The Variety Attic with Nick & Glenn

Join us, Nick & Glenn, as we take a look at 3 of the most iconic film characters, played by 3 of the most memorable character actors of the Golden Era - in one of the greatest film fantasies of all time in this Variety Attic Short:

The Wizard of Oz...Before & After

We talk about the career's and lives of Frank Morgan (The Wizard), Billie Burke (Glinda), & Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West) - before & after they starred in The Wizard of Oz, along with priceless audio clips of their varied film and television appearances.

Take a stroll down memory lane with us as we pay homage to these three - and their film trademarks that will live in movie audience's hearts forever!

Join us, Nick & Glenn, as we journey through two artistic styles from the close of 19th century Italy...and post WW2 Italy:

Verismo Opera & Italian Cinema's Neo-Realism.

As we provide discussions and perspectives on the origin of the Verismo operatic genre, through the explosion of the Neo-Realist film movement, you'll hear an abundance of wonderful clips from both opera and film:

Pagliacci, the unique La Wally, Puccini's popular masterpiece "Tosca,"with the great Maria Callas, and more!

Along with DeSica's "The Bicycle Thief" & Visconti's "Belissima."

Listen to exciting performances throughout the podcast... from opera stars-Franco Corelli, Giuseppe DiStefano, and Renata Tebaldi...along with gripping performances from film legends-Anna Magnani & Sophia Loren.

Join us, Nick and Glenn, as we talk about 2 Classic Film Musicals: West Side Story, & The Sound of Music, both directed by the versatile, Robert Wise, in this Variety Attic Short!

We'll discuss how director, Robert Wise, (The Haunting, The Hindenburg, Two for the Seesaw) who had never directed a film musical before, evolved into a man who would give us two of the greatest of all time and might I add, make improvements upon the original Broadway productions.

We'll also talk about the writer of both, Ernst Lehmann, and his enormous part in each undertaking, plus a bit about original casting, adaptation, dubbing, and a mention of the other creative forces involved such as: Julie Andrews, Leonard Bernstein, Marnie Nixon, Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers and many others. In addition we'll play a few of the great musical clips from both films that have become classic and legendary.

Join us, Nick & Glenn, as we pay homage to The Forgotten Men of World War I, marking it's Centennial, this very year.

Listen in as we play its iconic music during and after the war, such as: Enrico Caruso's " Over There," & Bing Crosby's "Brother, can you spare a dime?"

Also, a discussion of great World War I films along with clips from: "All quiet on the western front," "The Roaring Twenties," with Jimmy Cagney, & "Broken Lullaby," with Lionel Barrymore.

Throughout, Nick enlightens us with fascinating facts and history of the war such as The World War Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924 (bonuses for the vets that could not be redeemed till 1945) that ended up in a mass riot at Roosevelt's White House; and concludes the podcast with his own personal sentiments about WWI, and his parents involvement in WWII, a familial connection.

Join us, Nick and Glenn as we discuss three movie gems to usher in the holiday spirit: "The Bells of St. Mary," (1945) "The Bishop's Wife,"(1947) and the lesser known, but must-see,"Come to the Stable" (1949). All three films depicting a moral decision that has to be made involving property, and all three involving members of the clergy.

You'll hear the golden tones of Bing Crosby, alongside Ingrid Bergman in "The Bells of St. Mary," Loretta Young who stars in both "The Bishops Wife," and "Come to the Stable," along with Celeste Holm, the Bishop himself, David Niven, Gladys Cooper, and Cary Grant, as the best looking angel to come along…probably ever.

It's our way of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas and wishing you all a very merry!

Join us, Nick & Glenn, as we take a look and listen to recordings of American and British performers who entertained and recorded in London in the 1930's, 40's and 50's.

Straight from Nick's former record label, Encore Productions, we play selections from "Oklahoma!" "Annie get your gun," plus 2 spectacular numbers by the last of the red hot mama's herself, Sophie Tucker!

Also included in this very special episode, is an interview with one of the veterans of this time and her experiences performing in Rodger's and Hammerstein's Oklahoma and Carousel, Margot Moser, along with audio clips of her own singing from these shows.

Finally, for a change, we talk a bit about our professional pasts and connection, in relation to this wonderful period of time, when Americans traveled to London pre WWll and post to perform the likes of Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Leonard Bernstein and many more.

Take a listen to some great, great music and some great history!

Join us, Nick and Glenn as we embark on a new thing, a Variety Attic short. That's right folks, a podcast made for the day and age we're living in-a short attention span...

On our first of these we explore the conspiracy theories over why Frank Sinatra walked off the film set of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel."

Was it that he was never told certain scenes would have to be shot twice? Or did Ava Garnder have something to do with it…?

Listen in as we dig into all the juicy details while listening to the chairman of the board himself, in just under ten minutes!

Join us, Nick & Glenn, as we explore the Italian Giallo's and German Krimi's of the 60's & 70's from the films of Dario Argento to the film adaptaion's of Edgar Wallaces' stories.

(Including films such as "Deep Red," The Dead Eyes of London," and much more.)

Along with the usual discussion of audio film clips and fun facts, we also discuss the plight of dubbing in foreign film, American version of foreign film and the differences between the two. We also take a funny look at America's answer to these European masterpieces, The Slasher Film.

Included in the podcast are a couple of terrific musical sound bites of the great scoring of some of these films. After hearing these, you'll be shouting Bravo Giallo!

We close the show by taking a look at what's scary now versus what was scary then-a more imaginative, creative, and sexier era of film making.

Join us, Nick & Glenn, as we explore Kids gone WRONG in Cinema from the 1930's to current day.

Opening with Veda from "Mildred Pierce," we move through time visiting a host of other disturbed youths such as: Rhoda Penmark in "The Bad Seed," Mary in "The Children's Hour," Norman in "Psycho," Gage in "Pet Cemetery," and many more. Pathological liars, Sociopaths, Ghostly Possesions, and Evil Reincarnations; whatever makes these kids tick, we talk about it here along with great classic audio clips, and some musical ones as well!

Nick and Glenn discuss the legend of Faust in Classic Film and Opera along with audio clips. Films include: "The Devil and Daniel Webster,"(19th century-America) "Bedazzled," ( the mod 1960's of London) "Damn Yankees," (based on the Broadway Musical Comedy) and "Rosemary's Baby." (New York City 1968)

In Opera: "Faust," by Gounod, "Mefistofele," by Boito, and "La Damnation of Faust," by Berlioz.

They wrap it up with a bit of social commentary on Faust in the 21st Century and the probable criteria to sell one's soul in the millenial age.