Classic Movie Recall

Latest Episodes:

The Champ (1931) Jan 15, 2017

Show notes

This is the audio track from our very first VIDEO podcast. If you’d like to see the video version of this episode, you can find it on YouTube or on our website at www.ClassicMovieRecall.com. In this episode, James and Lara discuss THE CHAMP (1931) while on location at the legendary Beverly Hills estate built in the 1920s by the film’s director, King Vidor. We get a glimpse inside this ultra-exclusive home (later owned by actor John Barrymore and director Tony Scott), and also a drone’s-eye view of the beautiful grounds. We praise Jackie Cooper’s astonishing performance, Wallace Beery’s plan to become the highest paid actor in Hollywood, and the innovative way that King Vidor moved the camera to capture some exciting boxing sequences in the early days of “talkies.” We also discuss Frances Marion’s terrific script, and the power that women had as Hollywood was just becoming Hollywood. (Our regular audio podcast will continue, but from time to time we’ll post a video version too.)

The Sheik (1921) Jan 09, 2017

Show notes

Rudolph Valentino stars in THE SHEIK, the silent epic from 1921 that made him a superstar. In this episode of CMR, James and Lara are joined by film historian Karie Bible, who leads tours at Hollywood Forever Cemetery (www.CemeteryTour.com), to talk about THE SHEIK in the mausoleum where Valentino’s crypt is located. We discuss the enduring appeal of Valentino, how his chest size changed the course of his future, and the surprisingly touching story behind “The Woman in Black,” who leaves a single rose at his grave every year. We also touch on what an achievement an epic film like THE SHEIK was in 1921, and how silent films were never really silent. Join us on location and see if you, too, fall under Valentino’s spell!

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) Dec 21, 2016

Show notes

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) is a film about a good man, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), living in a modern world of greed and corruption. George has big dreams for his life, but one thing after another prevents him from leaving his quaint hometown of Bedford Falls, where he lives an honest life with his wife (Donna Reed) and children and often puts the needs of others above his own. Things go from bad to worse for George, and when the town’s ruthless tycoon (Lionel Barrymore) sets out to destroy him his thoughts turn to suicide. However, that’s when an angel from Heaven intervenes to help George, and also hopefully earn a pair of wings… Michael Wright, CEO of Amblin Partners and former president and head of programming for TCM (Turner Classic Movies), is our Audience of One as James and Lara discuss this beloved Christmas classic. But how did a film with some very dark themes end up as a holiday favorite? Is it true that Cary Grant almost played George? Why is Jimmy Stewart sweating throughout the film? And what about that $50 bet between Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore that involved a cow? Join us and go deeper with IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE and its timeless message that no man who has friends is a failure, life is a gift, and we all have an impact on those around us.

North by Northwest (1959) Dec 06, 2016

Show notes

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) is a classic Alfred Hitchcock suspense thriller about a case of mistaken identity. Cary Grant stars as tanned and tailored NYC ad exec Roger Thornhill, who is mistaken for a government agent by bad guy James Mason. Mason's men pursue Cary across the country as they attempt to stop him from stopping their plan to smuggle out microfilm containing government secrets. Along the way, Cary meets a cool Hitchcock blonde in the form of Eva Marie Saint, who may be dangerous as well as mysterious. In this episode, Lara admits that she was confused by the plot, but it turns out she's not the only one--one of the stars admitted that they couldn't make "head or tail" of the script after they'd filmed a third of it! James and Lara also talk about the rumor of a rare SECOND Hitchcock cameo in NORTH BY NORTHWEST, the beloved Hollywood legend who wanted to play Roger, and where the famous crop duster scene was filmed (NOT Indiana). Join us and find out why this is only the SECOND film that's received a perfect 100 Recall Rating!

Born Yesterday (1950) Nov 12, 2016

Show notes

In BORN YESTERDAY (1950), Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) is a wealthy, corrupt junk dealer with a "dumb blonde" girlfriend, Billie Dawn (Judy Holliday). Harry is embarrassed by her crassness and lack of social skills, so he hires journalist Paul (William Holden, serious in glasses) to give her a crash course in culture. As Paul and Billie spend time together and get closer, Billie begins to understand how Harry has been using her in his corrupt deals, and refuses to cooperate any longer. Judy Holliday's performance as Billie Dawn is a must-see; you can't take your eyes off of her and it is easy to see why she won a Best Actress Oscar for the role. But even though she was so terrific and played the same role on Broadway, she was not even considered for the film version at first; the studio wanted Rita Hayworth! In this episode, James and Lara talk about what Katharine Hepburn had to do with Judy landing the role in the film, Director George Cukor's unique method for perfecting the comedic timing, and Bill Holden as a virtuous writer in BORN YESTERDAY vs. Bill Holden as a scheming writer in SUNSET BOULEVARD, which came out the same year.

