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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 with unexpected connections, revealing details, and surprising insights. Doug Hess is the host.

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 to warn Sharon Tate about her own fate.

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 Cassavetes, James Coburn, Jackie Collins, Richard Conte, Tim Conway, Bob Crane, Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Dawson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Falk, Farrah Fawcett, June Foray, Stan Freberg, Eva Gabor, Merv Griffin, Jonathan Harris, Hugh Hefner, Florence Henderson, Brian Keith, Stan Kenton, Jack Klugman, Don Knotts, Burt Lancaster, Peggy Lee, Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Karl Malden, Dean Martin, Walter Matthau, Rod McKuen, David Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, Carroll O'Connor, Heather O'Rourke, Bettie Page, Wolfgang Petersen, Gregor Piatigorsky, Donna Reed, Buddy Rich, Minnie Riperton, Doris Roberts, Wayne Rogers, George C. Scott, Sidney Sheldon, Robert Stack, Dorothy Stratten, Alvin Toffler, Mel Tormé, Josef von Sternberg, Harry Warren, Cornel Wilde, Billy Wilder, Carl Wilson, Natalie Wood, Darryl F. Zanuck, Frank Zappa, and hundreds more. Doug Hess is the host!

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 favored site for the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst, and Cary Grant. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I discuss the life and career of Will Geer. He is best-known role was his last, Zebulon Walton, grandpa in the long-running television series The Waltons. Doug Hess is the host!

In this episode, I spoke with author Anthony Uzarowski about his book "Jessica Lange: An Adventurer's Heart". Brilliant, beautiful, driven, uncompromising, elusive, iconic―Jessica Lange is one of the most gifted and fascinating actors of her generation. From her rise to fame in Dino De Laurentiis's remake of King Kong (1976) and her Oscar-winning performances in Tootsie (1982) and Blue Sky (1994); to her Emmy-winning work in Grey Gardens (2009) and the American Horror Story series; and her Tony Award–winning turn in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night (2016), Lange has had a long and illustrious career on-screen and onstage

In this episode, I discuss the career of Tom Neal.Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. (January 28, 1914 – August 7, 1972) was an American actor and successful amateur boxer best known for his co-starring role in the critically lauded film Detour, for having a widely publicized affair with actress Barbara Payton, and for later being convicted and imprisoned for involuntary manslaughter. Doug Hess is the host.

In this episode, we discuss Danny Kaye with Warren Croom and Liz Caputa who runs the Facebook page Danny Kaye King of Jesters. Please make sure to check out their website.

In this episode, I discuss with author Christian Esquevin this latest book "Designing Hollywood".Since the 1920s, fashion has played a central role in Hollywood. As the movie-going population consisted largely of women, studios made a concerted effort to attract a female audience by foregrounding fashion.

In this episode, I discuss with author Donal Brackett his book "Double Solitaire: The Films of Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder". Before Hitchcock and Herrmann, before Herzog and Kinski, there was Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. Despite their shared nickname, writer-producer Charles Brackett and writer-director Billy Wilder were not, in fact, the “happiest couple in Hollywood.”