From Beneath the Hollywood Sign Steve Cubine & Nan McNamara

EPISODE 33 - “Zachary Scott: Star of the Month (May)” - 04/29/2024

Suave, debonaire, and effortlessly charming, ZACHARY SCOTT is best known for his role in MICHAEL CURTIZ's film noir classic Mildred Pierce (1945). As the duplicitous, silver-tongued charmer Monte Beragon, he romances Mildred, played by JOAN CRAWFORD (in her Oscar-winning role), and Mildred's daughter, Veda (ANN BLYTH). This became Scott's signature role: the sexy cad who was usually at his best swindling, seducing, or being a general scoundrel. It was always fun watching Scott's dastardly ways unfold. He could rock a tux, looked naked without a martini in his hand, and always had a cigarette close by. He was so magnetic that he could even make film-goers feel sorry for him. While he seldom got to play the good guy, when he did, as in what is perhaps one of his best roles in JEAN RENOIR's The Southerner (1945), you realize the versatility that he seldom had the opportunity to display. With a career that included over 40 films and dozens of television roles, ZACHARY SCOTT is our Star of the Month.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Zachary Scott: Hollywood’s Sophisticated Cad (2009), by Ronald L. Davis;

“Actor Zachary Scott, Leading Man for 3 Decades, Dies of Brain Tumor,” October 4, 1965, Akron Bacon Journal

“Who Was Zachary Scott?” www.zachtheatre.org;

“Zachary Scott’s Guilded Cage,” Spring 2020, by Farren Smith Nehme, www.filmnoirfoundation.org;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;


Movies Mentioned: 

Mildred Pierce (1945), starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, Jack Carson, Eve Arden, Bruce Bennett, Lee Patrick, and Butterfly McQueen;

The Southerner (1945), starring Zachary Scott, Betty Field, Beulah Bondi, Norman Lloyd, J. Carroll Naish, Jay Gilpin, Jean Vanderwilt, Blanche Yurka, and Percy Kilbride;

The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), starring Zachary Scott, Faye Emerson, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet;

Hollywood Canteen (1944), starring Bette Davis, John Garfield, Joan Crawford, Joan Leslie, Dane Clark, Joe E, Brown, Barbara Stanwyck, Id Lupino, Sydney Greenstreet, and Jack Benny;

Danger Signal (1945), starring Zachary Scott, Faye Emerson, Mona Freeman, Richard Erdman, Rosemary DeCamp, and Joyce Compton;

Her Kind Of Man (1946), starring Zachary Scott, Dane Clark, Janis Page, and Faye Emerson;

The Unfaithful (1947), starring Ann Sheridan, Lew Ayres, Zachary Scott, and Eve Arden;

Stallion Road (1947), starring Ronald Reagan, Alexis Smith, and Zachary Scott;

Cass Timberlane (1947), starring Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Zachary Scott, Tom Drake, Mary Astor, Margaret Lindsay, and Albert Dekker;

Ruthless (1948), starring Zachary Scott, Louis Hayward, Diana Lynn, Sydney Greenstreet, Lucille Bremer, and Martha Vickers;

Whiplash (1948), staring Dane Clark, Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, S.Z. Sakall, Jefferey Lynn, and Alan Hale Jr;

Flamingo Road (1949), starring Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet, David Brian, Virginia Huston, Gladys George, and Fred Clark;

Shadow On The Wall (1950), starring Ann Sothern, Zachary Scott, John McIntire, Gigi Perreau, Kristine Miller, and Nancy Davis;

Born To Be Bad (1950), starring Joan Fontaine, Zachary Scott, Joan Leslie, Robert Ryan, and Mel Ferrer;

Stronghold (1951), starring Veronica Lake, Zachary Scott, and Rita Meceda;

The Secret of Convict Lake (1951), starring Glenn Ford, Gene Tierney, Zachary Scott, Ethel Barrymore, Ann Dvorak, Barbara Bates, and Janette Nolan;

Dead On Course (1953), starring Zachary Scott and Kay Kendall;

Flame of the Islands (1955), staring Yvonne DeCarlo, Howard Duff, and Zachary Scott;

Violent Stranger (1957), starring Zachary Scott, and Faith Domergue;

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EPISODE 32 - “The Mary Astor Purple Diary Scandal” - 04/22/2024

