Thank you for joining us on our tractor as we plow through the Gene Kelly/Judy Garland homage to the backyard musicals: MGM’s Summer Stock. 

As the plot chugs along, Nate and I really begin to feel the heat coming off the Judy-Gene screen pairing (are they REALLY kissing? Why the strange jump cut mid-kiss?) and we get to smell some greasepaint and do a little dancing on newspapers. Why is this movie so much fun???

And please check out the fantastic book "C'mon, GetHappy: The Making of Summer Stock" by David Fantle & Tom Johnson. It helped us tremendously in our research for these episodes.

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Every great movie musical has a big dance number at a party and MGM’s Summer Stock is no exception. Nate once again joins me as Judy and Gene turn a country square dance (“The Portland Fancy”)  into a red hot number where they both tear up the barn floor!

We start this episode with a “tour” of the musical production units that created the idea of the MGM Musical, giving the studio its most identifiable genre. We then dive into the lives of some child and character actors and some of the folks behind the scenes (choreographers, art directors!) bringing this 1950 musical to life.

Please note: these episodes on Summer Stock deal with frank discussions on addiction and mental health. If you or someone you know requires resources in these areas please visit CAMH in Canada (1-800-463-2338 or camh.ca) and NIMH (988 or nimh.nih.gov) in the US. 

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Happy Halloween! 

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Technicolored programming on the Dream Factory, sorry I mean the SCREAM FACTORY, for a seasonal change of pace. I travel back to MGM in 1935, a place of glitter and glamour but not many ghouls, to take a bite out of the horror film Mark of the Vampire. Hollywood was horror movie crazy at this time and MGM jumped on the bandwagon resulting in the atmospheric but messy Mark of the Vampire directed by the legendary Tod Browning. 

Flying solo for this one-off special episode, I dissect this strange little movie about vampires terrorizing a village and an occult expert brought in to solve a murder. It manages to squeeze Lionel Barrymore, Bela Lugosi, amazing shots, creepy sets and costumes and a truly incredible ending into its lightning-quick 60 minute run time. 

Mark of the Vampire is not a standard MGM offering but it does contain the distinctive MGM style and look, even on a small budget ...and remains an odd and kooky experiment by the studio.

Thanks for listening to the special episode of the Scream Factory and happy Halloween!

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Nate and I put on our dungarees and help out on Judy Garland’s farm as we continue our exploration of the 1950 MGM musical Summer Stock! We’re about as much help as Gene Kelly’s theatre troupe with the farm chores but we do dig into the plot and more supporting characters in the film.

We traverse the careers of MGM ingénue Gloria DeHaven, boy-next-door Carleton Carpenter and vocal technician Hans Conried, all of whom make up the stellar acting ensemble of Summer Stock.

And please check out the fantastic book "C'mon, GetHappy: The Making of Summer Stock" by David Fantle & Tom Johnson. It helped us tremendously in our research for these episodes.

Please note: these episodes on Summer Stock deal with frank discussions on addiction and mental health. If you or someone you know requires resources in these areas please visit CAMH in Canada (1-800-463-2338 or camh.ca) and NIMH (988 or nimh.nih.gov) in the US. 

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Now that Judy Garland as Jane Falbury has her beloved tractor the plot of Summer Stock (1950) can really get cooking. Talented and studly Gene Kelly finally enters the picture and shakes up not only Falbury farm but Jane herself!

Nate Hallett returns as my wonderful co-host as we venture back to stage 27 at MGM studios to talk about the leading man of Summer Stock, the incomparable Kelly. We also talk about Gene’s second wife who appears as a dancer in this movie- look for her in the white shirt and blue jeans during the rousing number Dig, Dig, Dig For Your Dinner!

And please check out the fantastic book "C'mon, GetHappy: The Making of Summer Stock" by David Fantle & Tom Johnson. It helped us tremendously in our research for these episodes.

Please note: these episodes on Summer Stock deal with frank discussions on addiction and mental health. If you or someone you know requires resources in these areas please visit CAMH in Canada (1-800-463-2338/camh.ca) and NIMH (988 or nimh.nih.gov) in the US. 

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Nate and I continue our scene by scene dive into the 1950 movie Summer Stock, a movie remarkable for being the third onscreen pairing of Gene Kelly and Judy Garland and for being Garland’s last film at MGM.

This episode is fun as we get to explore the background of a few of the characters actors in the movie (Erville Alderson anyone???) as well as getting into different versions of the film’s initial scripts. Plus Judy gets her first chance since she played Dorothy to sing a knockout of a song on a tractor!

And please check out the fantastic book "C'mon, GetHappy: The Making of Summer Stock" by David Fantle & Tom Johnson. It helped us tremendously in our research for these episodes.

Please note: these episodes on Summer Stock deal with frank discussions on addiction and mental health. If you or someone you know requires resources in these areas please visit CAMH in Canada (1-800-463-2338 or camh.ca) and NIMH (988 or nimh.nih.gov) in the US. 

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Our deep dive into the 1950 MGM film Summer Stock ramps up as we enter into our first scene and it’s a scandalous one…Judy gets her Janet Leigh moment in the shower, without the violins and screaming!

Nate again joins me and brings his unique expertise as we delve into Judy’s sensitive state when she started filming Summer Stock in 1949. Far from a tragic person, we see the true resilience of Garland at a low point in her life and this movie is a testament to her greatness.

Please note: these episodes on Summer Stock deal with frank discussions on addiction and mental health. If you or someone you know requires resources in these areas please visit CAMH in Canada (1-800-463-2338 or camh.ca) and NIMH (988 or nimh.nih.gov) in the US. 

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Howdy neighbour! The Dream Factory now steps into exploring a new Judy Garland film: the 1950 musical Summer Stock! While not revered when first released, the movie has gained a beloved following in recent years, not only because of Judy but also her stupendously talented co-star Gene Kelly. 

The wonderful Nate Hallett makes his triumphant return to the pod as my co-host. Nate brings not only his unbridled enthusiasm and stellar research to us but also his expertise as a therapist as we attempt to navigate this difficult moment in Judy’s life.

To open our discussion of this light musical, we discuss our relationship with the film and the delicate state MGM was in when the movie went into production in 1949.

And please check out the fantastic book "C'mon, GetHappy: The Making of Summer Stock" by David Fantle & Tom Johnson. It helped us tremendously in our research for these episodes.

Please note: these episodes on Summer Stock deal with frank discussions on addiction and mental health. If you or someone you know requires resources in these areas please visit CAMH in Canada (1-800-463-2338 or camh.ca) and NIMH (988 or nimh.nih.gov) in the US. 

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Oh no, our last Harvey Girls episode! Will the straight-laced waitresses prevail or will the saloon girls dance away with the men of Sandrock? They have a big dancing party to fight it out!

Conor Grant joins me one last time as we wrap up our analysis of the 1946 Judy Garland film. Our main goal is trying to piece together the heavily edited last act of this film, we had to be forensic experts for this! Plus we get the Dorothy and Scarecrow reunion we’ve always longed for (we missed them most of all).

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod

Our latest episode exploring the MGM musical The Harvey Girls finally turns our attention to the other women in the cast: the deadpan and fabulous singer Virginia O’Brien and the gifted dancer soon to be MGM superstar Cyd Charisse.

The movie is forging ahead and Conor and I are trying to keep up with the numerous characters and even more numerous cut scenes plus some cool filming locations! And we end with a fabulous fight scene between the good Harvey girls and the sassy saloon girls.

Thanks for listening!

Derek

Instagram: @thedreamfactorypod

bio.site/thedreamfactorypod