From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

EPISODE 125 -  “VIRGINIA MAYO: CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD STAR OF THE MONTH” - 2/02/2026 

One of the most glamorous actresses in old Hollywood undoubtedly was VIRGINIA MAYO. This peaches-and-cream, midwestern beauty started her career wrangling two men in a horse costume on stage before being discovered by producer SAMUEL GOLDWYN and transformed into a full-blown movie star. Often playing the fantasy girl to leading men like BOB HOPE and DANNY KAYE, her beauty sometimes made people miss the fact that she was a very capable actress — particularly when she played bad girls in films like “The Best Years of Our Lives” and “White Heat.” She was very adept at light comedy, romance films, and drama, appearing in over 50 feature films and many television shows throughout her career. And tune in to find out about Steve’s connection to this old Hollywood glamour girl as we celebrate Mayo as our February Star of the Month.  

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

The Best Years of My Life (2001), by Virginia Mayo, as told to LC Van Savage;

The Forties Gals (1980), by James Robert Parish & Don E. Stanke;

“Virginia Mayo’s 100th Birthday,” November 30, 2020, by Vanessa Varquez, www.ashroudofthoughts.com;

“Virginia Mayo, 84, Stunning Actress of 1940s Romantic Films,” January 19, 2005, Los Angeles Times;

Virginia Mayo, Movie Actress, Dies at 84,” January 18, 2005, by Richard Severo, New York Times;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Follies Girls (1943), starring Wendy Barrie;

Up In Arms (1944), starring Danny Kaye & Constance Dowling;

Jack London (1943), starring Michael O’Shea;

Seven Days Ashore (1944), starring Wally Brown;

The Princess and the Pirate (1944), starring Bob Hope & Virginia Mayo;

Wonder Man (1945), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, & Vera Ellen;

The Kid From Brooklyn (1946), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera Ellen & Steve Cochran;

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff & Ann Rutherford;

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews & Teresa Wright;

A Song Is Born (1948), starring Danny Kaye & Virginia Mayo;

Smart Girls Don’t Talk  (1948), starring Bruce Bennett & Virginia Mayo;

Flaxy Martin (1949), starring Virginia Mayo & Zachary Scott;

Colorado Territory (1948), starring Joel McCrea & Virginia Mayo;

White Heat (1949), starring James Cagney & Virginia Mayo;

Red Light (1949), starring George Brent & Virginia Mayo;

Always Leave Them Laughing (1949), starring Milton Berle, Virgina Mayo & Ruth Roman;

Backfire (1950), starring Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo & Edmond O’Brien;

The Flame and the Arrow (1950), starring Burt Lancaster & Virginia Mayo;

The West Point Story (1950), starring James Cagney & Virginia Mayo;

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), starring Gregory Peck & Virginia Mayo;

She’s Working Her Way Though College (1952), starring Ronald Reagan & Virginia Mayo;

South Sea Woman (1953), starring Burt Lancaster & Virginia Mayo;  

Pearl of the Pacific (1955), starring Dennis Morgan & Virginia Mayo;

The Silver Chalice (1954), starring Paul Newman, Virgina Mayo * Pier Angeli;

Congo Crossing (1956), starring Virginia Mayo & George Nadar;

The Big Land (1957), starring Alan Ladd & Virginia Mayo;

The Story of Mankind (1957), starring Vincent Price, Ronald Colman & Peter Lorre;

Young Fury (1965), starring Rory Calhoun & Virginia Mayo;

Castle of Evil (1966), starring Scott Brady & Virginia Mayo;

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), starring Bruce Dern & Madelyn Kahn;

Hunted (1977), starring Aldo Ray;

French Quarter (1978); starring Bruce Davison;

The Man Next Door (1997); starring Karen Carlson;

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EPISODE 124 -  “EARL CARROLL VANITIES: SCANDAL, SPECTACLE AND THE JAZZ AGE” - 1/27/2026 

