Melodrama, it’s much more than Douglas Sirk-directed mid-century dramas, I had a great talk with writer, film programmer, podcaster, and teacher Millie De Chirico about what melodrama really means, what we love about it, and the surprising places you can find melodrama, from horror to action flicks. Subscribe to Millie’s Substack, Professional Sweetheart Check out the fantastic book Millie wrote with Quatoyiah Murry TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema My video review of the book Millie’s official website Millie co-hosts the fabulous I Saw Wha ..read more

There are few stars who have reached the heights that Joan Crawford did. In his book Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom my guest Robert Dance explores how she rose from childhood poverty to the top of her industry where she maintained a successful career for over four decades. We talked about her drive and talent for business and how she was a surprising feminist presence in mid-century cinema.   You can purchase Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom here Check out the gorgeous photos on the official Ferocious Ambition Instagram account  The show is ..read more

The two cinematic versions of Scarface were influential films which reflected their times, the thirties and eighties respectively. The prolific Nat Segaloff explores their legacy in Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface, a fascinating book that draws on Nat’s industry experience and considerable research skills. We talked about the effect these movies had, the people who made them remarkable, and what it was like to meet Scarface director Brian De Palma. Learn more about Nat’s many film books at his website http://www.natsegaloff.com/ You can purchase Say Hello to My Little Frie ..read more

Film critic Odie Henderson has applied his vast film knowledge and solid storytelling skills to the writing of an excellent new book Buy Odie's Book Check out Odie's Blaxploitation Playlist Keep up with Odie on BlueSky Odie's film reviews: Boston Globe Roger Ebert Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month You can also support my work on ko-fi --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support ..read more

Eleanor Powell was Hollywood’s best female tapper, but she isn’t nearly as well known as screen hoofers like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. With their book Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance my guests Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère are working to fix that cultural oversight. Having been dancers themselves, they offer a fascinating perspective on this one-of-a-kind star’s style. We talked about the uniquely skilled Powell, who was as engaging as a person as she was a performer, and Paula and Lisa’s own relationship with her in her later years.  Connect with Paula and Lisa: Facebook page: h ..read more

While the actress Veronica Lake dealt with her share of trauma, her life was not quite the tragedy that it has long been rumored to be. Before she hit her mid-twenties she had appeared in six bonafide classic films, including Sullivan’s Travels, a series of noirs with Alan Ladd starting with This Gun for Hire, I Married a Witch and So Proudly We Hail. She left Hollywood behind, but never stopped working on the stage and in television, while pursuing the life she was unable to have as a young star. I spoke with UCLA Cinema and Media Studies Program Manager and Lake enthusiast and researcher Bri ..read more

Toshiro Mifune was one of the first classic film stars I loved and yet I didn’t know much about him personally. I decided to remedy that by talking to writer and CineJourneys co-founder Jill Blake. Jill has researched and written about Mifune and had a lot to share about his life, career, and remarkable partnership with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Check out Jill's work CineJourneys Substack: https://cinejourneys346.substack.com CineJourneys website: www.cinejourneys.com Read Jill’s piece on Mifune: https://ajillblake.substack.com/p/toshiro-mifune-no-april-fool   The show is a ..read more

Biographer Eve Golden returns to the show to discuss her latest . This vivacious star deserves a reputation overall. Lies, rumors, and misperceptions have clouded Velez’ legacy. While she didn’t have the opportunities and regard that her talent and starpower should have brought her, she had a remarkable, decades-long career and was a beloved, fascinating woman.  Content warning: we discuss Lupe’s suicide from 21:04 to 24:58 if you would prefer to skip that part of the conversation. Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Vélez is a publication of University Press of Kentucky and ..read more

I love the movie suggestions Brian Sauer shares as co-host of the Pure Cinema Podcast and as host of Just the Discs podcast and YouTube show. He always comes up with intriguing films I haven’t seen for my ever expanding to-watch list. In this episode, Brian shares five classic film picks and two spares, that would be his selections if he were scheduling the TCM Classic Film Festival. I loved the element of surprise in our conversation, especially because some of his picks sounded great and I can't wait to watch them.  Follow Brian and get more great recommendations: Instagram Brian on Le ..read more

Fashion Instagrammer and actress Rachel Boyce lives her love of 60s and 1700s fashion. While we tend to refer to previous decades when talking about fashion trends, Rachel looks back centuries when sharing her extensive knowledge about how past looks influence the present. We talked about how many years of different styles found their way into the cultural explosion of the sixties, including the wide variety of films made in that decade.  Follow Rachel Boyce on Instagram Listen to our previous episode about Sharon Tate and owning vintage fashion. The show is available on— Apple, Spotif ..read more