In this episode, I spoke with Josh Young and Manfred Westphal about their book The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn. A riveting tell-all biography that delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files. 

In this episode I spoke with Michael F. Blake on his latest book "The Cavalry Trilogy: John Ford, John Wayne, And The Making Od Three Classic Westerns". Like other filmmakers in post-WWII Hollywood, John Ford (already a three-time Best Directing Oscar winner), longed for the freedom and independence to make his own films, away from the dictates of studio executives. Then, in 1946, Ford and producer Merian C. Cooper (King Kong) decided to form their own production company, Argosy Productions....

In this episode, I spoke with author M.J. Trow about his book "History vs Hollywood: How the Past is Filmed". Film studios have been making historical movies now for over a century. In that time, thousands of films have been made covering not just centuries but millennia.

In this episode, I discuss with author Dwayne Epstein and his book "Killin' Generals: The Making of The Dirty Dozen, the Most Iconic WW II Movie of All Time". It has been a year since we spoke with Dwayne, and he has come back to discuss the past year regarding his book.  An explosive inside look at The Dirty Dozen, the star-studded war film that broke the rules, shocked the critics, thrilled audiences, and became an all-time classic . . 

In this episode, I spoke with author Daniel De Vise' regarding his latest book "The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise Of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic".  The story of the epic friendship between John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the golden era of improv, and the making of a comedic film classic that helped shape our popular culture. 

In this episode, I discuss Heidi Honeycutt and her book "I Spit On Your Celluloid: The History of Women Directing Horror Movies". From the first silent reels to modern independent films, in this book, you’ll discover the creepy, horrible, grotesque, beautiful, wrong, good, and fantastic — and the one thing they share in common. This is the true history of women directing horror movies.

In this episode, I spoke with author Thom Shubilla about his latest book " James Bond and the Sixties Spy Craze".  James Bond the the 60s Spy Craze will explore James Bond films and the number of movies and television shows of the 1960s inspired by Ian Fleming’s character. The book also delves into the production, casting, merchandise, and music that helped to make James Bond a household name and a cultural touchstone.

In this episode, I discuss with Professor Timothy Corrigan his latest book "Describing Cinema". In Describing Cinema, award-winning film scholar Timothy Corrigan explores the art and poetics of writing about film. Part theory, part rhetoric, and part pedagogy, the text examines and demonstrates acts of describing scenes, shots, and sequences in films as the most common and most underestimated way viewers respond to movies.

In this episode, I spoke with author Burt Kearns on his recent book "Marlon Brando Hollywood Rebel. Over the last eighty years, Marlon Brando has become such an object of fascination, buried under so many accreted layers of mythos and half-truth, that it is all but impossible to see the man behind the icon. As we approach the centennial of this undisputed American legend, Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel isa revelatory biography that tells its story the same way the man himself approached a...

In this episode, I spoke with the authors Alain Silver and James Ursini about their book "From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir'. The behind-the-scenes story of the quintessential film noir and cult classic, Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity—its true crime origins and crucial impact on film history—is told for the first time in this riveting narrative published for the film's 80th anniversary.

In this episode, I spoke with Kathleen Loock regarding her book "Hollywood Remaking: How Film Remakes, Sequels, and Franchises Shape Industry and Culture".From the inception of cinema to today’s franchise era, remaking has always been a motor of ongoing film production. Hollywood Remaking challenges the categorical dismissal in film criticism of remakes, sequels, and franchises by probing what these formats really do when they revisit familiar stories.

In this episode, I spoke with authors Colin Gunckel and Laura Isabel Serna about their book "There Are No Hispanic Stars! Collected Writing Of A Latino Film Critic In Hollywood, 1921-1939. In the 1920s and 1930s a uniquely Mexican American entertainment culture flourished across the southwestern United States. Spanish-language newspapers offered theater listings, coverage of favorite performers, cultural criticism, and serialized novels that thematized entertainment culture. Gabriel Navarro...

In this episode, we look at the career of Jackie Cooper.  Doug Hess is the host! 

In this episode, I spoke with author Phillip Gefter about the book "Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" From its debut in 1962, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a wild success and a cultural lightning rod. The play transpires over one long, boozy night, laying bare the lies, compromises, and scalding love that have sustained a middle-aged couple through decades of marriage. 

In this episode, I discuss a "Forgotten Hollywood" Oscar winner, Ronald Colman. Doug Hess is the host! 

In this episode, I discuss the life of actress Marsha Hunt.

In this episode, we discuss the life of actress Joan Blondell.

In this episode, i spoke with author Henry Parke about his book “The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them”. The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them provides an eclectic review of the Western film and television genre, from John Ford’s classic, black and white films, to Deadwood and indie darlings. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with authors Matthew Solomon and Murray Pomerance we discussed "The Biggest Thing in Show Business: Living It Up With Martin and Lewis". From 1946 to 1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis provoked audiences into rollicking laughter as they shook up and delighted a culture they both mediated and made fun of. Using the duo's phenomenal popularity as a starting point, The Biggest Thing in Show Business looks askance at postwar America with a fast-moving sweep, jam-packed...

It's the 3rd anniversary of the HIT podcast on JLJ Media! James Lott Jr and Doug Hess celebrate! Thank you to all the guests, PR persons, and listeners!

In this episode, I spoke with author Brian Clune and his book "Ghost and Legends of Hollywood". Hollywood is supposed to be the place where dreams come true, but it's also where nightmares come to life. Spirits haunt the halls of renowned studios, legendary cafes, and lavish estates, while rumors of curses lurk in the shadows of the rich and famous. It's said that stars like James Dean, Carrie Fisher, and Prince once predicted their own deaths, while slain screenwriter Paul Bern tried in vain...

In this episode I discuss with Dave Karger (a host with TCM's) his book "50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers On Their Career-Defining Wins".An exclusive look behind the scenes of the Academy Awards as top stars and filmmakers discuss their Oscar wins and tell never-before-told tales of Hollywood's biggest night, in a collection of original interviews with Turner Classic Movies host and entertainment media journalist Dave Karger.

In this episode I discuss with author E. J. Stephen his book "Legends of Westwood Village Cemetery". Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery, located on Los Angeles's trendy west side, has been the leading choice for celebrity burials since Marilyn Monroe was interred here in 1962. The cemetery houses the remains of a plethora of household names, including Patty Andrews, Eve Arden, Lew Ayres, Jim Backus, Richard Basehart, Peter Bogdanovich, Ray Bradbury, Fanny Brice, Les Brown, Truman Capote, John...

In this episode, I spoke with author Marc Wanamaker and his book "Hollywood on the Santa Monica Beach". Since pioneer filmmakers arrived on its shoreline in the early 20th century, the Santa Monica beach has been a popular location for the making of movies and television productions. Its enchanting beauty led studio moguls, producers, and celebrities to build beach houses there, creating what became known as "Hollywood's Playground." The sand and shore of the Santa Monica beach became a...