From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

• "LOUELLA & HEDDA- THE GOLDEN AGE'S GOSSIP GIRLS" (105)

  EPISODE 105 -  “LOUELLA AND HEDDA: THE GOLDEN AGE’S GOSSIP GIRLS” - 9/15/25 This week, we explore the legendary rivalry between Hollywood gossip columnists LOUELLA PARSONS and HEDDA HOPPER. Parsons, backed by media tycoon WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST, became a powerful figure in the 1920s with close ties to the studios. Hopper, a former actress, entered the scene later with a more aggressive style and strong political views. The two wielded enormous influence, able to make or break careers with a single column. The episode covers their personal feud, their role in the Hollywood blacklist, and their lasting impact on celebrity journalism. It’s a revealing look at how gossip shaped the Golden Age of Hollywood. SHOW NOTES:  To purchase the Wild Goddesses of the Silver Screen & Beyond oracle cards, you can contact TAMARA COOK through her Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/tamara.cook.902 Sources: Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood Celebrity Gossip and American Conservatism (2011), by Jennifer Frost; The First Lady of Hollywood (2005), by Samantha Barbas; Vanity Will Get You Somewhere: An Autobiography (1987), by Joseph Cotten; Hedda and Louella: A Dual Biography of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons (1971), by George Eells; Tell It To Louella (1961), by Louella Parsons; The Gay Illiterate (1944), by Louella Parsons; “Hedda Hopper: The rise of Hollywood’s First Gossip Queen,”July 13, 2025, Documentary, Biography;  “The Career that Fear Built: Hedda Hopper Ruled the Gossip Business,” August 6, 2018,  The Saturday Evening Post; “For Gossip Columnist Hedda Hopper, Flamboyance Was Her Brand,” November 10, 2015, by Ruth La Ferla, New York Times; “The Powerful Rivalry Between Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons,” April 1997, by Amy Fine Collins, Vanity Fair; “Louella Parsons, Gossip Columnist, Dies,” December 10, 1972, New York Times; “Hedda Hopper, Columnist, Dies; Chronicled Gossip of Hollywood,” February 2, 1966,  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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• “MEMORABLE MINUTES: JOHN DILEO ON ACTORS WHO MADE THE MOST OF LESS” - 9/08/25 (104)

  EPISODE 104 -  “MEMORABLE MINUTES: JOHN DILEO ON ACTORS WHO MADE THE MOST OF LESS” - 9/08/25 Back by popular demand! This week we welcome author and friend of the podcast JOHN DILEO who will talk about his 2022 book THERE ARE NO SMALL PARTS: 100 OUTSTANDING FILM PERFORMANCES WITH SCREEN TIME OF 10 MINUTES OR LESS, a fun, insightful look at the incredible actors who made the most with the limited screen time they were given. From GLADYS GEORGE in “The Hard Way” (1943) to RUBY DEE in “American Gangster” (2007), we cover the gamut!  SHOW NOTES:  Sources: There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances With Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less (2022), by John DiLeo; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: Sharp Shooters (1938), starring Brian Donlevy & Lynn Bari; The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Harry Morgan, & Mary Beth Hughes; Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), staring Jean Arthur & Gary Cooper; Blossoms In the Dust (1941), starring Greer Garson & Walter Pidgeon; My Favorite Wife (1940), starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Gail Patrick, & Randolph Scott; The Hard Way (1943), starring Ida Lupino, Joan Leslie, Dennis Morgan, & Jack Carson; Now, Voyager (1942), starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, & Gladys Cooper; Body & Soul (1947), starring John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, & Anne Revere; It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), starring James Stewart & Donna Reed; Strangers on a Train (1951), starring Robert Walker, Farley Granger, & Ruth Roman; The Bishop’s Wife (1947) starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, & David Niven; The Last Picture Show (1971), starring Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson & Cloris Leachman; American Gangster (2007), staring Denzel Washington, Lymari Nadal, & Russell Crowe; Network (1976), starring William Holden, Faye Dunaway, & Peter Finch; Stagecoach (1939), starling John Wayne & Claire Trevor; Gone With The Wind (1939), starring Vivien Leigh & Clark Gable; The Wizard of Oz (1939), starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack haley, & Bert Lahr; The Letter (1940), starring Bette Davis & Herbert Marshall; Mrs. Miniver (1942), starring Greer Garson & Walter Pidgeon; State Fair (1945), starring Jeanne Crain & Dana Andrews; The Birds (1963), starring Tippi Hedren & Rod Taylor; --------------------------------- 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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• “ELEANOR PARKER: CLASSIC CINEMA STAR OF THE MONTH” - 9/01/25 (103)

