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

The news hit like a gut punch: Dolly is gone, and somehow the whole world is mourning at once. We needed to talk it out, but since laughter through tears is our favorite emotion, not with a stats-heavy deep dive, but with the stories, songs, laughs, and screen moments that made her feel bigger than celebrity and closer than a neighbor. 

We look back at the Dolly we met through film and television, from "9 to 5" (1980) to "Steel Magnolias" (1989) to the pure guilty-pleasure fun of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982),  plus a real soft spot for "Straight Talk" (1992). Along the way we dig into what made her performances work and that made even the lightest scenes feel true. And of course we talk music, including why “I Will Always Love You” lands differently in Dolly’s intimate original and why “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” has carried so many of us through hard nights.  Plus "Jolene", "Here You Come Again", "Coat of Many Colors" and all the songs that make up the fabric of our lives.
We’re joined by two friends of the pod who bring Dolly into sharper focus. Playwright Del Shores shares personal meetings that capture her kindness and her lack of judgment. Author and documentarian Randy Schmidt talks about growing up with Dolly on TV, her master plan to become a “universal star,” and gives us  a sneak peak at his upcoming documentary, "Dolly Uncovered" . We also honor the heart behind the legend, from quiet generosity to the Imagination Library’s massive impact on kids and families. 

So don't feel like a bastard at a family reunion! Join us as we discuss this universally beloved star.  Listen, share it with a fellow fan, and subscribe for more. Then leave a review and tell us your favorite Dolly song or movie, what is yours?
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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.

The line hits like a slap- literally: “Let me tell you the truth for once in my life...I was the slut of all time!” From that notorious confession, we jump into one of the most infamous Hollywood melodramas of all time, MGM’s "Butterfield 8". Today on "Going Hollywood" we're unpacking this notorious guilty pleasure from 1960, and why this film is widely called trash while still being weirdly hard to look away from. 

We dig into the behind-the-scenes story that makes "Butterfield 8" essential Hollywood gossip history: Elizabeth Taylor reportedly despised the script, rushed to finish her final MGM contract, and pushed for demands that shaped the production, including New York locations and a role for Eddie Fisher. Then we get into the on-screen chaos: Gloria Wandrous as “call girl” versus “model,” the Production Code-era dance around sex, and the film’s relentless need to shame and punish its heroine. Along the way, we talk about Lawrence Harvey’s chilly performance, the mink coat plot trigger, and that marathon car crash finale. 

The most revealing part might be the meta-layer. "Butterfield 8" plays as a commentary on Taylor’s real-life scandal with Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, right down to casting and styling choices that feel pointed. We also explain the title itself as a phone exchange tied to Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and we trace how Taylor’s near-death illness and tracheotomy helped shape her first Best Actress Oscar narrative, even as many argue Shirley MacLaine deserved the win for "The Apartment". Subscribe, share the episode with a classic film friend, and leave us a review, then tell us: is "Butterfield 8" glorious trash or just trash?
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.

It's our first crossover episode!
Taking a page from 1990s "Must See TV", today we have a special treat. Join us for a "Going Hollywood/Front Row Classics" crossover event as Tony welcomes FRC's Brandon Davis and guest Ben Burke to the show to discuss the (questionable) guilty classic, MGM's musical remake of "The Women", 1956's "The Opposite Sex" .
We talk about the remake’s biggest swings: adding eye-popping Metro-color, wedging in yawn-inducing production numbers, and most criminal of all: introducing men into the cast!  Add into the mix a murderous row of gifted actresses whose lifeless performances and lack of on-screen chemistry leave this legendary story of real housewife bitchery strangely lifeless, and you're left with the one big question: WHY?  From June Allyson’s lackluster “society wife” energy to Joan Collins as a Crystal who never quite gets her claws, we compare performance, pace, and the intangible spark the original captures so effortlessly.

 If you love classic Hollywood history, MGM musicals," The Women", 1950s fashion, or remake autopsies, you’ll have a lot to argue with us about.

If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share this with a fellow old-movie obsessive, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.
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 gangster’s superstition turns into a citywide con, and somehow it becomes one of the most humane stories of the 1930s. We’re talking about Frank Capra’s "Lady For A Day" (1933), where Apple Annie sells apples in Times Square and Dave the Dude buys one before every deal like it’s a talisman. When Annie’s daughter returns from Spain expecting a wealthy society mother, Dave and his crew scramble to build a high-society illusion overnight, complete with manners, clothes, and a borrowed life.

What surprised us most is how well the film balances fantasy with real Depression-era texture. Mae Robson makes Annie feel fully lived-in, and we dig into why her performance carries the movie even when she isn’t getting the punchlines. We also get honest about what works less, what characters we wish had more time, and the scene we think could have been milked for even better comedy during Annie’s rapid makeover.

After the film talk, we share listener survey results that overwhelmingly favor the 1930s and 1940s, plus the series and stars you want us to cover next. If you enjoy classic Hollywood podcasts, film history, and thoughtful movie reviews, hit play, subscribe, and share the show. Then leave us a rating and review, and send a text or voicemail so we can feature your thoughts on an upcoming episode.
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.

One performer. No guest stars. No dancing chorus to hide behind. Just one unbelievably talented and chutzpah-filled 22-year-old staring down the biggest network in America—and winning all the marbles. 
It’s Barbra Streisand in the 1960s.
Today, we revisit her first two iconic CBS television specials, My Name Is Barbra (1965) and Color Me Barbra (1966), and explore how a girl barely out of her teens could make an hour of pure singing feel like must-see television. These weren’t conventional variety shows. They were something closer to the prototype for the modern music video—built around persona, irony, theatrical movement, visual storytelling, and, above all, Streisand’s ability to inhabit a song rather than merely sing it.
We dig into the creative gamble behind Streisand’s five-million-dollar contract, the three-act structure that makes each special play like a miniature stage production, and the extraordinary way she turns every song into a character piece. Along the way, we get into all the backstage happenings:  the elusive studio audience, the tale of five ill-fated penguins, an overly amorous llama, and all the fascinating production choices that helped make these specials feel so different from anything else on television at the time.
So join us as we take a trip into "Streisandland"  circa the 1960s. It’s a journey you won’t soon forget.
If you love classic Hollywood, TV history, or the craft of performance, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a rating and review so more listeners can find Going Hollywood.
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.