Book Vs Movie Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Thin Man (1934) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan, Cesar Romero & Dashiell Hammett May 08, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: The Thin Man
The Dashiell Hammett Novel Vs. the 1934 Classic Film
The Margos are looking for actors with chemistry and witty banter, so we had to dive into the fabulous world of Nick and Nora Charles and The Thin Man. What began as a feature in Redbook magazine in December 1933 turned into a best-selling novel by one of the most important writers of the 20th Century--Dashiell Hammett.
We discussed Hammett when talking about The Maltese Falcon, and for several reasons, The Thin Man became his last novel. Hammett was a passionate anti-fascist who joined the Communist Party in 1937. By the 1950s, Congress investigated him before the House of Un-American Activities (HUAC), where he refused to “name names.” He went to a federal penitentiary in West Virginia and found himself impoverished afterward. His partner Lillian Hellman would go on to run his estate posthumously.
The Thin Man is a story about a former New York City police officer (Nick Charles) who marries a wealthy socialite (Nora Charles) and spends his time between the city and San Francisco living as a bon vivant. One day, back in NYC, he runs into Dorothy Wynert, the daughter of a former client looking for her father.
Later, we learn that his secretary (and former lover), Julia Wolf, was found murdered by his former wife, Mimi. The police think she was murdered by her gangster friend Shep Morelli. Mimi’s new husband is much younger, tall, handsome, and slim (the THIN man!) There are all kinds of banter, double-crossing hijinks, and more plot holes than you can shake a stick at.
The movie, directed by W. S. Van Dyke in 1934, stars William Powell & Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and their dog, Asta. Screenwriters Albert Hackett & Francis Goodrich simplified the plot in the first six films about the couple. Powell and Loy shine with their glamorous look, which delighted audiences during the Great Depression, and would go on to be nominated for four Academy Awards (It Happened One Night swept that year.)
So between the book and movie--which did the Margos like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of Dashiell Hammett
Movies during the Great Depression
The legacy of the movie
The cast of the 1934 film: William Powell (Nick Charles,) Myrna Loy (Nora Charles,) Maureen O’Sullivan (Dorothy Wynant,) Nat Pendleton (Lt. John Guild,) Minna Gombell (Mimi Wynant Jorgenson,) Porter Hall (Herbert MacCauley,) William Henry (Gilbert Wynant,) Cesar Romero (Chris Jorgenson,) Natalie Moorhead (Julia Wolf,) Harold Huber (Arthur Nunheim,) Edward Ellis the “thin man,” and Skippy as Asta the dog

Clips used:

The audience meets Nora Charles
The Thin Man (1934 trailer)
Nick meets Dorothy for the first time in years
Nick shoots his Christmas present
Nick fights an intruder (knocks out Nora!)
Music: William Axt
Radio production, RCA 1936 The Thin Man

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show!
https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) William Wyler, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Virginia Mayo, & Fredric March May 01, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: The Best Years of Our Lives
The MacKinlay Kantor Novel Vs. the 1946 Classic Film
The Margos continue their journey through post-WW2 America with one of the most celebrated movies of the 20th Century--The Best Years of Our Lives. The film was based on the novel Glory for Me by MacKinlay Kantor, who wrote the story of wounded GIs dealing with trauma in blank verse form. He started as a war correspondent in London and flew in some bombing missions.
Glory for Me was an unglamorous look at what war makes people do to survive the experience and struggle to live a “normal” life afterward. He based his characters on real soldiers he had met while on his assignments and was passionate about telling the truth. Kantor eventually won the Pulitzer Prize in 1956 for Andersonville, a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp.
He was unhappy with director William Wyler’s take on his work which he felt was sanitized and disrespected actual war veterans.
Wyler had flown in combat missions over Europe on the Memphis Belle and had his ideas on how to tell the story he set in fictional Boone City. He hired top actors Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, and WW2 veteran Harold Russell, who suffered a debilitating injury while serving in WW2.
The movie would go on to win a slew of Academy Awards (including two for Russell!) and is considered a classic.
So between the book and movie--which did the Margos like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of MacKinlay Kantor
Literature surrounding WW2
The legacy of the movie
The cast of the 1946 film: Myrna Loy (Milly Stephenson,) Frederic March (Al Stephenson,) Dana Andrews (Fred Derry,) Teresa Wright (Peggy Stephenson,) Virginia Mayo (Marie Derry,) Hoagy Carmichael (Butch Engle,) Harold Russell (Homer Parrish,) Cathy O’Donnell (Wilma Cameron,) Roman Bohne (Pat Derry) Marlene Aames (Luella Parrish,) and Gladys George as Hortense Derry.

