Podcast – Hollywood Declassified

In May 1956 the cast of Raintree County was due to head off for location shooting. Before the trip Elizabeth Taylor hosted a small dinner party and included Monty as one of her guests. The evening would have tragic consequences after Monty crashed his car on the drive home.

Raintree County would be one of three films starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. The epic was intended to be MGM’s second Gone with the Wind starring Hollywood’s most glamorous duo. The feature would be marred with issues, but the friendship of its stars would stand the test of time.

The movie Raintree County had a tragic backstory even before Montgomery Clift became associated with the picture. The author’s suicide and issues in bringing the book to the big screen marred the movie. For Clift, the highlight of the picture would be the chance to work with his friend Elizabeth Taylor, but the teaming would … Continue reading "Raintree County"

With a new book out, this series of Hollywood Declassified goes back to the 1950s and 1960 to look at the later years of actor Montgomery Clift. With a focus on Raintree County, a horrific car crash, and the tragic decline of one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, this series of episodes promote the new book … Continue reading "Montgomery Clift – The Longest Suicide in Hollywood"

As we wrap up the Bond series we look at some of the other Bonds that got away and the legacy of the series. We also offer a little background on what is in store for Series 6 of Hollywood Declassified. (Note: ‘No Time To Die’, the next Bond film has again been delayed until … Continue reading "Series 5: Episode 6"

Sean Connery’s association with Bond defined him and still does, though the actor had many more great roles. Bond was a character that made him famous, made him rich and one he despised at times. He would return to the role in the 198o as Bond looked to the future and the past. (Note: ‘No … Continue reading "Series 5: Episode 5"

We’re back in 2021 with a new episode of Behind the Screen with The Movie Files. This time we go back to 1957 for the courtroom drama 12 Angry Men. Starring Henry Fonda and a collection of amazing supporting actors, the film was directed by Sidney Lumet and is based on a 1954 teleplay. There’s … Continue reading "12 Angry Men"

Longitude 78 West, Thunderball and Never Say Never Again are all based on an original idea inspired by Ian Fleming’s legendary James Bond character. All the stories are based on the same idea and story and hold many similarities. We take a look behind them all. (Note: ‘No Time To Die’, the next Bond film … Continue reading "Series 5: Episode 4"

Thunderball would be the biggest and best Bond of the 1960s, but the film had a legal and challenging path to the big screen. Originally a concept called Longitude 78 West, the book and film rights would become a decades long battle. (Note: ‘No Time To Die’, the next Bond film has again been delayed … Continue reading "Series 5: Episode 3"

Alfred Hitchcock was a prolific and successful filmmaker. His love of suspense lead him to become a reader of Ian Fleming’s pulp fiction novels on James Bond. When Fleming wanted to bring Bond to the big screen he wanted Hitchcock to be in the director’s chair. (Note: ‘No Time To Die’, the next Bond film … Continue reading "Series 5: Episode 2"

Woman of Straw is a 1964 picture starring Sean Connery and Gina Lollabrigida. The suspense film puts James Bond aka Sean Connery in the role of a villain. We take a look back at the little known classic.

As we introduce series 5 of Hollywood Declassified, James Bond is back. Arriving on screen in the 25th installment of the long running film franchise, we take a look back at the first Bond film – the one that never quite happened. Go behind Longitude 78 West – the lost Bond.

James Bond was – and is -a series of very successful novels by Ian Fleming. The suave, debonaire and dangerous secret agent with a license to kill had been a part of the public psyche for generations. Now, take a look back at the character’s path to the big screen and the first film that … Continue reading "Series 5: Episode 1"

With the passing of Sean Connery we lose the original James Bond, but we are left with a career that spanned 7 decades that offered some of the best films we could ask for. As we prepare for a new series of Hollywood Declassified and an upcoming episode of The Movie Files covering one of … Continue reading "The Original Bond"

James Bond returned in the late 1980s with Timothy Dalton at the helm in what might have been the last 007 picture. We take a look back at the movie and the film series in this installment.

As we wrap up Series 4 we take a look back at Lana Turner, Johnny Stompanato and the scandal that rocked Hollywood in 1958. In this episode we answer some questions in a Q&A with the host of the series, author John William Law, who discusses the podcast along with his book Movie Star & … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 8"

In this episode Lana takes the stand at the inquest into the death of Johnny Stompanato. After the homicide she hired a lawyer and stayed away from the press, but the media circus surrounded her as the scandal and lurid details of the crime and Lana’s romance with an LA mobster caught everyone’s attention. Now … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 7"

Johnny’s dead, Cheryl’s distraught and Lana is panicked. As the rain begins to subside outside, inside the house on Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills the scene is anything but calm as Lana calls for help and a host of people begin to arrive at the scene of the crime to help. In series 4 of … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 6"

As we head into the night of the homicide, Lana Turner returns to Hollywood with an Oscar nomination for her work in Peyton Place. She rents a home in Beverly Hills for her and her daughter Cheryl, but Johnny Stompanato if never far behind. As Lana basks in the excite of the Academy Awards and … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 5"

Rock Hudson stars in this 1968 MGM adventure picture. The Cold War suspense film features Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan and Jim Brown. Directed by John Sturges, we take a look back at the picture and go behind the story and film.

