Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today

“I sing for myself. I sing when I want to whenever I want to.  Just for me. I sing for my own pleasure.”
Was Judy Garland playing a character—or revealing herself?
In her final completed feature film, “I Could Go On Singing “ (1963), Garland plays Jenny Bowman, an international singing sensation adored by millions but desperately lonely when the curtain falls. It's a haunting swan song in which the line between performance and reality becomes almost impossible to distinguish.
This week, we explore the film’s troubled production, Garland’s compelling chemistry with co-star Dirk Bogarde, and the emotional tug-of-war between a mother, her former lover, and the son she longs to know.
Part backstage melodrama, part intimate portrait of a legendary performer, “I Could Go On Singing” offers a haunting glimpse of the loneliness behind the applause.
Join us as we revisit Judy Garland’s poignant cinematic farewell—and discover why this often-overlooked film deserves another
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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod
To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com
Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Remember “The Swan,“ “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover”? Reality TV promised us that with a little help, anyone could become a whole new person. But what if the ultimate makeover cost you your soul and ultimately your life? Think “Extreme Makeover: Nightmare Edition.”
This week, for our Halloween celebration, we dive into just that proposition as we discuss John Frankenheimer’s “Seconds” (1966), a chilling psychological thriller starring Rock Hudson as a man desperate to escape his seemingly perfect life. When a mysterious organization offers him a new face, new identity, and a second chance, the American Dream becomes a nightmare.
We explore Hudson’s inspired casting, the film’s nightmarish visuals, its haunting themes of identity and alienation, and its eerie relevance in our image-obsessed world.
Booed at Cannes and rejected by audiences, Seconds has since become a cult classic. Join us as we peel back the layers of one of Hollywood’s most disturbing films—and discover why its warning about reinventing ourselves is more relevant than ever.
After all, be careful what you wish for. You might just get it! 

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail
 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod
To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com
Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

What happens when a man turns his back on everything society tells him he should want?
In the aftermath of World War I, one man’s search for spiritual enlightenment takes him from the glittering drawing rooms of high society to the mountains of India. But the pursuit of inner peace comes at a price—and not everyone is willing to pay it.
Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s celebrated novel, The Razor’s Edge (1946) stars Tyrone Power in one of his most unconventional roles, alongside Gene Tierney, Anne Baxter, and Clifton Webb. Behind the film’s glamorous surface lies a provocative exploration of love, ambition, obsession, and the elusive meaning of happiness.
Join us as we explore the fascinating story behind this Darryl F. Zanuck production, its extraordinary cast, and the timeless questions that make The Razor’s Edge as compelling today as it was eighty years ago.
Sometimes the hardest journey is the one that leads to yourself.

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail
 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod
To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com
Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

Mel Brooks famously said that the only way to get even with Hitler is to make fun of him. Although Mel said it, he wasn’t the first to do it. That honor goes to Charles Chaplin (The Great Dictator”, 1940) and to the director of our film for today, the legendary Ernst Lubitsch and his brilliant political satire from 1942, “To Be or Not To Be.”
To be or not to be, that is the question of this movie. A troupe of second rate actors are the last line of defense against the onslaught of fascism and somehow it’s hilarious and terrifying at the same time. We walk through why this wartime dark comedy still feels so modern today,  from the brilliantly incisive dialogue, to the sleight of hand structure, to the hysterical and meta performances of its stars: the incomparable Jack Benny and the luminous Carole Lombard, in her final screen performance. 
The story keeps asking “what’s real and what’s staged?” as characters impersonate other characters, romances collide with resistance work, and jokes snap into suspense without warning. Along the way, we dig into what people mean by “the Lubitsch touch” and why the film’s sharp dialogue and careful misdirection reward repeat viewings. 
This film also kicks off our listener requested “Swan Songs” series, as it’s impossible to separate the movie from the legacy of the great Carole Lombard. We talk about her brilliance on screen, her war bond tour, and the tragic circumstances that made this her final film, adding a haunting layer to an already daring piece of political comedy.
If you enjoy deep dives into Hollywood’s golden age, subscribe to Going Hollywood, share this episode with a film lover, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. What’s the boldest comedy you’ve ever seen take on real world horror?
Text us or Leave a Voice Mail
 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod
To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com
Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

A great sitcom can survive a lot, but it can’t survive forgetting who it is. We’re back for Part Two of our “Laverne & Shirley” 50th anniversary celebration, and we dig into why that basement apartment window, the working-class charm, and “Making Our Dreams Come True” still feel so alive 50 years later. The early seasons don’t just deliver laughs, they build a world where being the underdog is the whole point.

So, we give one last hurrah to the Milwaukee era, remembering a few more of our favorite (and one of the most famous) episodes, and then we get honest about the big shift that changes everything: the move to California. We talk TV network decisions, time slot damage, new characters that don’t click, and how the show loses its original magic even when there are still a few fun late-season nuggets, including an appearance by “goddess-of-the-pod” herself, Carrie Fisher. We also unpack the behind-the-scenes reality of Cindy Williams’ exit and why it still stings for fans.

Subscribe, share the show with a fellow classic TV lover, and leave a rating and review. What’s your all-time favorite “Laverne & Shirley” moment, and when do you think the series should’ve ended?

Text us or Leave a Voice Mail
 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod
To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com
Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.