From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

• “LEGENDS IN CEMENT: THE STORY OF THE GRAUMAN’S CHINESE THEATRE”

  “LEGENDS IN CEMENT: THE STORY OF THE GRAUMAN’S CHINESE THEATRE” - 7/14/25 (096) There is no landmark in Hollywood that elicits such awe and wonder as the beautiful Chinese Theatre. The brainchild of impresario SID GRAUMAN, who made a name for himself creating opulent, grand movie palaces, the theatre became a symbol of movie magic. Join us this week as we discuss the rich and wonderful history of this great theatre and how it evolved and changed over the years. We’ll also discuss the iconic stars who came to place their hand and footprints in cement in the theater’s forecourt.  SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Dream Palaces of Hollywood’s Golden Age (2006), by David Wallace; Hollywood’s Master Showman: The Legendary Sid Grauman (1983), by Charles Beardsley; “All the Hollywood Secrets Hidden in the Handprints at the Chinese Theatre’s Forecourt of the Stars,” May 18, 2017, by Meredith Werner, Los Angeles Times; Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, academymuseum.org; “Dame Helen Makes Her (Stiletto) Mark on Hollywood as She Cements Superstar Status,” March 29, 2011, Hello! Magazine; tclchinesetheatres.com; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned:  The Big Parade (1925), starring John Gilbert & Renée Adorée; King of Kings (1927), starring H.B. Warner & Dorothy Cummings;  Hell’s Angels (1930), starring Ben Lyon, Jean Harlow, & James Hall; King Kong (1933), starring Fay Wray & Bruce Cabot; The Wizard of Oz (1939), starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, & Burt Lahr; Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953), starring Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe; The Egyptian (1954), starring Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, & Edmond Purdom; --------------------------------- http://www.airwavemedia.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• “VIRGINIA GREY: Classic Cinema Star of the Month” (095)

  EPISODE 95 -  “VIRGINIA GREY: Classic Cinema Star of the Month” - 7/07/25 If VIRGINIA GREY is remembered at all, the blue-eyed, blonde-haired beauty is probably best remembered as the caustic perfume counter girl in The Women (1939), who sees right through the gold-digging ways of Crystal Allen, played by JOAN CRAWFORD. In these brief scenes, she is so charismatic and saucy, she really shows how to deliver a zinger of a line. She may also be remembered as the good luck charm of producer ROSS HUNTER, who put her in many of his popular movies of the mid-1950s and 1960s. But there was so much more to this talented actress. This week, we explore her life and career as we honor her as our Star of the Month.  SHOW NOTES:  Sources: “Virginia Grey, a Veteran of 100 moves, dies at 87,” August 6, 2003, New York Times; Robert Taylor: The Man WIth the Perfect Profile (1973), by Jane Ellen Wayne; “The Girl Who Won Gable Back,” November 1951, by Linda Griffin, Modern Screen magazine; “An Interview With Virginia Grey,” by Mike Fitzgerald, www.westernclippings.com; “Virginia Grey,” briansdriveintheater.com; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned:  The Women (1939), starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, & Rosalind Russell; Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1927), starring James B. Lowe; Dames (1934), starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell. & Joan Blondell; Secret Valley (1937); starring Richard Arlen & Virginia Grey; Test Pilot (1938), starring Clark Gable & Myrna Loy; Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938), starring Lana Turner; Dramatic School (1938) starring Luise Rainer & Paulette Goddard; The Hardy’s Ride High (1939), starring Mickey Rooney & Lewis Stone; Idiot’s Delight (1939), starring Clark Gable & Norma Shearer; Broadway Serenade (1939), with Jeanette MacDonald & Lew Ayres; Another Thin Man (1939), starring William Powell & Myrna Loy; Hullabaloo (1940), starring Frank Morgan; The Big Store (1941), starring the Marx Brothers; Blonde Inspiration (1941), starring John Shelton; Tarzan’s New York Adventure (1942), starring Johnny Weissmuller & Maureen O’Sullivan; Whistling in the Dark (1941), starring Red Skelton & Ann Rutherford; Bells of Capistrano (1942), starring Gene Autry & Virginia Grey; Sweet Rosie O’Grady (1943), with Betty Grable & Robert Young; Strangers in the Night (1944), starring William Terry & Virginia Grey; Blonde Ransom (1945), with Virginia Grey; House of Horrors (1946), with Robert Lowery & Virginia Grey; Unconquered (1947), starring Gary Cooper & Paulette Goddard; Leather Gloves (1948), with Cameron Mitchell; Mexican Hayride (1948), starring Abbott & Costello; Jungle Jim (1948), Starring Johnny Weissmuller & Virginia Grey; Highway 301 (1950), with Steve Cochran & Virginia Grey; Slaughter Trail (1951), starring Gig Young & Virginia Grey; Three Desperate Men (1951), with Preston Foster & Virginia Grey; Captain Scarface (1953), with Leif Erickson & Virginia Grey; The Forty-Niners (1955), with Wild Bill Elliott & Virginia Grey; All That Heaven Allows (1955), starring Jane Wyman & Rock Hudson; The Rose Tattoo (1955), starring Anna Magnani & Burt Lancaster; Jeanne Eagles (1957), starring Kim Novak; Portrait In Black (1960), starring Lana Turner; Back Street (1961), starring Susan Hayward; Flower Drum Song (1961), starring Nancy Kwan; The Naked Kiss (1964), starring Constance Tower; Love Has Many Faces (1965), starring Lana Turner, Cliff Robertson & Hugh O’Brien; Airport (1970), with Burt Lancaster & Dean Martin; --------------------------------- http://www.airwavemedia.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• "SECOND ACT: REDISCOVERING OVERLOOKED MUSICALS" (094)

