The Plot Thickens

Latest Episodes:

The Opening Gambit Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Stanley takes his first crack at filmmaking, starting with shorts and moving up to low-budget independent features. His family bankrolls his productions and his friends act as cast and crew, but his efforts fail to turn a profit. As his first marriage begins to crumble, Stanley plays chess for quarters, until a new friend gives him a shot at the big time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bronx Kid Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Stanley Kubrick grows up rooting for the Yankees, playing drums, and watching World War II newsreels at the local movie theater. At age 13, his father gifts him his first camera, which leads to a prestigious job at a famous magazine... and the opportunity to watch a film being made on the streets of New York.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 7 Trailer 3: Stanley Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Actor Sterling Hayden details the worst day of his life, which occurred on the set of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Stanley, from Turner Classic Movies and Criterion, starts September 24.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 7 Trailer 2: Stanley Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Katharina Kubrick recalls life at home with her famous father, where music was a constant presence.

Stanley, the new season of The Plot Thickens, starts September 24.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 7 Trailer: Stanley Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Steven Spielberg tells Ben Mankiewicz about the deal he struck with Stanley Kubrick for information about a famous cut scene from Dr. Strangelove.

Stanley, an eleven-episode limited series, begins September 24.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben Answers Your Cleopatra Questions Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Ben Mankiewicz received hundreds of voicemails about Cleopatra, and now he's answering them! Well, as many of them as he can. In this special bonus episode, Ben weighs in on the six-hour cut of Cleopatra, what Richard Burton thought of the movie, Judy Garland's love for Joe Mankiewicz... and much more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ask Ben Your Cleopatra Questions! Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

We’re doing our first-ever Q&A bonus episode, and we want your questions! Call 404-885-0013 to leave a voicemail for Ben. You can ask about Cleopatra, Ben's great-uncle Joe Mankiewicz or the stars of the movie. Remember to tell us your first name and where you're calling from. We might use your voice in the episode so keep it clean! And be on the lookout for the Q&A bonus episode next month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wildly Successful and Much Maligned Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

The fate of 20th Century Fox hangs in the balance as Cleopatra premieres. Critics and audiences weigh in, Elizabeth and Richard face momentous life decisions, and Joe sinks into a deep depression. For years to come, Joe and the Mankiewicz family reckon the difficult legacy of Cleopatra.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mankiewicz vs. Zanuck Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

Joe’s body reaches its breaking point, and he’s forced to film the last few scenes from a wheelchair. But when production wraps, Fox installs a new studio head, Darryl F. Zanuck, who undercuts Joe’s authority and takes over the edit of Cleopatra. Soon, Joe and Zanuck wage a very public battle for control of the movie, just months before it’s finally released.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Le Scandale Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s love affair becomes a tabloid sensation. Richard drinks and Elizabeth cries, they fight and make up, all while trying to keep the affair from their spouses and the public. When the press infiltrates the set and reports on every ugly development, Joe struggles to hold the production together. But as the budget balloons, Joe starts taking the blame for everything that’s gone wrong.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected