Forgotten Hollywood

Larry Namer is an American entertainment entrepreneur, television visionary, and media innovator best known as the co-founder of E! Entertainment Television. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Namer began his career as a cable TV engineer before moving into programming and business leadership roles across the industry. In 1990, he and his partner developed the idea for what became E!—a 24-hour network focused on Hollywood, pop culture, and entertainment news. The network grew into a global brand that forever changed how audiences consume celebrity and entertainment coverage. Following E!, Namer continued launching and consulting for media ventures worldwide. He co-founded Metan Global Entertainment Group, which specializes in developing Western-style content for Asian markets, including China. Throughout his career, he has remained a key figure in shaping entertainment media around the world. Namer is widely regarded for his pioneering vision, strategic media insights, and for helping bridge international entertainment markets in today's global content economy. Doug Hess talks to him about all of that! Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon.com

In this episode I spoke with Barry M. Putt, Jr about his book "Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon". Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More) takes you behind the scenes of one of television's most beloved sitcoms. It all started with Martin Scorsese's Academy Award–winning film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Learn how the movie and series were developed, peruse the fact-filled episode log, and test your Alice trivia knowledge with a fan quiz featuring over 120 questions.Doug Hess is the Producer/Host. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon! 

In this episode, I spoke with Danny Reid about his latest book "Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood's Untamed Era, 1930-1934".  With unparalleled freedom in the Golden Age of Hollywood, movies produced during the “pre-Code” era between 1930 and 1934 boldly confronted a wide range of provocative subjects, including sexual freedom, the glorification of outlaws, racial taboos, and class consciousness. Films of the period include beloved classics likeGrand Hotel(1932) and King Kong(1933) but also lesser-known gems like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang(1932) and Ann Vickers (1933). These films, produced at the height of the Great Depression, pushed the limits of contemporary social norms at a time when Hollywood studios were desperate to attract audiences—by any means necessary. Doug Hess is the Producer/Host. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon

In this episode, I spoke with author Thomas Hischak about his book "Bringing Song and Dance to the Screen! Directors of Golden Age Hollywood Musicals". The role directors have played in American cinema cannot be overstated, particularly how they shaped and developed the medium during Hollywood's golden age. Little appreciation has been paid though to the individual directors' accomplishments with regards to the musical film, a genre that remains popular today. When the first film musicals were made, there were no experienced movie directors for the new genre. Instead of recruiting stage directors, Hollywood turned to the seasoned directors currently under contract and assigned them to make talkies with song and dance.

In this epiosde, I spoke with on of the co-authors Wheeler Wiston Dixon about his book "A Short History of Film, 4th Edition". This updated and expanded edition of A Short History of Film provides an accessible overview of the major movements, directors, studios, and genres from the 1880s to the present. Succinct yet comprehensive, with more than 250 rare stills and illustrations, this edition provides new information on contemporary horror, comic book, and franchise films; issues surrounding women and minority filmmakers; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on movies worldwide; the shift from film to digital production; the rising use of artificial intelligence in cinema; and the impact of streaming on the industry.

In this episode, I discuss with author Stephen Rebello his book "Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock's Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train". Take a deep dive into the shadows and light of one of the most subversive, corrosively funny, and beloved suspense thriller masterworks as author Stephen Rebello unravels for the very first time the tense and drama-filled story of the making Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

In this episode, I discuss with author Jennifer Ann Redmond about her book "Too Fast, Too Short: The Life of Diana Barrymore". American actress and socialite Diana Barrymore (1921–1960) was a figure often overshadowed by her famous lineage and tragic narrative. In Too Fast, Too Short: The Life of Diana Barrymore, author Jennifer Ann Redmond illuminates Barrymore's complex world, revealing a woman caught between the glittering facade of Hollywood and the dark shadows of her personal struggles.Doug Hess is the Producer and host!Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon.

