Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today

“I sing for myself. I sing when I want to whenever I want to.  Just for me. I sing for my own pleasure.”

Was Judy Garland playing a character—or revealing herself?

In her final completed feature film, “I Could Go On Singing “ (1963), Garland plays Jenny Bowman, an international singing sensation adored by millions but desperately lonely when the curtain falls. It's a haunting swan song in which the line between performance and reality becomes almost impossible to distinguish.

This week, we explore the film’s troubled production, Garland’s compelling chemistry with co-star Dirk Bogarde, and the emotional tug-of-war between a mother, her former lover, and the son she longs to know.

Part backstage melodrama, part intimate portrait of a legendary performer, “I Could Go On Singing” offers a haunting glimpse of the loneliness behind the applause.

Join us as we revisit Judy Garland’s poignant cinematic farewell—and discover why this often-overlooked film deserves another

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Remember “The Swan,“ “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover”? Reality TV promised us that with a little help, anyone could become a whole new person. But what if the ultimate makeover cost you your soul and ultimately your life? Think “Extreme Makeover: Nightmare Edition.”

This week, for our Halloween celebration, we dive into just that proposition as we discuss John Frankenheimer’s “Seconds” (1966), a chilling psychological thriller starring Rock Hudson as a man desperate to escape his seemingly perfect life. When a mysterious organization offers him a new face, new identity, and a second chance, the American Dream becomes a nightmare.

We explore Hudson’s inspired casting, the film’s nightmarish visuals, its haunting themes of identity and alienation, and its eerie relevance in our image-obsessed world.

Booed at Cannes and rejected by audiences, Seconds has since become a cult classic. Join us as we peel back the layers of one of Hollywood’s most disturbing films—and discover why its warning about reinventing ourselves is more relevant than ever.

After all, be careful what you wish for. You might just get it! 

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

What happens when a man turns his back on everything society tells him he should want?

In the aftermath of World War I, one man’s search for spiritual enlightenment takes him from the glittering drawing rooms of high society to the mountains of India. But the pursuit of inner peace comes at a price—and not everyone is willing to pay it.

Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s celebrated novel, The Razor’s Edge (1946) stars Tyrone Power in one of his most unconventional roles, alongside Gene Tierney, Anne Baxter, and Clifton Webb. Behind the film’s glamorous surface lies a provocative exploration of love, ambition, obsession, and the elusive meaning of happiness.

Join us as we explore the fascinating story behind this Darryl F. Zanuck production, its extraordinary cast, and the timeless questions that make The Razor’s Edge as compelling today as it was eighty years ago.

Sometimes the hardest journey is the one that leads to yourself.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Mel Brooks famously said that the only way to get even with Hitler is to make fun of him. Although Mel said it, he wasn’t the first to do it. That honor goes to Charles Chaplin (The Great Dictator”, 1940) and to the director of our film for today, the legendary Ernst Lubitsch and his brilliant political satire from 1942, “To Be or Not To Be.”

To be or not to be, that is the question of this movie. A troupe of second rate actors are the last line of defense against the onslaught of fascism and somehow it’s hilarious and terrifying at the same time. We walk through why this wartime dark comedy still feels so modern today,  from the brilliantly incisive dialogue, to the sleight of hand structure, to the hysterical and meta performances of its stars: the incomparable Jack Benny and the luminous Carole Lombard, in her final screen performance. 

The story keeps asking “what’s real and what’s staged?” as characters impersonate other characters, romances collide with resistance work, and jokes snap into suspense without warning. Along the way, we dig into what people mean by “the Lubitsch touch” and why the film’s sharp dialogue and careful misdirection reward repeat viewings. 
This film also kicks off our listener requested “Swan Songs” series, as it’s impossible to separate the movie from the legacy of the great Carole Lombard. We talk about her brilliance on screen, her war bond tour, and the tragic circumstances that made this her final film, adding a haunting layer to an already daring piece of political comedy.
If you enjoy deep dives into Hollywood’s golden age, subscribe to Going Hollywood, share this episode with a film lover, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. What’s the boldest comedy you’ve ever seen take on real world horror?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

A great sitcom can survive a lot, but it can’t survive forgetting who it is. We’re back for Part Two of our “Laverne & Shirley” 50th anniversary celebration, and we dig into why that basement apartment window, the working-class charm, and “Making Our Dreams Come True” still feel so alive 50 years later. The early seasons don’t just deliver laughs, they build a world where being the underdog is the whole point.

So, we give one last hurrah to the Milwaukee era, remembering a few more of our favorite (and one of the most famous) episodes, and then we get honest about the big shift that changes everything: the move to California. We talk TV network decisions, time slot damage, new characters that don’t click, and how the show loses its original magic even when there are still a few fun late-season nuggets, including an appearance by “goddess-of-the-pod” herself, Carrie Fisher. We also unpack the behind-the-scenes reality of Cindy Williams’ exit and why it still stings for fans.

Subscribe, share the show with a fellow classic TV lover, and leave a rating and review. What’s your all-time favorite “Laverne & Shirley” moment, and when do you think the series should’ve ended?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We're making our dreams come true today, as we dive into the wonderfully wacky world of our two favorite Milwaukee bottle-cappers while they transverse life, love, and a little vo-de-oh-doh-doh. Yes, we’re talking about Ms. DeFazio and Ms. Feeney today, in the first of our two part celebration of the 50th anniversary of "Laverne & Shirley"! This situation comedy, which aired on ABC from 1976 until 1983, defines the term “classic television”.  We’re commemorating the show’s 50th by going back to the Milwaukee years, when two blue-collar  turn bad luck into a weekly art form. And yes, we start where the show lives best: big character choices, physical comedy that commits all the way, and jokes that still land because the emotions are real.

In Part One, we talk about how the series spins out of “Happy Days”, why Gary Marshall had to “rebuild” the characters for the family hour, and how Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams create a partnership that feels equal in a way TV rarely gets right. Along the way, we dig into the “Lucy” influence, the chemistry that makes absurd situations believable, and the secret sauce of supporting players like Lenny and Squiggy when they stay as just that: support. 

We also set the table for Part Two, where a terrible plot turn and growing backstage dramas change everything about the show we love so much. But that’s for later; today grab a Scooter-pie and a milk and Pepsi a join us in the festivities as we pay tribute to a TV classic. 

If you enjoy the show, subscribe so you don’t miss the next chapter, and please leave a rating or review so more classic TV fans can find us.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

It's our 100th episode!! And we have something extra special in mind to commemorate the occasion.  We looked back 100 years to find a film that is widely considered one of the greatest silent films of all time - from 1926, it's Buster Keaton's masterpiece "The General". 

 A silent film where the biggest romantic rival is a locomotive sounds like a joke until Buster Keaton turns it into one of the most ambitious action comedies ever put on screen. It's a Civil War era train-chase epic that mixes breathtaking stunt work, meticulous visual storytelling, and a surprisingly dark sense of humor. We walk through why the premise is so clean and timeless: a railroad engineer loses the girl, loses the train, chases the train, and accidentally becomes a hero.

We also get honest about what makes "The General" complicated. A comedy about one of the most tragic events in American history? That was what Buster Keaton took on in 1926, and its a choice that baffled many audiences and critics on release,  especially in an era when audiences expected war movies to be solemn and sentimental.  The lukewarm reception had a prolonged effect on the great comic's career, and after the film’s messy rollout and the initial box office disappointment, Keaton's career began a slow but steady slide into near oblivion.  The film's eventual re-evaluation and celebration by later generations is one of the most surprising and heartwarming stories in Hollywood history, and the long turnaround eventually put "The General" alongside the most celebrated movies ever preserved and praised.

If you love classic Hollywood, silent cinema, or practical stunts that modern CGI cannot replace, press play, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a rating and review so more film fans can find the next hundred.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

The news hit like a gut punch: Dolly is gone, and somehow the whole world is mourning at once. We needed to talk it out, but since laughter through tears is our favorite emotion, not with a stats-heavy deep dive, but with the stories, songs, laughs, and screen moments that made her feel bigger than celebrity and closer than a neighbor. 

