From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

• "FROM SILENT DREAMS TO SILVER SCREENS - THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN STORY" Nov 17, 2025 - (114)

  "FROM SILENT DREAMS TO SILVER SCREENS - THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN STORY" Nov 17, 2025 - (114) Each year thousands of people flock to Hollywood, and most are usually stopped in their tracks upon the first sighting of the iconic Hollywood Sign. Sitting high atop Mount Lee 1400 feet above the city, the Sign is a mesmerizing beacon of light that has come to symbolize the hopes and dreams of so many who’ve come here to become a star. This week, we get (really) up-close and personal with the Hollywood Sign. At the invitation of the Hollywood Sign Trust, the organization in charge of maintaining, protecting, and publicizing the Sign, we were able to record at the base of the Sign, a location that is off-limits to the public. Joining us to tell the fascinating and fanciful history of the Hollywood Sign is DIANA WRIGHT, who works with the Trust. You won’t want to miss this one!  SHOW NOTES:  Sources: “20 Fun Facts About The Hollywood Sign,” January 22, 2017, by Nelson James, Signs.com; Hollywoodsign.org; laconservancy.org; Hollywoodchamber.net; 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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• “BIG STAR, SMALL SCREEN - A CONVERSATION WITH FRONT ROW CLASSICS’ BRANDON DAVIS” - 11/10/25 (113)

  EPISODE 113 -  “BIG STAR, SMALL SCREEN - A CONVERSATION WITH FRONT ROW CLASSICS’ BRANDON DAVIS” - 11/10/25 In the early days of television, many classic film actors were hesitant—or even outright refused—to appear on TV for a multitude of reasons. Many thought that TV was low-brow. Others thought they would get overexposed and it would somehow diminish their box-office power. Slowly stars like LORETTA YOUNG, BARBARA STANWYCK, ROBERT MONTGOMERY, and LUCILLE BALL figured out that TV could enhance and elongate their popularity and appeal. Slowly, classic stars began to pop up on the boob-tube. Joining us this week is BRANDON DAVIS, host extraordinaire of the fantastic podcast Front Row Classics, who will discuss the migration of classic film stars to the small screen and how it affected their popularity and careers. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen IDA LUPINO doing her best “Norma Desmond” on an episode of “Charlie’s Angels” in 1977.   SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Columbo: The Series (2017), by Scott V. Palmer; Wagon Train: The Television Series (2011), by James Rosin; I Love Lucy: The Complete Picture History of the Most Popular TV Show Ever (1998), by Michael McClay; Perry Mason TV Show Book (1987), by Brian Kelleher and Diana Merrill; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; TV Series Mentioned: I Love Lucy  The Lucy Show The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour Here’s Lucy The Barbara Stanwyck Show Dr. Kildare Gunsmoke Perry Mason Route 66 Wagon Train The Big Valley Batman Petticoat Junction The Brady Bunch The Carol Burnett Show Columbo Murder She Wrote The Love Boat Fantasy Island  Hotel Falcon Crest Charlie’s Angels The Colbys --------------------------------- 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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• “CLASSIC CINEMA STAR OF THE MONTH: JACQUELINE WHITE” - 11/03/25 (112)

  EPISODE 112 -  “CLASSIC CINEMA STAR OF THE MONTH: JACQUELINE WHITE” - 11/03/25 When we think of our beloved Classic film stars who are still with us, we tend to think of EVA MARIE SAINT, ANN BLYTH, KIM NOVAK, ROBERT WAGNOR, or DICK VAN DYKE, however, there is one star among us who will be turning 103 in November. The name JACQUELINE WHITE may not ring any bells today, but for a brief time in the 1940s, she was a beautiful, talented leading lady with much promise. In fact, when she was up for the lead role of the mother in the 1946 film The Yearling, she was told by the producers that she was too beautiful to portray the simple pioneer woman. The role went to JANE WYMAN, who probably would have been none-too-pleased to know that, apparently, she was just fine playing such a plain and simple woman! But as a consolation prize, Wyman was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress. Join us as we pay tribute to Jacqueline White and her contribution to classic cinema.  SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Jacqueline White Official Biography, 1946, RKO Studios; “Jacqueline White May Be The New Irene Dunne, December 1, 1946, Los Angeles Times; “Jacqueline White to Wed,” September 20, 1948, by Louella Parsons, Los Angeles Examiner; “Snappy Shots,” October 24, 1948, by Dorothy Manners, Los Angeles Examiner; “An Interview With…Jacqueline White,” by Mike Fitzgerald, Western Clippings; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: Dr. Gillespie’s New Assistant  (1942), starring Lionel Barrymore, Van Johnson, & Susan Peters; Reunion in France (1942), starring Joan Crawford & John Wayne; Air Raid Wardens (1943), starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, & Jacqueline White; Three Hearts for Julia (1943), starring Ann Sothern & Melvyn Douglas; Pilot #5 (1943), starring Franchot Tone, Marsha Hunt, & Gene Kelly; Swing Shift Maisie (1943), starring Ann Sothern & James Craig; A Guy Named Joe (1943), starring Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, & Van Johnson; Song of Russia (1944), starring Robert Taylor & Susan Peters; Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, & Robert Walker; The Harvey Girls (1946), starring Judy Garland, John Hodiak, & Angela Lansbury; The Show Off (1946), starring Red Skelton, Marilyn Maxwell, & Marjorie Main; Banjo (1947), starring Sharron Moffat & Jacqueline White; Seven Keys To Baldpate (1947), starring Phillip Terry & Jacqueline White; Crossfire (1947), starring Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, & Gloria Grahame; Night Song (1947); starring Dana Andrews & Merle Oberon; Return of the Bad Men (1948), starring Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffries, & Jacqueline White; Mystery In Mexico (1948), starring William Lundigan & Jacqueline White; Riders on The Range (1950), starring Tim Holt & Jacqueline White; The Capture (1950), starring Lew Ayres & Teresa Wright The Narrow Margin (1952), starring Charles MacGRaw, Marie Windsor & Jacqueline White; --------------------------------- 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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• “CELEBRATING DIANE KEATON: THE HIDDEN GEMS OF A HOLLYWOOD ORIGINAL” (111)