One of the most scandalous trials in early Hollywood history involved actress MARY ASTOR, who had made a name for herself playing virginal ingenues and good girls. Mary, who had kept a diary for most of her life, found her words used as a sensationalized weapon against her in her quest to regain custody of her 4-year-old child in 1936 after her acrimonious divorce from her doctor husband. The trial made worldwide headlines. Her sexy, salacious diary entries showed the world a more sensual side to our virginal Mary, and, in many ways, helped propel her career into the stratosphere. Listen as we discuss Mary Astor, her life, her career, and her shocking purple diaries that took center stage in a Los Angeles courtroom. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Mary Astor: My Story (1960), by Mary Astor;

Mary Astor: A Life on Film (1972), by Mary Astor; 

The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s (2016), by Joseph Egan;

Mary Astor’s Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936 (2106), by Edward Sorel;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;


Movies Mentioned: 

Beau Brummell (1924), starring John Barrymore and Mary Astor;

Dodsworth (1936), starring Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas, and Mary Astor;

Red Dust (1932), starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Mary Astor:

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), starring Ronald Colman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Madeleine Carroll, Mary Astor, David Niven, Raymond Massey, and C. Aubrey Smith:

The Maltese Falcon (1941), starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Lee Patrick, and Elisha Cook Jr;

The Palm Beach Story (1942), starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, and Rudy Vallee;

Act of Violence (1948), starring Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor, and Phyllis Thaxter;

Little Women (1949), starring June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor, and Peter Lawford;

Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), starring Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorhead, Mary Astor, Victor Buono, Cecil Kellaway, and Bruce Dern;

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EPISODE 31 - “The Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Preview” - 04/15/2024
From April 18th through the 21st, the 15th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival will be held in Hollywood. Steve and Nan were fortunate enough to be invited to be a part of the media that covers the festival this year. To get everyone in the mood, we have a special episode about all the festival and everything you need to know. We will give you an overview of what to expect, and we’ll let you know who is scheduled to attend. In addition, we talk about several movies being shown this year that we are especially excited about. 


SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:
TCM.org

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;

Movies Mentioned: 
Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Brooke Smith, Diane Baker;

Pulp Fiction (1994) — Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Eric Stoltz, Amanda Plummer, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, and Harvey Keitel; 

Lady Sings The Blues (1972) - Starring Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, Scotsman Crothers, Tracee Lyles, Isabel Sanford, and Kay Lewis; 

The Big House (1930) - Starring Robert Montgomery, Chester Morris, and Wallace Beery;

The Good Fairy (1935) — Margaret Sullavan, Herbert Marshall, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, and Cesar Romero;

The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (1948) — Edward G. Robinson, Gail Russell, John Lunch, Virginia Bruce, and William Demarest; 

The Model and the Marriage Broker (1952) — Jeanne Crain, Thelma Ritter, and Scott Brady; 

The Prisoner of Shark Island (1949) —Starring Warner Baxter, Gloria Stuart, John Carradine, Harry Carey, Francis Ford, John McGuire, and Paul Fix;

Westward The Women (1951) — starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel, Hope Emerson, John McIntire, and Julie Bishop;
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EPISODE 30 - “Robert Walker: Old Hollywood’s Tragic Boy Next Door” - 04/08/2024

No one played sensitive, lost souls quite like ROBERT WALKER. However, he is best known for playing one of the most complicated, psychopaths in film history, Bruno Antony in ALFRED HITCHCOCK’s masterpiece “Strangers On A Train” (1951). His journey from playing sensitive innocents to playing Bruno is reflective of his troubled, turbulent life, and the heartbreak from which he never recovered. This week, we’ll discuss the artistry and the tragedy of this incredible actor.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Star-Crossed: The Story of Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones (1986), by Beverly Linet;

Portrait of Jennifer (1995), by Edward Z. Epstein;

Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick (1992), by David Thomson;

Hollywood On The Couch: A Candid Look at the Overheated Love Affair Between Psychiatrists and Moviemakers (1993), by Marc Green and Stephen Farber;

“Biography of Robert Walker,” April 1951, Paramount Pictures; 

“I Know Myself Now”, by Marva Anderson, July 1950, Movieland Magazine; 

“Actor Walker Dies After Drug Dosage,” August 3, 1951, by Gladwin Hill, New York Times;