Clips used:

Fred leaves (opening clip)
The Best Years of Our Lives original trailer
Homer comes home
Virginia Mayo as Marie Derry
Hoagy Carmichael as Uncle Butch
“And for what?”
The BIG wedding scene
Music: Hugo Friedhofer

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Please email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

The Little Foxes (1941) Bette Davis, William Wyler, Herbert Marshall, & Lillian Hellman Apr 23, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie:
The Little Foxes
The Lillian Hellman 1939 Play Vs. the 1941 Bette Davis Film
Playwright Lillian Hellman is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century who had a complicated life filled with love affairs and massive success and was the toast of Broadway for works such as The Little Foxes, The Children’s Hour and Watch on the Rhine. She was also a House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) pariah and was called a liar by author Mary McCarthy on The Dick Cavett Show in 1979. Between controversies and celebrations, she had a 30-year relationship with fellow writer Dashiell Hammett and had many of her works adapted into film. The New Orleans native lived HARD in her 79 years before passing in 1984.
The Little Foxes is a semi-autobiographical tale of a 1900 Southern family scheming to gain wealth by any means possible. Regina Hubbard Giddens (played by the legendary Talulah Bankhead on Broadway) is a woman who is married to a man she despises (Horace) and has two brothers (Benjamin and Oscar) who have family money that she wants to get her hands on. His many health problems interfere with her good time.
The title comes from the Song of Solomon of the King James Bible: “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”
William Wyler directed the 1941 movie and followed closely with the original material (save for a few fewer racial slurs!) Wyler and MGM head Samuel Goldwyn loved the original production but felt that Bankhead would not draw in an audience like Bette Davis (who was extremely reluctant to take the part.) Much of the original Broadway cast did make it to the film, including Dan Duryea and Patricia Collinge.
Wyler and Davis (former lovers) fought throughout the production, with Davis insisting on her changes to the story and wearing heavy makeup to look older.
Forty years later, she put up with having a difficult reputation with widely known easygoing journalist Mike Wallace in 1980 for 60 Minutes.
The film would go on to be a hit and would earn 9 Academy Award nominations.
So between the play and movie--which did the Margos like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The life of Lillian Hellman and her cantankerous spirit
The story of The Little Foxes and the changes between the play and film
How the HUAC changed Hollywood and Broadway
Greer Garson in The Little Foxes 1956 Hallmark Hall of Fame
The cast of the 1941 film: Bette Davis (Regina Giddens,) Herbert Marshall (Horace Giddens,) Teresa Wright (Alenadra “Zannie” Giddens,) Richard Carlson (David Hewitt,) Dan Duryea (Leo Hubbard,) Patricia Collinge (Birdie Hubbard,) Charles Dingle (Ben Hubbard,) Jessica “Jessie” Grayson (Addie,) and John Marriott as Cal.

Clips used:

“I hope you die”
Cynthia Nixon as Birdie (2017)
Laura Linney as Birdie (2017)
Bette Davis talks about meeting with Tallulah Bankhead
The Little Foxes (1941) trailer
Richard Carlson teases Teresa Wright
“When we’re very rich.”
Regina watches Horace keel over
Music: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynMargo
www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Octopussy (1983) Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Ian Fleming, Louis Jordan, & Steven Berkoff Apr 15, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie:
Octopussy
The Ian Fleming Short Story Vs. the 1983 Roger Moore Bond
The Margos are feeling very Bond--James Bond that is with 1983’s Octopussy based on a short story by Ian Fleming in the posthumously released Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Fleming, a former British Agent and the creator of Bond, passed away in 1964; he had left several short stories and novels that helped to continue the brand, including comic strips printed in newspapers worldwide. (We can’t promise not to giggle about the title throughout the episode!)
Major Dexter Smythe was a hero in the Second World War and was implicated in a murder scheme and a cache of Nazi gold. In the original story, Bond is a secondary character, and we learn about the tragic life of Smythe. He is a man of only 56 but acts like 96 with loss and alcoholism chasing him through life. Smythe killed a man and let him rot for 15 years under a glacier, so there is that. His pet is an octopus, and Bond allows him the opportunity to either turn himself in or take his own life. While looking for a scorpion fish to feed Octopussy, he stung to death and dragged into the water. All to be eaten by his beloved pet. Bond declares it is an accidental death and moves on.
This film brings Roger Moore back into the part of Agent 007 as he fights Russians, Maud Adam as Octopussy--a “wealthy businesswoman and smuggler” in Udaipur, India. The rest is two hours of jaw-dropping stunts, exotic locations, and fewer puns than expected.
So between the short story and movie--which did the Margos like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The life of Ian Fleming and the many variations of Bond over the last 60+ years
The “plot” of this story
The cast of the 1983 film: Roger Moore (James Bond,) Maud Adams (Octopussy,) Louis Jordan (Kamal Khan,) Kristina Wayborn (Magda,) Kabir Bedi (Gobinda,) Steven Berkoff (General Orlov,) Vijay Amritaj (Vijay,) Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny,) and Desmond Llewelyn as Q.

