When Movies Were Good

Another podcasting year is coming to a close. As always it was a great pleasure picking and choosing different movies to share and converse upon. We thank you all for sharing the journey with us and wish you a happy new year. In this episode we discuss one of many versions of A Christmas Carol that have been made over the years, this one made in 1938 starring Reginald Owen. No doubt we will discuss many other versions of Dickens' classic tale in seasons to come. Please note that we were required to record remotely and this may have some impact on audio quality.

This episode is all gladiators, chariots and epic battles in our Ben Hur (1959) and Spartacus (1960) feature. With Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas as the leading men and the directing talents of William Wyler and Stanley Kubrick this is a fantastic Hollywood double feature.

It was not long ago that you could not go into any grocery store without hearing on the loudspeaker songs from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's version of A Star is Born. Many know that this was based partially on a 1970s film starring Barbra Streisand. But even earlier there were two other versions. The first, made in 1937, stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. In the first movie the leading lady has her eyes set on conquering Hollywood as an actress rather than a singer. The following version, made in 1954, is well cast with Judy Garland and James Mason in a familiar storyline but in a time when Hollywood is dominated by technicolor musicals, and is also aware of its ratings battle with television. The melancholic story of an underdog just beginning to make it big and reaching their dream life, paired with a star at the peak of their fame but struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse is a story that strikes at the heart and evidently continues to appeal to each generation.

Greer Garson is the topic of this episode. She was known for playing strong female parts and we had great joy in seeing her talents in Goodbye Mr Chips (1939) and Mrs Miniver (1942).

Orson Welles regarded him as perhaps the greatest actor ever to step in front of a camera. He was one of a handful of actors to be awarded the AFI's Lifetime Achievement Award. James (Jimmy) Cagney was a silver screen tough guy who was as good with his dance moves as his gun toting. For Jimmy's episode of When Movies We're Good we talked about the early Prohibition era gangster flick The Public Enemy as well as the rhythm loaded musical Yankee Doodle Dandy.

We cannot believe we are already uploading the second Christmas special of When Movies Were Good! Thank you all for listening. We selected two well-known Christmas classics to cap off the year. The first, Meet Me in St Louis (1944), is a Technicolor marvel. Starring Judy Garland, this movie was where the staple Christmas carol 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' was introduced to the public. The second move, Miracle on 34th Street (1947), is a heart-warming tale. It is a film that has stood the test of time not only because of its great cast including a young Natalie Wood, Edmund Gwenn, and Maureen O'Hara, but because of a very well-executed script.

Dame Angela Lansbury is a screen legend. Most younger audiences would know Angela for playing mystery writer Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote as well as the witch in Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks. We discuss two of Angela's much earlier roles in this episode of When Movies Were Good. In The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) Lansbury plays the love interest of Dorian Gray, a young and wealthy Londoner who makes a wish to stay forever young while his portrait ages for him and takes on the consequences of all his actions. Based on the novel by Oscar Wilde. In the next movie The Court Jester (1955) Lansbury is a Medieval courtier in a satirical play on the Robin Hood genre. Danny Kaye brings all his slapstick skills to good use to foil the plans of an evil usurper king.

Joan Crawford entered into pictures during the silent era and proved very early in the new age of talkies that her presence, both vocally and visually, was a force to be reckoned with. We chose two high quality Film Noirs for discussion that show Crawford at her absolute best. The first one we look at is Mildred Pierce (1945). Crawford had created a film identity for herself as a rags to riches girl throughout her career. This movie earned Crawford an Oscar for her portrayal of a struggling mother whose troubles only increase with success. Sudden Fear (1952) on the other hand, is a well-planned crime story worthy of the best mystery writers. Crawford, playing a successful playwright, does not know she has a target on her back as she lives through her apparently perfect life.

Cary Grant, it's impossible to imagine the silver screen without him. The embodiment of all the charm of the Golden Age Hollywood. We had great fun talking about two films that Grant made his own with his fast-talking style and dapper flair. His Girl Friday (1940) is one of the perfect examples of the screwball comedy genre. Grant plays a cunning newspaper man with an eye for achieving success both with his paper and his heart. North by Northwest (1959) on the other hand is a gripping spy thriller. It is arguably one of the most famous movies ever in the careers of both Grant and director Alfred Hitchcock.