  "SECOND ACT: REDISCOVERING OVERLOOKED MUSICALS" (094) - 6/30/25 In this episode of the podcast, Steve and Nan dive into some of their favorite classic Hollywood musicals that they feel do not get their due. They share fond memories and behind-the-scenes tidbits about timeless films like Summer Stock, State Fair, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. With infectious enthusiasm, they discuss the charm of Gene Kelly’s choreography, Judy Garland’s unforgettable voice, and the sweeping scores that still resonate decades later. Whether you're a seasoned fan or a newcomer to the genre, this episode is a heartfelt tribute to the magic of classic movie musicals. SHOW NOTES:  Sources: 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards (2004), by Robert Osborne; My Path and My Detours: An Autobiography (1985), by Jane Russell; The Hollywood Musical: Every Hollywood Musical from 1927 to the Present Day (1981), by Clive Hirschhorn; The Films of 20th Century Fox (1979), by Tony Thomas & Aubrey Solomon; “Judy Garland and Gene Kelly team up – off and on screen – for “Summer Stock,”  May 6, 2019, by Kay Reynolds, HighDefWatch.com; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com;  IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned:  The Gay Divorcee (1934), starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady, Edward Everett  Horton & Betty Grable; State Fair (1945), starring Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haynes, Vivian Blaine, Fay Bainter, & Charles Winninger; The Singing Nun (1966), starring Debbie Reynolds, Greer Garson, Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead, & Juanita Moore; Gentlemen Prefer Bondes (1953), starring Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, & Norma Varden; Summer Stock (1950), starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers, Marjorie Main, Gloria De Haven, & Eddie Bracken; Orchestra Wives (1942), starring Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, Cesar Romero, Glenn Miller & his Band, Lynn Bari, Carole Landis, Mary Beth Hughes, Virginia Gilmore & The Nicholas Brothers; --------------------------------- http://www.airwavemedia.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• "EDITH HEAD: OLD HOLLYWOOD'S QUEEN OF FASHION" (093)