  EPISODE 111 -  “CELEBRATING DIANE KEATON: THE HIDDEN GEMS OF A HOLLYWOOD ORIGINAL” - 10/27/25 When DIANE KEATON passed away on October 11, 2025, she left behind an incredible legacy of important films and stunning performances that were some of the best of the era. Her youthful effervescence, her fashion style, everything about her belied mortality.  Most people think of her masterful, Oscar-winning performance in Annie Hall, (1977) but her career is so much more than that one role. Over the past five decades, her filmography is a study in contrasts: farce, heart wrenching dramas, rom-coms with a twist — she’s taken risks, playing complicated women (even in the lighter faire), and made some really interesting choices. In this episode, we’re going to take a look at some of the films Diane Keaton made that don’t always get the spotlight they deserve. Watching these films, whether for the first time or a revisit, you realize just how bold and varied her work was. Whether in a quiet drama focusing on an intimate character study, a quirky comedy, or something completely unexpected, Diane Keaton always brought a mix of honesty, humor, and heart that was entirely her own.  So, today we honor the life and legacy of the multifaceted Diane Keaton. SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: Play It Again, Sam (1972), starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, & Tony Roberts; Looking For Mr, Goodbar (1977), starring Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, William Atherton, Richard Gere, Richard Riley, Allen Fienstein, Tom Berenger,  Priscilla Pointer, & LaVar Burton; Interiors (1978), starring Diane Keaton, Mary Beth Hurt, Kristin Griffith, Geraldine Page, E.G. Marshall, Richard Jordan, Sam Waterston, & Maureen Stapleton; Shoot The Moon (1978), starring Diane Keaton, Albert Finney, Dana Hill, Karen Allen, Peter Weller, Tracy Gold, Tina Yothers, & Viveka Davis; Marvin’s Room (1996), starring Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Leonardo Di Caprio, Robert DeNiro, Gwen Verdon, Hume Cronyn, & Hal Scardino; Sometime’s Gotta Give (2003), starring Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, Frances McDormand, & Jon Favreau; --------------------------------- 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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• FBTHS: “LON CHANEY SR, and LON CHANEY JR” (110)

  EPISODE 110 -  “LON CHANEY SR, and LON CHANEY JR” - 10/25 LON CHANEY, known as the 'Man of a Thousand Faces,' amazed audiences in the silent era with his unforgettable performances in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). He was a master of transformation, using makeup, physicality, and raw emotion to create these classic characters no one had ever seen before. His son, LON CHANEY, JR., had the difficult job of following in his father’s footsteps. But he made his own mark, especially as The Wolf Man (1941), a role that turned him into one of Universal’s great horror stars. Join us as we discuss this remarkable father-and-son duo, their careers, their lives, and how the Chaney name became synonymous with both monsters and movie magic. SHOW NOTES:  Sources: “Not the Girl Next Door” (2008), by Charlotte Chandler;   “Lon Chaney: The Man Behind the Thousand Faces” (1993), by Michael F. Blake; www.lonchaney.com; PBS.org/WNET/AmericanMasters; Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces, Documentary (2022); Lon Chaney, Jr.: Son of a Thousand Faces, Documentary, A&E Biography (1995); “Secrets from Lon Chaney’s Oklahoma Odyssey,” November 14, 1982, by Sam Anderson, The Oklahoman; “9 Transformative Facts About Lon Chaney Sr.,” November 6, 2019, by Jane Rose, Mental Floss; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923); The Phantom of the Opera (1925); The Wolf Man (1941); By the Sun’s Rays (1914); The Wicked Darling (1919); The Miracle Man (1919); The Penalty (1920); He Who Gets Slapped (1924); The Unholy Three (1925); The Blackbird (1926); The Road to Mandalay (1926); Tell It to the Marines (1926); Mr. Wu (1927); The Unknown (1927);  London After Midnight (1927); The Big City (1928); Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928);  While the City Sleeps (1928);  West of Zanzibar (1928); Where East is East (1929);  Thunder (1929); Girl Crazy (1932); Undersea Kingdom (1936); Of Mice and Men (1939); One Billion BC (1940); Billy the Kid (1941); Riders of Death Valley (1941); Badlands of Dakota (1941); Too Many Blondes (1941); San Antonio Rose (1941); Man Made Monster (1941); Frankenstein (1932); The Mummy (1932); The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942); The Mummy’s Tomb (1942); Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943); Son of Dracula (1943); House of Frankenstein (1944); Abbott and CostelloMeet Frankenstein (1948); High Noon (1952); Bride of the Gorilla (1951); The Black Castle (1952); Indestructible Man (1956); The Alligator (1959); The Bushwhacker (1952); The Silver Star (1955); The Haunted Palace (1963); Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971); --------------------------------- 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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