Clips used:

Bond meets Octopussy
Octopussy 1983 trailer
Bond meets (and beats!) Kamal Khan
Octopussy and her girl gang
Music: All Time High by Rita Coolidge and Tim Rice

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Rear Window (1954) Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, Grace Kelly, & Cornell Woolrich Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie:
Rear WindowThe 1942 Short Story Vs. the 1954 Classic Film
The Margos are swooning throughout this episode for one of the greatest movies of all time, adapted from a short story by a very interesting (and prolific) author. Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is one of his finest works based on the short story; It Had to be Murder by Cornell Woolrich.
Woolrich is considered one of his generation's best mystery/suspense writers, with dozens of titles making it to movie adaptations, including The Bride Wore Black, Night Had a Thousand Eyes, Mrs. Winterbourne, and Original Sun. He was so proficient as a writer of novels, screenplays, and short stories he had two noms de plumes--William Irish & George Hopley.
A lonely man (he once dedicated a book to his hotel room), when he passed in 1968, he left his work to his alma mater Columbia University which eventually helped change the copyright laws. (See Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, 1998.)
The story's bones are the same as the film: an injured man stuck in his apartment becomes a “peeping tom,” spying on his neighbors and being grumpy to “Sam,” who is paid to help him. Our protagonist believes he has witnessed a murder across the street and is trying to get the police to take him seriously.
The 1954 adaptation was shot on the Paramount Studio lot with a full-sized apartment building courtyard to mimic the real thing in Greenwich Village. James Stewart plays LB “Jeff” Jeffries, a photojournalist who is home recovering from a broken leg. Jeff must wear a cast for one more week before returning to his adventurous life. He passes the time by snooping on his neighbors across the courtyard.
Grace Kelly plays his impossible beautiful girlfriend from the upper crust society who is trying to get a commitment from Jeff. (He negs her constantly, which makes ZERO sense!) Jeff wants to see Lisa be more adventurous when he thinks he witnesses a murder across the courtyard.
Thelma Ritter plays his nurse Stella, and the trio becomes detectives trying to figure out a sweaty salesman played by Raymond Burr (pre-Perry Mason) who may have made his wife disappear--permanently.
This film lost out to many major awards to On the Waterfront (it was a contender!) However, time has turned it into a masterclass of direction, sound, editing, acting, and writing.
The Margos debate between the original short story and the classic film--which did we like more?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of writer Cornell Woolrich
The work of Alfred Hitchcock
The cast of the 1954 film: James Stewart (LB “Jeff” Jefferies,) Grace Kelly (Lisa Carol Tremont,) Wendell Corey (Tom Doyle,) Thelma Ritter (Stella,) Raymond Burr (Lars Thorwald,) Judith Evelyn (Miss Lonelyhearts,) Ross Bagdarasian (the songwriter,) Miss Torso (Georgine Darcy,) and Irene Winston as Mrs. Thorwald.

Clips used:

Stella talks with LB Jeffries
Rear Window Original 1954 trailer
James Stewart gets the binoculars
Lisa shows up
Lisa gets caught snooping.
Raymond Burr tosses Jimmy Stewart out the window
Music: Franz Waxman