We look back at the Dolly we met through film and television, from "9 to 5" (1980) to "Steel Magnolias" (1989) to the pure guilty-pleasure fun of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982),  plus a real soft spot for "Straight Talk" (1992). Along the way we dig into what made her performances work and that made even the lightest scenes feel true. And of course we talk music, including why “I Will Always Love You” lands differently in Dolly’s intimate original and why “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” has carried so many of us through hard nights.  Plus "Jolene", "Here You Come Again", "Coat of Many Colors" and all the songs that make up the fabric of our lives.

We’re joined by two friends of the pod who bring Dolly into sharper focus. Playwright Del Shores shares personal meetings that capture her kindness and her lack of judgment. Author and documentarian Randy Schmidt talks about growing up with Dolly on TV, her master plan to become a “universal star,” and gives us  a sneak peak at his upcoming documentary, "Dolly Uncovered" . We also honor the heart behind the legend, from quiet generosity to the Imagination Library’s massive impact on kids and families. 

So don't feel like a bastard at a family reunion! Join us as we discuss this universally beloved star.  Listen, share it with a fellow fan, and subscribe for more. Then leave a review and tell us your favorite Dolly song or movie, what is yours?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

The line hits like a slap- literally: “Let me tell you the truth for once in my life...I was the slut of all time!” From that notorious confession, we jump into one of the most infamous Hollywood melodramas of all time, MGM’s "Butterfield 8". Today on "Going Hollywood" we're unpacking this notorious guilty pleasure from 1960, and why this film is widely called trash while still being weirdly hard to look away from. 

We dig into the behind-the-scenes story that makes "Butterfield 8" essential Hollywood gossip history: Elizabeth Taylor reportedly despised the script, rushed to finish her final MGM contract, and pushed for demands that shaped the production, including New York locations and a role for Eddie Fisher. Then we get into the on-screen chaos: Gloria Wandrous as “call girl” versus “model,” the Production Code-era dance around sex, and the film’s relentless need to shame and punish its heroine. Along the way, we talk about Lawrence Harvey’s chilly performance, the mink coat plot trigger, and that marathon car crash finale. 

The most revealing part might be the meta-layer. "Butterfield 8" plays as a commentary on Taylor’s real-life scandal with Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, right down to casting and styling choices that feel pointed. We also explain the title itself as a phone exchange tied to Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and we trace how Taylor’s near-death illness and tracheotomy helped shape her first Best Actress Oscar narrative, even as many argue Shirley MacLaine deserved the win for "The Apartment". Subscribe, share the episode with a classic film friend, and leave us a review, then tell us: is "Butterfield 8" glorious trash or just trash?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

It's our first crossover episode!

Taking a page from 1990s "Must See TV", today we have a special treat. Join us for a "Going Hollywood/Front Row Classics" crossover event as Tony welcomes FRC's Brandon Davis and guest Ben Burke to the show to discuss the (questionable) guilty classic, MGM's musical remake of "The Women", 1956's "The Opposite Sex" .

We talk about the remake’s biggest swings: adding eye-popping Metro-color, wedging in yawn-inducing production numbers, and most criminal of all: introducing men into the cast!  Add into the mix a murderous row of gifted actresses whose lifeless performances and lack of on-screen chemistry leave this legendary story of real housewife bitchery strangely lifeless, and you're left with the one big question: WHY?  From June Allyson’s lackluster “society wife” energy to Joan Collins as a Crystal who never quite gets her claws, we compare performance, pace, and the intangible spark the original captures so effortlessly.

 If you love classic Hollywood history, MGM musicals," The Women", 1950s fashion, or remake autopsies, you’ll have a lot to argue with us about.

If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share this with a fellow old-movie obsessive, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

A gangster’s superstition turns into a citywide con, and somehow it becomes one of the most humane stories of the 1930s. We’re talking about Frank Capra’s "Lady For A Day" (1933), where Apple Annie sells apples in Times Square and Dave the Dude buys one before every deal like it’s a talisman. When Annie’s daughter returns from Spain expecting a wealthy society mother, Dave and his crew scramble to build a high-society illusion overnight, complete with manners, clothes, and a borrowed life.

What surprised us most is how well the film balances fantasy with real Depression-era texture. Mae Robson makes Annie feel fully lived-in, and we dig into why her performance carries the movie even when she isn’t getting the punchlines. We also get honest about what works less, what characters we wish had more time, and the scene we think could have been milked for even better comedy during Annie’s rapid makeover.

After the film talk, we share listener survey results that overwhelmingly favor the 1930s and 1940s, plus the series and stars you want us to cover next. If you enjoy classic Hollywood podcasts, film history, and thoughtful movie reviews, hit play, subscribe, and share the show. Then leave us a rating and review, and send a text or voicemail so we can feature your thoughts on an upcoming episode.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

One performer. No guest stars. No dancing chorus to hide behind. Just one unbelievably talented and chutzpah-filled 22-year-old staring down the biggest network in America—and winning all the marbles. 

It’s Barbra Streisand in the 1960s.

Today, we revisit her first two iconic CBS television specials, My Name Is Barbra (1965) and Color Me Barbra (1966), and explore how a girl barely out of her teens could make an hour of pure singing feel like must-see television. These weren’t conventional variety shows. They were something closer to the prototype for the modern music video—built around persona, irony, theatrical movement, visual storytelling, and, above all, Streisand’s ability to inhabit a song rather than merely sing it.

We dig into the creative gamble behind Streisand’s five-million-dollar contract, the three-act structure that makes each special play like a miniature stage production, and the extraordinary way she turns every song into a character piece. Along the way, we get into all the backstage happenings:  the elusive studio audience, the tale of five ill-fated penguins, an overly amorous llama, and all the fascinating production choices that helped make these specials feel so different from anything else on television at the time.

So join us as we take a trip into "Streisandland"  circa the 1960s. It’s a journey you won’t soon forget.

If you love classic Hollywood, TV history, or the craft of performance, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a rating and review so more listeners can find Going Hollywood.

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We take a listener recommendation and give Brad one more chance to become a George Stevens fan. Will he? Won't he? You'll have to listen to find out, as we tackle what is, arguably, Steven's masterwork and certainly one of the greatest films of the 1950s: "A Place in the Sun".

One bad decision is a plot. A thousand tiny compromises is a life, and "A Place in the Sun" (1951) stares straight at that truth until it becomes unbearable. We follow Montgomery Clift’s George Eastman as he reaches for the "American Dream", only to find it quickly morph into the American nightmare. Is he a character who truly meant to do harm, or was he  simply a victim of the illusion and promise of the "American Dream"? This one will give you plenty to think about.

We talk about Theodore Dreiser, the real-life murder case that inspired the original novel, and why Stevens’ adaptation chooses implication over explanation in key moments. Then we get nerdy about craft. Stevens’ extreme close-ups, long static shots, and eerie dissolves don’t just look beautiful; they tell us the story in ways that mere dialogue cannot. We also touch on Edith Head’s iconic costumes, Franz Waxman’s sweeping score, the film’s Academy Awards run, Charlie Chaplin’s legendary praise, and the ugly art-versus-commerce fight over TV broadcasts chopped up by commercials.

Finally, there's the cast.  The 17 year-old Elizabeth Taylor, at the peak of her youthful bloom, beauty and possibility;  her polar opposite, Shelly Winters, in a career-defining performance as the young woman who blocks Clift from obtaining his place in the sun and pays the ultimate price for it. There is Clift himself, an American Icarus, whose ambition to attain the American Dream at any cost sends him plummeting to his ultimate destruction.  Listen, then share your take with us: is George Eastman a villain, a casualty, or both? If you like what you hear, subscribe, rate and review, share the show with a friend, and please fill out the survey linked in the show notes.

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

“She croaked the blues right out of the horn.”
So went a famous movie review by-line, and it kills us to  admit it, but it’s true. It’s also true that it is by popular demand that we’re tackling it all…the good, the bad, and the filters, because, it’s today ladies and gentlemen!  From Warner Bros. in 1974, we’re talking about “Mame”.

But we’re going to try to look past the punch lines, and dive into the notorious bomb with a little tenderness and understanding, because the story of how it misfires is more complicated than just “Lucy can’t sing.” We break down the core mismatch of persona that shapes everything, then we widen the lens to the choices around the film. From the direction, to the screenplay, to the  editing, to why a cast this loaded ends up feeling oddly muted (with one magnificent exception).

We also get into the juicy behind-the-scenes turns that fans love: Bette Davis lobbying for Vera, Madeline Kahn originally cast as Agnes Gooch before being fired, and the way musical “surgery” can strip story motivation and emotional payoff. Along the way we still call out what works, including the opening sequence, the sets, and those moments when the movie accidentally becomes mesmerizing as a guilty pleasure.

If you’ve ever argued about a notorious adaptation, or wondered how ambition and timing can derail great material, you’ll have opinions by the end. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow classic film fan, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

"So gentlemen prefer blondes do they?" 

This famous opening line is delivered with more than a little irony by our leading lady, the lethally funny Lil Andrews, in today’s film: MGM’s 1932 pre-Code classic “Red Headed Woman”. After all, the woman saying it is cinema’s most celebrated platinum blonde—Jean Harlow—who trades peroxide for provocation and proceeds to set the screen ablaze as a redhead whose morals are negotiable but whose style is impeccable.  Marriages go smash, reputations take a nosedive, and even murder gets a crack at the spotlight—all served up with a wink and a wicked little laugh by Harlow in her star-making turn as the gold digger to end all gold diggers.

Even in glorious black and white, “Red Headed Woman”  crackles with the fiery havoc Jean Harlow unleashes—and it is easy to see why the film caused such a stir in 1932. We look at what makes this MGM pre-Code lightning strike so distinctive: its glossy style, wicked humor, and gleeful refusal to punish bad behavior on cue. Along the way, we explore the film’s ties to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Anita Loos, Lil Andrews’ ruthless ambition, its blunt view of sex and power, and the Paris ending that pointedly dodges a tidy moral lesson.  We also explore the popularity and prevalence of these morally questionable characters during the depths of the Great Depression, examining why audiences embraced their defiant, anti-establishment attitudes and how the enforcement of the Production Code in 1934 brought their era to an abrupt end. 

If you love classic film history, pre-Code cinema,  and Hollywood’s Golden Age deep dives, hit play, then subscribe, share the episode with a fellow movie lover, and leave us a rating and review so more listeners can find the show.

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

It’s our very own “bottle” episode. Sort of…

Your movie picks are taking over the show today.  A listener voicemail, classic Hollywood wish lists, and a friendly debate over a famous ending all in one relaxed “bottle” hang. Hit play, then tell us what we should cover next?

Along the way, we shout out the people who keep “Going Hollywood” lively with smart opinions, strong taste, and the kind of detailed requests that make our watch list impossible to ignore.

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Could we be more excited about this week's episode?  We know!!

This week, we are hanging out with six of our favorite Gen Xers whose relationship dramas, career travails, sexual exploits and over-caffeinated adventures kept us captivated for a decade. Yes, today we're taking on "Friends".

"Friends" is one of those shows everyone “knows” until you actually sit down and rewatch it and realize how much is going on under the laugh track. It's more than comfort TV; it's a sitcom that not only became a defining piece of television history but also a time capsule of pre-internet social life, coffee shop culture, and a very specific kind of aspirational Manhattan normalcy. 

We talk honestly about the complicated parts, too: the show’s lack of diversity, homophobic punchlines that were common at the time, and recurring body jokes that can make modern viewers wince. Then we zoom in on what still works brilliantly, including multi-camera sitcom timing, live studio audience energy, and how the writing and performances turn simple premises into unforgettable comedy. Along the way, we share development and casting stories, from early working titles to near misses that could’ve changed the entire series. 

Finally, we break down four standout episodes that show "Friends" at peak form. If you’ve rewatched a dozen times or you’re coming back with fresh eyes, this is a smart, funny, clear-eyed look at why "Friends" still sticks. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a rating and review.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we were wrong. It was a GREAT idea to ask the one and only Bruce Vilanch to help us kick off our new “Can’t Stop the Movie!” summer series with the granddaddies  of guilty pleasures, 1980’s disco fiasco “Can’t Stop the Music” and 1977’s “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.”

Bruce discussed his hysterically funny  memoir “It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time” and why “disastrous” TV specials and misguided variety experiments have a longer afterlife now than they did when they first aired. We unpack how "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" even happened, what the cast thought they were signing up for, and why the show’s awkwardness is inseparable from the real pressures of 1970s television and celebrity branding. Along the way, Bruce shares surprising context on Robert Reed and the uncomfortable reality of trying to stay employable and private in that era.

Then we dive into the ultimate guilty pleasure musical, "Can’t Stop the Music" (1980),  the Village People movie produced by Alan Carr. Bruce breaks down the rewrite chaos, the casting carousel that started with Olivia Newton-John, the wild logistics of putting “wholesome” and “macho” in the same frame, and the truly mind-boggling choice of Nancy Walker as director. We also talk disco backlash, box office damage, and why the soundtrack went on to become global party folklore even when the movie cratered.

If you love classic TV, Hollywood history, camp musicals, and behind-the-scenes storytelling, hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who loves a glorious flop. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review.

To get a copy of Bruce’s memoir, "It Seemed Like a Bad Idea At the Time" go to: https://www.amazon.com/Seemed-Like-Bad-Idea-Time/dp/0914091921

To watch “Get Bruce!”(1999) got to https://youtu.be/6ZnU_ZVDmQM?is=bkHdaS6l1tIYcX7d

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

A priceless object. A room full of liars. One detective trying to stay loyal to his own dubious moral code. We’re diving into "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), the Warner Bros classic that turns a hardboiled mystery into the blueprint for film noir, and we’re doing it the way we love best: with story, history, and a few sharp opinions.

We talk about why this is one of the rare movie adaptations that barely flinches from its source, and how John Huston’s “shoot the book” approach creates a fast, propulsive thriller that still feels modern. Along the way, we dig into why Humphrey Bogart becomes the definitive Sam Spade, how noir dialogue works like music, why the film’s moral ambiguity is the whole point, and how "the stuff that dreams are made of" is the stuff of nightmares, too.

If you love classic Hollywood, detective fiction, or film noir history, this one is a feast. Subscribe, share the show with a fellow movie nerd, and leave us a rating and review so more listeners can find Going Hollywood.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We ain't too dadgum ignorant to recognize that Sissy Spacek's Oscar-winning performance as the "Coal Miner’s Daughter," Loretta Lynn, is one of the most startlingly real transformations any actor has made in film history.  Spacek doesn't "act" Loretta Lynn...she becomes the country superstar--from her humbler than humble beginnings as a backwoods mountain girl to the heights of wealth and fame as the big-hearted and big-haired "First Lady of Country Music". It is not only the performance of the year; its a performance for the ages. 

And lending her support is an equally stellar supporting cast, that sadly, went unrecognized by the Academy when the nominations were announced.  Tommy Lee Jones equally transformative turn as Doolittle Lynn, Beverly D’Angelo’s knockout portrayal of Patsy Cline that somehow feels unforgettable even with limited screen time, and a coterie of other players, both actors and non, who help lend the film its aching authenticity. Along the way, we talk about director Michael Apted’s outsider perspective, on-location authenticity, and the little details that make the early Kentucky chapters feel like you’ve stepped into another era. 

Then we get into the messy stuff that great biopics can’t avoid: myth versus fact, what gets softened or sharpened for Hollywood, and the big structural question of how you end a “still-going” life story without a neat tragedy. We also revisit the stacked 1980 Oscars context and why Spacek managed to dominate such a competitive year. 