When we think about the great showmen of early Hollywood, we often think of FLO ZIEGFELD, SID GRAUMAN or maybe BUSBY BERKELEY, but another man who certainly fits well into this fraternity of daring, flamboyant, and imaginative purveyors of entertainment was EARL CARROLL. Carroll was a producer, songwriter, and impresario whose career helped define the glamour and excess of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Rising to prominence in the 1920s with his bold Broadway revues, Carroll brought to Hollywood a uniquely theatrical blend of elaborate staging, haute couture costuming, and the provocative extravagance that became his trademark. His famed Earl Carroll Theatre on Sunset Boulevard—adorned with a giant neon likeness of showgirl BERYL WALLACE —quickly became a Los Angeles landmark, drawing celebrities, industry moguls, and curious audiences eager for a sexy, entertaining show. Inside, his productions showcased meticulously choreographed ensembles, ornate sets, and the legendary showgirls, who were called “the most beautiful girls in the world.” Beyond the stage, Carroll influenced the broader culture of old Hollywood nightlife: his clubs were gathering places for stars, tastemakers, and dreamers, helping establish the city’s reputation for glittering evenings, lavish entertainment, and unabashed showmanship. Though his life ended tragically, Carroll’s imprint on Hollywood and his reputation for over-the-top glamour remains a defining element of its early history. This week, we look at this flamboyant life and career.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

The Body Merchant: The Story of Earl Carroll” (1976), by Ken Murray;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Beryl Wallace Homepage :

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100028021463896

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“ALMOST MARRIED TO THE MOB: HOLLYWOOD ACTRESSES WHO DATED MOBSTERS” - 1/19/2026  (123)

In this episode, we slip into the shadows where classic Hollywood glamour meets organized crime, exploring the classic Hollywood actresses who found themselves romantically entangled with real-life mobsters. At a time when studios tightly controlled female stars’ images, these notorious bad boys offered something intoxicatingly different: raw power beyond the backlot, fierce loyalty, protection from predators both on and off the screen, and a rebellious thrill that defied Hollywood’s carefully scripted rules. Drawn by charisma, thrills and maybe even a little danger, these women navigated a world where diamonds, nightclubs, and whispered threats coexisted with premieres and press junkets—and where love could be as risky as it was seductive. This week, we’re looking at the romantic entanglements that occurred when the mob meets Hollywood. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Tinseltown Gangsters” The Rise & Decline of the Mob in Hollywood (2024), by Jeffrey Sussman;

Handsome Johnny: The Life & Death of Johnny Rosselli, Gentleman Gangster, Hollywood Producer, CIA Assassin (2018), by Lee Server;

Double Cross: The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America (2016), by Sam Giancana, Chuck Giancana, & Bettina Giancana;

Hollywood & The Mob (2011), by Tim Adler;

An American Mafioso: The Johnny Rosselli Story (1991), by Charles Rappleye;

Detour: A Hollywood Story (1988), by Cheryl Crane;

Lana: The Lady, the Legend, The Truth (1982), by Lana Turner;

“Sam Giancana: Chicago Godfather, CIA Collaborator, And The Man Who May Have Put JFK In The White House,” May 16. 2024,  by Carly Silver, ATI.com;

“Two Survivors: The Scandalous Saga of Lana Turner and Cheryl Crane,” June 8, 2023, by Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair;

“Actor Lana Turner's Daughter Kills Turner's Gangster Lover,” 2022, by Thomas DeBose, EBSCO.com

“New Allegations Emerge About Marilyn Monroe's Final Hours,” May 11. 2012, CBSNews.com;

“The Gangster and The Goddess,” April 1999, by Patricia Bosworth, Vanity Fair;

“Killers Gave Rosselli Drink, Shot Him in Belly,” August 10, 1976, by William Tucker, The Miami News; 

“The Thug. The Actress. Her Daughter. And Homicide” September 8, 2023, by John S. Caragoizan, Caragozian Daily Journal;

TheMobMuseum,org;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

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“HABITS, COLLARS & CLOSEUPS IN CLASSIC CINEMA” - 1/12/2026 (122)

Classic cinema has always had a fascination with clergy and nuns — not just as religious figures, but as real people caught between faith and the challenges of the world. When these characters take center stage, the stories often become less about doctrine and more about conscience, compassion, and moral choices.  Sometimes with a good dose of humor thrown in. In today’s episode, we’re going to dive into classic films that put nuns and clergy at the heart of the story. The characters portrayed are thoughtful, conflicted, sometimes heroic, and always deeply human, with stories that explore grace, hope, and the consequences of our choices.  This week, we take a look back at some unforgettable films where the collar or the veil isn’t just a costume—it’s the core of the story.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

