From Beneath the Hollywood Sign Steve Cubine & Nan McNamara

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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EPISODE 27 - “Dona Drake: What Price Fame” - 03/18/2024

Latina star DONA DRAKE, who signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1941, was many things — singer, dancer, actress, bandleader, musician — but one thing she wasn’t, as it turned out, was Latin! While Paramount promoted their new discovery as a spitfire Latina born in Mexico City, Drake was, in fact, an African-American woman from Florida who pretended to be Latin, going so far as to learn Spanish fluently, in order to have a better chance at a Hollywood career. Listen to this fascinating story of one woman who went undercover just so she wouldn’t have to play the maid. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Biography of Dona Drake (Paramount Contact Player), September 1942, Paramount Studios;

“Dona Drake Tells Marriage,” September 9, 1944, by Hedda Hopper, The Los Angeles Times;

“Daughter Born to Dona Drake,” August 8, 1951, The Hollywood Citizen-News;

www.swingcityradio,com;

www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Wikipedia.com;


Movies Mentioned: 

Strike Me Pink (1936), starring Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Sally Eilers, and William Frawley;

Aloma Of The South Seas (1941), starring Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall;

Louisiana Purchase (1941), starring Bob Hope, Vera Zorina, and Victor Moore;

Road to Morocco (1942), starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour;

Star Spangled Rhythm (1942), starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray, Paulette Goddard, Dick Powell, Eddie Bracken, Alan Ladd, Mary Martin, Betty Hutton, Marjorie Reynolds, and Veronica Lake;

Salute For Three (1943), starring Macdonald Carey and Betty Jane Rhodes;

Let's Face It (1943), staring Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, and Eve Arden; 

Hot Rhythm (1944), starring Robert Lowery, Tim Ryan, and Irene Ryan;

Without Reservations (1946), starring John Wayne, Claudette Colbert, and Don DeFoe;
Dangerous Millions (1946), starring Kent Taylor;

Another Part of The Forest (1948), starring Fredric March, Dan Duryea, Edmond O’Brien, Ann Blyth, Florence Eldridge, John Dall, and Betsy Blair;

So This Is New York (1948), starring Henry Morgan, Rudy Vallee, and Virginia Grey;

Beyond The Forest (1949), starring Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, David Brian, Ruth Roman;

The Girl From Jones Beach (1949), starring Virginia Mayo, Ronald Reagan, and Eddie Bracken;

Kansas City Confidential (1952), starring John Payne, Colleen Gray, and Preston Foster;

The Bandits of Corsica (1953), starring Richard Greene, Paula Raymond, Raymond Burr;

Son Of Belle Star (1953), starring Keith Larsen, Peggie Castle, and Regis Toomey;

Down Laredo Way (1953) starring Rex Allen and Slim Pickens;

Princess of the Nile (1954), starring Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter, and Michael Rennie;

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