If you love classic Hollywood, music movies, or performance deep-dives, hit play, subscribe, and share the show. After you listen, leave us a review and tell us what scene or song stays with you most.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Start spreading the news!  

I'm flying solo without Brad this week, so I called in film historian Brandon Davis to help me unpack Martin Scorsese’s flawed but brilliant masterpiece from 1977, "New York, New York" starring the one and only Liza Minnelli and Robert DeNiro. 

We get into why the movie shocks people on first watch: lavish MGM-style sets, painted-backdrop “Technicolor” vibes, and then suddenly two people fighting like it’s a bruising 1970s relationship drama. We talk about Scorsese’s improvisation-heavy process, how that creates both magic and mess, and why Minnelli’s performance is so unexpected when she starts as a tightly controlled big-band singer instead of the full-throttle star persona most people expect. Along the way, we break down the numbers that matter, especially “But The World Goes Round,” the restored “Happy Endings” sequence, and the blockbuster “New York, New York” concert moment that turns the whole film into a showbiz fever dream.  Finally, we address the elephant in the room; the odd but undeniable inspiration director Damien Chazelle took from Scorsese's brilliant film failure to create his mega-hit from 2016, "La La Land".

If you love classic Hollywood, Scorsese deep cuts, movie musical history, or character-driven storytelling, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a film friend, and leave a review, then tell us your verdict: is “New York, New York” a mess, a masterpiece, or both?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We are celebrating someone's birthday today on "Going Hollywood" and it is an occasion truly worth marking: Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday on June 1, 2026. And though it may be odd to think of the ultimate movie sex siren as a centenarian, her image as an ever youthful romantic symbol is forever burnished in celluloid. 

So we feel it's fitting, as we celebrate the life of this screen legend, to take a look at her final, unfinished film; "Something's Got to Give", the 1962 romantic comedy that shut down after a chaotic production and survived only as reconstructed footage. Long maligned as substandard due to Marilyn's alleged anesthetized and pathetic mental state during filming, we discover the exact opposite to be true:  she’s funny, focused, playful, and totally winning as a sophisticated light comedienne. It should have been the birth of a "New Marilyn", instead it became the farewell performance of a movie icon. 

Along the way, we confront the harder context: old Hollywood’s treatment of mental health, the way “difficult” often meant “undiagnosed,” and how Marilyn’s intelligence and business instincts (including her own production company) get erased by the dumb-blonde myth. We end with what happened to the production, the attempted replacement, the lawsuits, the plan to rehire her, and the haunting question of what really happened on the evening of August 4, 1962.

If you enjoy classic Hollywood history, Marilyn Monroe, behind-the-scenes filmmaking, or the real story of "Something’s Got to Give", subscribe, share this episode with a movie-loving friend, and leave us a rating and review. What do you think the finished film would have meant for her legacy?

To watch the remaining footage of “Something’s Got to Give” on YouTube go to https://youtube.com/watch?v=1-WCdD8uJyg&si=m9wOY6-BuEKHZCH_

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

People love to dismiss “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” as “dated,” but that word can hide a much harsher truth: much of the discomfort it dramatizes never fully went away. Stanley Kramer’s 1967 classic is still a relevant thesis that dares to ask the question: "But would you want your daughter to marry one?" If that sounds blunt, it is— and that’s why the movie still sparks arguments decades later.

In this episode we tackle the social politics behind Kramer's provocative comedy, and the Hollywood history that shaped it. 1967 is a hinge year, with “Old Hollywood” going head-to-head with “New Hollywood”, the Production Code Administration losing its grip, and civil and political unrest shaping what studios would risk. 

And then, of course, there's the film's emotional center: the final screen outing of Hollywood's most celebrated romantic pair: Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. We dive into Tracy’s emotional final monologue, filmed under the shadow of his illness, and the meta weight it carries opposite Katharine Hepburn. We also dig into the Oscars context, including Hepburn’s Best Actress win, the competition that year, and how the ceremony was reshaped by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. If you love classic films, Oscars history, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, or movies that test our self-image, hit play, then subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more people can find us.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

"Oh, Donald!"

One gurgling little declaration, and a television icon is born.  Is it Mary Richards? Is it Maude Findlay? Nope. It's "That Girl"!

A sitcom can look light as air and still change what viewers believe is possible. "That Girl", which aired from 1966 to 1971,  does exactly that, and rewatching it now makes the impact even clearer. We talk through why Marlo Thomas’s Anne Marie feels so lovable and so important, even if the show doesn’t get name-checked as often as other classics. The big idea is simple: a young woman moves to New York to chase her dream, pays her own bills (at least in an aspirational TV way), dates on her terms, and keeps her identity bigger than her relationship. 

We dig into the behind-the-scenes story that shaped the tone, from ABC’s early concerns to the surprising pilot changes, plus the push and pull over TV standards around sex, innuendo, and marriage. Marlo’s perspective on “aspiration” becomes the key that unlocks everything, and it also explains why the show’s fashion, apartment, and energy still feel like a blueprint for later hits. If you love classic television, 1960s sitcom history, or feminist pop culture, this is a deep and very fun rabbit hole. 

If That Girl has been sitting in your memory as a faint rerun, this is your nudge to rediscover it. Subscribe, share this with a fellow classic TV fan, and leave us a rating and review so more people can find the show.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Long before she became notorious for her real life mothering skills, Joan Crawford was famous for her portrayal of a reel life mother; one who had an alarming (one may say unnatural) obsession with her oldest child, and one who would go to any lengths...perhaps even murder...to make her child's dreams come true. Yes, today we're taking on the Big C in her Oscar-winning performance  in the noir-tinged soap opera, "Mildred Pierce". 

We’re diving into the 1945 Warner Bros classic that not only returned Joan Crawford to the top of the A-list, but  helped redefine what film noir could look like when the protagonist isn’t a doomed tough guy, the object of desire isn't a curvy blonde, and the lurking menace isn't a gun but a sociopathic daughter.  Along the way, we break down what “noir” really means, from the shadows and camera angles to the fatalistic mood that makes kitchens, staircases, and beach houses feel dangerous. We also get into the film’s delicious genre mash-up: part melodrama, part mystery, all emotional warfare.

Then we go behind the curtain. We compare the movie to James M. Cain’s novel and the HBO miniseries, and we explain how the Production Code reshaped the plot by demanding punishment and a cleaner moral ledger. We also tell the comeback story that makes this film pure Hollywood mythology, including Michael Curtiz’s initial hesitation and Crawford’s legendary Oscar moment.  Plus: Eve Arden, because there is never enough Eve Arden.

Listen, share it with a fellow classic film obsessive, and then leave us a rating and review or send a text or voicemail with your take. Are you on Team Mildred, or do you think she creates the monster she can’t stop loving?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

"I consider this woman to be the greatest actress in the English language."

Thus spoke F. Murray Abraham at the OSCAR podium as he was announcing the winner of the 1985 Best Actress Award. For nearly everyone in the Shrine Auditorium that night, that platitude could only refer to one woman amongst the nominees of Meryl Streep, Ann Bancroft, Whoopi Goldberg and Jessica Lange. It was the final nominee... Geraldine Page. 

In this very special episode of "Going Hollywood" we are joined by writer- director-producer Del Shores to talk about the singular Miss Page and her Oscar winning performance in the beautiful 1985 film version of Horton Foote's legendary play, "The Trip to Bountiful". We discuss the art of Southern storytelling, the “magic” and subtext Foote packs into every line of dialogue,  and the way the film treats family conflict with compassion instead of easy villains. We break down Carrie Watts’ escape from Houston, the small acts of kindness she finds on the road, and the brutal truth waiting at the end of the line: time passes, towns fade, and you still need to see the place that made you. If you’re searching for character driven cinema, classic film analysis, or the best movies about aging and memory, this conversation goes deep.