In this episode, I spoke with author John Malahy regarding his book " Rewinding The '80s: Cinema Under the Influence of Music Videos, Action Stars, and a Cold War". The movies were flying blind in 1980. “New Hollywood” was over and the era of auteur-driven, personal films that had defined moviemaking since the late ‘60s came to a symbolic end withHeaven's Gate (1980), replaced by a new world of multiplex blockbusters supported by massive marketing campaigns. 

In this episode I spoke with Neil O'Brien about his book "After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Media Company". The untold succession struggle at Walt Disney Productions following the death of its founder, and the generational transformation which led to the birth of the modern multibillion-dollar animation industry.

In this episode I spoke with author Mark Archuleta about his boo; "The Reel Thrilling Events of Bank Robber Henry Starr: From Gentleman Bandit to Movie Star and Back Again". In 1921 headlines across the country announced the death of Henry Starr, a burgeoning silent film star who was killed while attempting to rob a bank in Harrison, Arkansas. Cynics who knew the real Starr were not surprised. Before becoming a matinee idol, Starr had been the greatest bank robber of the horseback bandit era.

In this episode I spoke with author Jennifer O'Callaghan about her book "Rear Window: The Making of a Hitchcock Masterpiece in the Hollywood Golden Age." The definitive, in-depth look inside Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window—the all-time classic of voyeurism, paranoia, and murder that became one of Hollywood's greatest achievements and turned generations of viewers into “a race of Peeping Toms.” A must-read for film buffs, Hitchock fans old and new, and fans of classic movies and Hollywood insider history.Out on September 30, 2025.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon! Doug Hess is the host/producer! 

In this episode, I spoke with author Gary Wigglesworth about his book "The Movie Lover's Quiz Book". Whether you want to challenge yourself or someone else, The Movie Lover's Quiz Book is perfect for any cinephile. Inside you'll find a fun range of rounds and an eclectic mix of questions, all designed to give you hours of entertainment. Doug Hess is the host! Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and the books are on Amazon! It's out in Great Britain and will be released in the U.S. on Tuesday, October 7th .

In this episode I spoke with author Maggie Hennefeld about her latest book "Death by Laughter: Female Hysteria and Early Cinema". Can you really die from laughing too hard? Between 1870 and 1920, hundreds of women suffered such a fate―or so a slew of sensationalist obituaries would have us believe. How could laughter be fatal, and what do these reports of women's risible deaths tell us about the politics of female joy?

In this episode, I discuss with author Kristen Lopez about her latest book " Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies that will be released on November 13, 2025. You can learn a lot from the movies-about sex and relationships, about business, about history. Sure, there's a fair amount of fantasy, wish fulfillment, and glorious hair to exaggerate everything, but for better or for worse, films remain one of the most important ways that viewers around the world learn about other people and cultures. And almost since the dawn of the medium, movies have shaped the public's understanding of and assumptions about disability.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook and Forgotten Hollywood Books are on Amazon. 

Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.Forgotten Hollywood Reference book series on Amazon.Doug Hes is the Creator/Producer/Host of the show.Thank you guest Author Bernard D Dick

In this episode, I spoke with Tracey Goessel about her book "The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks". Douglas Fairbanks was the greatest leading man of his generation—the first and the best of the swashbucklers. He made some of the greatest films of the silent era, including The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro. With Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, and his wife, film star Mary Pickford, he founded United Artists.Forgotten Hollywood is on FacebookForgotten Hollywood Books are on AmazonDoug Hess is the Producer/Host!

In this episode, I spoke with author David M. Stewart about his book "There's No Going Back: The Life and Work of Jonathan Demme". Jonathan Demme, one of the most influential and dynamic directors of the twentieth century, was a fearless and radical filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer―a compassionate artist, advocate, and humanist who was compelled to tell the stories of marginalized communities. His intense passion and appreciation of music, culture, and art were interwoven throughout his life and extraordinary body of work.Forgotten Hollywood is on FacebookForgotten Hollywood Books are on AmazonDoug Hess is the Producer/Host!