Clark Gable, a star like no other. Mr Gable is of course most well known for his portrayal of charismatic and strong-willed southern gentleman Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. We wanted to explore some of Gable's other legendary screen performances in this episode and we chose two movies made near the beginning and end of his film career. It Happened One Night (1934) is one of only three films to ever win all five major Academy Awards; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Gable gives a fantastic performance in this pre-Code comedy. Director Frank Capra would comment later that this was the one opportunity that Gable had to truly be himself on screen. The next film Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) is a gripping submarine thriller, The Hunt for Red October of the fifties. Gable plays a submarine captain who loses his vessel in unexplained circumstances when fighting the Japanese in WWII in a section called the Bungo Straits. Determined to avenge his loss, Gable usurps Burt Lancaster as the commander of a new submarine and defies orders not to return to the dangerous section of ocean.

There was only one person in Hollywood who could pull off a top hat and tuxedo as good as Fred Astaire and that was Marlene Dietrich. Despite the fame of Marlene's black tie ensemble, the two movies we will be discussing in this episode will feature the legendary actress in much less formal outfits. The first film, Destry Rides Again (1939), is a Western with equal combination of slapstick and gun toting. Dietrich portrays a cabaret singer in a corrupt saloon in the Wild West where if you just lose your money you've done ok. Jimmy Stewart is also in this film doing a fantastic job as the new sheriff in town who spends more time whittling than shooting. The next film is Touch of Evil (1958), a film noir directed and starred in by Orson Welles as well as Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh. The film begins with what is perhaps the greatest single-take scene in history. Marlene Dietrich, portraying the long-term owner of a brothel frequented by Welles' character, only makes a relatively short appearance in this film. But those few minutes are all she needs to make a glamorous entrance and exit. Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We apologise for any disruptions in audio caused by our needing to record remotely to comply with COVID conditions.

After one dose of the original Frankenstein movie series we could not help coming back for more. After looking at the original Frankenstein movie (1931), we decided to finish watching the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein trilogy. So it is with great pleasure that we now present to you our thoughts on the two Frankenstein sequels that followed a few years after the original. These are The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). They include some impressive cast members including Bela Lugosi, famous for portraying Dracula, as well as Basil Rathbone, who would go on to star in one of the most famous series of Sherlock Holmes films. We advise that the Marlene Dietrich episode which was intended to be aired as episode 33 will now be released as episode 34.

Frankenstein (1931) and Dracula (1931), two of the most iconic horror movies in history. These motion pictures by Universal cemented the identity of their title characters in the popular imagination. They also changed forever how people dressed for Halloween. It took more than just a costume though to create a great character. Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi made these roles their own and all who followed them had big shoes to fill.

In this episode we talk about the iconic 'girl next door' Doris Day. We have selected two very contrasting movies in order to highlight the breadth of Day's talent. The first, Storm Warning (1951), features Doris alongside Ginger Rogers, Steve Cochran and Ronald Reagan. Day portrays the newly-wed wife of a man who she finds out too late is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. What's worse is that they have committed a vicious killing that her sister, played by Ginger Rogers, has witnessed. Next we discuss the very different Pillow Talk (1959), a romantic comedy in glamorous New York. In one of her most well-known roles Doris is caught in a romantic wild goose chase with her regular screen partner Rock Hudson.

From the Household Cavalry to Hollywood, Ray Milland is without doubt one of the great treasures of British screen acting. We look at two defining moments of his career. First we discuss his Oscar winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's noir drama The Lost Weekend (1945). Next we look at his superb portrayal of the cunning Tony Wendis in Alfred Hitchcock's legendary adaptation of Frederick Knott's play Dial M for Murder.

We were very excited to make this episode discussing two iconic movies by Rita Hayworth. Gilda (1946) with its sensuous musical number performed by Rita in a strapless ballroom gown with long gloves, is for many the most iconic and beautiful moment of the golden age of Hollywood. The second film, The Lady from Shanghai (1947), directed by and starring Rita's then husband Orson Welles, is the epitome of Film Noir and also turned the appearance of Rita Hayworth on its head when she dyed her famous red hair blonde. We hope you enjoy hearing this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

In this episode we look at two movies by a titan of English theatre and film. Rex Harrison is perhaps best known to modern audiences for his portrayal of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady as well as being the original Doctor Dolittle . In recent years he has become equally well known as a provocative individual who caused great conflict with crew members, co-stars, directors, ex-wives, current wives and waiters alike. At the end of the day he was at least still a very gifted actor and we had great joy watching two of his early films. The first we look at is a famous technicolor adaptation of Noel Coward's play Blithe Spirit (1945) when Charles becomes haunted, literally, by his ex-wife at a seance. In the second movie Rex himself has the chance to be a ghost, playing a deceased sea captain who is not keen on Gene Tierney moving into his old home in The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947). As always thank you for listening!