Then we zero in on Geraldine Page, whose performance won the  Oscar after a long road of nominations. We talk about what makes her acting so rare: specificity, willpower, humor, and the feeling that she’s living each moment. We even get into the film’s craft, from long unbroken shots to the little continuity glitches that reveal how fully this one in a generation artist disappeared into the character of Carrie Watts in her quest to return home to "Bountiful" .

Listen, then subscribe for more Hollywood golden age and classic movie conversations, share the episode with a friend who loves great performances, and leave us a review. What scene from The Trip to Bountiful stays with you the longest?

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

It's that Poppins woman!  

We kick off our "Best Actress" month by celebrating one of the most magical Oscar winners of all time:  Dame Julie Andrews as the practically perfect nanny herself, "Mary Poppins" (1964)!

She blows in on the east wind like a well-dressed surprise and promptly takes charge of the Banks household with one raised eyebrow,  a carpetbag that definitely did not come from any normal shop and a knack for turning chores into sing-along that makes everyday life sparkle—one spoonful of sugar at a time. 

But there's more to the classic Disney film than just its sparkling lead actress; we come away stunned by how much craft is packed into every frame: the Sherman Brothers’ songs, the choreography, the matte-painted London skies, the practical effects, the way live action plays convincingly with animation, and of course the one-of-a-kind supporting cast featuring Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Ed Wynn, Rita Shaw, Hermione Baddeley, and friend of the pod (and Brad) the incomparable Glynnis Johns. 

We also zoom out to the behind-the-scenes power struggle that shaped the final cut, that battles between Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers, and  the tension still hangs around the film’s legacy. Finally, we break down the awards context: Julie Andrews’ performance, the "My Fair Lady" rivalry, and the dubbing controversy that helped shift Hollywood’s expectations for movie musicals.

It’s comfort viewing, sure, but it’s also a blueprint for how to build “movie magic” with discipline and taste. What more is there to say? 

Supercalifragilisticexpalidocious! That's what. 

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Everyone knows the image.  

A man dangling precariously from a clock on the side of a skyscraper, only a handgrip away from plunging to the busy streets below. It must be a scene from a terrifying dramatic thriller, right? Wrong! It's a thriller, alright, but it's from one of the most hilarious comedies every made. From 1923, it's Harold Lloyd in "Safety Last!" 

Long regarded as a masterpiece of silent film comedy, "Safety Last!" features one of the greatest of the greats, the master comedian himself Harold Lloyd, who changed the face of character comedy in ways that can still be felt to this day. In this episode we dig into Lloyd’s place alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and why many fans find Lloyd the most relatable of the “big three" titans of silent film comedy.  We also discuss why, after 100 years, his films still influence generations of comic actors, from Lucille Ball to Jack Lemmon, and films from "What's Up, Doc?" to "The Graduate" to the romantic comedies of today.  

We also break down the film itself and how it was made. The breakneck speed of the comedy, the practical effects and film history behind the climb, including the rooftop perspective trick, the changing downtown LA backgrounds, and the era of real human spider building climbers that inspired the set piece. Then we zoom out to the film’s box office success, its lasting reputation, and what happened to Lloyd when talkies and the Great Depression changed what audiences wanted. 

If you love classic cinema, Hollywood Golden Age stories, silent film comedy, or practical stunts that still look impossible, hit play and come talk with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who “doesn’t like silent movies,” and leave a rating and review. What’s the one classic film you think everyone should see at least once?

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Katharine Hepburn. Ginger Rogers. Lucille Ball. Eve Arden. Ann Miller. Phyllis Kennedy. Constance Collier. Jack Carson. Is this the roster of an awards ceremony in the 1950s?  No -- it's the call sheet for our movie today, featuring one of the most stacked line-ups of soon-to-be stars ever gathered on a single soundstage. From RKO in 1937, it's "Stage Door."

At first glance, it's Hepburn v Rogers as the main event; two titans of the studio, one on the way up and one fighting to stay. Who will come out champ in the last round? But what really makes "Stage Door" special is the phenomenal cast of up-and-comers lending their support to the stars, each one on the cusp of major stardom of their own. Add to the mix the improvisatory work of director Gregory LaCava, eavesdropping on his actresses’ real conversations and personalities, and crafting a screenplay that crackles with dialogue and repartee that still seems fresh and irreverent after almost 90 years.  

But it's not a TKO. We talk honestly about the weaker story threads, why Andrea Leeds’s character feels underwritten despite an Oscar nomination, the tonal whiplash of the last third of the film, and why certain romantic casting choices (hello, Adolphe Menjou) strain belief. Still, the movie’s core theme lands: show business is relentless, rejection is constant, and the next hopeful is always ready to walk through the stage door.

So, who ends up the victor? The acclaimed upper-class Hepburn? The scrappy upstart Rogers? Or is it the actress who came from behind them and ended up owning the whole studio? You'll have to listen to find out! 

If you love classic Hollywood, film history, and smart talk about craft, hit play, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a rating and review. What’s the one line from a classic film you still quote?

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

A classic sitcom can look effortless, but behind the scenes can tell a different story. A failed pilot. A total recast. A “Hail Mary” save from first season cancellation. All true events that happened to one of the benchmarks of classic situation comedy: "The Dick Van Dyke Show" .

We follow the legendary sitcom back to its origin story: Carl Reiner’s original pilot, why it didn’t sell, and how Sheldon Leonard helps transform the exact same core idea into one of the most respected comedies in TV history. If you love behind-the-scenes Hollywood history, this is the kind of development tale that explains how hits are really made. From there, we dig into what made the finished series feel different in the early 1960s. We talk about the show’s then-unusual split between the workplace and the Petrie home, the “Kennedy-era” polish, and how the writers’ room characters pull directly from Reiner’s experience on “Your Show Of Shows”. We also dish on Mary Tyler Moore’s path to Laura Petrie, her chemistry with Dick Van Dyke, the tensions with Rose Marie, and of course, the legendary battles over those “Capri” pants that helped redefine what a TV housewife could look like.

If you enjoyed this, subscribe, share the episode with a classic TV fan, and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

It’s our third season, and we’ve decided that it’s time to take a more serious approach to appreciating the art of film, film history, and the craft of filmmaking.

April Fools! It’s “Airplane!” (1980)

An airliner full of passengers gets hit with food poisoning, the crew goes down, and the only hope is a washed-up pilot with a bruised past. That plot sounds like a straight disaster thriller and that’s exactly why “Airplane!” works: it uses a perfectly serious skeleton and then fires jokes at you so fast you barely have time to breathe.

We dig into how Zucker, Abrams and Zucker built the movie on the bones of “Zero Hour” (1957), lifting the structure, character names, and even bits of dialogue, then twisting it into one of the most influential spoof comedies ever made. We also talk about the behind-the-scenes choices that matter more than any single gag: a lean budget, a tight shoot, and the decision to cast dramatic heavyweights like Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Peter Graves and Lloyd Bridges. Their deadpan commitment is the engine, turning every absurd line into a straight-faced “emergency,” which makes the humor hit harder.

Not every moment lands the same way in 2026, and we don’t dodge that. We get into what still feels timeless, what depends on older pop culture references, and what now plays as uncomfortable, especially the jokes audiences are less willing to laugh off today. Along the way, we trade favorite bits, debate the few sequences that run too long, and zoom out to Airplane’s legacy in film history, including how it sets the template for later parody hits like “The Naked Gun” series .

If you love classic comedy, Hollywood behind-the-scenes stories, and film analysis that still feels like hanging out with movie friends, hit follow, share the show, and leave a review wherever you listen.

Check out Brad's YouTube channel about life in Spain on Our Chosen Spanish Life. 

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

On December 14, 2025, Hollywood...and the world...lost a true icon. A man who was not only a gifted actor, but a once-in-a-generation filmmaker who was adept at any style, from satire to horror to romantic comedy. We also lost a true humanitarian and, as his alter ego Harry Burns may have said, a real "mensch".  We are indeed talking about the one and only, Rob Reiner. 

