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 44: A Christmas Carol (1938)

When Movies Were Good ·

2022/12/22

Another podcasting year is coming to a close. As always it was a great pleasure picking and choosing different movies to share and converse upon. We thank you all for sharing the journey with us and wish you a happy new year.In this episode we discuss one of many versions of A Christmas Carol that have been made over the years, this one made in 1938 starring Reginald Owen. No doubt we will discuss many other versions of Dickens' classic tale in seasons to come. Please note that we were required to

Episode 43: Ben Hur and Spartacus

When Movies Were Good ·

2022/07/24

This episode is all gladiators, chariots and epic battles in our Ben Hur (1959) and Spartacus (1960) feature. With Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas as the leading men and the directing talents of William Wyler and Stanley Kubrick this is a fantastic Hollywood double feature.

Episode 42: A Star is Born

When Movies Were Good ·

2022/05/20

It was not long ago that you could not go into any grocery store without hearing on the loudspeaker songs from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s version of A Star is Born. Many know that this was based partially on a 1970s film starring Barbra Streisand. But even earlier there were two other versions. The first, made in 1937, stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. In the first movie the leading lady has her eyes set on conquering Hollywood as an actress rather than a singer. The following version, made

Episode 41: Greer Garson

When Movies Were Good ·

2022/04/27

Greer Garson is the topic of this episode. She was known for playing strong female parts and we had great joy in seeing her talents in Goodbye Mr Chips (1939) and Mrs Miniver (1942).

Episode 40: James Cagney

When Movies Were Good ·

2022/04/27

Orson Welles regarded him as perhaps the greatest actor ever to step in front of a camera. He was one of a handful of actors to be awarded the AFI’s Lifetime Achievement Award. James (Jimmy) Cagney was a silver screen tough guy who was as good with his dance moves as his gun toting. For Jimmy’s episode of When Movies We’re Good we talked about the early Prohibition era gangster flick The Public Enemy as well as the rhythm loaded musical Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Episode 39: Christmas 2021

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/12/20

We cannot believe we are already uploading the second Christmas special of When Movies Were Good! Thank you all for listening. We selected two well-known Christmas classics to cap off the year. The first, Meet Me in St Louis (1944), is a Technicolor marvel. Starring Judy Garland, this movie was where the staple Christmas carol 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' was introduced to the public. The second move, Miracle on 34th Street (1947), is a heart-warming tale. It is a film that has stood the

Episode 38: Angela Lansbury

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/11/26

Dame Angela Lansbury is a screen legend. Most younger audiences would know Angela for playing mystery writer Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote as well as the witch in Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks. We discuss two of Angela's much earlier roles in this episode of When Movies Were Good. In The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) Lansbury plays the love interest of Dorian Gray, a young and wealthy Londoner who makes a wish to stay forever young while his portrait ages for him and takes on the

Episode 37: Joan Crawford

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/11/08

Joan Crawford entered into pictures during the silent era and proved very early in the new age of talkies that her presence, both vocally and visually, was a force to be reckoned with. We chose two high quality Film Noirs for discussion that show Crawford at her absolute best. The first one we look at is Mildred Pierce (1945). Crawford had created a film identity for herself as a rags to riches girl throughout her career. This movie earned Crawford an Oscar for her portrayal of a struggling mother

Episode 36: Cary Grant

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/10/25

Cary Grant, it’s impossible to imagine the silver screen without him. The embodiment of all the charm of the Golden Age Hollywood. We had great fun talking about two films that Grant made his own with his fast-talking style and dapper flair. His Girl Friday (1940) is one of the perfect examples of the screwball comedy genre. Grant plays a cunning newspaper man with an eye for achieving success both with his paper and his heart. North by Northwest (1959) on the other hand is a gripping spy thriller

Episode 35: Clark Gable

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/10/11

Clark Gable, a star like no other. Mr Gable is of course most well known for his portrayal of charismatic and strong-willed southern gentleman Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. We wanted to explore some of Gable’s other legendary screen performances in this episode and we chose two movies made near the beginning and end of his film career. It Happened One Night (1934) is one of only three films to ever win all five major Academy Awards; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and

