Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today

Brad Shreve & Tony Maietta
  • 4.8 (40)
  • FILM HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Will you side with the expert or the enthusiast? Film historian Tony Maietta and movie lover Brad Shreve dive into the best of cinema and TV, from Hollywood’s Golden Age to today’s biggest hits. They share insights, debate favorites, and occasionally clash—but always keep it entertaining. They’ll take you behind the scenes and in front of the camera, bringing back your favorite memories along the way.

  1. Miss Independence: "That Girl" (ABC, 1966-1971)

    6D AGO

    Miss Independence: "That Girl" (ABC, 1966-1971)

    "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. Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    1h 26m
  2. Daughter Dearest: “Mildred Pierce” (1945)

    MAY 13

    Daughter Dearest: “Mildred Pierce” (1945)

    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? Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    52 min
  3. “The Trip To Bountiful”(1985) with Special Guest Del Shores

    MAY 6

    “The Trip To Bountiful”(1985) with Special Guest Del Shores

    "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? Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    55 min
  4. Practically Perfect: “Mary Poppins” (1964)

    APR 29

    Practically Perfect: “Mary Poppins” (1964)

    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.  Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    1h 7m
  5. Laughter First, “Safety Last!” (1923)

    APR 22

    Laughter First, “Safety Last!” (1923)

    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? Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    1h 5m
  6. Star Entrances: "Stage Door" (1937)

    APR 15

    Star Entrances: "Stage Door" (1937)

    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? Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    55 min
  7. A Petrie Dish! Celebrating “The Dick Van Dyke Show”

    APR 8

    A Petrie Dish! Celebrating “The Dick Van Dyke Show”

    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. Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    1h 29m
  8. Guess We Picked the Wrong Week to Talk About “Airplane!” (1980)

    APR 1

    Guess We Picked the Wrong Week to Talk About “Airplane!” (1980)

    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.  Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Brad's YouTube channel, Our Chosen Spanish Life. youtube.com/@ourchosenspanishlife  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.

    1h 2m
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About

Will you side with the expert or the enthusiast? Film historian Tony Maietta and movie lover Brad Shreve dive into the best of cinema and TV, from Hollywood’s Golden Age to today’s biggest hits. They share insights, debate favorites, and occasionally clash—but always keep it entertaining. They’ll take you behind the scenes and in front of the camera, bringing back your favorite memories along the way.

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