From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

Latest Episodes:

"MAUREEN O’HARA AND FAKE NEWS" (11) Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

Ireland-born MAUREEN O’HARA was not only one of the silver screen's great actresses, she was also a strong independent woman who did not suffer fools gladly. When Confidential magazine, a tabloid known for false stories and unethical journalistic practices, came for her in 1957, she fought back with a vengeance. Her efforts, along with DOROTHY DANDRIDGE, ROBERT MITCHUM, LIZABETH SCOTT, and a bevy of other stars, helped stop the scandal-crazed magazine in its sleazy tracks. Read all about the events and trial that would shocked a nation.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

’Tis Herself, (2005), by Maureen O’Hara, with John Nicolletti

Searching For John Ford, (2011), by Joseph McBride

Confidential Confidential: The Inside Story of Hollywood’s Notorious Scandal Magazine (2008), by Samantha Barbos

Shocking True Story: The Rise and Fall of Confidential, America’s Most Scandalous Magazine (2010), by Henry E. Scott

“The Continental Magazine Trial: An Account” (2010), by Douglas O. Linder, University of Kansas City Law School Review

“Confidential’s Reign of Terror,” April 1, 2003, by Neal Gabler, Vanity Fair

“The Press: Putting the Papers to Bed,” April 26, 1957, Time magazine

“Magazine Raises Obscenity Issues,” August 21, 1957, by Gladwin Hill, The New York Times

“Hollywood Flashback: In 1957 the ‘Confidential’ Trail Scandalized Hollywood,” April 4, 2022, by Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter

wikipedia.com

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"STEVE COCHRAN: HOLLYWOOD BAD BOY" (10) Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

Actor STEVE COCHRAN’s life was like a page out of the American macho man’s handbook. Raised in Wyoming where he was once a cowhand, he carved a memorable career in Hollywood playing gangsters, villains, adulterers, and bad boys in great films like “The Best Years of Our Lives” and “White Heat.” But in a case of art imitating life, this rowdy, randy actor’s personal life was just as chaotic and dramatic as his film roles. Find out how his love of women, booze, and trouble proved to be his Achilles heel.

Sources:

Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir, (2003), by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

“Lonely Lochinvar (Steve Cochran),” July 1953, by Hyatt Downing, Photoplay magazine

“Dark Magnetism,” 1952, Photoplay Annual magazine

“The Gossips Scare Steve Cochran,” April 20, 1957, by Burt Ranier, Picturegoer magazine

“Steve Cochran,” November 1975, by Michael R. Pitts, Films In Review

“Actor Steve Cochran Found Dead On Yacht,” June 28, 1965, Desert Sun newspaper

“Steve Cochran’s Death Is Laid To Lung Infection, Paralysis,” June 28, 1965, The Fresno Bee

“Funeral Service Is Held On Coast for Steve Cochran,” July 2, 1965, The New York Times

wikipedia.com

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"SIBLING RIVALRY - PART TWO" (09) Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

As we continue our exploration of famous siblings who thrived during the Golden Era of Hollywood, we’ll discover that you are definitely not your brother’s keeper, especially when we discuss the lives, careers, and relationship of a famous film noir actor and his movie star beefcake brother. We’ll also discuss a couple of brassy blonde comediennes who ruled the silver screen in the 1930s and 40s and a pair of beautiful and talented Italian sisters who took Hollywood by storm in the 1950s, but who had very different outcomes.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Lawrence Tierney: Hollywood’s Real-Life Tough Guy (2022), by Burt Kearns

Joan Blondell: A Life Between Takes (2007), by Matthew Kennedy

Pier Angeli: A Fragile Life (2015), by Jane Allen

“The Bridge Is Love,” August 1955, by Ida Zeitlin, Photoplay magazine

“Pier Angeli: Nobody’s Baby Now,” June 1954, by Jack Wade, Modern Screen magazine

“La Bella Rosa: Marisa Pavan,” March 1956, by Don Allen, Photoplay magazine

“Will They Revive An Old Hollywood Feud (Pier Angeli and Marisa Pavan),”

