We’re giving you all a blast from the past today by republishing one of our favorite bonus episodes from last year. This one’s all about actor Edwin Booth, and features a very special appearance from distinguished guest host Brody Karn, Esquire. Enjoy!

In one of the most off the rails of This Was a Thing (Member’s Edition), Rob and Ray learn all about 19th Century actor Edwin Booth. Brody Karn, Esquire, tries to keep the boys on track as Mary Todd Lincoln gets a job at Denny’s, The Booth Family does Hairspray, and Seinfeld tries Shakespeare. 

If you like what we’re doing, and want to hear more of this type of bonus episode content, please support us on Patreon or subscribe to our membership on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Brody Karn

If you’re like most people, you’ll want to find a job you’re pretty good at, you enjoy, doesn’t require a huge amount of work, and also makes you a decent living. And it’s a nice bonus if other people think we’re decent at it, too. As it happens, a tall red-haired comedy writer and performer found that perfect niche for himself: hosting late night TV. But when behind-the-scenes tensions rose and contractual drama ensued, this much-loved, beautifully pompadoured man suddenly found himself on the outs at the very network he’d been loyally hosting for decades - and it’s still unclear who’s exactly to blame…

Ray teaches Rob about Conan O’Brien’s history as a comedy writer and performer; his rise to fame after he took up the “Late Night” mantle from beloved host David Letterman; the kooky characters and cameos that endeared Conan to his viewers; Jay Leno’s ascendancy to hosting fame and Conan and his competing claims to NBC’s coveted “Tonight Show” crown; the unexpected appearance of economic correspondent Robert Krulwich; and who was really the “villain” in this whole debacle?

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon or subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Thank you as always for your support, and if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

First Tonight Show 9/27/54

Jack Paar’s First intro

Johnny Carson’s Last Tonight Show

Late Night With David Letterman Theme

Tonight Show With Johnny Carson Final Episode - May 22, 1992 (1080p60)

Tonight Show With Jay Leno - First Episode - 5/25/92

Late Show #1, August 30, 1993, Full, Stereo

Simpsons - Monorail Song

The First Episode of “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”

David Letterman on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” 02/28/94

The President in Crisis - 9/17/98

Triumph Attends the Premiere of “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones”

The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien

Law & Order Sound Effect (Hq) +Download Link]

Kanye West Cries on Jay Leno!! Apologize to Taylor SWIFT

Dave Responded to Jay’s “Don’t Blame Conan”

Jimmy Kimmel Rips Leno for Ruining Conan

Conan’s Goodbye

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Want to learn to be a real actor? Well, if you’re willing to plumb the depths of emotionally devestating experiences from your childhood and past, or living your life in the exact circumstances of your character, then you’re in luck! Doesn’t sound appealing? To most people, those kind of ideas (drawing on memories to inform a performance and “being” your character) is the epitome of what’s known as “method acting.” But in fact, there really isn’t just one “method” - and as it turns out, that idea of an acting method is a relatively recent - and controversial - concept…

Rob teaches Ray about the “method” technique of acting, and how the idea of a systematic approach to acting developed; how Konstantin Stanislavski impacted acting education by exploring the intersection of psychology and performing in his theatre work; the different interpretations and teachers who branched off from Stanislavski’s ideas; the many notable actors who have emerged from these acting schools; and whether the “method” or “system” of acting is still considered the gold-standard in modern stage and screen acting.

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon or subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

His Girl Friday (1940) - a Better Offer Scene (1/12) | Movieclips

Gone With the Wind (1/6) Movie Clip - Scarlett Meets Rhett (1939) HD

A Streetcar Named Desire (5/8) Movie Clip - I’m the King Around Here (1951) HD

What Is Method acting?

Clip of Lee Strasberg Directing Katherine Cortez, 1979

Stella Adler: Awake and Dream! From “American Masters”

What Is the Meisner Technique: The Repetition Exercise (Part 1)

Sanford Meisner Master Class Screener

Sanford Meisner - Meisner Techique

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Life is full of questions: Why are we here? What’s the point? How can I possibly get tickets to see Taylor Swift? But when Californians concerned about declines in milk consumption decided to revamp their marketing approach, they had a different two-word question in mind. And that question became a slogan, which then became a viral sensation that rocketed the ad campaign into public awareness, and is still immediately recognizable more than thirty years later.

Rob teaches Ray about the California Milk Processor Board and its hand in creating the viral “Got Milk?” campaign; other beverage ads of that era that inspired the marketing of milk; how Michael Bay created an award-winning ad - about milk - that went viral; how the simple tagline on these ads became an instantly recognizable meme; and whether or not the “Got Milk?” campaign actually accomplished its goal: make people drink more milk!

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreonor subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Oscar Mayer Wiener 1965 Commercial

‘Don’t Squeeze the Charmin!’ Commercial (1970)

Classic Tootsie Roll Commercial - “How Many Licks”

Coca-Cola Classic Ad: ‘Mean’ Joe Greene (Full Version) (1979)

Where’s the Beef?

Milk Commercial 1985

Milk Commercial (1986)

1990 Commercials Milk It Does a Body Good 1)

Snapple - Wendy the Snapple Lady ’90s Commercials Compilation

Mountain Dew Tv Commercial Early 90s

Sprite - Obey Your Thirst | 1992

Be Like Mike Gatorade Commercial (ORIGINAL)

Michael Bay Original Got Milk Commercial 1993 Who Shot Alexander Hamilton? Aaron Burr

A 1993 Time Capsule 📼Retro Commercials Vol 413

Got Milk? - Heaven or Hell

Got Milk? Commercial

Got Hamilton? Parody Commercial

Got Milk? - Ana Educational Foundation

“Happy Bee,” “Deadly Roulette,” “Peppy Pepe,” “Autumn Day,” “Fuzzball Parade”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rimshot / Ba-Dum-Tss (GarageBand Interpretation) - YouTube

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Most people would probably say “Yes” immediately if someone agreed to pay them a million dollars for spending time on an island. But what if you had to undergo challenges like eating beetle larvae, and be judged by a jury of your peers in order to get the money? Oh, also, finding a place to poop is not fun. That may not sound like your ideal vacation, but to the first-season contestants on Survivor, that was their reality for the 39-day duration of the show. And to the millions of people who were glued to the screen, they witnessed a seminal moment of television that helped define a genre and has continued to this day.

Ray teaches Rob about the first season of Survivor and how its creators and producers, Charlie Parsons and Mark Burnett, made their dream reality show an actual reality; why psychologists are essential to the casting of the show; Ray’s deep love for Mr. Jeff Probst, the show’s legendary host; moments of the first season that have become part of Survivor canon; the strong personalities that made up the show’s original sixteen-person cast; and how Survivor has innovated on its formula since the first season.

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon or subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Sue’s Famous Rat and Snake speech

Survivor Borneo Rudy Likes Rich Not in a Homosexual way

Survivor Borneo in 19 Minutes!

Survivor 1 Borneo Opening Credits High Quality

“Happy Bee"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Hot off the presses! As some of you might know, just last week, the members of SAG-AFTRA - the union which represents TV and film actors - went on strike for the first time in decades. And while we’re not really a current events podcast (see the “Retro Podcast” subtitle), these types of battles over contracts and pay have been going on between producers and actors for as long as studios have existed, and probably even longer. And in one particular battle in 1987, when a famous actress asked for contract changes, she wasn’t fired from any ol’ show - she was pushed out of a sitcom that was literally named after her.

Rob teaches Ray about Valerie Harper, her award-winning career, and why she was ignominiously fired from her eponymous sitcom; the clash of comedic sensibilities on “Valerie”; Jason Bateman’s literal role in all this; another rockin’ 80s theme song; and how the fallout from Valerie Harper’s firing and subsequent lawsuit made producers much more cautious about future TV fights with stars.

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon or subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Song on the Sand (La Da Da Da)

Valerie Harper Discusses “Rhoda”’s Wedding- EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

Me & the Chimp (1972)

Valerie (1986–1991) Opening Credits (The Hogan Family)

Jodie Sweetin in Valerie

Valerie Harper Discusses the Series “Valerie” - TelevisionAcademy.com/Interviews

Valerie Harper on Letterman, February 13, 1990

Hogan Family / Valerie Tv Show (Season 2 clips)

The Hogan Family (1991) Ho, Ho, Hogans

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

You are not going to f#$%ing believe this: we have another Hollywood-themed episode for you! This time, though, we’re moving past the Hollywood Blacklist and looking at a different kind of censorship: the movie ratings system. That’s right, we’re doing a deep dive into who exactly is behind that four capital letter organization you see next to each rating, and why we’re stuck with the system we’ve got. So buckle in and get ready, because s*&%’s about to get crazy here at This Was A Thing.

Rob teaches Ray about the origins of art censorship across the globe, and the different approaches countries have taken over the centuries; how the United States decided that motion pictures needed a similar kind of oversight; the infamous Hayes code, and the man behind it; why the church actually disapproved of certain parts of the government intervention; Ray’s favorite Steven Spielberg and MPAA story; and how ratings continue to impact a film’s commercial success, despite claims to the contrary.

If you like what we're doing, please support us on Patreon or subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message at our website!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Pre Code Hollywood

Firing Line With William F. Buckley Jr.: Censorship and the Production Code

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Full Movie

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Getting Angry, Baby?