So, for our Season Premiere, we wanted to celebrate this gifted filmmaker and great human being by discussing two of his signature films: the genre-defying but so entertaining (at least to Tony) "The Princess Bride" (1987), and what is now considered the grandfather of the late 20th century romantic comedies, "When Harry Met Sally..." (1989).

Though it is with sadness that we mourn the loss, we keep things upbeat as we discuss the behind-the-scenes dramas of both films, the brilliant scripts by the legendary William Goldman and Nora Ephron respectively, and the sheer pleasure of entering the two very different--but equally enjoyable--worlds of late 1980s Manhattan and the Renaissance-era Florin ( by way of the Borscht Belt).

We hope you will  join us as we celebrate this one-of-a-kind artist, discuss these very different, but equally brilliant, works, and share our opinions about the legacy of the late, great Rob Reiner. 

So, if you want to have what she’s having, you'll join us for the Season Three premiere of "Going Hollywood!” It's INCONCIEVABLE that you won't have a dare-devilishly  good time!!!

Check out Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. 

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

All women, all claws. Jungle Red!

Call it “The Real Housewives of New York- 1939 Edition”. For our season two finale, we tackle MGM’s 1939 classic satire “The Women”.  From savage one-liners to that wild Technicolor fashion show, we trace how Claire Boothe Luce’s play survived the Production Code, why Anita Loos’ screenplay still stings, and where the movie trades social ambition for a romance-first ending.

We are joined by very special guest (and Brad’s husband) Maurice Chevalier and get his singular take on the proceedings. We also  get granular on the craft: George Cukor’s propulsive staging and mirror shots, Adrian’s jaw-dropping costumes, Rosalind Russell’s star-turn as the feline Sylvia Fowler, and Joan Crawford’s scene (and husband) stealing performance as Crystal Allen. And of course, there’s the Queen herself—Norma Shearer— at her noblesse-obligiest as the oh-so wronged, ever suffering but pride-fool  housewife, Mary.  

Call it a proto–Real Housewives of 1939 or a couture cage match; either way, it’s irresistible, infuriating, and endlessly quotable.

Ah, l’amour l’amour!

If classic Hollywood, screwball rhythms, and sharp social autopsies are your thing, you’ll have plenty to love and plenty to argue with. Follow the show, share this episode with a movie lover, and leave a review to help others find us. What’s your verdict: team Mary, Sylvia, or Crystal?

"The Women" artwork by AleMogolloArt  https://www.redbubble.com/people/AleMogolloArt/shop

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

He's baackkk!!!

Brad makes his return to "Going Hollywood" and we celebrate by actually letting him pick a film!  And what a delightful film it is, too...from 1948 it's 
"Miranda." Join us as we dive into the whimsy and wonder of this lesser-known British comedy starring the late great Glynis Johns as Miranda, a beautiful mermaid with a devastating fin and effect on males that come into her wake.  What can we say? The fish can't help it.  Johns, perhaps best recognized for her role as Winifred Banks in "Mary Poppins", holds special significance for Brad—who recounts personal stories about their friendship and why “Miranda” has always been close to his heart, despite never having seen it before this episode.

We discuss why the charm of "Miranda" endures: It's unique British style, rapid scene changes, and the playful performances by Johns and a fabulous supporting cast. Glynis Johns commands every frame with that unmistakable voice and mischievous ease. Along the way we explore how British censorship allowed a cheeky boldness America’s Production Code would’ve nixed, why the quick-cut structure works despite its choppiness, and how a competing Hollywood mermaid picture pushed this production to move fast and think light.

We guarantee you'll be unable to resist the siren song of this delightful comedy and the singular charms of its leading lady, Glynis Johns and "Miranda".

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Think you know Lucy? You don't know Lucy. 

In this episode of "Going Hollywood" we dive into "Lucy in London" (1966), the most unconventional hour Lucille Ball ever made, and unpack how a TV icon tried to outrun her own legend at the height of the British Invasion. Today, Tony is joined by "Lucy" insider Thomas J. Watson, and we retrace the bold creative choices that stripped away the laugh track, left the studio behind, and embraced single-camera street shooting, speed-ramping, and still photography.

Why did Lucy say yes to a one-day sprint across London with Anthony Newley as her mercurial guide? How did producer (and Lucy's cousin) Cleo Smith, cinematographer Fouad Said, and director Steve Binder use portable gear and editorial tricks to capture a star in motion—years before MTV made that language mainstream? We break down the three-act structure: Act One’s mod fashion blast on Carnaby Street with Phil Spector’s “Lucy in London,” Act Two’s controversial detour to Madame Tussauds, and Act Three’s luminous turn at Great Fosters, where Shakespeare rehearsals pivot into a surreal empty-theater mini-concert as Lucy morphs into multiple audience characters.

The paradox lands hard: the broadcast topped ratings but baffled critics and fans who wanted Lucy Ricardo comforts. Plans for follow-up specials faded, yet the creative shockwaves pushed into "The Lucy Show's" later seasons, seeding stranger plots, musical set pieces, and location flavor. Along the way, we talk legacy, restoration, and why "Lucy in London" plays like a lost bridge between studio sitcoms and pop-forward variety television.

If you love classic TV history, Lucille Ball’s fearless side, and the craft behind on-location filmmaking in the 60s, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a fellow Lucy fan, and tell us: was Lucy in London ahead of its time? And if you haven’t already, follow the show, leave a review, and help more listeners find Going Hollywood.

To purchase Season Five of "The Lucy Show" featuring "Lucy in London" and "Lucy in London: Revisited" go to https://a.co/d/86c1CTf

"Lucy in London" (CBS. 1966)
Directed by Steve Binder,  Produced by Cleo Smith, Steve Binder and David Winters, Written by Ron Friedman and Pat McCormick, Music by Billy Goldenberg, Irwin Kostal and Phil Spector.                                                  

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We're on the top of the world today at "Going Hollywood" as we have a truly special guest to discuss a truly special artist...Randy L. Schmidt is here to discuss the one and only Karen Carpenter!

 A drummer first, a once‑in‑a‑century voice second, and a reluctant star always—the Karen Carpenter Story is as riveting as the records she left behind. We sit down with the author of the bestselling book Little Girl Blue and director of "Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection" (2024), to unpack how a 1989 TV movie created a tidal wave of new fans and why his documentary brings the real Karen back to the mic.

Randy takes us behind the scenes of the seminal TV movie from 1989, "The Karen Carpenter Story". We talk about the beyond-meta nature of the filming in the Carpenter home, wearing Karen’s actual wardrobe, and the surreal moment when the same local paramedics from 1983 appeared on set. Then we pivot to the documentary’s heartbeat—rare, uncut interview tapes and birthday call‑ins that reveal Karen’s wit, warmth, and resilience. Voices like Olivia Newton‑John, Carol Burnett, Kristin Chenoweth, Belinda Carlisle, and Cherry Boone add piercing insight into the art, the illness, and the person.

We dig into the questions that still echo: how a perfectionist culture and a misunderstood eating disorder collided, why that infamous UK ambush interview still shocks, and what might have changed if Karen’s solo album had been released instead of shelved. Along the way, we celebrate the music—"Superstar", "I Need To Be In Love", "We've Only Just Begun"—and the arranging magic that made the Carpenters timeless. The takeaway is clear: honor the legacy, tell the truth with care, and let the songs keep doing what they’ve always done—find new hearts to live in.

If this conversation moved you, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and send it to someone who needs a reminder of how powerful a single voice can be. And don't forget to visit the "Going Hollywood" Spotify playlist to listen to the exquisite voice of the century, Karen Carpenter.  It's Yesterday once more....