  EPISODE 103 - “ELEANOR PARKER: CLASSIC CINEMA STAR OF THE MONTH” - 9/01/25 This week, we celebrate our Star of the Month: the extraordinary ELEANOR PARKER. Known as “the woman of a thousand faces,” Parker built a remarkable career defined by range, subtlety, and strength. From her Oscar-nominated turn as a wrongly imprisoned woman in Caged, to her quietly powerful presence as the Baroness in The Sound of Music, she consistently defied typecasting and brought nuance to every role. But behind the glamour was a private, fiercely independent woman whose legacy has too often been overlooked in Hollywood history. Join us as we dive deep into the life, career, and enduring mystique of Eleanor Parker—a star who truly deserves to be remembered. SHOW NOTES: Sources: Eleanor Parker: Woman of a Thousand Faces (1989), by Doug McClelland; “Eleanor Parker: Above and Beyond,” Vol 13., #2, by Jim Meyer, Hollywood Studio Magazine; “Eleanor Parker: Miscasting Has Sabotaged Her Beauty and Ability,” March 1962, by Doug McClelland, Film In Review; “Hollywood’s Mystery,” June 1954, Screenland; “She Loves To Act,” November 11, 1951, by Hedda Hopper, Chicago Sunday Tribune; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; 
Movies Mentioned: The Sound of Music (1965); Caged (1950); They Died with Their Boots On (1942); Soldiers in White (1942); The Big Shot (1942); Men of the Sky (1942); Vaudeville Days (1942); Busses Roar (1942); We’re With the Army Now (1943); Mission to Moscow (1943); Destination Tokyo (1944); Between Two Worlds (1944); The Very Thought of You (1944); Hollywood Canteen (1944); Pride of the Marines (1945); Of Human Bondage (1946); Never Say Goodbye (1946); Escape Me Never (1947); Voice of the Turtle (1947); The Woman in White (1948); It’s a Great Feeling (1949); Chain Lightning (1950); Three Secrets (1950); Valentino (1951); A Millionaire for Christy (1951); Detective Story (1951); Above and Beyond (1953); Escape from Fort Bravo (1953); The Naked Jungle (1954); Valley of the Kings (1954); Many Rivers to Cross (1955); Interrupted Melody (1955); The Man with the Golden Arm (1955); The King and Four Queens (1956); Lizzie (1957); The Seventh Sin (1957); A Hole in the Head (1959); Home from the Hill (1960); Return to Peyton Place (1961); Madison Avenue (1962); The Oscar (1966); An American Dream (1966); Warning Shot (1967); The Tiger and the Pussycat (1967); Eye of the Cat (1969); Sunburn (1979); Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring (1971); Home for the Holidays (1972); The Great American Beauty Contest (1973); Dead on the Money (1991); --------------------------------- 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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• “TALKIES, GANGSTERS, & BUGS BUNNY: THE WARNER BROTHERS JOURNEY” - 8/25/25 (102)

