Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!

We're climbing Mount Everest today...the Mount Everest of Camp, that is...to reach our ultimate destination, the "Valley of the Dolls" (1967).

In Part One of our two-part "Doll-apalooza", we dive headfirst into "Valley of the Dolls" to explore how a record-shattering novel morphed into a glossy, chaotic cult classic that refuses to fade. From Travilla’s couture and 60s hair architecture to the film’s stubborn 1940s morality, we map the exact fault lines where glamour cracks into melodrama—and why that crack is what keeps fans coming back.

We pull apart the legendary casting carousel, a virtual murderous row of "wanna-bes", "what-ifs" and "if-onlys", to land on the our final triumvirate: Barbara Parkins ,Sharon Tate and Patty Duke’s. Then there’s the ultimate Hollywood what-if: Judy Garland hired as Helen Lawson, acting opposite a character inspired by herself, before being dismissed and replaced by Susan Hayward. Layer in the book’s real-world inspirations—Judy, Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Carol Landis—and the film becomes a hall of mirrors where gossip, myth, and performance blur.

We also examine the structural problems that make the movie so watchable: a two-decade story squeezed into a breathless sprint, montages standing in for struggle, and addiction rendered as instant meltdown. Yet the music rescues memory; André and Dory Previn’s title theme, immortalized by Dionne Warwick, laces through pop culture and keeps the film’s ache alive.

The men are mannequins, the women are meteors, and somewhere between pills and punchlines the film finds accidental truth about fame, control, and the cost of being marketable. So, press play to hear why this "beloved piece of…” well, you know—continues to be relevant to this day, over 50 years after its debut.

And please you enjoy the show, follow, share with a movie-loving friend, and leave a quick review telling us your favorite "Valley of the Dolls" moment.

Episode Artwork by the incomparable Glen Larson @instaglenhanson

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

Episode Artwork by the incomparable Glen Larson @instaglenhanson

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

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We interrupt our scheduled programs for a special milestone: one million views on Tony's "Wired" interview on YouTube! This occasion opened the door for a bigger conversation, so we pulled up a chair and dug in.

Brad asks some questions that blew past the YouTube cut: what we actually know about Natalie Wood’s final night, why rumor loves tidy villains, and how to honor a legacy without letting tragedy swallow it whole. From there, we build a clear, no-filler Elizabeth Taylor film watch list, take a deeper dive into Hollywood's gay history, and we revisit the story of Loretta Young and Clark Gable's secret love child and the lengths she took to protect her image, showing what the Production Code demanded—and what it broke.

We also take the opportunity to give much overdue shout-outs to some of the kind people who took the time to rate and review us, and give us their thoughts on which classic we should tackle next.

So, hit play for a candid, story-driven tour through Old Hollywood facts, modern myths, and the business decisions that still shape what we see. If you learned something or built a new watchlist, share this episode with a friend, follow the show, and leave a review.

And don't forget to drop a quarter in the "swear jar"!! (If you know, you know.)

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

To listen to "Origins: Sex and the City" hosted by James Andrew Miller got to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/origins-with-james-andrew-miller/id1266445999?i=1000423827162

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks

The residents of 1313 Mockingbird Lane get ready for their close-up, as we wrap up our spirited “Addams v. Munsters” debate with a nostalgic deep dive into the classic sitcom “The Munsters”. We explore what sets it apart from “The Addams Family”—not just visually, but culturally—and reminisce about the show’s offbeat charm, its subtle social commentary, and the chemistry between cast members, highlighting icons like Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Al Lewis. Join us as we break down two memorable episodes.

Along the way, we reflect on why "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters" shot to the top of the ratings and quickly ended and their continued legacy through spin-offs, reboots, and pop culture references. We share our personal preferences and we declare our victors in the sitcom showdown. Do we agree? Which did each of us choose?

Watch "The Munsters" unaired pilot
Herman teaches Eddie about acceptance.

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks

Are you a Morticia, or are you a Lily?

That's a question that has plagued TV views since a single autumn week in 1964 that featured two seismic TV debuts—"The Addams Family" and one week later, "The Munsters". In this two-part episode, we answer it for ourselves. We also zoom in on why audiences were ready for supernatural comfort, how the networks raced to premiere first, and what made these two “normal” families feel so different once the front door swung open. Think urbane eccentricity versus blue-collar sweetness, mat paintings versus the Universal backlot, and a pair of theme songs that still cue instant nostalgia.