In honour of the passing of Prince Philip just shy of his 100th birthday we have decided to do an episode involving movies about royalty. The first film we examine is The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) starring Charles Laughton who was lauded worldwide for his performance as the iconic English monarch on the film's release. Next we examine Norma Shearer in the 1938 movie Marie Antoinette which was one of her favourite roles of all time. It was fascinating to discuss the variety of characters at play who like Prince Philip were strong willed and brought highly unique personalities to their station in life.

At the time of recording one of the major films in theatres is Kong v Godzilla. We decided it was an ideal opportunity to do a horror/monster episode for which we chose the original King Kong (1933) as well as the enthralling and creepy Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

This was an episode of biblical proportions, pun intended. Even if you are not religious no one can doubt that the bible gives room for incredibly ambitious storytelling and has encouraged many filmmakers to create films of great scope and extravagance. First we discuss 1953's The Robe starring Richard Burton followed by the 1956 farewell of legendary filmmaker Cecil B DeMille The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner. We hope you enjoy our discussion of these incredible depictions of Ancient Rome and Egypt as they played out in biblical times.

This was a fun episode to make discussing one of classic Hollywood's most iconic members. Audrey Hepburn was not only an incredible actress but a force for humanity. Even before becoming an ambassador for UNICEF Hepburn was known as a generous and kind personality on and off set. In this episode we discuss two of her most iconic films. The first, Roman Holiday (1953), introduced Audrey to the world as the runaway princess riding a Vespa with Gregory Peck down the streets of Rome. The second, Sabrina (1954), is as fresh today as it ever was with powerful performances as well as two of Hollywood's greatest actors Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Thank you for listening and please subscribe to our channel and social media to hear about future content.

Jimmy Stewart was an incredible legend of the big screen and it was a delight to discuss two of his greatest works. The first film Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939) helped to truly make Stewart into a star and consolidated his image as the loveable strong principled all American boy who is thrust into politics overnight and must deal with its worst elements. There is strong evidence of the force of the noble individual that Stewart would again portray in Its a Wonderful Life. The second movie we discuss is the 1950 movie Harvey. A masterpiece of comedic acting, Stewart gives full flesh and blood on the screen to a six foot white rabbit that only he can see.

Some like it hot at the movies. Sorry couldn't resist. Marilyn Monroe is one of cinema's greatest icons and we were very excited to discuss two of her greatest movies, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch (also known as the movie with the dress). Enjoy the show!

Happy New Year everyone! What better way to start off 2021 than a tribute episode to Gene Kelly with what are arguably two of Hollywood's greatest musicals, An American in Paris and Singin' in the Rain. We hope you enjoy our toe tapping intro to the new year.

Happy Christmas to all! It has been a very challenging year for all of us but we are excited to finish the year with a Christmas special featuring two very special films. First we discuss the legendary 1946 movie It's a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart. And then no Christmas would be complete without Bing Crosby and he will bring you some fantastic Yuletide joy in the 1954 movie White Christmas. Wishing everyone a happy 2021!

Mr President, tear down this ticket stub! It is not anywhere near the shock that it used to be for an actor or media figure to run for President of the United States but it was definitely history made when the former Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan became President. In this episode we compare and discuss two of Reagan's films. The first one we look at is the 1940 western Santa Fe Trail which Reagan co-starred in alongside Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. We then look at the 1950 comedy Louisa where Reagan plays a father and son dealing with situation that many audiences even now would find relatable. We hope you enjoy the program and thank you for listening.

