PODCAST

When Movies Were Good

A podcast devoted to discussing classic movies from 1959 and earlier. The show is hosted by Rachal Jay and Matthew Ducza in Melbourne, Australia. We will normally release a new episode every two weeks.

tv & film film history

All Episodes

Episode 23: Audrey Hepburn

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/21

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

Episode 22: Jimmy Stewart

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/19

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

Episode 21: Marilyn Monroe

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/19

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!

Episode 20: Gene Kelly

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/19

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.

Episode 19: Christmas 2020

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/19

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!

Episode 18: Ronald Reagan, The Actor President

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/09

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

Episode 17: Connery, Another Time Another Place &...

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/09

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

Episode 16: Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca & Gaslight

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/09

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.

Episode 15: From Here to Eternity and The Sweet Smell...

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/09

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.

Episode 14: Gary Cooper

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/09

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

Episode 13: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/09

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

Episode 10: Gone With The Wind

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/27

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

Episode 30: Rod Steiger, On The Waterfront and The...

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/26

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

Episode 12: Film Noir, Double Indemnity & The Big Sleep

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/26

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.

Episode 11: John Steinbeck

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/20

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

Episode 9: Lifeboat & 12 Angry Men, Stories of...

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/17

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

Episode 8: Lincoln

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/16

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

Episode 7: Titanic

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/16

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.

Episode 6: Hitchcock, Leopold & Loeb

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/16

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.

Episode 5: The Keys of the Kingdom & I Confess

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/07/16

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

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