In the throws of a dark romance, Lana soon realizes the man she is in bed with is not the man he pretended to be, but she’s too hooked to end the relationship. As Lana snuggles to keep her career afloat and her romance on the sidelines, the two collide in London in late 1957. … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 4"

In episode 3 we get into the details of how Lana met Johnny Stompanato in the mid-1950s and what the type of man he was. Their romance would start under mysterious circumstances the she began receiving calls at the movie set from an unknown admirer. Little did she know that admirer would turn out to … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 3"

The 1939 classic Gone With the Wind is back in the news with HBO removing it from their platform for viewers over its depiction of racism during the Civil War. At the same time the film climb to the top of Amazon’s sales charts. We take a look behind the drama, both on and off … Continue reading "Gone With the Wind"

We start at the night of the homicide. Inside the pink bedroom of Lana Turner’s rented Beverly Hills mansion, the body of LA mobster Johnny Stompanato lay motionless on the floor near her bed. A 9 inch knife discarded. Lana Turner was in a panic, calling for help. As we begin our story it’s also … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 2"

Lana Turner was a movie goddess at the peak of her career in the mid 1950s. As the sultry star of hits like The Postman Always Rings Twice, Somewhere I’ll Find You, The Bad and the Beautiful and more, Turner acted opposite Hollywood’s leading men. Her private life would take a dark turn when she … Continue reading "Series 4, Episode 1"

Marilyn Monroe rolled into the 1960s with a musical called Let’s Make Live. While not one of her biggest hits, the forgotten gem aimed at recapturing her past musical hits like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Fox pushing her to make the film. We take a look behind the making of the motion picture.

Lana Turner, Johnny Stompanato and Homicide in the Pink Bedroom launches series 4 of Hollywood Declassified. In this episode we offer a preview of the new series and how the story came about and what we’ll be uncovering over the next few months. Note: Some reference to this a “Series 3” are included in the … Continue reading "Series 4, Preview"

Sean Connery is mostly known to audiences as James Bond, but his vast resume of work extends well beyond his handful of 007 features. He would at last earn an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 1987 film The Untouchables. We take a look back at the film and the talents that brought … Continue reading "The Untouchables"

With many folks stuck inside due to self-quarantine and COVID-19 we decided to release our April podcast a little early with a special nod to being trapped inside. In this episode we look at a host of well-known movie stars playing famous detectives who are trapped inside a mansion to solve a murder in the … Continue reading "Murder by Death"

Episode 8 is an epilogue of sorts as we conclude Series 3 of Hollywood Declassified. To come full circle we discuss the legacies both Marilyn Monroe and Doris Day left behind and how the 1960s took a toll on both women. Using the book Goddess and the Girl Next Door – Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 8"

As we close out series three and prepare for the next installment, host John William Law talks a little further about the journey of Series 3 and his book Goddess and the Girl Next Door. In this final episode we feature a question and answer session with some question from listeners.

As we wrap up Series 3 of Hollywood Declassified we look back at the legacies of Marilyn Monroe and Doris Day and the impact they left behind. Using the book Goddess and the Girl Next Door – Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day and the Movie They Shared as a guide we close this series with some … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 6"

How would Doris Day do with Move Over, Darling and what would become of the ill-fated Something’s Got to Give and the studio behind both films, Twentieth Century Fox? In this episode we take a cue from the book Goddess and the Girl Next Door – Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day and the Movie They Shared … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 5"

With Fox on life support the studio had just two productions underway in 1962, Something’s Got to Give and Cleopatra. With Monroe dead and her final film impossible to complete, the studio looked to Hollywood’s reigning queen at the box office, Doris Day, as a possible savior. Getting a reworking of the Monroe film completed … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 4"

After Monroe’s death Fox was facing some tough decisions. In addition, the death of its biggest star created headlines around the globe. Monroe’s funeral and her final farewells are held. Inspired by the new book Goddess and the Girl Next Door – Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day and the Movie They Shared, we look at Monroe’s … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 3"

As the body of Marilyn Monroe is discovered and news begins to spread Fox is left wondering what to do. Using Goddess and the Girl Next Door – Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day and the Movie They Shared, we look back at the days and weeks around Monroe’s death and the impact it would have on … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 2"

We start on the last day of Marilyn Monroe’s life. The clear blue day of sunshine and warm weather offered little indication of the sadness and despair that would come as the day came to a close. While Monroe was optimistic about returning to complete her film Something’s Got to Give, fate would not have … Continue reading "Series 3, Episode 1"