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo
www.brooklynfitchick.com
brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Touch of Evil (1958) The Film Noir classic directed by Orson Welles starring Charlton Heston & Janet Leigh Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Touch of Evil
The 1956 novel Badge of Evil Vs. the 1958 Film Noir Classic
The Margos dive right back into one of our favorite genres--film noir! The 1958 Orson Welles’s directed film Touch of Evil is based on a 1956 novel by Whit Masteron titled Badge of Evil. The book sold reasonably well at the time, but at the time, the movie was given mixed reviews due to Welles not staying until the final edit process.
In 1998, a “re-cut” of the film was based on a 58-page memo Welles had sent to the studio 40 years previously is now considered a modern classic and one of the last true “film noirs” to be released.
Whit Masterson was the nom de plume of two writers--Wade Miller and Will Daemer who wrote more than 30 books together (including Kitten With a Whip in 1964!) Their original story is about a man, Rudy Linneker, killed by a dynamite blast at this home. His daughter Tara stands to make $2 million and is engaged to someone her father disapproved of before her death. There are other suspects, including Ernest Farnum, a disgruntled employee who improbably confesses.
Detectives Leron McCoy and Hank Quinlan are considered “legends” in Los Angeles for their excellent work, and Assistant District Attorney Mitch Holt is suspicious. The rest of the story is a mish-mash of double-crossing police and families in danger, with several lives and careers ruined while exposing hypocrisy and crime in the L.A. police.
Orson Welles was given this project as a B Movie and decided to take apart the story and rebrand it as his vision moving the book action from San Diego to the U.S. & Mexico border. Our protagonist (played by Charlton Heston) was renamed Miguel Vargas and played in “brown face” to serve Welles’s theme of racism and American relations with Mexico.
34-year-old pre-Psycho Janet Leigh rounds out the cast as Vargas’s new bride, Susan Vargas, pre-Duel Dennis Weaver as the Night Manager, and an array of top-notch character actors played by a multi-racial cast.
Stars like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Keenan Wynn, and Marlene Dietrich agreed to work for union pay to help keep on budget.
The Margos debate between the novel and the classic film--which did we like more?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of the movie
The cast of the 1958 film: Charlton Heston (Ramon Miguel Vargas,) Janet Leigh (Susan Vargas,) Orson Welles (Police Captain Hank Quinlan,) Joseph Callaeia (Sgt. Pete Menzies,) Akin Tamiroff (Uncle Joe Grandi,) Joanna Cook Moore (Marcia Linnekar,) Ray Collins (District Attorney Addair,) Dennis Weaver (the Night Manager,) Zsa Zsa Gabor (Strip-club owner,) Marlene Dietrich (Tana,) Mercedes McCambridge (gang leader) and Joseph Cotton as a coroner.

Clips used:

“You Have No Future”
Touch of Evil 1958 trailer
Acid attack scene
Are you wearing a wire?
Nightclub shakedown
Welles and Dietrich
Music: Touch of Evil opening title sequence with music by Henry Mancini

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com
brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Kinky Boots (2005) Vs the Broadway Musical (2013) Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joel Edgerton, Billy Porter, & Matt Henry Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Kinky Boots
The True Story Behind the 2005 Movie & 2013 Broadway Musical (and the 2019 movie!)
The “Month of Musicals” concludes with Kinky Boots, the true story of a footwear company in Earls Barton, North Hamptonshire, UK--WJ Brooks. The factory was in Steve Pateman’s family for decades when in the 1990s, they started losing money to the cheaper, faster competition. Pateman appeared on BBC’s Trouble at the Top documentary showing how his company switched to creating boots for transvestites who needed more security when they stood in high heels. The collection expanded to “kink wear,” dubbed “Kinky Boots” by the BBC producers, and the story took off.
In 2005, director Julian Jarrold and writers Geoff Deane and Tim Firth brought the story to life (unfortunately, the factory had to close in 2000.) Joel Edgerton plays Charlie Price (the Steve Patemen substitute), and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Lola is an amalgam of several drag queens that were customers of WJ Brooks's “Divine, Provider, and Lady Provider” brands.
The film has an amazing soundtrack, and Ejiofor was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Harvey Fierstein wrote the book for the musical with legendary talent Cyndi Lauper creating the music and lyrics before its debut in Chicago in 2013. The production would go on to be a smash Broadway hit, earning six Tony Awards and with productions around the world.
The Margos debate between the film and the musical to try and decide which we like more!
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of the movie
The theme of drag in popular culture and how it is being weaponized currently
The cast of the 2005 film: Joel Edgerton (Charlie Price,) Chiwetel Ejiofor (Lola,) Sarah-Jane Potts (Lauren,) Jemima Rooper (Nicola,) Nick Frost (Don Burton,) Linda Bassett (Melanie,) Robert Pugh (Harold Price,) and Ewan Hooper as George.
The cast of the original 2013 Broadway show: Stark Sands (Charlie Price,) Billy Porter (Lola,) Annaleigh Ashford (Lauren), and Lena Hall as Nicola.
The original London cast: Killian Donnelly (Charlie Price,) Matt Henry (Lola,) Sophie Wright (Lauren,) Teagan Wouters (Nicola,) and Joe Kosky as Don.