To watch "Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection" go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0D6ZW9N6M/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To read "Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter" go to https://a.co/d/0blvCi2

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

A housing crunch, a missing wall, and one of the sexiest stoop scenes ever filmed. Join us today as we break one of Tony's favorite movies, and one of the true classics of romantic comedy, from 1943, George Steven's "The More The Merrier."

Guest host Brandon Davis, of NPR's "Front Row Classics" joins Tony for the second week in a row as they dive into this comedic jewel and discuss the genius of director George Stevens, the criminally underrated leading man, Joel McRae, the delightful  Charles Coburn (in an Oscar-winning performance) and the incandescent star Jean Arthur, a true gem of Classic Hollywood, in one of her final film appearances. 

We unpack the film’s best moments—the meticulous “morning schedule” sequence, the rooftop sunbathing that captures the communal spirit of a city in wartime,  and that legendary stoop scene where push-and-pull becomes flirtation, consent, and release.  Underneath the laughs sits the knowledge of a nation at war, and romance lands because the war makes time precious. We also trace Stevens’ career pivot, from comedies with serious undertones to postwar dramas like "A Place in the Sun" and "Shane", and argue why Jean Arthur deserves to be named alongside Davis, Hepburn, and Crawford as one of the greatest stars of the studio era. 

 Most of all, this is a love letter to performers who make it look effortless and a director who knew how to frame human truth. If you’ve never seen "The More the Merrier", this conversation is your nudge to press play—and if you have, we think you’ll notice something new.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a classic-film friend. What Golden Age romance still feels modern to you?

For more information on Brandon's podcast, go to: https://classics136634685.wordpress.com/

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Tony sits down with Brandon Davis, from NPR Illinois for the first of two episodes with the host of "Front Row Classics" podcast! In this first, we trace Brandon's path from grandma’s Rodgers and Hammerstein VHS tapes to a 350+ episode archive of interviews with film historians, authors, TCM personalities, and even cast members of "The Love Boat".  What starts as a get-to-know-you quickly turns into a golden age tour of "what-ifs"—Bette Davis and James Mason in "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf", Claudette Colbert as Margo Channing, Lucy as the Manchurian mastermind—and why the versions we got endure. Then it’s Hitchcock vs Wilder,  "Double Indemnity" to "The Apartment" and the darkness lurking under the romantic classic , "Sabrina".

Love classic cinema? Hit play, subscribe, and tell us your boldest old-Hollywood what-if. Then share this episode with a fellow film fan and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

For more information on Brandon's podcast, go to: https://classics136634685.wordpress.com/

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Get ready to "Sparkle, Neely, Sparkle" for Part Two of our special "Dollapalooza" tribute to the "Citizen Kane" of camp, 1967's "Valley of the Dolls."  

We start with the music. Andre and Dory Previn’s title theme? Gorgeous, melancholy, timeless. The rest? A tour of mid-century TV-variety vibes that never quite match the film’s ambition. From Patty Duke’s surprise dubbing and the myth of the star-making number to Judy Garland’s earlier pass at “I’ll Plant My Own Tree,” we map out how direction, staging, and label politics turned strong talent into strange cinema. Then we speed-run the plot to spotlight the beats everyone quotes: sparkle-fueled success, pills as propulsion, Malibu heartbreak, and the alleyway prayer that seals Neely O’Hara in pop memory.

The crown jewel is the powder-room showdown: Neely versus Helen, a wig in flight, and a reveal that undercuts its own insult with better hair. We explore on-set tensions, shortened fights, and how one choice can mute an intended humiliation. 

Beyond the memes, we honor the people behind the spectacle—Barbara Parkins stepping away from Hollywood, Patty Duke confronting bipolar disorder and later embracing the film’s queer fandom, and the lasting sorrow that frames Sharon Tate’s luminous performance. Flop or classic? The box office said hit; time crowned it the "Citizen Kane" of camp.

Hit play, share your spiciest Valley take, and if this dive made you laugh, wince, or queue the soundtrack, follow the show, drop a rating, and send us your scene of scenes. Your reviews are how we keep the lights—and the mobiles—spinning.

Episode artwork by the incomparable Glen Hanson  @instaglenhanson  https://share.google/VDg6borRTn0f4cYxq

To listen to Judy Garland's version of "I'll Plant My Own Tree" go to https://youtu.be/v_QuWLm-LOs?si=HmkOvf28DKSDVJD9

To watch "It's Impossible" with Patty Duke's vocals go to: https://youtu.be/_SH7Q-TNpp4?si=Okf-TAXHG5IHeWXZ

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!

We're climbing Mount Everest today...the Mount Everest of Camp, that is...to reach our ultimate destination, the "Valley of the Dolls" (1967). 

 In Part One of our two-part "Doll-apalooza", we dive headfirst into "Valley of the Dolls" to explore how a record-shattering novel morphed into a glossy, chaotic cult classic that refuses to fade. From Travilla’s couture and 60s hair architecture to the film’s stubborn 1940s morality, we map the exact fault lines where glamour cracks into melodrama—and why that crack is what keeps fans coming back.

We pull apart the legendary casting carousel, a virtual murderous row of "wanna-bes", "what-ifs" and "if-onlys", to land on the our final triumvirate: Barbara Parkins, Sharon Tate and Patty Duke. Then there’s the ultimate Hollywood what-if: Judy Garland as Helen Lawson, acting opposite a character inspired by herself, before being dismissed and replaced by Susan Hayward. Layer in the book’s real-world inspirations—Judy, Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Carol Landis—and the film becomes a hall of mirrors where gossip, myth, and performance blur.

We also examine the structural problems that make the movie so watchable: a two-decade story squeezed into a breathless sprint, montages standing in for struggle, and addiction rendered as instant meltdown. Yet the music rescues memory; André and Dory Previn’s title theme, immortalized by Dionne Warwick, laces through pop culture and keeps the film’s ache alive. 

The men are mannequins, the women are meteors, and somewhere between pills and punchlines the film finds accidental truth about fame, control, and the cost of being marketable. So, press play to hear why this "beloved piece of…” well, you know—continues to be relevant to this day, over 50 years after its debut. 

And please you enjoy the show, follow, share with a movie-loving friend, and leave a quick review telling us your favorite "Valley of the Dolls" moment.

Episode Artwork by the incomparable Glen Hanson @instaglenhanson

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We interrupt our scheduled programs for a special milestone: one million views on Tony's "Wired" interview on YouTube!  This occasion opened the door for a bigger conversation, so we pulled up a chair and dug in.  

Brad asks some questions that blew past the YouTube cut: what we actually know about Natalie Wood’s final night, why rumor loves tidy villains, and how to honor a legacy without letting tragedy swallow it whole.  From there, we build a clear, no-filler Elizabeth Taylor film watch list, take a deeper dive into Hollywood's gay history, and we revisit the story of Loretta Young and Clark Gable's secret love child and the lengths she took to protect her image, showing what the Production Code demanded—and what it broke. 

We also take the opportunity to give much overdue shout-outs to some of the kind people who took the time to rate and review us, and give us their thoughts on which classic we should tackle next. 

So, hit play for a candid, story-driven tour through Old Hollywood facts, modern myths, and the business decisions that still shape what we see. If you learned something or built a new watchlist, share this episode with a friend, follow the show, and leave a review. 

And don't forget to drop a quarter in the "swear jar"!! (If you know, you know.)

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

To listen to "Origins: Sex and the City"  hosted by James Andrew Miller got to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/origins-with-james-andrew-miller/id1266445999?i=1000423827162

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

The residents of 1313 Mockingbird Lane get ready for their close-up, as we wrap up our spirited “Addams v. Munsters” debate with a nostalgic deep dive into the classic sitcom “The Munsters”.  We explore what sets it apart from “The Addams Family”—not just visually, but culturally—and reminisce about the show’s offbeat charm, its subtle social commentary, and the chemistry between cast members, highlighting icons like Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Al Lewis. Join us as we break down two memorable episodes.