Alas another legend of the silver screen recently passed away. Scottish actor Sir Sean Connery was a colossal presence in movies particularly from the 1960s when he became the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond. So impressed was the author by Connery's performance that he retrospectivley gave the character a Scottish background in his final publications. This is something that would have presumably made Connery very proud because he was first and foremost a proud Scot. Most know Connery for his portrayal of Bond and some of his notable later roles in the 1980s and 90s in films such as Entrapment and The Hunt for Red October but he had already begun a career as an actor several years back in the 1950s. We will be discussing two of those earlier Connery movies in this episode. The first film discussed is the 1958 movie Another Time, Another Place, a romantic melodrama in which Connery acted alongside the legendary blonde bombshell of the 1940s Lana Turner. This is followed by the 1959 Disney fantasy movie Darby O'Gill and The Little People, a funny and colourful exploration of Irish folk culture set among the romantic and financial entanglements and rivalries in a small village. We hope you enjoy this episode. RIP Sir Sean Connery.

The episode you've all been waiting for! The theme for this episode is the beautiful and iconic actress Ingrid Bergman. We will be looking first at what is definitely her best known film, Casablanca. Besides Bergman the movie also stars Humphrey Bogart together with Peter Lorre, Paul Henreid and Claude Rains. We then discuss the landmark mystery thriller Gaslight in which Bergman acts alongside Charles Boyer and Joseph Cotten as well as a very young Angela Lansbury.

Burt Lancaster is the star of this show. The films chosen for this episode are well known for their style and drama and they are From Here to Eternity and The Sweet Smell of Success. This is an episode that will satisfy not only Lancaster fans but those who love the work of Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, Tony Curtis and many others who all make appearances.

For this episode we take on two films starring the legendary Gary Cooper. First we discuss the 1952 movie High Noon, which also stars a young Grace Kelly. We then go on to talk about the 1956 movie Friendly Persuasion which was also a breakout role for the young Anthony Perkins. Both are films that critics regard as being on the fringe of the Western genre in terms of style and content. If you like the program please give us a thumbs up and we also invite you to subscribe to our channel to hear more good movie discussion

For this episode we discuss the legendary screen dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In particular we look at two of their later films including Follow The Fleet (1936), featuring their iconic 'Lets Face the Music and Dance' scene as well as Shall We Dance (1937), a movie famous not just for its stars but also for it's been one of the few films to have music written by George and Ira Gershwin. We hope you enjoy our discussion of some of these masterpieces of Art Deco cinema. Please subscribe and join us for more great movie discussion!

A tribute to the late great Dame Olivia de Havilland and the fantastic generation of stars she represented. Olivia de Havilland recently passed away and her role as Melanie in Gone With The Wind is one of her most fondly remembered which she starred in alongside Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Leslie Howard. It is also the film for which an African American actor first won an Oscar. This honour was awarded to Hattie McDaniel who received her award along with countless other artists and production workers. Gone With The Wind is a powerful and beautiful classic. A story of survival in the aftermath of the US Civil War. It is equally famous for its complex and expensive production process that made it all possible. Adjusted for inflation it is regarded as the highest box office earner in history. We are equally excited to be celebrating our tenth episode of this show. Time flies when you're having fun.

We received a special request for an episode of movies with Rod Steiger. We were of course happy to oblige and found two brilliant classics that happened to have a joint theme of boxing. Steiger's parts in On the Waterfront (1954) and The Harder They Fall (1956) are fantastic performances from the 1950s by this strong actor who thrived in tough guy roles. The Harder They Fall has the bittersweet performance of Humphrey Bogart as well which was one of his finest and also his last performance before his death from cancer.

In this episode we discuss the film noir genre, the iconic movies of trench coats, detectives, gangs, mystery and venetian blind shadows. The two movies we discuss are perhaps the most definitive of the genre, Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944) starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck and Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946) starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

In this episode we have chosen for our theme films based on novels by John Steinbeck. They are The Grapes of Wrath, starring Henry Fonda and directed by John Ford and the other is East of Eden starring James Dean and directed by Elia Kazan. Both are very different explorations of human experience, one observing the plight of whole communities during the dust bowl tragedy and another a modern American adaptation of the story of moral rivalry between brothers Cain and Abel. James Dean would tragically die just a few months after the release of East of Eden. His powerful performance in this movie helped consolidate his iconic identity as an embodiment of post war rebellious youth. Please take a look at our other classic movie discussions on this channel and subscribe to be notified of future content.

n this episode we have chosen the unique theme of films about characters that are trapped in a confined space, a reflection of the situation that many currently face because of the COVID crisis. The first film we examine is Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 movie Lifeboat, set in a small wooden boat where numerous characters are trapped after being torpedoed by a German submarine. The second movie, familiar to anyone who has ever done high school drama, is Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men. In this legendary picture a jury of twelve is almost certain that a young boy is guilty of murder. Whether that is the case depends on the jurors reviewing the evidence, and convincing them to in the first place. We apologise for any disruption in audio quality owing to the requirement at this time to record the episode remotely.