Clips used:

“Burgandy!!”
Kinky Boots original 2005 trailer
“Whatever Lola Wants” Chiwetel Ejiofor
Arm wrestling with Lola
“These Boots Are Made for Walking” Chiwetel Ejiofor
Kinky Boots 2013 Broadway trailer
Kinky Boots 2013 Tony Awards Billy Porter
“Land of Lola” Kinky Boots: The Musical (2019) Matt Henry
Music: Raise You Up International Pride Cast Reunion 2020 Billy Porter & Co.

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

La Cage aux Folles Vs. The Birdcage: The early film/musical & the Robin Williams, Nathan Lane 1996 film Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie:
La Cage Aux Folles & The Birdcage
The Original Film and Broadway Musical Vs. the 1996 Film
The “Month of Musicals” continues with the 1996 film The Birdcage, which took its influence from the play turned into Broadway musical La Cage Aux Folles. The original 1973 french play takes place in Saint-Tropez, where a gay couple meets an ultra-conservative family member. It was a huge hit in Paris, playing for over a year in 1973, and was made into a film in 1978.
Originally written by Jean Poiret, the original played in Paris for over 1800 performances with Poiret and Michell Serrault as the leads Georges and Albin, aka “Zaza.” The 1978 film had Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi as the lead playing Renato Baldi to Serrault’s Albin. It played to art houses across America. Poiret wanted to film the American version of the film, so he refused to sell the rights to the play but had no problem selling it as a musical.
Grease producer Allan Carr helped bring the project to Broadway as a musical, with Harvey Fierstein writing the book. Jerry Herman (Hello Dolly & Mame) was a revered lyricist and songwriter who provided the music. Director Arthur Laurents helped to make the 1983 production a massive success, with the song “I Am What I Am” becoming a gay anthem.
It’s important to remember what the culture was like in 1984, and having a gay married couple running a drag nightclub being the protagonists was a huge deal in the Queer community. The idea that 40 years later, we have to fight ugly stereotypes about gay people and drag culture is dispiriting, but we are allies who will sing the work's praises. AND point out the hypocrisy happening in the news cycles today.
The original production won the 1984 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score, and in 2004, Best Revival of a Musical. (And in 2010 as well!)
No less than comedy powerhouses Elaine May and Mike Nichols wrote and directed the 1996 filmed nonmusical adaptation, which stars Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as Arman and Albert Goldman. They run the most popular club in Miami and live with their housekeeper Agador (Hank Azaria). Their son Val (ugh--this character is the one bad spot in an otherwise joyous film) wants to marry his college girlfriend. Still, her parents are conservatives who fear his senate run will be badly affected by being associated with “that lifestyle.” (Some of this is dated and distressingly familiar.)
Which did we like better between the previous versions of the story and the 1996 film?
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of La Cage Aux Folles
The era of the 80s and how gay people were played in pop culture
The work of Nichols & May
The cast of the 1996 Movie: Robin Williams (Armand,) Nathan Lane (Albert,) Gene Hackman (Senator Kevin Keeley,) Dianne Weist (Louise Keeley,) Dan Futterman (Val Goldman,) Calista Flockhart (Barbara Keeley,) Hank Aazaria (Agador Spartacus,) and Christine Baranski as Katharine Archer.
The cast of the original Broadway show: George Hearn (Albin,) Gene Barry (Georges,) and John Weiner as Jean Michel.

Clips used:

Albert rehearses with Armand
The Birdcage 1996 trailer
George Hearn 1984 Tony Awards Awards “I Am What I Am”
Albert rehearses with his “love goddess.”
“Mrs. Coleman” shows up
Music: The Goldman Girls We Are Family