“Let’s Talk About ‘Black Narcissus’,” April 17, 2025, by Sailor Monsoon

“The Story Behind ‘Stars in My Crown’,” May 29, 2024, by Henry C. Parke, www.insp.com;

“‘The Nun’s Story’: Revisiting Audrey Hepburn’s Most Overlooked Film,” January 24, 2020, by Nadra Nittle, America Magazine;

“My Favourite Hitchcock: I Confess,” August 8, 2012, by Philip Oltermann, The Guardian;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

RogerEbert.com

Movies Mentioned:

Boys Town (1938), starring Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney & Bobs Watson;

Keys of the Kingdom (1944), starring Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Edmund Gwenn & Roddy McDowell;

Black Narcissus (1947) starring Deborah Kerr, David Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Flora Robson & Jean Simmons;

Stars In My Crown (1950), starring Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew, Dean Stockwell, James Mitchell, Amanda Blake, Juano Hernandez & Ed Begley;

Thunder on the Hill (1951), starring Claudette Colbert, Ann Blyth, Robert Douglas, Phillip Friend, Connie Gilchrist, Norma Varden & Gladys Cooper;

I, Confess (1953), starring Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter & Karl Malden;

The Nun Story (1959), starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Dean Jagger, Peggy Ashcroft, Edith Evans, Beatrice Staright & Colleen Dewhurst;

The Trouble With Angels (1966), starring Rosalind Russell, Hayley Mills, June Harding, Camilla Sparv, Binnie Barnes, Marge Redmond, Mary Wickes, Jim Hutton & Barbara Hunter;

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EPISODE 121 -  “RICHARD BASEHART: CLASSIC STAR OF THE MONTH” - 1/05/2026 

RICHARD BASEHART wasn't the flashiest of actors, but he certainly was one of the most versatile. He always brought such haunting depth and emotional intensity to his roles, often portraying characters teetering on the edge of psychological turmoil. With his piercing blue eyes and floppy blonde hair, his sensitive, brooding presence gave him the appearance of an erudite or a poet. And that voice! He had a fantastic baritone voice that could convey both vulnerability and menace. He really excelled at playing sensitive, troubled men—sometimes deeply introspective, other times psychotic or dangerously unhinged. From his chilling portrayal of the deranged killer in “He Walked by Night” (1948) to the tormented clown in FEDERICO FELLINI’s “La Strada” (1954), Basehart always infused each performance with a profound humanity, sensitivity, and quiet strength, making him one of the most compelling and underrated actors of his generation. This week we honor him as our January Star of the Month.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

ActorsandOthers.com

ClassicMovieHub.com

WalkofFame.com

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Repeat Performance (1947), starring Joan Leslie, Louis Hayward, Richard Basehart, Tom Conway, and Virginia Field;

Cry Wolf (1947), starring Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Basehart & Geraldine Brooks;

He Walked By Night (1948), starring Scott Brady & Richard Basehart;

Rosanna McCoy (1949), starring Farley Granger & Joan Evans;

Tension (1949), starring Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Barry Sullivan, & Cyd Charisse;

Fourteen Hours (1951), starring Richard Basehart, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes, Agnes Moorhead, Jeffrey Hunter, Debra Paget, & Grace Kelly;

The House on Telegraph Hill (1951), starring Richard Basehart & Valentina Cortese;

Decision Before Dawn (1951), starring Oskar Werner & Richard Basehart;

Titanic (1953), starring Barbara Stanwyck & Clifton Webb;

La Strada (1954), starring Anthony Quinn & Richard Basehart;

Il Bidone (1955), starring Richard Basehart & Broderick Crawford;

Moby Dick (1956), starring Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart & Orson Welles;

The Brothers Karamazov (1958), starring Yul Brynner & Richard Basehart;

Portrait in Black (1960), starring Lana Turner & Anthoy Quinn;

The Savage Guns (1961), starring Richard Basehart & Alex Nicol;

Hitler (1962);

The City Beneath The Sea (1971), starring Stuart Whitman & Rosemary Forsyth;

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), starring Burt Lancaster & Michael York;

Being There (1979), starring Peter Sellers & Shirley MacLaine;

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