Guest host James Lott Jr talks about a Store, Counterpoint Records and Books, in East Hollywood that has grea rare finds. He showcases two of the things he found.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.Executive Producer -Doug Hess

Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.Forgotten Hollywood Books are on Amazon.In this episode I spoke with author Sheri Chinen Biesen about her book "Through a Noir Lens: Adapting Film Noir Visual Style". Shadows. Smoke. Dark alleys. Rain-slicked city streets. These are iconic elements of film noir visual style. Long after its 1940s heyday, noir hallmarks continue to appear in a variety of new media forms and styles. What has made the noir aesthetic at once enduring and adaptable?

In this episode, I spoke with author Samuel Garza Bernstein about his book "Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild". Dynamic and debonair, Cesar Romero was best known for creating the role of the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series. As the first actor to play Batman and Robin's villainous nemesis, Romero established the character's giddy, manic tone and the distinctive laugh that subsequent actors like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix would use as the starting points in their own Oscar-nominated (Nicholson) and Oscar-winning (Ledger and Phoenix) performances. As a closeted gay man of Latin American descent, Romero gracefully faced many personal challenges while maintaining his suave public image and starring opposite legends ranging from Shirley Temple to Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda to Frank Sinatra, and Kurt Russell to Jane Wyman.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.Forgotten Hollywood book series is on Amazon

The Apple. Last Starfighter. Weekend At Bernie's.Night of the Comet. Knight Rider. Hotel. Sins. The Outer Limits. Law and Order and Days of Our Lives. Catherine Mary Stewart goes down memory lane with Guest Host James Lott Jr. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook! 

In this episode, I spoke with author Mitchell Hadley regarding his book "Darkness In Primetime". Darkness in Primetime: How Classic-Era TV Foresaw Modern Society's Descent into Hell reveals how television shows of the 1950s and 1960s, with shocking accuracy, envisioned a world of 24/7 surveillance, thought control, disinformation, persecution, and the loss of freedom—a world disturbingly similar to our own.

In this episode, I spoke with Ed Robertson about his book "Men of Action: Behind-the-Scenes of Four Classic TV Series". An in-depth look at The Untouchables, Run for Your Life, The Magician and Harry O four classic series that helped define the landscape of American television as we know it today. Each entry features a detailed episode guide and behind-the-scenes interviews with the actors, writers, producers, and directors who made these shows enduring, action-adventure classics.

In this episode, I spoke with Roberta Smoodin regarding her book "Horses of Hollywood". In Horses of Hollywood, Roberta Smoodin gives equine film stars the credit and recognition they have long deserved. Smoodin goes behind the scenes to feature the trainers, actors, and directors who brought some of our favorite horses into the spotlight. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.

Guest Host and JLJ Media CEO James Lott Jr talks about Hollywood that is forgotten and why this show exists. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook. 

In this episode we discuss with author Jennifer Selway her book "The Godfather of Horror Films: Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee".  Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee: three middle-class Englishmen whose names are synonymous with the history of the horror movie. Karloff was born in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and Lee, the youngest, died in 2015, when Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch.

Its Episode 350! Guest Host James Lott Jr! Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook! Go follow! JLJ is talking about the late 80s with the Pet Shop Boys reinvented the music careers of Liza Minelli and Dusty Springfield! 

Sidney Arnold Franklin (March 21, 1893 – May 18, 1972) was an American film director and producer. Franklin, like William C. deMille, specialized in adapting literary works or Broadway stage plays.His brother Chester Franklin (1889–1954) also became a director during the silent film era, best known for directing the early Technicolor film The Toll of the Sea.Franklin's work on radio included directing The Screen Guild Show in 1939.Hosted by Doug Hess.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook! 

Juliet Prowse: Born to Dance: The Extraordinary Life Story of My AuntIn this episode, I discussed with Juliet Prowse regarding her book about her Aunt Juliet Prowse.  Juliet Prowse was a young South African dancer and entertainer who burst into the international spotlight in her first Hollywood movie, Can-Can. Considered talented and exotic, she caught the media's attention and her engagement to Frank Sinatra fuelled their fascination further. But was it love and what did Sinatra make of Juliet's relationship with Elvis during G.I. Blues? Unhappy with 20th Century Fox, Juliet broke out of her contract, created her own company and became one of the highest paid dancers of her era on a $1 million Las Vegas contract in the mid-1970s.