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

John Waters "Hairspray" 1988 and 2007 (Baltimore Magazine article adapted into two films) Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Hairspray
The 1988 John Waters Movie Vs. the 2007 Adaptation
“Musicals in March”
The Margos continue their look at “Musicals in March” with the John Waters classic Hairspray, which started with the 1988 movie starring Rikki Lake, Divine, and Debby Harry. Based on his experiences of being a fan of the 1957-1964 Baltimore teen dance TV program--The Buddy Deane Show, Waters was a huge fan of R&B music. On the Buddy Deane show, the dancers were integrated, unlike Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, which was based out of Philadelphia at the same time.
Baltimore Magazine April 1985 by John Waters "Ladies & Gentleman: The Nicest Kids in Town!”
Being a self-described “Super Fan” of the show, the director has a well-known career as an avant-garde-loving and bizarre artist who loves things that are in bad taste. His interest in something as wholesome as Buddy Deane made him think about writing a more accessible film about a group of teen dancers/local TV stars who fight racism and oppression with their love of music and dance.
Given a modest budget of $2.8 million, the film was a box office hit, and the critics loved this new era of John Waters with even bigger hits in the 90s Cry-Baby & Serial Mom. Waters continues to write and direct his work and is very popular as an actor who appears in everything from Law & Order to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisles.
In 2002, the musical version premiered in Seattle with music and lyrics from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and the book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Hit is not a big enough word for this adaptation's success in the 2000s. It won eight Tony Awards (including Best Musical) in 2003 and broke all box office records in London’s West End in 2008.
The 2007 movie was directed by Adam Shankman and stars John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken and continues the big box office that started with the original 1988 film.
What are the differences between the original and the latest version of the story of the AMAZING Tracy Turnblad? Which do we like best? Have a listen!
In this ep the Margos discuss:

John Waters, Divine, and Baltimore
Waters ventures into more “family-friendly material.”
The music used in both films
1988 cast: Ricki Lake (Tracy Turnblad,) Divine (Edna Turnblad,) Debbie Harry (Velma Von Tussle,) Sonny Bono (Franklin Von Tussle,) Jerry Stiller (Wilbur Turbland,) Leslie Ann Powers (Penny Pingleton,) Colleen Fitzpatrick (Amber Von Tussle,) Michael St. Gerard (Link Larkin,) Clayton Prince (Seaweed Stubbs,) Cyrkle Millbourne (L’il Inez,) Ruth Brown (Motormouth Maybelle,) Shawn Thompson (Corny Collins,) Mink Stole (Tammy Turner,) and Josh Charles as Iggy
The 2007 cast: Nikki Blonsky (Tracy Turnblad,) John Travolta (Edna Turnblad,) Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle,) Amanda Bynes (Penny Pngleton,) Christopher Walken (Wilbur Turnblad,) Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle,) James Marsden (Conry Collins,) Brittany Snow (Amber Von Tussle,) Zac Efron (Link Larkin,) Elijah Kelley (Seaweed,) Allison Janney (Prudence Pingleton,) and Jerry Stiller as Mr. Pinky.

Clips used:

Hairspray (1988) “Corny Collins auditions.”
Hairspray (1988) trailer
The Von Tussle house (1988)
John Waters as Dr. Fredrickson
The kids meet “Beatnicks” (1988)
Hairspray (2007) trailer
John Travolta’s Baltimore accent
Edna & Wilbur “You’re Timeless to Me”
“You Can’t Stop the Beat” (2007)
Music: Hairspray by Rachel Sweet

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts. Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, & Andrea Martin Mar 05, 2023

Show notes

Book Vs. Movie: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
The 1999 Off-Broadway Musical Vs. the 2001 Movie“Musicals in March”
The Margos kick off “Musicals in March 2023” with one of the best rock musicals based on a gender-bending lead c character--Hedwig and the Angry Inch created by multi-hyphenates John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask.
Created in the late 1990s Off-Broadway, is the tale of misfit Hedwig Robinson who began life as Hansel Schmidt in Germany and became a famous-ish rocker in middle America.
On her way to stardom, she interacts with the audience, talking about her life and how she wound up with an “Angry Inch.”
The musical was a massive hit in 1998, starting with various music as its center and gradually becoming an original soundtrack--Hedwig was THE cool show to see on Jane Street in the late 90s.
Mitchell wrote and directed the film adaptation in 2001, and Hedwig remains a popular show with none other than Neil Patrick Harris filling her shoes on Broadway.
Between the original and the adaptation, which did we prefer? Have a listen to find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:

The backstory of Hedwig and her creators
Musicals on Broadway in the late 1990s
Director John Cameron Mitchell
The cast: John Cameron Micthell (Hedwig,) Miriam Shor (Yitzhak,) Stephen Trask (Skszp,) Andrea Martin (Phillis Stein,) Michael Pitt (Tommy Speck) and Alberta Watson as Hedwig Schmidt.

Clips used:

Hedwig introduces “Wicked Little Town.”
Hedwig and the Angry Inch 2001 trailer
“Wig in a Box’
Neil Patrick Harris in 2014
Tommy and Hedwig drive in NYC
Music: Tear Me Down by Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts. Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Margo D. @BrooklynMargo www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

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