In this episode we look at two early films examining the life of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States of America, who has become an iconic face of American history and politics. Both of the films we discuss were created by major directors. The first film, Abraham Lincoln (1930), was directed by D W Griffith, a veteran director of the silent era who is known for his immense influence in crafting the early language of cinema through short films as well as epic works such as the controversial 1915 film The Birth of A Nation. Abraham Lincoln is one of Griffith's first talking pictures and he makes full use of the Civil War scenes to show off his skill for depicting battles and horseback chases. The second film, Young Mr Lincoln (1939), was directed by the much younger John Ford, who has come to be known for his large scale Western pictures and adaptations of major literary classics by writers like John Steinbeck. His film is unusual in that it focuses on Lincoln in his early life as a lawyer, long before the Civil War and his entering the White House. It is equally noteworthy for featuring a young Henry Fonda, starring in a role very different to his more famous performances.

In this double length episode we discuss two of many films based on the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912. First we discuss the 1953 film Titanic directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck and a young Robert Wagner. Next we discuss the 1958 film A Night to Remember directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Kenneth More.

In this episode we take a look at two films inspired by the notorious ‘Leopold and Loeb' murder. The first is Alfred Hitchcock's ‘Rope', followed by Richard Fleischer's ‘Compulsion'. In the original murder, two wealthy and intelligent students killed a child in their Chicago neighbourhood as part of a ‘perfect crime' to prove themselves to be what they perceived as Nietzsche's concept of the superman who exists above society's morals. Things didn't go to plan.

This episode focuses on two movies whose star characters are men of the cloth, but who experience inspirational and terrifying personal challenges that will excite all audiences. We first discuss The Keys of the Kingdom, one of Gregory Peck's earliest starring roles and which earned him an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a Scottish missionary in China. Next we examine Alfred Hitchcock's stirring suspense movie I Confess. It features Montgomery Clift as a priest who when hearing a parishioner's confession finds out that he is a murderer. Clift is bound by his priesthood to preserve the seal of confession, even when the police begin to suspect him of the murder of which he knows the culprit but is bound by sacred law to not reveal. We would like to give a special thanks to Leonard Cooke (Diploma of Theology) for his providing consultation on Canon law concerning the sacrament of confession.

The theme of this episode is director Billy Wilder, the Austrian-born filmmaker who escaped the Nazis and created some of Hollywood's greatest masterpieces. His credits include Double Indemnity, the definitive movie of the film noir genre. Wilder was a director of contrasts and as well as his iconic crime films also directed many major comedies of his time. The two movies we will be discussing in this episode are Sunset Boulevard, starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson as well as the comedy Some Like it Hot featuring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.

In this episode we discuss two films by legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor. The first, A Place in The Sun (1951), was made with Taylor's much loved colleague Montgomery Clift when she was only seventeen years old. Despite her youth when making the film Taylor makes full use in this role of her years of experience as a child actress and teen idol. Next we discuss Taylor's significantly more mature role in the 1958 adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. We wish to apologise for the break in audio early in the show caused by a drop in internet service during recording.

The theme for our first episode is legendary filmmaker Orson Welles. We will be discussing his first movie Citizen Kane (1941), frequently referred to by critics as the greatest movie ever made, together with his classic thriller The Stranger (1946). Please be aware that owing to COVID-19 restrictions at the time of recording we were required to record the podcast through video link which means that there may be some small breakage in audio.

In this episode the theme we have chosen to follow is the work of two Hollywood sisters, Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland. First we discuss The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), the swashbuckling Technicolor classic featuring Olivia de Havilland and her longtime screen partner Errol Flynn. Next we discuss Rebecca, featuring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in Alfred Hitchcock's first American production. Please note that Covid-19 restrictions at the time of recording have required us to record remotely through video link. Breaks in internet reception may have led to some disruptions in audio.