Mar 8, 2024

On YouTube: Saucy Pre-Code Moments Part Four

 

There are a lot of familiar patterns and themes in classic pre-Code Hollywood movies (the time period roughly between 1930-34), as can be seen in this collection of clips. Censors found it too racy, but these classic films were also honest, humorous, and adult in a way movies never were again in quite the same way, both in classic movies and on to modern times. 

I have so much fun making Pre-Code videos. A part five is coming. Here's what I've done so far: 



Feb 23, 2024

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Talking Melodrama with Millie de Chirico

Melodrama, it’s much more than Douglas Sirk-directed mid-century dramas, I had a great talk with writer, film programmer, podcaster, and teacher Millie De Chirico about what melodrama really means, what we love about it, and the surprising places you can find melodrama, from horror to action flicks. 


Check out the fantastic book Millie wrote with Quatoyiah Murry TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema 







Follow Millie-- 
Twitter: @milliedechirico 
Instagram: @debbie_country 
BlueSky: @milliedechirico.bsky.social 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public 




Feb 16, 2024

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Robert Dance, Author of Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford's March Towards Stardom

There are few stars who have reached the heights that Joan Crawford did. In his book Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom my guest Robert Dance explores how she rose from childhood poverty to the top of her industry where she maintained a successful career for over four decades. We talked about her drive and talent for business and how she was a surprising feminist presence in mid-century cinema. 


Check out the gorgeous photos on the official Ferocious Ambition Instagram account

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month


You can also support my work on ko-fi



Feb 9, 2024

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Nat Segaloff, Author of Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface

The two cinematic versions of Scarface were influential films which reflected their times, the thirties and eighties respectively. The prolific Nat Segaloff explores their legacy in Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface, a fascinating book that draws on Nat’s industry experience and considerable research skills. We talked about the effect these movies had, the people who made them remarkable, and what it was like to meet Scarface director Brian De Palma. 




You can purchase Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface here

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month


You can also support my work on ko-fi



Feb 2, 2024

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Odie Henderson, Author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema

Film critic Odie Henderson has applied his vast film knowledge and solid storytelling skills to the writing of an excellent new book Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema. We discussed the stars, creators, triumphs, and key films of this rich period in cinematic history. 




Odie's film reviews: 


 

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month


You can also support my work on ko-fi



Jan 26, 2024

On YouTube--Magnificent Marlene Dietrich Moments: The von Sternberg Years

 

The seven films director Josef von Sternberg made with Marlene Dietrich are a remarkable record of the filmmaker’s obsession with his star. From the cheap cabaret of The Blue Angel to the grandeur of The Scarlet Empress, von Sternberg explored different settings, but coached Dietrich to maintain a familiar array of characteristics in each film. From the way she moved and spoke, to the little bits of business that gave the woman she played life, there is one Dietrich who rises out of the seven women she played for the director who made her not only a star, but a legend. 

Films in video: 
The Blue Angel (1930) 
Morocco (1930) 
Dishonored (1931) 
Shanghai Express (1932) 
Blonde Venus (1932) 
The Scarlet Empress (1934) 
The Devil is a Woman (1935)

Dec 20, 2023

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Authors of Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère

 


Eleanor Powell was Hollywood’s best female tapper, but she isn’t nearly as well known as screen hoofers like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. With their book Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance my guests Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère are working to fix that cultural oversight. Having been dancers themselves, they offer a fascinating perspective on this one-of-a-kind star’s style. We talked about the uniquely skilled Powell, who was as engaging as a person as she was a performer, and Paula and Lisa’s own relationship with her in her later years.

 

Connect with Paula and Lisa: 


Paula’s Twitter/X: @PMBroussard 
Lisa’s Twitter/X: @pamelisa 


Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month


You can also support my work on ko-fi