Along the way, we reflect on why "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters" shot to the top of the ratings and quickly ended and their continued legacy through spin-offs, reboots, and pop culture references. We share our personal preferences and we declare our victors in the sitcom showdown. Do we agree? Which did each of us choose?

Watch "The Munsters" unaired pilot
Herman teaches Eddie about acceptance. 

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Are you a Morticia, or are you a Lily?

That's a question that has plagued TV views since a single autumn week in 1964 that featured two seismic TV debuts—"The Addams Family" and one week later, "The Munsters".  In this two-part episode, we answer  it for ourselves.  We also zoom in on why audiences were ready for supernatural comfort, how the networks raced to premiere first, and what made these two “normal” families feel so different once the front door swung open. Think urbane eccentricity versus blue-collar sweetness, mat paintings versus the Universal backlot, and a pair of theme songs that still cue instant nostalgia.

In this episode, we spend real time with The Addams Family: John Astin and Carolyn Jones crafting a playful, startlingly sensual marriage; Ted Cassidy’s Lurch turning a single “You rang?” into an entire mood; and Jackie Coogan’s Uncle Fester. Across the hour, we trace how cultural context and craft shaped legacy. "The Munsters" won early ratings, but "The Addams Family" thrives in color and in reimaginings—from the 90s films to a Broadway musical to Netflix's "Wednesday"—because its tone flexes without breaking the core: a loving family that refuses to apologize for being different.

So, if you’ve ever argued Morticia vs Lily, snapped along to Vic Mizzy’s theme, or wondered how 1313 Mockingbird Lane stacks up to 0001 Cemetery Lane, you’ll feel right at home here. So join us as we take a nostalgic visit to two iconic addresses and visit our friends, The Addams and The Munsters. 

Oh, snap! 

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Oh, Rhoda!

Before the iconic Ms. Morgenstern, there was another Rhoda...a 9-year-old psychopath that struck terror in her enemies, torment in the hearts of her loved ones, and unintended laughter from the audience watching her exploits. Yes, it's the camp classic, "The Bad Seed" from Warner Bros in 1956, starring the iconic Patty McCormack and the insufferably dramatic Nancy Kelly. 

A nine-year-old with perfect penmanship and a talent for murder shouldn’t be funny—yet "The Bad Seed" somehow is. We dive into how a Broadway sensation became a Hollywood lightning rod, why Mervyn LeRoy shot it like a stage play, and how the Production Code twisted a bleak ending into a thunderbolt of “justice.” Along the way, we unpack the nature versus nurture debate that rattled 1950s audiences, the strange power of offscreen violence, and the way theatrical performances from Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, and the incomparable Eileen Heckart create a tone that’s equal parts chilling and camp.

So, postpone your social obligations and join us as we celebrate the perverse joys of “The Bad Seed”!

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

We dive into Jesus Christ Superstar as a human story told through rock, politics, and performance, balancing reverence with critique. From a bus in the desert to tanks on the dunes, we trace how Norman Jewison’s choices turn myth into modern memory.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Picture it: Hollywood 2025. 

Forty years after four unlikely roommates gathered around a kitchen table in Miami, “The Golden Girls”remains one of television's most beloved and groundbreaking sitcoms. In part two of our special 40th birthday celebration, we explore what made the show so revolutionary and why its legacy continues to resonate with audiences today. We’ll deep dive into the  “Golden Girls” universe, from untangling the complex web of family relationships, to the meticulous put downs, to an expose of the most notorious residents of St. Olaf.

The supposed rivalry between Bea Arthur and Betty White has become something of a Hollywood legend, but was it real? We examine what happened behind the scenes, drawing on firsthand accounts and shedding light on how these two different personalities created magic despite their contrasting approaches to acting.

Our episode spotlights two standout installments from the later seasons of the show, along with the perfect series finale, "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest," analyzing how Dorothy's departure managed to be both hilarious and heartbreaking – ending not with a whimper but with three emotional goodbyes.

What made Golden Girls truly special wasn't just the laughter but its willingness to tackle issues other shows wouldn't touch – from aging and sexuality to HIV/AIDS and chosen family. Join us as we reflect on how four women in their golden years revolutionized television and created a legacy that continues to inspire new generations.

Did you have a favorite Golden Girls episode or moment? We'd love to hear about it! Share your memories with us on social media or leave a review telling us which golden girl you identified with most.

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Picture it: Hollywood 1985

A TV show premieres about about 4 women, well over "thirty-something", sharing their hopes, their dreams, their stories, and lots of cheesecake, in the youth-obsessed TV culture of the 1980s. Does the show survive? 

Get a clue, slut-puppy! It not only survived, it shot to the top of the ratings and dominated them for over 6 years. Yes, it's "The Golden Girls", and it's their 40th birthday-- so we're gonna celebrate!  From the show's groundbreaking pilot to its most memorable episodes, we are going to unpack the secret ingredients that made "The Golden Girls" a ratings powerhouse and an enduring cultural touchstone.

In Part One of our special two-part episode, we'll  discuss fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, including how Betty White and Rue McClanahan swapped roles, how Estelle Getty overcame severe stage fright to create the iconic Sophia,  why Bea Arthur initially hesitated to join the cast, and what ever happened to poor Coco. (If you know, you know).  Tony shares his personal experience appearing on the show (as a mere tot!)  and even the time he snuck onto the set and wound up as a V.I.P.

So, grab a slice of cheesecake (or a sparehuven krispie) and join us as we celebrate one of the most enduring sitcoms in television history, "The Golden Girls".

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Yowza! Yowza! Yowza!  

In the darkest year of the Great Depression, a group of desperate strangers gather at a seaside dance hall for a grueling marathon contest. The prize: $1,500 – enough money to transform their broken lives. The cost: pushing their bodies and minds beyond all human limits. Director Sidney Pollack crafts a mesmerizing allegory about capitalism and exploitation that still resonates decades later. 

"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (1969) takes us inside this brutal spectacle where human suffering becomes entertainment. Jane Fonda delivers a career-defining performance as Gloria, a failed actress whose bitter exterior masks profound vulnerability. Michael Sarrazin plays her reluctant partner Robert, while Gig Young (in his Oscar-winning role) portrays Rocky, the manipulative master of ceremonies who squeezes every drop of drama from his contestants' misery with cries of "Yowza, yowza, yowza!" 

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Well, hello, Jupiter Hollow! 

There's something fishy going on up in the big city, and we don't know about you, but we're as mad as a wet wasp!! So, grab your Tuesday panties, your culottes, and your snake bracelets and join us, as we set out to kick some snooty New York ass up at the legendary Plaza Hotel in the name of "Big Business" (1988).

This delightful little farce starring the incomparable Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin is basically a re-telling Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors", set in the high-octane New York of the 1980s where corporate greed is no match for a little homespun charm and arm-twisting.  The premise is comedy gold: twins separated at birth, with one pair raised in sophisticated Manhattan and the other in rural Jupiter Hollow. When the city twins' corporation threatens to close the factory that sustains the country twins' hometown, chaos ensues at the Plaza Hotel. 

Will you have a good time? Is a frog’s ass water tight? 

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

"Grand Hotel...people come, people go. Nothing ever happens."

With all due respect Lewis Stone, the actor who utters these immortal lines in this MGM classic, we couldn't disagree more!  “Grand Hotel” (1932), stands as one of the most significant achievements in early Hollywood cinema, not only for its revolutionary approach to casting but also for its sophisticated storytelling and visual innovation. 

"More stars than there are in the heavens" was MGM's famous tagline from the 1930s, and this Best Picture Oscar winner more than proves the point. Released during the darkest year of the Great Depression, this MGM masterpiece starred Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Wallace Beery, and created the template for what we now recognize as the "all-star cast" film – a bold and innovative concept at the time that continues to influence filmmaking nearly a century later.

 So, join us as we check into an era where decadence, debauchery, and deadly ambition can all be served up with an order of room service... all happening at a magical place called Hollywood and "Grand Hotel".

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail

 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod

To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.