May 1956, Movie Life magazine

“Honeybee Gillis (Gloria Blondell),” January 8, 1955, TV Viewer magazine

Wikipedia.com

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"SIBLING RIVALRY - PART ONE" (08) Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

Ever since Cain killed Abel — or, to put it in old Hollywood terms, ever since JOAN FONTAINE rebuffed OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND at the 1941 Oscar ceremony — sibling relationships have been complicated. In this episode we take a look at famous Hollywood siblings, some of whom you may know, others who may be a complete surprise. We’ll discuss the operatic singing superstar and her ghoulish TV star sister, the suave urbanite brothers who played bad guys and heels with equal aplomb, and a quartet of singing sisters from the Midwest who melted hearts in the 1940s. But, rest assured, unlike Cain and Abel (or Joan and Olivia), not all of these siblings relationships were as toxic.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews (2012), by Carl Rollyson

Dana Andrews: The Face of Noir (2014), by James McKay

Jeanette MacDonald Autobiography: The Lost Manuscript (2004), by Sharon Rich

Memoirs of a Professional Cad (1960), by George Sanders

A Long Way From St. Petersburg: The Tom Conway Story (2016), by C.E. Parkinson

“Dana Andrews, Film Actor of 40s, Is Dead At 83,” December 19, 1992, by Richard Severa, The New York Times

“S.W.A.T Star Steve Forrest Dies at 87,” May 22, 2013, by Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter

“Priscilla Lane; Singer, Actress in 30s and 40s - Obituary,” April 7, 1995, by Myrna Oliver, The Los Angeles Times

“Lola Lane: Acted in 1930s and 40s - Obituary,” June 25, 1981, The New York Times

“George Sanders: Film Villain, a Suicide,” April 26, 1972, by John Darnton, The New York Times

Wikipedia.com

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“GHOSTS, GHOULS AND VERONICA LAKE" (07) Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

Halloween has always been a special time for classic movies. From the early Universal Studios monster films to the psychological thrillers of ALFRED HITCHCOCK to the gory blood-bathes of the 1980s slasher films, Hollywood understood that people love to be frightened. In this Halloween episode, hosts Steve and Nan share some of the perhaps lesser-known scary movies to enjoy this Halloween season. Some are really great; some...not so much. But they all have a special place in Steve and Nan’s demented little hearts. So pull the covers up tight, keep the lights on and ignore that thump in the night as they explore a few fun eerie movies.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Les Diaboliques: French Film Guide (2005), by Susan Hayward;

Simone Signoret: The Star As Cultural Sign (2004), by Susan Hayward;

Nostalgia Isn’t What It Used to Be (1979), by Simone Signoret;

“Reviews: Diabolique,” February 17, 1995, by Roger Ebert, www.rogerebert.com;

“Director John Hancock Reflects On ‘Let’s Scare Jessica To Death’,” October 20, 2021, Harbor Country News;

“Simone Signoret Dies at 85 in France,” October 1, 1985, The New York Times;

“Remembering Jessica: An Interview with Mariclare Costello,” July 2011, The Terror Trap;

“On The Prowl,” March 12, 2006, by Roger Ebert.www.rogerebert.com;

“The Pretty World: The Films of Val Lewton,” October 4, 2019, by Alexander Nemerov, The Criterion Collection;

“Reviews: Carnival of Souls,” October 27, 1989, by Roger Ebert, www.rogerebert.com;

Wikipedia.com;

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"BLONDE TROUBLE: THE TRAGEDY OF CAROLE LANDIS" (06) Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Actress CAROLE LANDIS was a rising star in the 1940s, but her bright light was short-lived. She came from a troubled background and learned early that her looks and sex appeal were valuable commodities that could help her dreams of fame come true. She scratched and clawed her way to Hollywood stardom only to find the dream was hollow. Her quest for love led her to all the wrong men. Her ill-fated love affair with the very-married star REX HARRISON drove her to her untimely death at age 29. Ruled a suicide at the time, years later, Landis’ family thinks otherwise. Today, she serves as a cautionary tale about the dark side of the Hollywood dream.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Carole Landis: A Tragic Life In Hollywood (2005), by E.J. Fleming;

Carole Landis: A Most Beautiful Girl (2008), by Eric Gans;

Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley (2011), by Jeffrey Spivak;

Fatal Charm: The Life Of Rex Harrison (1993), by Alexander Walker;

Change Lobsters and Dance (1976) by Lilli Palmer;

Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann (1996), by Barbara Seaman;

Morbid Curiosity: The Disturbing Demises of the Famous and Infamous (2009), by Alan W. Petrucelli;

“Carole Landis Does Not Want to Be The Ping Girl,” June 17, 1940, Life magazine;

“Meet The New Carole Landis,” November 1943, Silver Screen Magazine, by Gladys Hunt;

“Harrison Tells Story of Long Friendship With Actress,” July 7, 1948, L.A. Examiner;

“Schmidlapp Shocked at Wife’s Death,”July 6, 1948, L.A. Examiner;

“Mystery Cloaks Last Hours of Carole Landis,” July 7, 1948, Los Angeles Times;

“Scores Attend Funeral of Carole Landis,” July 11, 1948, Oakland Tribune, by Aline Mosby;

“Carole Landis,” November 1973, Film Fan Monthly, by Kirk Crivello;

“Was Carole Landis Murdered?”, July 8, 2011, www.CaroleLandisOfficial.com, by Tammy Powell;

“The Ping Girl: The Story of Carole Landis,” August 21, 2018, Vintage Leisure;

“The Astonishing Life and Tragic Death of Carole Landis,” December 3, 2022, Cinema Scholars, by Ben McVay;

www.imdb.com;

www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com

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“ANNE REVERE: MOTHER COURAGE” (05) Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

The name ANNE REVERE may not ring a bell to many today, but during the 1940s, the Broadway-trained, Tony-winning actress, who was a descendant of Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere, was one of the most revered character actresses in Hollywood. She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1944 for National Velvet and left an indelible mark on the landscape of film as Gregory Peck’s sympathetic mother in Gentleman’s Agreement in 1947. Learn about her life, career, and the shameful witch hunt of an obsessed Wisconsin Senator looking to make a name for himself that ended her brilliant Hollywood career.

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Sources:

The Film Encyclopedia (1994), By Ephraim Katz;

Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia (1994), by Leonard Maltin;

The Hollywood Motion Picture Blacklist: Seventy-Five Years Later (2022), by Larry Ceplair;

Un-American Hollywood: Politics and Film in the Blacklist Era (2007), by Peter Stanfield, et. al;

Tender Comrades: A Backstory of the Hollywood Black List (2012), by Patrick McGilligan and Paul Buhle;

“Anne Revere Begins Again” by Robert Fray, After Dark magazine, December 1970;

“Anne Revere Bio,” Spartacus Educational, by John Simon;

“Horse Sense: What I Learned About Bring A Mother From ‘National Velvet’s’ Arminty Brown,” by Dana Stevens, Slate.com, April 11, 2014;

“Anne Revere, 87, Actress, Dies; Was Movie Mother of Many Stars,” by Peter B. Flint, The New York Times,December 19, 1990;

imdb.com;

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“THE MURDERS, MAYHEM, AND MISCHIEF OF BEACHWOOD CANYON” (04) Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

When you drive through Beachwood Canyon, don't be fooled by the droves of tourists vying for the perfect shot of the Hollywood sign or the beautiful stone gates of the village that lead to storybook houses covered with ivy and brilliant bougainvillea. The canyon has had its share of strange, and often dark, Hollywood history including religious cults, suicides, and a love triangle murder that involved popular and prolific Hollywood actor PAUL KELLY. Join us as we explore the happenings that occurred “from beneath the Hollywood sign."

