Rarified Heir Podcast

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Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #21: Michael Weintraub (Jerry Weintraub) Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Michael Weintraub, son of legendary manager, agent, producer and promoter Jerry Weintraub and his stepmother, singer/performer Jane Morgan. Michael has a million stories about being around show business and tells us some previously unheard stores from The King to the Chairman of the Board. Stories like Bob Dylan's ridiculously long nails, watching Ringo Starr & George Harrison eat breakfast cereal for dinner, riding in a car with John Denver after the Newport Folk Festival and hearing "Country Road" on the radio for the first time and much more. Did we mention the time former President George Herbert Walker Bush threatened to burn down a country club if they didn't reverse their "No Jews Allowed" policy in 1965? Or how Jane Morgan became the most booked female singer on The Ed Sullivan Show? Or how about the time Jerry got the final cut on Robert Altman's classic film, Nashville? We talked about so much and still we didn't even get to the time he traveled to Australia with Robby Benson, Susan St. James and Debby Boone. It's stories galore on the next Rarified Heir Podcast. In THX Spatial Audio.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #20 : Tara Candoli (Pete Candoli) Apr 20, 2021

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This week on the Rarified Heir Podcast we talk to Dr. Tara Candoli, daughter of legendary trumpeter Pete Candoli and actress mother Vicky Lane, who you may or may not know as The Ape Woman in the film, The Jungle Captive. Tara's connection run even deeper with 40s actor Tom Neal whose story is rife with violence and scandal, her stepmother, the incomparable Betty Hutton and a grandparent Kemp Niver who received a special Oscar for preserving the earliest silent films known to exist. Somehow we've barely scratched the surface. Did we mention, she's also our host Josh's step-sister? That's right, she was Edie Adams step-daughter as well. We jump around a lot on this episode because there is just so much to talk about. So sit back and relax as we discuss Tara's ex-boyfriend Iggy Pop, her career as a trauma therapist and making mud pies with Rock Hudson as a toddler. There's much to explore when you are the child of a celebrity and connected to about 4 others so let's take a listen, on the Rarified Heir Podcast.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #19 : Jenny Brill (Charlie Brill, Mitzi McCall) Apr 13, 2021

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Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we talk to Jenny Brill, daughter of the comedy team Charlie Brill & Mitzi McCall. Married 61 years ago, Mitzi and Charlie have had an incredible career having met in 1959 at Jerry Lewis Workshop & their marriage that endures to this day. Their career spans everything from Laugh-In to Star Trek, The Ed Sullivan Show to the Silk Stalking from Pebbles & Bam-Bam to Playboy After Dark. Oh and did we mention they were guest stars on Josh's Mom's 1964 ABC variety show The Edie Adams Show with Sammy Davis jr.? We talk to Jenny about growing up in celebrity filled elementary school, trips on cruises where their parents were working, running around Hollywood Blvd in the 70s, having Famous Amos bake her cookies before they went commercial, a triple date to see Kramer Vs. Kramer and much more. It's Yoda and Yoga on the Rarified Heir Podcast coming up next. Did I hear someone say, "The Trouble with Tribbles?"

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #18 : Tony Cobb (Lee J. Cobb) Apr 06, 2021

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Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we talk to Tony Cobb, son of Lee J. Cobb. Yes, the twice Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor Lee J. Cobb aka Johnny Friendly from On The Waterfront and the originator of the role of Willy Loman on Broadway in Death of a Salesman among a huge cannon of acting work. We talk about Tony's memories of his dad as just being a dad – a car enthusiast, a man who loved fixing anything around the house, a man who loved cigars. But we also talk about The Blacklist and his role as a "friendly witness" which almost killed him and institutionalized his then-wife. (Fun Fact: who nursed him back to health? None other than Frank Sinatra.) While an imposing figure on screen and off, we get a rare glimpse into the man who learned how to be a dad, a man who vaporized ping pong balls with a lighter, fashioned his own switch to turn off commercials from television set and loved music so much It brought him to tears. It's what pushed Tony to become a world class pianist who played luxury cruises for a decade and standards at The Polo Lounge, The Beverly Wilshire and the Bel Air Hotel for his entire career. So sit back, relax and listen to the LEE J. COBB (do impression) on Rarified Heir

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #17 : Dave Jenkins (Paul Jenkins, Sally Kemp) Mar 30, 2021

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Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to David Jenkins who has a three headed hydra of a connection to the business we call show. He's proof indeed that yes, everyone has a story. David's father was character actor Paul Jenkins who starred in more than 40 television programs in the 1970s and 80s on shows like Mannix, The Waltons, Dynasty, Barney Miller and Mash. His mother, Jane Jenkins is an award winning casting director who has worked with everyone from Francis Ford Coppola, Rob Reiner and Ron Howard while casting young actors like River Phoenix, Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan and Michael Keaton in their earliest films. Oh and did we mention his stepmother Sally Kemp, a classically trained actress guest starred on Bonanza, Bosom Buddies and quite a few ABC After School Specials? It's a deep dive into the world of working actors, a forty year career in casting and the ups and downs of a life lived in the arts. So buckle up and learn how young David found himself on the set of the Rockford Files and was taught to say his name backwards by none other than James Garner. Next on Rarified Heir.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #16 : Alison Martino (Al Martino) Mar 23, 2021

