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and 80th anniversary of Meet Me in St Louis. 

FEATURING: Brandon Davis

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Happy 200th!

Front Row Classics is celebrating its 200th episode! I’m so very grateful for to you ,the listeners, for continuing to support this labor of love. 

For our 200th episode, we’re welcoming a very special guest : legendary actress and wildlife activist, Stefanie Powers. Powers grew up in the heyday of Los Angeles and even attended Hollywood High School. Brandon and Stefanie discuss her decades-long career in film, television and theater. Having worked with luminaries like John Wayne, Tallulah Bankhead, Bing Crosby & Maureen O’Hara, Stefanie has a wealth of perspective on the golden age of show business.

We discuss her starring role in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E in the 60s which made her the first woman to star in an hour long series.  We ,of course, also spend time discussing the beloved series, Hart to Hart and her co-star, Robert Wagner.

Stefanie has also dedicated her life to wildlife conservation. She founded the William Holden Wildlife Foundation following the death of her lifelong love, William Holden. 

You can find out more about the foundation along with ways to give at whwf.org.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis

Don’t forget to follow/reach us at:

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50 Oscar Nights

Front Row Classics welcome Turner Classic Movies host, Dave Karger, this week. Brandon and Dave are discussing his newest book “50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins”. Dave sat down with 50 past Oscar winners to recount the details of their respective victorious evenings. Some stories are triumphant & celebratory. Others are poignant & complex. In this conversation, you’ll hear Dave recount stories from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Rita Moreno, Mel Brooks and Nicole Kidman among several others.

“50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins” is available from Running Press and Turner Classic Movies wherever books are sold.

Dave Karger is an award-winning TV host, interviewer, journalist, and film expert. He is a host on Turner Classic Movies and has been the Oscars expert on NBC’s TODAY since 2000. He also spent over 15 years writing about the Oscars for Entertainment Weekly, has cohosted ABC’s Live from the Red Carpet pre-show, and served as the Academy’s official red-carpet greeter on Oscar night. In 2015, Dave received the Publicist’s Guild Press Award, honoring the year’s outstanding entertainment journalist. He has been called “this generation’s mass-media cinematic ambassador” by The Wrap and a “beloved entertainment guru” by The Hollywood Reporter.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis

Don’t forget to follow/reach us at:

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Moon River

Front Row Classics is celebrating Valentine’s Day with one of the most popular romantic films to ever come out of Hollywood. Breakfast at Tiffany’s remains one of Audrey Hepburn’s most iconic works. Beyond the Mouse’s Vanessa Ferguson and NPR Illinois’ Bea Bonner join Brandon to discuss all aspects of the movie. The hosts discuss Hepburn’s unlikely performance as call girl, Holly Golightly. They also discuss their favorite scenes and Henry Mancini’s evocative score including the Oscar winning song, “Moon River”. Time is also taken to address the controversy surrounding the performance of Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis, Vanessa Ferguson and Bea Bonner

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Ringo Kid.

2024 marks the 85th anniversary of the landmark year of 1939. Often considered the “greatest year in film history”, countless classic films were released within that calendar year. Brandon and Emmett Stanton pay tribute the film that set the standard for the American western film, Stagecoach. John Ford’s masterpiece created many of the known tropes we associate with the western genre. The film features a stellar ensemble cast of the finest character actors at the time. Yet, its most known for it’s star making turn for John Wayne as the Ringo Kid. The film would mark a fruitful partnership between Wayne and Ford for the next 3 decades.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis and Emmett Stanton

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Put On a Happy Face.

Front Row Classics has “got a lot of livin’ to do” this week. Brandon is joined by Larry Aubrey to pay tribute to 1963’s Bye Bye Birdie. Brandon and Larry discuss this fun and vibrant adaptation of the classis Broadway musical. The two talk the differences between the film and stage versions. Much of the conversation is spent lauding the star-making performance of Ann-Margret. We’ll also pay tribute to the talents of Dick Van Dyke. Janet Leigh, Paul Lynde and director George Sidney.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis and Larry Aubrey

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Power of Film.

Brandon welcome filmmaker/producer Doug Pray to Front Row Classics. Doug, along with Laura Gabbert, has helmed the six-episode docuseries “The Power of Film”. The series stars UCLA Film Professor, Howard Suber, and shines a spotlight on film’s impact on the human experience. Suber tells us why certain films remain forever ingrained in our memories and psyches. Brandon and Doug discuss the origins of the series and why it will appeal to both veteran and novice film fans alike.

“The Power of Film” airs each Thursday night on Turner Classics Movies at 7pm est/6pm cst through Feb 8th. The series will eventually find a home on streaming as well. 

FEATURING: Brandon Davis

Don’t forget to follow/reach us at:

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All That Heaven Allows.

.Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most poignant melodramas of the 1950s. Brandon is joined by Jackson Cooper to discuss 1955’s All That Heaven Allows. The two pay tribute to the work of director, Douglas Sirk, and his immaculate visual storytelling. We’re also celebrating the performances of Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson as two people who buck the trends of the social mores and class system in the fifties. 

FEATURING: Brandon Davis and Jackson Cooper

Don’t forget to follow/reach us at:

Website: https://linktr.ee/FrontRowClassics
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Hollywood Heyday.

Front Row Classics is thrilled to welcome back authors/journalists, David Fantle and Tom Johnson.  David & Tom regale Brandon with incredible stories from their forty plus years of interviewing Hollywood legends. These stories can be found in their 2018 book, “Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends”. We discuss their initial encounters with Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly. These interviews lead to encounters with other legends such as Lucille Ball, Rod Steiger, Bob Hope, Esther Williams and Frank Capra. These fascinating anecdotes are sure to delight any admirer of 20th Century show business.

“Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends” is available from McFarland wherever books are sold.

FEATURING: Brandon Davis

Don’t forget to follow/reach us at:

Website: https://linktr.ee/FrontRowClassics
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