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Sources:

Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon (2011) by Leo Braudy;

Hollywoodland (Images of America) (2011) by Mary Mallory;

Peg Entwistle and the Hollywood Sign Suicide (2013) by James Zeruk;

Peter Duel: A Biography (2105) by Paul Green;

“Jury Convicts Man of Stalking Madonna,” by Andrea Ford, The Los Angeles Times, January 9, 1996;

"Hollywood Actor Killed, Rival Held," New York Times, April 19, 1927;

"Coroner's Jury Finds Kelly Killed Raymond," Associated Press, April 21, 1927;

"Paul Kelly's Trial for Murder Starts," Associated Press, May 9, 1927;

"Testifies Kelly Was Aggressor," Associated Press, May 11, 1927;

"Miss Mackaye Denies Nights in Kelly's Flat," Associated Press, May 17, 1927;

"Japanese Houseboy on Stand Reveals Secrets of Paul Kelly and Dorothy Mackaye," Los Angeles Times, May 17, 1927;

"Kelly on the Stand Admits Fist Fight," Associated Press, May 18, 1927;

"Kelly Guilty, Asks New Trial," Los Angeles Times, May 26, 1927;

"Kelly Sentenced to From One to 10 Years at San Quentin," June 1, 1927;

"Dorothy Mackaye Gets 1 to 3 Years," Associated Press, July 2, 1927;

"Dorothy Mackaye Leaves Prison," Associated Press, Jan. 1, 1929;

"Kelly Will Be Paroled Next Friday," Los Angeles Times, July 20, 1929;

"He's Heading for Comeback Trail," Los Angeles Times, Aug. 3, 1929;

"Paul Kelly to Wed Widow of Raymond," New York Times, Feb. 11, 1931;

"Actress Pens Prison Story," by Grace Kingsley, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 12, 1932;

"Dorothy Mackaye, Former Actress, Dies of Auto Injuries Received Near Ranch," Los Angeles Times, Jan. 6, 1940;

“Paul Kelly, Actor on Stage and Screen Dies,” The New York Times, November 7, 1956;

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“HOLLYWOOD’S WEB OF LOVE” (03) Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Everyone in old Hollywood can probably be connected by whom they dated, married, or slept with. Two of the most desirable lovers of the era were LANA TURNER and AVA GARDNER, both Hollywood superstars who shared a friendship, similar backgrounds, and many romantic partners, including a husband. Join us as we connect the romantic dots through old Hollywood using Lana and Ava’s little black books as our guide.

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Sources:

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

Lana: The Life and Loves of Lana Turner (1995) by Jane Ellen Wayne;

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

Movie Star & The Mobster: Lana Tuner, Johnny Stompanato and Homicide in the Pink Bedroom (2016) by John William Law;

Ava: My Story (1990) by Ava Gardner;

Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing (2006) by Lee Server;

Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations (2014) by Peter Evans;

Scarlett O’Hara’s Younger Sister: My Lively Life In and Out of Hollywood (1977) by Evelyn Keyes;

The Man Who Seduced Hollywood: The Life and Loves of Greg Bautzer, Tinseltown’s Most Powerful Lawyer (2013) by James Gladstone;

Artie Shaw: The King of Clarinet: His Life and Times (2011) by Tom Nolan;

The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney (2015) by Richard Lertzman;

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"THE SORDID HISTORY OF THE KNICKERBOCKER HOTEL” (02) Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Planted firmly in the middle of Hollywood is the Knickerbocker Hotel, a big, boxy, building with a faded facade appearing like a sad relic from a gayer time. Only the illuminated block letters of its sign that light up the Hollywood night sky hint at the lively history of this Hollywood landmark that BETTE DAVIS, MAUREEN O’SULLIVAN, and DICK POWELL once called home. From affairs to arrests to seances to suicides, we take a deep dive into the sordid past of this once grand dame of Hollywood.

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Sources:

The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History (2005), by Gregory Paul Williams;

www.paulrwilliamsproject.org;

“Off the Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Knickerbocker Hotel’s Haunted History,” by Hadley Meares, KCET.com, June 19, 2015;

“Doom and Board: Four Ghost Stories From Four of LA’s Most Famous Haunted Hotels,” by Christine Wolfram, Los Angeles Magazine, October 5, 2015;

Doris Day: Her Own Story (1976), by Doris Day and A.E. Hotchner;

wikipedia.com;

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