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Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we talk to Alison Martino, daughter of Al Martino whose smooth baritone voice was sometimes classified as Popular Music or Classic Pop Romanticism but just don't call him a crooner. We discuss everything with Alison including her father's role in The Godfather, his incredible string of nine top 40 tunes from 1963 – 1968, Flippers Roller Boogie mecca of the 1970s, Iwo Jima, Command performances for the Queen of England, teenage haunts like LA's The Postermat and yes, the mob and how it altered the course of Al Martino's career pretty much as soon as it began in 1951. We also explore Vintage Los Angeles Alison's repository for all things forgotten, neglected, buried and pushed aside in her beloved hometown of Los Angeles Her Vintage LA Facebook page alone boasts more than 400,000 followers. We get into the weeds of lost LA restaurants like The Luau, The Daisy, Café Swiss and Butterfields while paying homage to the Z Channel, Mad Man Muntz and Ben Frank's. If you ever loved Al's biggest hit "Spanish Eyes" or wanted to know where the best sub shop was in Atlantic City, you'll find out next on Rarified Heir.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode # 15 : Joe Gilford (Jack Gilford) Mar 16, 2021

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Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we talk to Joe Gilford, son of the fantastic character actor Jack Gilford and his equally amazing mother, Madeline Lee Gilford. Of course we talk about Jack's 50+ decade career in show business in everything from films like Cocoon to Caveman, his Oscar nominated performance in Save the Tiger as well as his comeback film, A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum along with guest starring roles in Taxi and Get Smart…and a whole lot more. But we really get a history lesson from Joe about his father's almost decade long stint on The Blacklist. You see both Jack and his wife were called to testify before The House of Un-American Activities before Congress in the 1950s. Joe's recollections and research of HUAC, the history of The Blacklist in Hollywood and his father's decade inability to make films, television or radio resulted in a play called Finks. Thankfully, Jack was able to make a living on Broadway where there was no blacklist and we find out why. There is a lot of laughter on the episode, because after all, Jack Gilford was a funny guy. But we also dig deep into how one of America's darkest hours almost completely derailed the career of a truly gifted actor and comedian. Next on Rarified Heir.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #14 : Chris Lemmon (Jack Lemmon) Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Podcast, we are talking to someone Josh has known his whole life, actor Chris Lemmon, son of actress Cynthia Stone and the incomparable Jack Lemmon. Jack and host Josh Mills' mom starred together in two films, The Apartment & Under The Yum Yum Tree, Jack and Ernie Kovacs starred in four movies together which cemented a great family friendship beginning in the 1950s. So what was it like growing up the son of one of the greatest actors this country has ever produced? Not as easy but also not as hard as you'd think. We talk to Chris tribute show to his dad, A Twist of Lemmon, his memories of hanging out with Blake Edwards & Walter Matthau, helping to launch the Fox Network with his show Duets in the late 80s, his recent double lung transplant – yikes - and starring with Josh's mom Edie Adams in the classic film, The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood. I ask you, is there any other film title that screams Rarified Heir than that? It's a Zoom induced love fest / cry fest with a little hammering thrown in, next on the Rarified Heir Podcast.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #13 : Andy Marx (Groucho Marx, Gus Kahn) Mar 02, 2021

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Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are deviating slightly from our format of interviewing the children of celebrities as we are talking to the grandchildren of celebrities and boy do we have a good reason. Today we are talking to Andy Marx who has not just one incredible grandfather but two. Andy is the grandson of the amazing Groucho Marx as well as songwriter Gus Kahn. Whoa. Andy gives us the lowdown on what it was like spending time with Groucho archiving his hit TV show You Bet Your Life and how common it was to have guests over for dinner like Jack Nicholson, Elliott Gould and Marcel Marceau. But just as amazing was his other grandfather Gus wrote such Great American Songbook standards as "It Had To Be You", "Dream a Little Dream of Me,""Makin' Whoopie" and so many others. Want to find out what was it like having Seder with Ron Wood, Ahmet Ertegun one day and Alice Cooper and Shep Gordon the next? Uh, yeah. We talk song pluggers, tea boys, conservatorships and Tin Pan Alley on the next Rarified Heir Podcast. But only if you say the secret word…..

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #12 : Jeff Sherman (The Sherman Brothers, Robert Sherman) Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to Jeff Sherman, son of legendary songwriter Robert Sherman. Disney fans won't have a problem identifying Robert Sherman as one half of the brother songwriting team of The Sherman Brothers who wrote some of the most beloved songs of the last sixty years. Along with his brother Richard, Robert was personally hired by Walt Disney to score some of the most iconic films that every child (and adult) born after the Eisenhower administration knows by heart. Songs like "Chim Chim Cheree" from Mary Poppins, "I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" from The Jungle Book and "It's a Small World (After All)" which, by the way is likely the most played song ever. So what was it like being able to bike to the studio after school to hear the full score to 1974 film Tom Sawyer recorded live? Starting your first band with both Shaun Cassidy and Jamie Lee Curtis? Having cousins live seven blocks from your house and not knowing them at all as was documented in his wonderful documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story? Find out now as another child of a celebrity talks with a child of a celebrity on this episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

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