Frankenstein (1931) Oct 26, 2016

Show notes

FRANKENSTEIN is nothing less than a horror masterpiece. Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) digs up corpses and uses their body parts to construct a human being, using electricity to inject life into his “monster” creation. After spouting lines like, "Now I know what it feels like to be God," he realizes that the brain he implanted into his creation...was the brain of a murderer! Even though he was originally credited as "?" for playing the monster, Boris Karloff became a horror icon after playing this role. James and Lara talk about his surprisingly touching performance and his most famous NON-horror role. We also get into the incredible work of makeup artist Jack Pierce to create the iconic monster look, and the spooky trip through Germany and Switzerland that FRANKENSTEIN author Mary Shelley took as a teen that inspired a competition that inspired a dream that inspired the novel.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) Sep 18, 2016

Show notes

In THE MALTESE FALCON, Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade, a San Francisco detective who is visited by Brigid O’Shaunessy (Mary Astor), who says she needs help finding her missing sister. Sam soon learns that all is not as it appears in Brigid’s life, and things get even more complicated when a dangerous rich man (Sydney Greenstreet, nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role) and his accomplice (Peter Lorre) show up. As a few murders stir things up, Brigid seeks Sam’s protection while employing some impressive film noir femme fatale feminine wiles…as everyone chases after one of the most famous MacGuffins in cinematic history, the bejeweled bird known as The Maltese Falcon. This is THE film that made Humphrey Bogart a superstar, and established the “Bogie character” of a flawed tough-guy hero who ultimately turns out to have a good heart. But who did Bogie have to thank for this role? In this episode, we get into which big star kept turning down parts that became iconic roles for Bogie, why the third time was the charm in bringing Dashiell Hammett’s MALTESE FALCON novel to the screen, John Huston as a first-time director, and which co-star was so close to Bogart that Bogie and future wife Lauren Bacall used to rendezvous at his ranch.

High Noon (1952) Sep 10, 2016

Show notes

HIGH NOON stars Oscar-winner Gary Cooper as Will Kane, a small town marshal who is getting married to Grace Kelly and planning to retire and leave town. However, just as he is saying his vows, Will receives word that Frank Miller, a bad guy who Will sent away to jail, has been released and is returning on the train at noon to get his revenge on Will and take over the town. Everyone urges Will to flee, but to the horror of his new bride he decides to stay and fight, hoping that many men from the town he had protected for years will join him. Cut to the famous scene of Will standing all alone in the middle of a deserted Old West town... HIGH NOON, with its enduring message of doing the right thing even when it comes at great personal cost, is the most-requested film by U.S. presidents, with a certain former POTUS showing it 17 times while in office! We get into that, along with the iconic theme song by Tex Ritter, and the connections that Gregory Peck and musician David Crosby have to the film. Larry Morgan of The Snarkmonkey podcast returns as our Audience of One to reveal what HIGH NOON has to do with the McCarthy era in Hollywood (a LOT) in an episode that will have YOU wondering if you would slap on a tin star and stalk the empty streets alone to face your destiny, or close the curtains and pretend you are not home while hiding upstairs.

Rear Window (1954) Aug 07, 2016

Show notes

In REAR WINDOW, Jimmy Stewart plays a photographer who is in a wheelchair in his New York City apartment with a broken leg. To pass the time, he spends his days looking out the window at his neighbors with a telephoto lens on his camera. His imagination starts to run wild, and he suspects murder when he notices that a man’s bedridden wife has disappeared. Grace Kelly plays Jimmy’s neglected girlfriend who wishes he would focus on HER instead of all his neighbors. REAR WINDOW is one of the most iconic mystery thrillers of all time from the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. In this episode, James and Lara talk about what screenwriter John Michael Hayes did to capture the essence of who Grace Kelly really was, Hitch’s silent film roots, and how a shirtless Jimmy Stewart getting a massage left Lara feeling confused. We also discuss REAR WINDOW’s Oscar nominations, Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo, and the effectiveness of the sound design. Open up your windows and blinds, uncap your telephoto lens, and get ready to wonder what’s going on behind closed doors in a film that has been called the best example of classic Hitchcock cinema.

Gilda (1946) Jul 25, 2016

Show notes

GILDA takes place in a glamorous nightclub/casino in South America, where everyone appears to be running away from something and on their way somewhere else. George Macready plays the sinister boss Ballin Mundson, who rescues a down-and-out Johnny Farrell, played by Glenn Ford, from gambling on the docks. Johnny becomes his right-hand man at the casino, and everything is going great for Johnny until Ballin shows up with a wife, the hair-tossing, guitar-strumming Gilda, played by love goddess Rita Hayworth. Things get sticky very quickly, as Ballin comes to realize that although both Johnny and Gilda claim to be all future and no past, they knew each other before… GILDA is a must-see film for Rita’s iconic character, who is an intoxicating mix of innocence and sin. In this episode, we talk about the love triangle and subplot, which may help you to understand the film if you found it confusing when you first watched it. Writer, speaker, and expert on THE HISTORY OF FASHION IN FILM Kimberly Truhler (www.Glamamor.com) joins us to talk about costumes that make it look like Gilda is going into battle, what an "intrigant" is in the world of film noir, and how that gravity-defying, strapless, Jean Louis dress actually stayed put as Rita shimmied and shook during her famous striptease number. Put the blame on Mame, boys, mutter “Pardon me, but your husband is showing,” and prepare to be driven crazy with lust and jealousy in an exotic location as we dive into GILDA’S world of endless night.

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