Girl on a Motorcycle 1968 Trailer

This Film Is Not Yet Rated Part 1

Trumbo (2015) - Writing for the King Brothers Scene (3/10) | Movieclips

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) - Trailer Hd 1080p

X Rating Press Conference at Mpaa - Silverlight Entertainment

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989) Trailer 1

This Film Is Not Yet Rated Trailer

“Happy Bee,” “Teddy Bear Waltz,” “Chipper,” “Retro Future Nasty,” and “Rocket”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Happy Fourth of July, dear listeners! Since this day is typically all about celebrating independence, we thought we'd throw a little controversy into the mix (classic This Was A Thing) by revisiting an episode of America's history where a select group of people was targeted by the U.S. government for suspicions of communist associations and beliefs. And one community at the center of this suspicion was Tinseltown itself - Hollywood.

Rob teaches Ray about the Hollywood blacklists and why studio heads like Walt Disney and Louis B. Mayer accused notable writers and directors of inserting communism into their screenplays; how ten men became the face of the resistance standing up to the studios; Ronald Regan's opinion on the matter; the consequences paid for pushing back against these attacks; the betrayals and backstabbing occurring on all sides; and whether "blacklisting" still exists today.

And to celebrate the holiday, we’re releasing the extended, ad-free version of today’s episode, which we make for our Patreon supporters and Apple Podcast subscribers, for everyone! If you like what you hear, please consider supporting us on Patreon or signing up for our subscription option in the Apple Podcasts app. Thank you!

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Hollywood ‘Red’ Probe, HUAC Hearings Begin 1947/10/20 - YouTube

1947 Walt Disney Testifies at HUAC - YouTube

Louis B Mayer HUAC Testimony, 1947 - YouTube

Herbert Biberman HUAC Testimony Excerpt, 1947 - YouTube

Ring Lardner, Jr., one of the “Hollywood 10,” on testifying before HUAC - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG - YouTube

Howard Lawson HUAC Testimony Excerpt, 1947 - YouTube

Sam Ornitz HUAC Testimony Excerpt, 1947 - YouTube

Dalton Trumbo HUAC Testimony Excerpt, 1947 - YouTube

The Hollywood Ten (1950) - YouTube

YouTube

Edward Dmytryk en el documental “Hollywood on Trial” (1976) - YouTube

Kirk Douglas, Spartacus, and Dalton Trumbo - YouTube

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Please note: this episode contains content and discussion about the death of an infant and child kidnappings.

Charles Lindbergh may have earned himself the nickname “Lucky Lindy” and captivated the world with his record-setting solo flight from New York to Paris, but sadly, he may be best remembered for the tragedy that befell him and his family in 1932. And while the nation mourned Lindbergh’s child, little did they know that the controversy around this case would continue for decades to come. In fact, the investigation itself would set a precedent for how, and whether, celebrities should be allowed to exercise influence over police proceedings.

Rob teaches Ray about the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Junior, the mysterious ransom request made by the kidnapper, and the terrible discovery of the child’s body only a couple of months later; the man imprisoned for and charged with the crime of the kidnapping, Bruno Hauptmann; the evidence provided to secure Hauptmann’s execution; Lindbergh’s personal involvement in the investigation of his child’s abduction; and why questions about this case and its outcome have persisted over the past century.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Case

Where Baby Lindbergh Was Found (1932)

The Lindbergh Kidnapping - Reel 1 (1930–1939)

1935 Trial of Bruno Hauptmann

Lindbergh Baby Case Aka the Lindbergh Kidnapping - Reel 2

Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping/ Bruno Hauptmann Trial, 1932–35

“Happy Bee” and "Bad Idea (Clean)”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Calling Dick Tracy! Calling Dick Tracy! This Was A Thing has a mystery only a seasoned, hard-boiled comic strip detective can solve: why did a movie based on such a popular character, whose story stretches all the way from the 1930s through the late 20th century, fail to make a splash at the box office even though it featured a cotillion of celebrities? Well, call up the Retouchables and grab your trenchcoat, because this one’s a doozy…

Rob teaches Ray about the cartoonist Chester Gould’s most iconic creation, Dick Tracy; the highly problematic stereotypes that Gould’s comic strip and its cartoon adaptation contained; why the original Superman movie revived interest in putting Tracy on the big screen; the convoluted path Warren Beatty took to secure the film rights for Dick Tracy, and how he subsequently went on to direct and star in the infamous cinematic adaptation; the who’s who of Hollywood celebs featured in the movie; and why a film that was relatively well-reviewed and received by fans has never had any sort of resurgence in popular culture like other cult favorites. 

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Siskel & Ebert - Dick Tracy (1990)

Dick Tracy Special

Dick Tracy: Behind the Badge (Tv Special, 1990)

Al Pacino Hilarious Rant Scene (Dick Tracy)

Madonna: Sooner or Later (Dick Tracy Footage)

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro