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PODCAST

The Plot Thickens

Our sixth season is Cleopatra, a six-episode series about one of the most expensive and infamous movies ever made. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra should have been a smash. Instead, it was a shoot plagued by medical emergencies, climate disasters, nervous breakdowns, and the most scandalous love affair to ever hit a movie set. Join host Ben Mankiewicz as he digs through his own family stories to understand how it turned out so badly for his Oscar-winning

tv & film film history

All Episodes

42:58

Red Scare

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/11/23

At the height of Lucy’s popularity, the government kicks off a political investigation that threatens to ruin her career. Why had Lucy registered as a communist 20 years earlier? On the verge of her being blacklisted, Desi goes on the offensive to save his wife and their livelihood. But his infidelities soon become tabloid fodder, and their love affair begins to crumble in full view of the public. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

52:34

I Love Lucy

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/11/16

With a TV deal from CBS, Desi assembles a ragtag team of collaborators to make a new kind of program, one that would rewrite the rules of television. And they do it while hiding Lucy’s newest surprise: after ten years of trying, she’s about to have a baby. The result is the biggest hit in TV history, one that showcases Lucy's fearlessness and comic timing, and she becomes beloved by millions of fans from coast to coast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

48:36

Desilu

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/11/09

From the start, Lucy and Desi fight as fiercely as they love. After a spur-of-the-moment elopement, the newlyweds buy a small ranch north of Hollywood and call it “Desilu.” They suffer miscarriages and career setbacks, which causes Desi to take his band on the road – where he frequently cheats on his wife. Lucy considers divorce, but when a TV offer comes in, she uses her stardom to keep Desi by her side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

46:46

Desi

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/11/02

Forced from his native Cuba by violent revolution, 17-year-old Desi Arnaz is a stranger in a strange land. Armed with an appetite for girls and gambling, Desi sparks a dance craze in the nightclubs of Miami and sweet-talks his way into New York society. After a syphilis scare threatens his Broadway debut, his ambition leads him to Hollywood, where his head is turned by an older actress named Lucy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

48:13

Hollywood

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/10/26

For her first movie role, Lucy wears a flesh-toned bodysuit and waist-length blonde wig while chained to a rock. But her clowning on set gets her noticed, and she begins to land larger and larger parts. Soon she signs with RKO Pictures where she's mentored by Ginger Rogers’ demanding and powerful mother, Lela. She also meets a young Cuban musician, the man who would become her closest partner both on and off the screen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

44:22

New York City

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/10/19

Lucy heads back to Broadway where she meets her first girlboss: fashion baroness Hattie Carnegie, who hires Lucy to model coats and dresses for New York high society. But a mysterious ailment sends Lucy home to Jamestown, followed by a bizarre medical treatment. Still determined to make it in the big city, Lucy returns to Manhattan one more and is discovered on the streets, landing the role that would kickstart her career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

48:25

Jamestown

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/10/12

In a small town in New York, young Lucille Ball becomes enamored with showbiz after watching vaudeville acts and silent movies at the amusement park near her home. As a teenager, she falls for a handsome 21-year-old bootlegger, and is promptly shipped off to drama school in New York City. But Lucy soon returns home as a life-altering tragedy threatens to tear apart her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

4:19

Season 3 Trailer: Lucy

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/09/07

From her early years as a model to her triumphant takeover of television, this is the story of Lucille Ball, as never heard before. Join host Ben Mankiewicz as he delves into the private world of America’s funniest redhead and hear for yourself the many triumphs and tragedies, with surprising revelations at every turn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

45:06

The Devil’s Candy Bonus Episode

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/08/24

Author Julie Salamon joins TCM Host Alicia Malone for a revealing interview about what you didn’t hear during our second season of The Plot Thickens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

48:47

You’ve Got to be a Genius to Make a Movie This Bad

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/08/10

The Bonfire of the Vanities tanks with both critics and the moviegoing public. Brian De Palma leads the autopsy, trying to understand how all these smart people made all the wrong decisions. The only upside is for Julie Salamon, whose book on the production is instantly hailed as a modern classic. But even that success comes at a price, as not everyone is thrilled to be immortalized by the book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

43:17

The Best Movie We Ever Made

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/08/03

With production now in Los Angeles, Brian De Palma feels the pressure from prying studio executives – and from Bruce Willis, who starts directing other actors on how to be funnier. De Palma gets some much-needed encouragement from his friend Steven Spielberg, who is an old pro at playing the Hollywood game. Then, as post-production ramps up, studio heads see a first cut and love the film, though they have no idea how to market it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

en

36:56

Hollywood Heat

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/07/27

As production moves to Los Angeles, the specter of sexism clouds the movie. Rumors swirl among the crew about Melanie Griffith’s plastic surgery, Kim Cattrall's weight loss, and an affair between actress Beth Broderick and director Brian De Palma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

44:29

Wire Without a Net

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/07/20

The cast shows its true colors: some are easygoing and relatable, but not Bruce Willis. The New York shoot spirals over budget as the courtroom scene can only be shot at night, and the film’s entire opening is scrapped in favor of the most expensive Steadicam shot ever devised. Meanwhile, Bronx residents show up to throw garbage at the filmmakers, and one irate New Yorker confronts Brian De Palma directly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

43:25

The War Zone

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/07/13

Shooting hasn't even started and the movie is already under attack. Detailed leaks and star outbursts are reported daily by a hungry press. Bit parts, courtroom locations, snippets of dialogue, even a single shot of a plane landing at JFK – every little decision becomes a battle as the crew preps for filming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

42:50

Reaching for the Stars – and Paying the Price

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/07/06

As Tom Hanks researches his role, nobody recognizes how wrong he is for the part. There's more immediate pushback against the casting of Bruce Willis, since his part was written as British. But the hardest decision comes when the director insists that a Jewish judge be played by a Black actor, to soften the film’s racial tensions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

49:21

Lighting the Fire

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/06/29

One decision could make or break The Bonfire of the Vanities: who will play the female lead? It comes down to two actresses – established, expensive Melanie Griffith or an unknown, alluring 19 year-old named Uma Thurman. Suddenly the producer, Peter Guber, vanishes from the scene, departing both the movie and the studio in a whirl of bad publicity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

5:54

Introducing The Devil's Candy

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/06/09

A blockbuster book, an all-star cast... what could possibly go wrong? For our second season, we're telling the inside story of The Bonfire of the Vanities, a movie that was supposed to be a hit – but wasn't. Come with us onto the closed set and hear actual recordings of Brian De Palma, Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith and others, to find out how a highly-anticipated film became a cautionary tale for the ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

2:17

The Plot Thickens Returns This Summer

The Plot Thickens ·

2021/05/05

We've got two new seasons coming your way in 2021, and the first is dropping soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

31:38

The Plot Thickens Virtual Event

The Plot Thickens ·

2020/11/02

TCM host Alicia Malone hosts a conversation with Peter Bogdanovich and Ben Mankiewicz, who share memorable stories and answer questions from listeners about Season 1 of The Plot Thickens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

29:08

Henry Fonda, John Wayne and James Stewart

The Plot Thickens ·

2020/07/14

Highlights from Peter Bogdanovich’s interviews with three of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, who talk about the unique challenges of working with director and legendary curmudgeon John Ford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

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