  EPISODE 102 -  “TALKIES, GANGSTERS, & BUGS BUNNY: THE WARNER BROTHERS JOURNEY” - 8/25/25 In this week’s episode, we’re turning the spotlight on the incredible journey of the Warner brothers—Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack—four ambitious siblings who rose from modest immigrant roots to create one of the most influential movie studios in the world: Warner Bros. Studios. Their story begins in the early 20th century, with a hand-cranked projector and a traveling film show, and evolves into a groundbreaking entertainment empire that would forever change the film industry. From their early struggles during the silent film era to their game-changing release of The Jazz Singer, in 1927, the first feature-length "talkie," the Warner brothers didn’t just adapt to change—they drove it. Join us as we trace the rise of Warner Bros., a studio born from risk, vision, and a relentless belief in the power of storytelling.   SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Warner Brothers: Hollywood’s Ultimate Backlot (2014), by Steven Bingen; Early Warner Brothers Studios (2010), by E.J. Stephens & Marc Wanamaker; You Must Remember This:  The Warner Bros. Story (2008), by Richard Schickel & George Perry; Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warners Bros. Story (1994), by Cass Warner; The Warner Brothers’ Story (1979), by Clive Hirschhorn; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: The Great Train Robbery (1903); Dante’s Inferno (1911); Peril on the Plains (1912);  Raiders on the Mexican Border (1912); My Four Years in Germany (1918); Don Juan (1926);  The Jazz Singer (1927); Little Caesar (1931);  The Public Enemy (1931); Scarface (1932); Baby Face (1933); Female (1933);  Marked Woman (1938); Jezebel (1938);  Angels with Dirty Faces (1938); Captain Blood (1935);  The Sea Hawk (1935);  Charge of the Light Brigade (1936); The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938); The Life of Emile Zola (1937); Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939); The Maltese Falcon (1941);  Now Voyager (1942);  The Big Sleep (1946); High Sierra (1941);  The Big Sleep (1946); White Heat (1949); You’re In The Army Now (1941);  Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942); This Is The Army (1943); Casablanca (1943); Mission To Moscow (1943); A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); East of Eden (1955);  Rebel Without a Cause (1955); Giant (1956); --------------------------------- 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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• “UNCOVERING URSULA PARROTT: DR. MARSHA GORDON ON THE LOST LITERARY STAR” - 8/18/25 (101)

  EPISODE 101 -  “UNCOVERING URSULA PARROTT: DR. MARSHA GORDON ON THE LOST LITERARY STAR” - 8/18/25 This week, we are thrilled to welcome film professor and author DR. MARSHA GORDON to discuss the life, career, and lost legacy of early feminist writer URSULA PARROTT. Parrott was a colorful character — a prolific and best-selling author, Hollywood screenwriter, and consistent headline-grabber during her avant-garde, unconventional life. Dr. Gordon, an expert on Parrott, discusses Parrott’s books, Hollywood deals, marriages and divorces, and run-ins with the law that made this writer such a fascinating subject.  To learn more about the work of Dr. Marsha Gordon, check out her website at https://www.marshagordon.org/ SHOW NOTES:  Sources: Becoming The Ex-Wife (2023), by Marsha Gordon; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: The Divorcee (1930), starring Norma Shearer, Chester Morris, & Conrad Nagel; Gentleman’s Fate (1931), starring John Gilbert, Louis Wolheim, Lelia Huams, & Anita Page; Strangers May Kiss (1931), starring Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery, & Ray Milland; Leftover Ladies (1931), starring Claudia Dell & Marjorie Rambeau; Love Affair (1932), starring Humphrey Bogart & Dorothy Mackail; The Woman Accused (1933), starring Cary Grant & Nancy Carroll; There’s Always Tomorrow (1934), starring Binnie Barnes, Robert Taylor, Alan Hale, & Frank Morgan; Next Time We Love (1936), starring Margaret Sullavan & James Stewart; Brilliant Marriage (1936), starring Joan Marsh, Ray Walker, & Hugh Marlowe; There’s Always Tomorrow (1956), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, & Joan Bennett; --------------------------------- 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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