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

• My Fair Lucy: Revisiting “Lucy in London" (1966) with Special Guest Thomas J. Watson

  Think you know Lucy? You don't know Lucy. In this episode of "Going Hollywood" we dive into "Lucy in London" (1966), the most unconventional hour Lucille Ball ever made, and unpack how a TV icon tried to outrun her own legend at the height of the British Invasion. Today, Tony is joined by "Lucy" insider Thomas J. Watson, and we retrace the bold creative choices that stripped away the laugh track, left the studio behind, and embraced single-camera street shooting, speed-ramping, and still photography.Why did Lucy say yes to a one-day sprint across London with Anthony Newley as her mercurial guide? How did producer (and Lucy's cousin) Cleo Smith, cinematographer Fouad Said, and director Steve Binder use portable gear and editorial tricks to capture a star in motion—years before MTV made that language mainstream? We break down the three-act structure: Act One’s mod fashion blast on Carnaby Street with Phil Spector’s “Lucy in London,” Act Two’s controversial detour to Madame Tussauds, and Act Three’s luminous turn at Great Fosters, where Shakespeare rehearsals pivot into a surreal empty-theater mini-concert as Lucy morphs into multiple audience characters.The paradox lands hard: the broadcast topped ratings but baffled critics and fans who wanted Lucy Ricardo comforts. Plans for follow-up specials faded, yet the creative shockwaves pushed into "The Lucy Show's" later seasons, seeding stranger plots, musical set pieces, and location flavor. Along the way, we talk legacy, restoration, and why "Lucy in London" plays like a lost bridge between studio sitcoms and pop-forward variety television.If you love classic TV history, Lucille Ball’s fearless side, and the craft behind on-location filmmaking in the 60s, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a fellow Lucy fan, and tell us: was Lucy in London ahead of its time? And if you haven’t already, follow the show, leave a review, and help more listeners find Going Hollywood.To purchase Season Five of "The Lucy Show" featuring "Lucy in London" and "Lucy in London: Revisited" go to https://a.co/d/86c1CTfText us & We'll Respond on an Episode 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=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDTReach us at [email protected] Listen to our Going Hollywood PlaylistPodcast logo by Umeworks

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• "The Karen Carpenter Story" (1989) with Special Guest Randy L. Schmidt

  We're on the top of the world today at "Going Hollywood" as we have a truly special guest to discuss a truly special artist...Randy L. Schmidt is here to discuss the one and only Karen Carpenter! A drummer first, a once‑in‑a‑century voice second, and a reluctant star always—the Karen Carpenter Story is as riveting as the records she left behind. We sit down with the author of the bestselling book Little Girl Blue and director of "Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection" (2024), to unpack how a 1989 TV movie created a tidal wave of new fans and why his documentary brings the real Karen back to the mic.Randy takes us behind the scenes of the seminal TV movie from 1989, "The Karen Carpenter Story". We talk about the beyond-meta nature of the filming in the Carpenter home, wearing Karen’s actual wardrobe, and the surreal moment when the same local paramedics from 1983 appeared on set. Then we pivot to the documentary’s heartbeat—rare, uncut interview tapes and birthday call‑ins that reveal Karen’s wit, warmth, and resilience. Voices like Olivia Newton‑John, Carol Burnett, Kristin Chenoweth, Belinda Carlisle, and Cherry Boone add piercing insight into the art, the illness, and the person.We dig into the questions that still echo: how a perfectionist culture and a misunderstood eating disorder collided, why that infamous UK ambush interview still shocks, and what might have changed if Karen’s solo album had been released instead of shelved. Along the way, we celebrate the music—"Superstar", "I Need To Be In Love", "We've Only Just Begun"—and the arranging magic that made the Carpenters timeless. The takeaway is clear: honor the legacy, tell the truth with care, and let the songs keep doing what they’ve always done—find new hearts to live in.If this conversation moved you, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and send it to someone who needs a reminder of how powerful a single voice can be. And don't forget to visit the "Going Hollywood" Spotify playlist to listen to the exquisite voice of the century, Karen Carpenter.  It's Yesterday once more....To watch "Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection" go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0D6ZW9N6M/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_rTo read "Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter" go to https://a.co/d/0blvCi2Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode 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=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDTReach us at [email protected] Listen to our Going Hollywood PlaylistPodcast logo by Umeworks

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• Rationed Romance: “The More the Merrier” (1943) with Special Guest Brandon Davis