“Robert Walker: A Great Star Lost,” August 15, 1999, by David Thomson, The Independent On Sunday (London);

“An Affair to Forget?” March 1998, by Nick Clooney, American Movie Classics Magazine;

“Utahn’s Rising Career in Films Came to a Sudden Tragic End,” July 23, 1999, by E. Hunter Hale, Deseret News;

“Robert Walker, Jr. ‘Star Trek’ Actor and Son of Superstars, Dies at 79,” December 6, 2019, The Hollywood Reporter;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;


Movies Mentioned: 

Strangers On A Train (1951), starring Robert Walker, Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll, Pat Hitchcock, and Kasey Rogers;

New Frontier (1939), starring John Wayne and Phylis Isley (Jennifer Jones);

Dick Tracy’s G-Men (1939), starring Ralph Byrd and Phylis Isley (Jennifer Jones);

Winter Carnival (1939), starring Ann Sheridan, Richard Carlson, and Helen Parrish; 

These Glamour Girls (1939), starring Lana Turner, Lew Ayres, Marsha Hunt, Ann Rutherford, Mary Beth Hughes, Richard Carlson, and Jane Bryan;

Dancing Co-Eds (1939) staring Lana Turner, Richard Carlson, Ann Rutherford, Lee Bowman, and Artie Shaw;

The Song of Bernadette (1943), starring Jennifer Jones, Charles Bickford, Vincent Price, Anne Revere, William Eythe, Lee J. Cobb, and Gladys Cooper;

Bataan (1943), Staring Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Thomas Mitchell, Desi Arnaz, and Robert Walker;

Madame Curie (1943), starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Henry Travers, and Robert Walker;

See Here Private Hargrove (1944), staring Robert Walker and Donna Reed;

Since You Went Away (1945), starring Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple, Joseph Cotten, and Robert Walker;

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, and Robert Walker; 

The Clock (1945), starring Judy Garland and Robert Walker; 

Her Highness and the Bell Boy (1945), starring June Allyson, Hedy Lamarr, and Robert Walker; 

The Sailor Takes A Wife (1945), starring June Allyson and Robert Walker; 

Til The Clouds Roll By (1946); Robert Walker, June Allyson, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Van Heflin, Van Johnson, Lucille Bremer, Cyd Charisse, and Angela Lansbury;

One Touch of Venus (1948), starring Robert Walker, Ava Gardner, Tom Conway, and Eve Arden;

Please Believe Me (1950), starring Deborah Kerr, Robert Walker, Peter Lawford, and Mark Stevens;

The Skipper Surprises His Wife (1950), starring Robert Walker and Joan Leslie;

Vengeance Valley (1951), starring Burt Lancaster, Joanne Dru, and Robert Walker;

My Son John (1952), staring Helen Hayes, Robert Walker, and Van Heflin;



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EPISODE 29 - “Jan Sterling: Old Hollywood Star of the Month” - 04/01/2024

Our “Star of the Month” is the fabulous JAN STERLING, who was married to our March “Star of the Month,” PAUL DOUGLAS. Blonde, beautiful, and often deadly on screen, Sterling started in theatre, but made a name for herself portraying tough dames, femme fatales, and sexy seductresses in films such as “Caged,” “Ace In the Hole” and “The High and the Mighty.” However, her upbringing was quite different from these wayward women she played so convincingly; she was actually from a very wealthy and prominent family. She had a stellar career, but many heartbreaks off camera. This week, we discuss the life and career of this most memorable lady. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Jan Sterling: Everything You Need To Know (2014), by Billy Vasquez;

The Encyclopedia of Film Actors (2003), by Barry Monush;

The Illustrated Who’s Who of the Cinema (1983), by Ann Lloyd and Graham Fuller;

Quinlan’s Illustrated Registry of Film Stars (1986), by David Quinlan;

“Jan Sterling, 82, Blonde Actress Who Made Film Noir A Specialty” Obituary, March 29, 2004, The New York Times;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;


Movies Mentioned: 

Tycoon (1947), starring John Wayne, Laraine Day, and Anthony Quinn;

Johnny Belinda (1948), starring Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, and Agnes Moorhead;

Caged (1950), starring Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorhead, and Faye Emerson;

Appointment With Danger (1950), starring Robert Walker and Joan Leslie;

The Mating Season (1950), starring Gene Tierney, John Lund, and Thelma Ritter;

Ace In The Hole (1951), starring Kirk Douglas;

Rhubarb (1951), starring Ray Miland;

Flesh and Fury (1952), starring Tony Curtis;

Sky Full of Moon (1952), starring Carleton Carpenter, Jan Sterling, Keenan Wynn, and Elaine Stewart;

Split Second (1953), starring Stephen McNally;

Pony Express (1953), starring Charlton Heston and Rhonda Fleming;

The Vanquished (1953), starring John Payne and Coleen Gray;

Alaska Seas (1954), starring Robert Ryan;

The High and the Mighty (19543), starring John Wayne, Robert Stack, Claire Trevor, and Laraine Day;

Woman’s Prison (1955), starring Ida Lupino, Phyllis Thaxter, Audrey Totter, and Howard Duff;

Female on the Beach (1955), starring Joan Crawford and Jeff Chandler;

The Harder They Fall (1956), starring Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger;

1984 (1956), starring Edmond O’Brien and Michael Redgrave;

The Female Animal (1958), starring Hedy Lamar, Jane Powell, and George Nader;

Kathy O (1958), starring Dan Duryea and Patty McCormick;

High School Confidential (1958), starring Russ Tamblyn and Mamie Van Doren;

Love In A Goldfish Bowl (1961), staring Fabian, Tommy Sands, and Majel Barrett;

The Incident (1967), Starring Martin Sheen, Beau Bridges, and Tony Musante; 

The Minx (1969), starring Robert Roden and Shirley Parker;

First Monday in October (1981), Starring Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh;

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EPISODE 28 - “Golden Era Stars in 1970s Disaster Films” - 03/25/2024

Just when many classic films stars thought they were finished in showbiz, a wonderful thing happened — 1970s disaster movies! Producers like IRWIN ALLEN and JENNINGS LANG shepherded in an exciting, over-the-top, new genre that capitalized on our fears. They also smartly cast many classic film actors in these movies, providing familiar faces who added comfort and emotional investment. These films proved not only lucrative for these golden era stars, but kept them in the public eye longer and often revived careers. Listen this week as we talk about our favorite film icons as they are shaken, flipped, torched, and dropped from the sky in the great 70s disaster films.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Charlton Heston: Hollywood’s Last Icon (2017), by Marc Eliot;

Burt Lancaster: An American Life (2000), by Kate Buford

Trust Me: A Memoir (2011), by George Kennedy

Steps In Time: An Autobiography (2008), by Fred Astaire;

Master of Disaster: Irwin Allen - The Disaster Years (2009), by John William Law;

Disaster Movies: The Cinema of Catastrophe (2006), by Stephen Keane;

Disaster Movies: A Loud, Long, Explosive, Star-Studded Guide To Earthquakes, Floods, Meteors, Sinking Ships, Twisters, Viruses, Killer Bees, Nuclear Fall Out, and Alien Attacks in the Cinema (2006), by Glen Kay and Michael Rose;

The Stewardess Is Flying The Plane: American Films of the 1970s (2005), by Ron Hogan and Peter Bogdanovich;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;


Movies Mentioned: 


Airport (1970) - Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, George Kennedy, Van Helflin, & Helen Hayes;

Straight Jacket (1964) - Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, & George Kennedy;

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) - John Wayne, Dean Martin, & George Kennedy;

The Sin of Madame Claudet (1931) - Helen Hayes, Robert Young, & Lewis Stone;

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott & Kirk Douglas;

Johnny Eager (1942) - Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, & Van Heflin;

Act of Violence (1949) - Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, & Mary Astor;

Earthquake (1974) - Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Geneviéve Bujold, Lorne Green, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, and Monica Lewis;

Touch of Evil (1958) - Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, & Janet Leigh; 

The Hucksters (1947) - Clark Gable, Deborah Kerr, & Ava Gardner;

Autumn Leaves (1956) - Joan Crawford, Cliff Robertson, & Vera Miles;

Michael Shayne: Private Detective (1940) - Lloyd Nolan & Marjorie Weaver;

Jeopardy (1953) - Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, & Ralph Meeker;

The Towering Inferno (1974) - Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Fred Astaire, & Jennifer Jones; 

The Swarm (1978) - Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson;


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