In this episode, I spoke with author Chris Nashawaty about his recent book "The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982". In the summer of 1982, eight science fiction films were released within six weeks of one another. E.T., Tron, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior changed the careers of some of Hollywood's now biggest names―altering the art of movie-making to this day.July 29th is the release of the paperback.

In this episode, I spoke with Mary Owen who is the daughter of Donna Reed.  

In this episode, I spoke with Scott Brogan about his book "Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM". A Definitive Celebration of Hollywood's Iconic Musical Star and Her Legendary CareerMore than 100 years after her birth, Judy Garland remains the gold standard by which all movie musical leading ladies are judged.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.Doug Hess is the Creator/producer/host.

   creator/host Doug Hess tells you whats going on with the show for the upcoming months. Forgotten hollywood is on Facebook.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

In this episode, I spoke with Barton Palmer, on of the editors of the book " Mervyn Leroy Comes To Town". Mervyn LeRoy Comes to Town is the first book devoted to the career of one of the director/producers who in the early years of sound cinema was instrumental in establishing the Hollywood model of production that would endure for more than half a century. Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook! 

In this episode, I spoke with Howard Smith regarding his book "My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends". In My Friend Johnny, Smith paints an intimate portrait of the man behind the iconic desk: funny, kind, and generous, yet deeply complex. From tennis matches to quiet moments, their bond lasted until John's passing.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.

In this episode, I spoke with Ben Model about his book "The Silent Film Universe". The storytelling and characters of these movies can only exist in the Silent Film Universe, where a purely visual cinematic language commingles with the viewer's imagination.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook! 

In this episode, I spoke with Alan K. Rode regarding his book "Blood On The Moon".  Of the movies that writers and historians call "Noir Westerns," none is more celebrated than 1948'sBlood on the Moon. The comingling of the Western genre and the noir style crystalized in this extraordinary film, in turn influencing Westerns in the 1950s to become darker and more psychological. Produced during the height of the post-World War II film noir movement, Blood on the Moon is a classic Western immersed in the film noir netherworld of double crosses, government corruption, shabby barrooms, gun-toting goons, and romantic betrayals. Forgotten Hollwyood is on Facebook. Doug Hess is the host! 

In this episode, I spoke with Todd S. Purdum regarding his book "Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television". An illuminating biography of Desi Arnaz, the visionary, trailblazing Cuban American who revolutionized television and brought laughter to millions as Lucille Ball's beloved husband on I Love Lucy, leaving a remarkable legacy that continues to influence American culture today.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook!  Doug Hess is the host!

Host Doug Hess chats with Veteran Screenwriter Kirk Ellis about his book "Ride Lonesome". It's the story of the 1959 Western film.  Available on Amazon and where books are sold. Forgotten hollywood is on Facebook.

In this episode, I discuss with author Bruce Handy his book " Hollywood High: A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of Teen Movies". From a longtime Vanity Fair writer and editor, a delightfully entertaining, intelligent, and illuminating history and tribute to teen movies—from Rebel Without a Cause to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and on to John Hughes, Mean Girls, The Hunger Games, and more.What influence did Francis Ford Coppola have on George Lucas's American Graffiti? And Lucas on John Singleton's Boyz n the Hood? How does teenage sexuality in Fast Times at Ridgemont High compare to Twilight? Which teen movies pass the Bechdel test? Why is Mean Girls actually the last great teen film of the 20th century?Doug Hess is the Producer and HostFollow on Facbook @forgottenhollywood

Its Gay Pride Month (June), and guest host James Lott Jr talks about the first gay characters in TV! 

Host Doug Hess talks about the life of Ray Taylor, a famed Movie Director (b.1888-d.1952)Follow Forgotten Hollywood on Facebook!