  "EDITH HEAD: OLD HOLLYWOOD'S QUEEN OF FASHION" (093) EPISODE 93 -  6/23/25 With eight Academy Awards to her name — more than any other woman in history — EDITH HEAD wasn't just a costume designer; she was a storyteller in fabric, silhouette, and sparkle. From BETTE DAVIS to GRACE KELLY to AUDREY HEPBURN, she dressed the biggest stars of the silver screen, leaving an indelible mark on both fashion and film. In this episode, we explore how a shy schoolteacher became the most powerful woman in Hollywood wardrobes, her collaborations with iconic directors like Alfred Hitchcock, and how her designs helped shape characters, define eras, and influence fashion far beyond the studio lot. So, slip into something fabulous, and let’s step behind the curtain into the life and legacy of the great Edith Head. SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Dressing Up The Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head (12022), by Jeanne Walker Harvey;  Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Costume Designer (2010), by Jay Jorgensen; Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood’s Celebrated Costume Designer (2003), by David Chierichetti; Edith Head’s Hollywood (1983), by Edith Head; The Dress Doctor (1959), by Edith Head; “How To Dress For the Oscars,” February 11, 2015, ⁠www.oscars.com⁠; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned:  Wings (1927); The Saturday Night Kid (1929); Love Me Tonight (1932); She Done Him Wrong (1933); Little Miss Marker (1934); Rhythm on the Range (1936); College Holiday (1936); The Jungle Princess (1936); Internes Can’t Take Money (1937); The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938); Thanks for the Memories (1938); Mad about Music (1938); Dangerous To Know (1938);  Beau Geste (1939); Remember the Night (1939); The Cat and the Canary (1939);  The Lady Eve (1941); Sullivan’s Travels (1941); The Glass Key (1942); I Married a Witch (1942); Star Spangled Rhythm (1942); Hold That Blonde (1945); The Blue Dahlia (1946); Holiday Inn (1942); The Uninvited (1944); Double Indemnity (1944); Incendiary Blonde (1945); To Each His Own (1946); The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946); A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1949); The Great Gatsby (1949);  Notorious (1946); The Emperor’s Waltz (1948); The Heiress (1949); All About Eve (1950); Sunset Boulevard (1950); Samson & Delilah (1949); A Place in the Sun (1951); Roman Holiday (1953); Sabrina (1954);  Funny Face (1957); Rear Window (1954); To Catch a Thief (1955); The Trouble With Harry (1955); The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956); Vertigo (1958); Ace In the Hole (1951); The Greatest Show on Earth (1952); Shane (1953); White Christmas (1954);  The Rose Tattoo (1955); The Rainmaker (1956); The Ten Commandments (1957); Loving You (1958); The Pink Panther (1963); A Shot In the Dark (1964); The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1963); Love With the Proper Stranger (1963); Sex and the Single Girl (1964); Inside Daisy Clover (1965); The Great Race (1965);  Penelope (1966); This Property is Condemned (1966); G.I. Blues (1960);  Blue Hawaii (1961);  Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962);  Fun In Acapulco (1963);  Roustabout (1964); Paradise Hawaiian Style (1966); What a Way to Go! (1964); Sweet Charity (1969); Summer and Smoke (1961);  Hud (1963); The Birds (1963); Harlow (1965); Barefoot in the Park (1967); Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969); Topaz (1969); Airport (1970); Airport ‘75 (1974); Airport ‘77 (1977); Myra Breckenridge (1970); Lady Sings The Blues (1972); The Sting (1974); The Great Waldo Pepper (1975);,  The Man Who Would Be King (1976);  Family Plot (1976); Gable and Lombard (1976); W.C. Fields and Me (1976); Rooster Cogburn (1975); Sextette (1978); Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982); --------------------------------- ⁠http://www.airwavemedia.com⁠ Please contact ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• “BORN TO BE BAD - Old Hollywood's Favorite Brats" (092) 6/16/25

  EPISODE 92 -  “BORN TO BE BAD - Old Hollywood's Favorite Brats" - 6/16/25 This week, we’re getting into the pint-sized punks, the tantrum-throwers, the eye-rollers, and the sharp-tongued little legends who strutted across the silver screen like they owned the studio. That’s right—we’re talking about our favorite bratty kids in classic movies. You know the type: too smart for their age, too bold for their britches, and way too good at stealing scenes from their adult co-stars. Whether they were lighting up the screen with sass or shutting it down with a glare, these kids were iconic—and let’s be honest, a little terrifying. So buckle up, because we’re about to revisit the child stars who threw shade before it was cool, and tantrums that deserved an Oscar. Let the chaos begin. SHOW NOTES:  Sources: “There’s Always Tomorrow,” August 13, 2021, by Richard Brody, The New Yorker;  “Jane Withers, Child Star Who Later Won Fame in Commercials, Does at 95,” August 8, 2021, The New York Times; “Denise Nickerson, Violet in ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Has Died,” July 11, 2019, Times Union; “Violence to Lord of Flies,” December 19, 2012, RogerEbert.com;  “A Long Way From Brooklyn,” April 23, 2010,  by Dave Kehr, New York Times; “Bonita Granville Wrather, 65, an Actress and Executive (Obit),” October 8, 1988, The New York Times; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; --------------------------------- http://www.airwavemedia.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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