In this episode, we spend real time with The Addams Family: John Astin and Carolyn Jones crafting a playful, startlingly sensual marriage; Ted Cassidy’s Lurch turning a single “You rang?” into an entire mood; and Jackie Coogan’s Uncle Fester. Across the hour, we trace how cultural context and craft shaped legacy. "The Munsters" won early ratings, but "The Addams Family" thrives in color and in reimaginings—from the 90s films to a Broadway musical to Netflix's "Wednesday"—because its tone flexes without breaking the core: a loving family that refuses to apologize for being different.

So, if you’ve ever argued Morticia vs Lily, snapped along to Vic Mizzy’s theme, or wondered how 1313 Mockingbird Lane stacks up to 0001 Cemetery Lane, you’ll feel right at home here. So join us as we take a nostalgic visit to two iconic addresses and visit our friends, The Addams and The Munsters.

Oh, snap!

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks

Oh, Rhoda!

Before the iconic Ms. Morgenstern, there was another Rhoda...a 9-year-old psychopath that struck terror in her enemies, torment in the hearts of her loved ones, and unintended laughter from the audience watching her exploits. Yes, it's the camp classic, "The Bad Seed" from Warner Bros in 1956, starring the iconic Patty McCormack and the insufferably dramatic Nancy Kelly.

A nine-year-old with perfect penmanship and a talent for murder shouldn’t be funny—yet "The Bad Seed" somehow is. We dive into how a Broadway sensation became a Hollywood lightning rod, why Mervyn LeRoy shot it like a stage play, and how the Production Code twisted a bleak ending into a thunderbolt of “justice.” Along the way, we unpack the nature versus nurture debate that rattled 1950s audiences, the strange power of offscreen violence, and the way theatrical performances from Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, and the incomparable Eileen Heckart create a tone that’s equal parts chilling and camp.

So, postpone your social obligations and join us as we celebrate the perverse joys of “The Bad Seed”!

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks

We dive into Jesus Christ Superstar as a human story told through rock, politics, and performance, balancing reverence with critique. From a bus in the desert to tanks on the dunes, we trace how Norman Jewison’s choices turn myth into modern memory.

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks

Picture it: Hollywood 2025.

Forty years after four unlikely roommates gathered around a kitchen table in Miami, “The Golden Girls”remains one of television's most beloved and groundbreaking sitcoms. In part two of our special 40th birthday celebration, we explore what made the show so revolutionary and why its legacy continues to resonate with audiences today. We’ll deep dive into the “Golden Girls” universe, from untangling the complex web of family relationships, to the meticulous put downs, to an expose of the most notorious residents of St. Olaf.

The supposed rivalry between Bea Arthur and Betty White has become something of a Hollywood legend, but was it real? We examine what happened behind the scenes, drawing on firsthand accounts and shedding light on how these two different personalities created magic despite their contrasting approaches to acting.

Our episode spotlights two standout installments from the later seasons of the show, along with the perfect series finale, "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest," analyzing how Dorothy's departure managed to be both hilarious and heartbreaking – ending not with a whimper but with three emotional goodbyes.

What made Golden Girls truly special wasn't just the laughter but its willingness to tackle issues other shows wouldn't touch – from aging and sexuality to HIV/AIDS and chosen family. Join us as we reflect on how four women in their golden years revolutionized television and created a legacy that continues to inspire new generations.

Did you have a favorite Golden Girls episode or moment? We'd love to hear about it! Share your memories with us on social media or leave a review telling us which golden girl you identified with most.

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks

Picture it: Hollywood 1985

A TV show premieres about about 4 women, well over "thirty-something", sharing their hopes, their dreams, their stories, and lots of cheesecake, in the youth-obsessed TV culture of the 1980s. Does the show survive?

Get a clue, slut-puppy! It not only survived, it shot to the top of the ratings and dominated them for over 6 years. Yes, it's "The Golden Girls", and it's their 40th birthday-- so we're gonna celebrate! From the show's groundbreaking pilot to its most memorable episodes, we are going to unpack the secret ingredients that made "The Golden Girls" a ratings powerhouse and an enduring cultural touchstone.

In Part One of our special two-part episode, we'll discuss fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, including how Betty White and Rue McClanahan swapped roles, how Estelle Getty overcame severe stage fright to create the iconic Sophia, why Bea Arthur initially hesitated to join the cast, and what ever happened to poor Coco. (If you know, you know). Tony shares his personal experience appearing on the show (as a mere tot!) and even the time he snuck onto the set and wound up as a V.I.P.

So, grab a slice of cheesecake (or a sparehuven krispie) and join us as we celebrate one of the most enduring sitcoms in television history, "The Golden Girls".

Text us & We'll Respond on an Episode

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 goinghollywoodpodcast@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist

Podcast logo by Umeworks