Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today

Will you side with the expert or the enthusiast? Film historian Tony Maietta and movie lover Brad Shreve dive into the best of cinema and TV, from Hollywood’s Golden Age to today’s biggest hits. They share insights, debate favorites, and occasionally clash—but always keep it entertaining. They’ll take you behind the scenes and in front of the camera, bringing back your favorite memories along the way.

Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today is a tv podcast hosted by Brad Shreve & Tony Maietta, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 82.

Brad Shreve & Tony Maietta hosts Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today, a tv show with 100 episodes published.

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  Episode #26

  100: Buster Keaton in “The General”

  Sep 23, 202656 minS3

  It's our 100th episode!! And we have something extra special in mind to commemorate the occasion. We looked back 100 years to find a film that is widely considered one of the greatest silent films of all time - from 1926, it's Buster Keaton's masterpiece "The General". A silent film where the biggest romantic rival is a locomotive sounds like a joke until Buster Keaton turns it into one of the most ambitious action comedies ever put on screen. It's a Civil War era train-chase epic that mixes breathtaking stunt work, meticulous visual storytelling, and a surprisingly dark sense of humor. We walk through why the premise is so clean and timeless: a railroad engineer loses the girl, loses the train, chases the train, and accidentally becomes a hero. We also get honest about what makes "The General" complicated. A comedy about one of the most tragic events in American history? That was what Buster Keaton took on in 1926, and its a choice that baffled many audiences and critics on release, especially in an era when audiences expected war movies to be solemn and sentimental. The lukewarm reception had a prolonged effect on the great comic's career, and after the film’s messy rollout and the initial box office disappointment, Keaton's career began a slow but steady slide into near oblivion. The film's eventual re-evaluation and celebration by later generations is one of the most surprising and heartwarming stories in Hollywood history, and the long turnaround eventually put "The General" alongside the most celebrated movies ever preserved and praised. If you love classic Hollywood, silent cinema, or practical stunts that modern CGI cannot replace, press play, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a rating and review so more film fans can find the next hundred. Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #25

  Dolly: A Celebration! With Special Guests Del Shores & Randy L. Schmidt

  Sep 9, 20261h 21mS3

  The news hit like a gut punch: Dolly is gone, and somehow the whole world is mourning at once. We needed to talk it out, but since laughter through tears is our favorite emotion, not with a stats-heavy deep dive, but with the stories, songs, laughs, and screen moments that made her feel bigger than celebrity and closer than a neighbor. We look back at the Dolly we met through film and television, from "9 to 5" (1980) to "Steel Magnolias" (1989) to the pure guilty-pleasure fun of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982), plus a real soft spot for "Straight Talk" (1992). Along the way we dig into what made her performances work and that made even the lightest scenes feel true. And of course we talk music, including why “I Will Always Love You” lands differently in Dolly’s intimate original and why “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” has carried so many of us through hard nights. Plus "Jolene", "Here You Come Again", "Coat of Many Colors" and all the songs that make up the fabric of our lives. We’re joined by two friends of the pod who bring Dolly into sharper focus. Playwright Del Shores shares personal meetings that capture her kindness and her lack of judgment. Author and documentarian Randy Schmidt talks about growing up with Dolly on TV, her master plan to become a “universal star,” and gives us a sneak peak at his upcoming documentary, "Dolly Uncovered" . We also honor the heart behind the legend, from quiet generosity to the Imagination Library’s massive impact on kids and families. So don't feel like a bastard at a family reunion! Join us as we discuss this universally beloved star. Listen, share it with a fellow fan, and subscribe for more. Then leave a review and tell us your favorite Dolly song or movie, what is yours? Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #24

  Sex Transit Gloria: "Butterfield 8" (1960)

  Sep 2, 202648 minS3

  The line hits like a slap- literally: “Let me tell you the truth for once in my life...I was the slut of all time!” From that notorious confession, we jump into one of the most infamous Hollywood melodramas of all time, MGM’s "Butterfield 8". Today on "Going Hollywood" we're unpacking this notorious guilty pleasure from 1960, and why this film is widely called trash while still being weirdly hard to look away from. We dig into the behind-the-scenes story that makes "Butterfield 8" essential Hollywood gossip history: Elizabeth Taylor reportedly despised the script, rushed to finish her final MGM contract, and pushed for demands that shaped the production, including New York locations and a role for Eddie Fisher. Then we get into the on-screen chaos: Gloria Wandrous as “call girl” versus “model,” the Production Code-era dance around sex, and the film’s relentless need to shame and punish its heroine. Along the way, we talk about Lawrence Harvey’s chilly performance, the mink coat plot trigger, and that marathon car crash finale. The most revealing part might be the meta-layer. "Butterfield 8" plays as a commentary on Taylor’s real-life scandal with Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, right down to casting and styling choices that feel pointed. We also explain the title itself as a phone exchange tied to Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and we trace how Taylor’s near-death illness and tracheotomy helped shape her first Best Actress Oscar narrative, even as many argue Shirley MacLaine deserved the win for "The Apartment". Subscribe, share the episode with a classic film friend, and leave us a review, then tell us: is "Butterfield 8" glorious trash or just trash? Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #23

  Jungle Dread: "The Opposite Sex" (1956) with Special Guests Brandon Davis and Ben Burke

  Aug 26, 20261h 10mS3

  It's our first crossover episode! Taking a page from 1990s "Must See TV", today we have a special treat. Join us for a "Going Hollywood/Front Row Classics" crossover event as Tony welcomes FRC's Brandon Davis and guest Ben Burke to the show to discuss the (questionable) guilty classic, MGM's musical remake of "The Women", 1956's "The Opposite Sex" . We talk about the remake’s biggest swings: adding eye-popping Metro-color, wedging in yawn-inducing production numbers, and most criminal of all: introducing men into the cast! Add into the mix a murderous row of gifted actresses whose lifeless performances and lack of on-screen chemistry leave this legendary story of real housewife bitchery strangely lifeless, and you're left with the one big question: WHY? From June Allyson’s lackluster “society wife” energy to Joan Collins as a Crystal who never quite gets her claws, we compare performance, pace, and the intangible spark the original captures so effortlessly. If you love classic Hollywood history, MGM musicals," The Women", 1950s fashion, or remake autopsies, you’ll have a lot to argue with us about. If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share this with a fellow old-movie obsessive, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #22

  Guys and Molls: "Lady for a Day" (1933)

  Aug 19, 202653 minS3

  A gangster’s superstition turns into a citywide con, and somehow it becomes one of the most humane stories of the 1930s. We’re talking about Frank Capra’s "Lady For A Day" (1933), where Apple Annie sells apples in Times Square and Dave the Dude buys one before every deal like it’s a talisman. When Annie’s daughter returns from Spain expecting a wealthy society mother, Dave and his crew scramble to build a high-society illusion overnight, complete with manners, clothes, and a borrowed life. What surprised us most is how well the film balances fantasy with real Depression-era texture. Mae Robson makes Annie feel fully lived-in, and we dig into why her performance carries the movie even when she isn’t getting the punchlines. We also get honest about what works less, what characters we wish had more time, and the scene we think could have been milked for even better comedy during Annie’s rapid makeover. After the film talk, we share listener survey results that overwhelmingly favor the 1930s and 1940s, plus the series and stars you want us to cover next. If you enjoy classic Hollywood podcasts, film history, and thoughtful movie reviews, hit play, subscribe, and share the show. Then leave us a rating and review, and send a text or voicemail so we can feature your thoughts on an upcoming episode. Text us or Leave a Voice Mail Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram @goinghollywoodpod To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.

  ListenShow Notes

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