From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

EPISODE 161 - “HOLLYWOOD’S FINAL CURTAIN CALL: LAST FILMS OF LEGENDARY STARS ” - 10/12/2026

What happens when a Hollywood legend takes that final bow? This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, we welcome back our good friend Brandon Davis, host of the Front Row Classics podcast, for a fascinating look at the final film performances of some of our favorite legendary stars. Some went out on a high note, others chose projects that left us scratching our heads, and a few delivered unforgettable performances that proved they still had plenty of magic left. Join Brandon, Nan, and Steve as we revisit the last time some of Hollywood’s greatest stars appeared on the big screen—and ask the question: Was it a fitting farewell?

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

“Everyone Who Has Won a Posthumous Oscar,” March 16, 2026, by Maureen Lenker, Entertainment Weekly;

“Posthumous Oscar Nominations: 7 Actors Who Were Recognized After Their Deaths,” by Carson Blackwelder, ABCnews.com;

wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Saratoga (1937), starring Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Walter Pidgeon, Hattie McDaniel, Frank Morgan, Una Merkel, and Margaret Hamilton;

To Be Or Not To Be (1942), starring Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, and Helmut Dantine;

He Ran All the Way (1951) starring John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Selena Royle, Gladys George, and Norman Lloyd;

I Could Go On Singing (1963), starring Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Gregory Phillips, Aline MacMahon, and Jack Klugman;

Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967), starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton, Beah Richards, Cecil Kellaway, Isabel Sanford, Roy Glenn, and Virginia Christine;

Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), starring Bruce Dern, Madelyn Khan, Terri Garr, Art Carney, Phil Silvers, and Ron Leibman;

Ragtime (1981), starring James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern, Howard E. Rollins, Brad Dourif, Moses Gunn, Pat O’Brien, Mary Steenburgen, James Olson, Mandy Patinkin, and Donald O’Connor;

Always (1989), starring Richard Dreyfuss, Hollywood Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson, and Audrey Hepburn;

The Rainmaker (1997), starring Matt Damon, Claire Dane, Danny DeVito, Jon Voight,

Mary Kay Place, Danny Glover, Mickey Rourke, Roy Scheider, Andrew Shue, and Teresa Wright;
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EPISODE 160 - “GEORGE BRENT: CLASSIC CINEMA’S STAR OF THE MONTH” - 10/05/2026

This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, we’re shining our Star of the Month spotlight on one of classic Hollywood’s most dependable—and surprisingly fascinating—leading men: GEORGE BRENT. Handsome, sophisticated, and effortlessly charming, Brent appeared opposite some of the biggest actresses of the Golden Age, including Davis, Stanwyck, Garbo, Loy, Rogers, Oberon, and Sheridan. But his off-screen life was every bit as colorful as his movies, from his mysterious Irish revolutionary past to six marriages, countless romances, and a career that stretched across more than three decades. Join us as we dig into the films, the women, the rumors, and the remarkable life of George Brent—on the latest episode of From Beneath the Hollywood Sign!

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

George Brent - Ireland’s Gift to Hollywood and Its Leading Ladies (2016), by Scott O’Brien;

“George Brent, Movie Actor, Dies, Was Leading Man to Many Stars,” May 28, 1979, New York Times;

wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Under Suspicion (1930);

Once a Sinner (1931);

Fair Warning (1931);

Charlie Chan Carries On (1931);

So Big! (1932);

The Rich Are Always with Us (1932);

The Crash (1932);

Lilly Turner (1933);

The Purchase Price (1932);

Baby Face (1933);

42nd Street (1933);

Front Page Woman (1935);

Special Agent (1935);

Jezebel (1938);

Dark Victory (1939);

The Old Maid (1939);

)

The Great Lie (1941);

The Rains Came (1939);

The Fighting 69th (1940);

'Til We Meet Again (1940);

Honeymoon for Three (1941);

The Gay Sisters (1942);

My Reputation (1946);

The Spiral Staircase (1946);

Tomorrow Is Forever (1946);

Lover Come Back (1946);

Slave Girl (1947);

Bride for Sale (1949);

Born Again (1978);

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EPISODE 159 - “TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & COMPANY: HIS ESSENTIAL SCREEN ACTORS” - 9/28/2026

This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, we’re thrilled to welcome back one of our favorite guests, acclaimed author and film historian John DiLeo, for a fascinating conversation about his book Tennessee Williams and Company: His Essential Screen Actors. John takes us inside the extraordinary world of Tennessee Williams on film, exploring the actors who brought his unforgettable characters to life—and what stars like Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Anna Magnani, Geraldine Page, and others brought to Williams’s singular universe of desire, loneliness, desperation, and longing. It’s a spirited celebration of great writing, great acting, and some of the most electrifying performances in movie history. Join us for a trip into the steamy, complicated, and endlessly fascinating world of Tennessee Williams and Company!

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Tennessee Williams and Company: His Essential Screen Actors (2010) by John Dileo;

wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Gone with the Wind (1939)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Casablanca (1942)

The Glass Menagerie (1950)

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

The Rose Tattoo (1955)

Giant (1956)

Baby Doll (1956)

Bus Stop (1956)

The Three Faces of Eve (1957)

The Wild Is the Wind (1957)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

The Entertainer (1960)

The Fugitive Kind (1960)

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)

Splendor in the Grass (1961)

Period of Adjustment (1962)

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

The Carpetbaggers (1964)

Cat Ballou (1965)

Harlow (1965)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

This Property Is Condemned (1966)

Barefoot in the Park (1967)

Rachel, Rachel (1968)

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EPISODE 158 - “HOLLYWOOD 101: MOVIES GO BACK TO SCHOOL” - 9/21/2026

Class is officially in session! Join us this week on From Beneath The Hollywood Sign as we celebrate the ritual of going back to school. We will explore some of our favorite films about teachers, students, schools, colleges, and the strange, funny, dramatic, and sometimes downright terrifying worlds of academia. From inspiring educators and unforgettable classrooms to rebellious students and lessons that go far beyond the syllabus, we’re digging into the movies that made us love—or dread—going back to school. Pack your backpack, sharpen your pencils, and join us for a cinematic education you won’t want to skip!

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Remember The Day (1941), starring Claudette Colbert, John Payne, John Sheppard, Ann Todd, Jane Seymour, Anne Revere, Freida Innescort, Thurston Hall, Irving Bacon, Marie Blake, Jody Gilbert, & Paul Harvey;

Bright Road (1953), starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belefonte, Phillip Hepburn, Barbara Ann Sanders, Robert Horton, Maidie Norman, & Vivian Dandridge;

The Corn is Green (1945), starring Bette Davis, John Dahl, Joan Lorring, Rosalind Ivan, Rhys Williams, Nigel Bruce & Mildred Dunnock

Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955), starring Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, Peggy Knudsen, Robert Douglas, Kipp Hamilton, Chuck Connors, Marshall Thompson, Mary Wickes & Biff Elliott;

Blackboard Jungle (1955), Glenn Ford, Sidney Poitier, Anne Francis, Vic Morrow, Jamie Farr, Margaret Hayes, Paul Mazursky, & Richard Kiley;

Up The Down Staircase (1967), starring Sandy Dennis, Patrick Bedford, Eileen Heckhart, Jean Stapleton, Ruth White, Ray Poole, Sorrell Brooke, Florence Stanley, Jeff Howard, Ellen O’Mara, Frances Sternhagen & But Cort;

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EPISODE 156 - “BEYOND THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN: WORLD CINEMA WITH ALICIA MALONE” - 9/14/2026

This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, we’re going around the world with one of our favorite film people—Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone! Alicia joins us to talk about her wonderful book, TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema, a personal tour through 52 remarkable films spanning decades, continents, and cultures. We talk about the movies that opened her eyes to international cinema, some of the unexpected treasures she discovered along the way, and why venturing beyond Hollywood can completely change the way you look at movies. Whether you’re already a devotee of world cinema or have always wondered where to begin, Alicia is the perfect guide. Grab your passport, movie lovers—no luggage required! It’s a brand-new episode of From Beneath the Hollywood Sign!

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema

wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Citizen Kane (1941);

Suspicion (1941);

Bicycle Thieves (1948);

Late Spring (1949);

Rear Window (1954);

Seven Samurai (1954);

Nights of Cabiria (1957);

The Seventh Seal (1957);

The Apartment (1960);

La Dolce Vita (1960);

The Magnificent Seven (1960);

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961);

Paris Pick-Up (1962);

The Birds (1963);

Daisies (1966);

Sweet Charity (1969);

Lady Snowblood (1973);

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975);

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975);

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975);

The Ascent (1977);

My Brilliant Career (1979);

Cinema Paradiso (1988);

The Vanishing (1988);

Tatie Danielle (1990);

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995);

In the Mood for Love (2000);

Amélie (2001);

Infernal Affairs (2002);

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003);

The Departed (2006);

Parasite (2019);

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