Watching Classic Movies

Nov 29 2024 52 ep. 30 mins 4

Watching Classic Movies Podcast artwork

An interview podcast featuring conversations with fascinating guests who love classic movies. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld’s Last Star Author Christopher S. Connelly

Nov 29 2024 27 mins

My guest is Christopher S. Connelly, author of Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld’s Last Star. Morgan was a hugely popular singer and actress who set the template for musical theater performance style. We talked about Morgan’s big heart, her deeply emotional connection with audiences, and how her approach to life was more Auntie Mame than as the downtrodden so

Talking Sudden Fear (1952) with Robert Bellissimo of Robert Bellissimo At the Movies

Nov 22 2024 32 mins

Robert Bellissimo has had me as his guest on his excellent Robert Bellissimo at the Movies video podcast two times: once to discuss the sci-fi/film noir Repeat Performance (1947) and recently to talk about Joan Crawford in Autumn Leaves (1956). In this episode we discuss Sudden Fear (1952) which has the noir and theater world characteristics of that first film and the star of the s

Corpses Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema co-author Willow Catelyn Maclay

Nov 15 2024 30 mins

It is rare to find a new film book that is destined to be a classic, but Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema is just that. Co-written by Willow Catelyn Maclay and Caden Mark Gardner this well-curated mix of films, criticism, and history covers the highs and lows of trans representation both in front of and behind the camera and celebrates the

Save our Scarecrow: How to Help Preserve the 150K Archive of the World's Biggest Video Store

Nov 08 2024 30 mins

With a collection of nearly 150,000 titles, Scarecrow Video in Seattle, Washington is one of the largest, if not the largest publicly available archives of film in the world. US customers can rent in the store or by mail and anyone can purchase all sorts of amazing items from its official website. Open since 1988, and a not-for-profit run by its employees since 2014, it had never b

Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances Author John DiLeo

Nov 01 2024 30 mins

My guest is John DiLeo, author of eight film books, including his latest, Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances. We talked about the common characteristics of great performances that nevertheless get overlooked for awards attention, some of our favorite deserving performances, and the way perception makes a movie a unique experience for each viewer

Nat Segaloff, Author of The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear

Oct 25 2024 34 mins

My guest is Nat Segaloff, author of The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear. Nat is uniquely qualified to write about this controversial classic. As a publicist working for the film, he was standing guard outside the auditorium doors for the first press screening . He knew director William Friedkin, and wrote his authorized biography and spent time with Exorcist novelist/screenwriter

Talking Melodrama with Millie De Chirico

Feb 23 2024 31 mins

Melodrama, it’s much more than Douglas Sirk-directed mid-century dramas, I had a great talk with writer, film programmer, podcaster, and teacher Millie De Chirico about what melodrama really means, what we love about it, and the surprising places you can find melodrama, from horror to action flicks. Subscribe to Millie’s Substack, Professional Sweetheart Check out the fantas

Robert Dance, Author of Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford's March Towards Stardom

Feb 16 2024 30 mins

There are few stars who have reached the heights that Joan Crawford did. In his book Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom my guest Robert Dance explores how she rose from childhood poverty to the top of her industry where she maintained a successful career for over four decades. We talked about her drive and talent for business and how she was a surprising feminis

Nat Segaloff, Author of Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface

Feb 09 2024 30 mins

The two cinematic versions of Scarface were influential films which reflected their times, the thirties and eighties respectively. The prolific Nat Segaloff explores their legacy in Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface, a fascinating book that draws on Nat’s industry experience and considerable research skills. We talked about the effect these movies had, the peop

Odie Henderson, Author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema

Feb 02 2024 33 mins

Film critic Odie Henderson has applied his vast film knowledge and solid storytelling skills to the writing of an excellent new book Buy Odie's Book Check out Odie's Blaxploitation Playlist Keep up with Odie on BlueSky Odie's film reviews: Boston Globe Roger Ebert Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month Yo