  A housing crunch, a missing wall, and one of the sexiest stoop scenes ever filmed. Join us today as we break one of Tony's favorite movies, and one of the true classics of romantic comedy, from 1943, George Steven's "The More The Merrier."Guest host Brandon Davis, of NPR's "Front Row Classics" joins Tony for the second week in a row as they dive into this comedic jewel and discuss the genius of director George Stevens, the criminally underrated leading man, Joel McRae, the delightful  Charles Coburn (in an Oscar-winning performance) and the incandescent star Jean Arthur, a true gem of Classic Hollywood, in one of her final film appearances. We unpack the film’s best moments—the meticulous “morning schedule” sequence, the rooftop sunbathing that captures the communal spirit of a city in wartime,  and that legendary stoop scene where push-and-pull becomes flirtation, consent, and release.  Underneath the laughs sits the knowledge of a nation at war, and romance lands because the war makes time precious. We also trace Stevens’ career pivot, from comedies with serious undertones to postwar dramas like "A Place in the Sun" and "Shane", and argue why Jean Arthur deserves to be named alongside Davis, Hepburn, and Crawford as one of the greatest stars of the studio era.  Most of all, this is a love letter to performers who make it look effortless and a director who knew how to frame human truth. If you’ve never seen "The More the Merrier", this conversation is your nudge to press play—and if you have, we think you’ll notice something new.Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a classic-film friend. What Golden Age romance still feels modern to you?For more information on Brandon's podcast, go to: https://classics136634685.wordpress.com/Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode 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=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDTReach us at [email protected] Listen to our Going Hollywood PlaylistPodcast logo by Umeworks

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• What if..."Hollywood"? with Special Guest Brandon Davis

  Tony sits down with Brandon Davis, from NPR Illinois for the first of two episodes with the host of "Front Row Classics" podcast! In this first, we trace Brandon's path from grandma’s Rodgers and Hammerstein VHS tapes to a 350+ episode archive of interviews with film historians, authors, TCM personalities, and even cast members of "The Love Boat".  What starts as a get-to-know-you quickly turns into a golden age tour of "what-ifs"—Bette Davis and James Mason in "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf", Claudette Colbert as Margo Channing, Lucy as the Manchurian mastermind—and why the versions we got endure. Then it’s Hitchcock vs Wilder,  "Double Indemnity" to "The Apartment" and the darkness lurking under the romantic classic , "Sabrina".Love classic cinema? Hit play, subscribe, and tell us your boldest old-Hollywood what-if. Then share this episode with a fellow film fan and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.For more information on Brandon's podcast, go to: https://classics136634685.wordpress.com/Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode 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=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDTReach us at [email protected] Listen to our Going Hollywood PlaylistPodcast logo by Umeworks

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• Dollapalooza! Part Two: Exploring the “Valley Of The Dolls” (1967)

  Get ready to "Sparkle, Neely, Sparkle" for Part Two of our special "Dollapalooza" tribute to the "Citizen Kane" of camp, 1967's "Valley of the Dolls."  We start with the music. Andre and Dory Previn’s title theme? Gorgeous, melancholy, timeless. The rest? A tour of mid-century TV-variety vibes that never quite match the film’s ambition. From Patty Duke’s surprise dubbing and the myth of the star-making number to Judy Garland’s earlier pass at “I’ll Plant My Own Tree,” we map out how direction, staging, and label politics turned strong talent into strange cinema. Then we speed-run the plot to spotlight the beats everyone quotes: sparkle-fueled success, pills as propulsion, Malibu heartbreak, and the alleyway prayer that seals Neely O’Hara in pop memory.The crown jewel is the powder-room showdown: Neely versus Helen, a wig in flight, and a reveal that undercuts its own insult with better hair. We explore on-set tensions, shortened fights, and how one choice can mute an intended humiliation. Beyond the memes, we honor the people behind the spectacle—Barbara Parkins stepping away from Hollywood, Patty Duke confronting bipolar disorder and later embracing the film’s queer fandom, and the lasting sorrow that frames Sharon Tate’s luminous performance. Flop or classic? The box office said hit; time crowned it the "Citizen Kane" of camp.Hit play, share your spiciest Valley take, and if this dive made you laugh, wince, or queue the soundtrack, follow the show, drop a rating, and send us your scene of scenes. Your reviews are how we keep the lights—and the mobiles—spinning.Episode artwork by the incomparable Glen Hanson  @instaglenhanson  https://share.google/VDg6borRTn0f4cYxqTo listen to Judy Garland's version of "I'll Plant My Own Tree" go to https://youtu.be/v_QuWLm-LOs?si=HmkOvf28DKSDVJD9To watch "It's Impossible" with Patty Duke's vocals go to: https://youtu.be/_SH7Q-TNpp4?si=Okf-TAXHG5IHeWXZText us & We'll Respond on an Episode 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=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDTReach us at [email protected] Listen to our Going Hollywood PlaylistPodcast logo by Umeworks

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