Watching Classic Movies K Cruver

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 fantastic book Millie wrote with Quatoyiah Murry
TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema

My video review of the book

Millie’s official website

Millie co-hosts the fabulous I Saw What You Did podcast with Danielle Henderson

Follow Millie--

Twitter: @milliedechirico
Instagram: @debbie_country
BlueSky: @milliedechirico.bsky.social

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month:

You can also support my work on ko-fi




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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 feminist presence in mid-century cinema.

 

You can purchase Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s
March to Stardom here



Check out the gorgeous photos on the official Ferocious
Ambition Instagram account



 The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music,
PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

 

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent

episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

 

You can also support my work on ko-fi









































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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support

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 people who made them remarkable, and what it was like to meet Scarface director Brian De Palma.

Learn more about Nat’s many film books at his website
http://www.natsegaloff.com/

You can purchase Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface here
https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780806542966/say-hello-to-my-little-friend/

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://anchor.fm/k-cruver

You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watchingclassicmovies






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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support

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



You can also support my work on ko-fi











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Eleanor Powell was Hollywood’s best female tapper, but she isn’t nearly as well known as screen hoofers like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. With their book Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance my guests Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère are working to fix that cultural oversight. Having been dancers themselves, they offer a fascinating perspective on this one-of-a-kind star’s style. We talked about the uniquely skilled Powell, who was as engaging as a person as she was a performer, and Paula and Lisa’s own relationship with her in her later years. 



Connect with Paula and Lisa:


Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eleanorpowell.bio

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eleanorpowell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleanorpowellborntodance/

Paula’s Twitter/X: @PMBroussard

Lisa’s Twitter/X: @pamelisa

Website: www.eleanorpowell.dance


Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://anchor.fm/k-cruver


You can also support my work on ko-fi




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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support

While the actress Veronica Lake dealt with her share of
trauma, her life was not quite the tragedy that it has long been rumored to be. Before she hit her mid-twenties she had appeared in six bonafide classic films, including Sullivan’s Travels, a series of noirs with Alan Ladd starting with This Gun for Hire, I Married a Witch and So Proudly We Hail. She left Hollywood behind, but never stopped working on the stage and in television, while
pursuing the life she was unable to have as a young star. I spoke with UCLA Cinema and Media Studies Program Manager and Lake enthusiast and researcher Brian Brown about the highs and lows of this remarkable actress.



For more great Veronica Lake content, follow Brian on
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeekabooBrian

 

Titles discussed:

 

Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

This Gun for Hire (1942)

The Glass Key (1942)

I Married a Witch (1942)

So Proudly We Hail (1943)

The Blue Dahlia (1946)

Ramrod (1947)

Slattery’s Hurricane (1949)

The Sainted Sisters (1948)

 

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music,
PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public















































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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support