Episode 34: Marlene Dietrich

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/09/25

There was only one person in Hollywood who could pull off a top hat and tuxedo as good as Fred Astaire and that was Marlene Dietrich. Despite the fame of Marlene's black tie ensemble, the two movies we will be discussing in this episode will feature the legendary actress in much less formal outfits. The first film, Destry Rides Again (1939), is a Western with equal combination of slapstick and gun toting. Dietrich portrays a cabaret singer in a corrupt saloon in the Wild West where if you just lose

Episode 33: More Frankenstein

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/09/17

After one dose of the original Frankenstein movie series we could not help coming back for more. After looking at the original Frankenstein movie (1931), we decided to finish watching the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein trilogy. So it is with great pleasure that we now present to you our thoughts on the two Frankenstein sequels that followed a few years after the original. These are The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). They include some impressive cast members

Episode 32: Frankenstein & Dracula

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/09/01

Frankenstein (1931) and Dracula (1931), two of the most iconic horror movies in history. These motion pictures by Universal cemented the identity of their title characters in the popular imagination. They also changed forever how people dressed for Halloween. It took more than just a costume though to create a great character. Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi made these roles their own and all who followed them had big shoes to fill.

Episode 31: Doris Day

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/24

In this episode we talk about the iconic 'girl next door' Doris Day. We have selected two very contrasting movies in order to highlight the breadth of Day's talent. The first, Storm Warning (1951), features Doris alongside Ginger Rogers, Steve Cochran and Ronald Reagan. Day portrays the newly-wed wife of a man who she finds out too late is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. What's worse is that they have committed a vicious killing that her sister, played by Ginger Rogers, has witnessed. Next we discuss

Episode 29: Ray Milland

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/24

From the Household Cavalry to Hollywood, Ray Milland is without doubt one of the great treasures of British screen acting. We look at two defining moments of his career. First we discuss his Oscar winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder’s noir drama The Lost Weekend (1945). Next we look at his superb portrayal of the cunning Tony Wendis in Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary adaptation of Frederick Knott’s play Dial M for Murder.

Episode 28: Rita Hayworth

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/24

We were very excited to make this episode discussing two iconic movies by Rita Hayworth. Gilda (1946) with its sensuous musical number performed by Rita in a strapless ballroom gown with long gloves, is for many the most iconic and beautiful moment of the golden age of Hollywood. The second film, The Lady from Shanghai (1947), directed by and starring Rita’s then husband Orson Welles, is the epitome of Film Noir and also turned the appearance of Rita Hayworth on its head when she dyed her famous red

Episode 27: Rex Harrison

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/21

In this episode we look at two movies by a titan of English theatre and film. Rex Harrison is perhaps best known to modern audiences for his portrayal of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady as well as being the original Doctor Dolittle . In recent years he has become equally well known as a provocative individual who caused great conflict with crew members, co-stars, directors, ex-wives, current wives and waiters alike. At the end of the day he was at least still a very gifted actor and we had great joy

Episode 26: Royal Cinema

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/21

In honour of the passing of Prince Philip just shy of his 100th birthday we have decided to do an episode involving movies about royalty. The first film we examine is The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) starring Charles Laughton who was lauded worldwide for his performance as the iconic English monarch on the film’s release. Next we examine Norma Shearer in the 1938 movie Marie Antoinette which was one of her favourite roles of all time. It was fascinating to discuss the variety of characters at

Episode 25: King Kong & Invasion of the Body Snatchers

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/21

At the time of recording one of the major films in theatres is Kong v Godzilla. We decided it was an ideal opportunity to do a horror/monster episode for which we chose the original King Kong (1933) as well as the enthralling and creepy Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

Episode 24: The Ten Commandments & The Robe

When Movies Were Good ·

2021/08/21

This was an episode of biblical proportions, pun intended. Even if you are not religious no one can doubt that the bible gives room for incredibly ambitious storytelling and has encouraged many filmmakers to create films of great scope and extravagance. First we discuss 1953’s The Robe starring Richard Burton followed by the 1956 farewell of legendary filmmaker Cecil B DeMille The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner. We hope you enjoy our discussion of these incredible

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