ere is one of the greatest ensembles of the classic era - or any era, for that matter. Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucile Ball, Ann Miller, Eve Arden (and cat), Gail Patrick, Andrea Leads. Constance Collier, all sharing a theatrical boarding house in New York, and struggling to become big stars. Kate says something about calla lilies, and also snipes with Ginger. It’s so much fun!,

Stage Door

Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard, David J. Loehr, Nathan Alderman and Randy Dotinga

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

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If you can quote from “Casablanca” or “Gone with the Wind,” you can probably quote from “Now Voyager.” Or you could, with a little reminder. “Don’t let’s ask for the moon, when we have the stars.” And the Paul Henreid/Bette Davis cigarette-lighting move is here, too. Tis a stone cold classic of the romantic, weepy canon.

Now, Voyager

Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard, Randy Dotinga and Nathan Alderman

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We bring Stanwyck Summer (but not the LTS season) to a close with a draft-ish episode. Each panelist has brought us a Barbara Stanwyck film - one we haven’t talked about before on the show. Somehow, there are a number of cats.

Stanwyck Summer Draft

Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard, Nathan Alderman and Randy Dotinga

The Stanwyck Draft

The First Feline Reference

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.

Our Picks

Randy

Micki

Nathan

Shelly

Next time, we’ll watch

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This time, Stanwyck is an invalid, who’s having trouble with her phone. I would call it a straight-up female victim tale, but Babs is not what you’d call sympathetic as a character. Even so, should her husband (Burt Lancaster) be plotting her death?

Sorry, Wrong Number

Shelly Brisbin with David J. Loehr, Micheline Maynard, Nathan Alderman and Randy Dotinga

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Stanwyck Summer continues with a “noir tragedy.” She finds herself involved with Kirk Douglas (his film debut), Van Heflin and Lizbeth Scott. Did Missy kill her very mean aunt, many years ago? Let’s find out, shall we?

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman, Micheline Maynard and Randy Dotinga

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Barbara Stanwyck (Lorna) in a boxing movie? OK, sure. But you’ll also see the film that began her lifelong friendship with William Holden. Bill (Joe) is a violinist who wants to try his hand at boxing. Because there’s money in that. Stanwyck’s Lorna is the girl who loves him. What price must Joe pay to become a success?

Golden Boy

Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman, Micheline Maynard and Randy Dotinga

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We begin Stanwyck Summer with one of her most iconic films, and greatest performances. Stella Dallas is pure melodrama, so sudsy that the name was taken by a radio soap opera. Stella is a working-class woman with a daughter she wants to give all the things she never had. Will she succeed? Will her daughter be grateful? Tune in tomorrow!

Stella Dallas

Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman, Randy Dotinga and Micheline Maynard

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.

Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

This George Stevens (best director Oscar) epic looms large. It’s a classic “roadshow” film of the 1950s, complete with West Texas vistas, Technicolor, big stars like Rock (Hudson), Liz (Taylor) and Jimmy (Dean), but no intermission, even though it’s three hours long! It also looms large in the history of the Texas towns (Marfa and Valentine) where it was filmed. I’ve grown up with stories of people tangentially touched by the production, and there are songs that celebrate, or sometimes give the side eye to, the whole thing.

Giant

Shelly Brisbin with Laura Rice, Micheline Maynard, David J. Loehr and Randy Dotinga

Get in touch with the show at [email protected] or on the socials at liontowershield. Hey hey, we are on Bluesky, @liontowershield.theincomparable.com.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Bette Davis brings the melodrama, right here in the imperial phase of her Warner Brothers career. She’s rich, she’s spoiled. Oopsie. She has a health crisis! Will she become a better person? Will she find love? Will she out-act Humphrey Bogart, George Brent (yeah she will) and Geraldine Fitzgerald? Will your host have a take almost none of the reviews she’s read have? Let’s find out together.

Dark Victory

Shelly Brisbin with Annette Wierstra, Nathan Alderman and Micheline Maynard

Get in touch with the show at [email protected] or on the socials at liontowershield. Hey hey, we are on Bluesky, @liontowershield.theincomparable.com.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

The first film Fritz Lang made in the US after he fled the Nazis, Fury is the story of a man who is lynched by the residents of a small town. The film is not a groundbreaking 1950s independent production, but an MGM star vehicle from 1936, featuring one of the studio’s then newest stars, Spencer Tracy. It’s not even Fritz Lang’s best film, but you’ll see some groundbreaking technique here.

Fury

Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman, Randy Dotinga and Micheline Maynard

Get in touch with the show at [email protected] or on the socials at liontowershield. On Bluesky, the current favorite, @liontowershield.theincomparable.com.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

The Self-Referential LTS

Next time, we’ll watch

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.