Podcasts for Classic Film Fans: January Round-up

I spent a lot of my holiday break catching up on podcasts, including some great new-to-me shows which I continued to explore throughout January. All episode titles link to the show. If you know of a great podcast, even your own show, let me know in the comments!

Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!
Son of Frankenstein Actor Donnie Dunagan, Part 1
(Part 2 is here)
Episode 231
August 29, 2019

I’d long heard that Gilbert Gottfried was a big classic film fan, so I finally got around to searching his podcast archives to see if he’d done any interesting episodes on the subject. I loved this conversation with former child actor Donnie Dunagan, who is perhaps most famous for providing the voice of the titular deer in Bambi (1942). The cheerful Dunagan has an amazing memory; he recalls things as far back as when he was four years old. He’s clearly delighted to share his stories, which makes it all the more enjoyable to hear them. Among the gems: as a child he played checkers with Boris Karloff!

Criterion Channel Surfing
Family Matters
Episode 5
December 26, 2019

I can already tell this new podcast dedicated to the offerings on Criterion Streaming is going to be a useful tool for navigating the service. I’ve often found myself drawn to old favorites when I’m on Criterion and needed a show like this to push me into trying new titles. On this episode, host Josh Hornbeck discusses limited engagements on the channel with regular guest Michael Hutchins and The Complete podcast host Michael Gasteier shares tips for managing the enormous number of titles available to stream, many of which expire each month. The title information is mostly about movies that left the service at the end of December, but I highly recommend checking out future episodes for that kind of information as well.

The Full Price Podcast
House of Seven Gables (1940)
December 29, 2019
Episode 10

Beautifully produced, well-researched, and peppered with fascinating clips, I enjoyed this exploration of Vincent Price’s role in the underappreciated House of Seven Gables (1940). This is my first time listening to this podcast dedicated to the career of Price and I am looking forward to hearing more episodes.

Maltin on Movies

Ted Sarandos

January 10, 2020

I shouldn’t be surprised that Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos is such a huge movie nerd, but I guess I always knew more about the business side of his skillset. He is a great businessman: intuitive, bold, and open to change, but in his conversation with Leonard and Jessie Maltin he reveals the films and personal tastes that molded and continue to influence his career as a streaming innovator.

The Movies That Made Me

Roger and Julie Corman

January 7, 2020

Roger Corman has the most soothing voice. That’s reason enough to listen to this episode featuring the director/producer famous for starting many a Hollywood career and his wife and partner Julie Corman. They share a lot of interesting insights about the state of the movie business, their favorite films, and the many big personalities they have met over the course of their successful careers.

You Must Remember This/Make Me Over

Hollywood’s First Weight Loss Surgery: Molly O’Day

Episode 1

January 20, 2020

I loved the first episode of Karina Longworth’s special 8 episode series, Make Me Over, in which several contributors present various takes on the intersection of beauty and Hollywood. In this episode, writer Megan Koester shares the history of Molly O’Day, an actress who in 1929 was the first star to endure highly-publicized weight loss surgery. It’s a fascinating show, though I suggest not eating while listening.