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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are many common themes and characteristics when it comes to Christmas in classic movies (Santa, gifts, trees with SO much tinsel), but there are also several ways vintage Hollywood films play with the idea of what the holiday should look like and how people feel about it. This compilation shows both those familiar patterns and the more rebellious points of view.
