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.
Episodes
107 episodes
Swan Song: "I Could Go On Singing" (1963)
“I sing for myself. I sing when I want to whenever I want to. Just for me. I sing for my own pleasure.”Was Judy Garland playing a character—or revealing herself?In her final completed feature film, “I Could Go On Singing...
Extreme Makeover: “Seconds” (1966)
Remember “The Swan,“ “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover”? Reality TV promised us that with a little help, anyone could become a whole new person. But what if the ultimate makeover cost you your soul and ultimat...
Eat, Pray, Maugham: “The Razor’s Edge “(1946)
What happens when a man turns his back on everything society tells him he should want?In the aftermath of World War I, one man’s search for spiritual enlightenment takes him from the glittering drawing rooms of high society to the mounta...
A Fascist Farce: “To Be or Not to Be” (1942)
Mel Brooks famously said that the only way to get even with Hitler is to make fun of him. Although Mel said it, he wasn’t the first to do it. That honor goes to Charles Chaplin (The Great Dictator”, 1940) and to the director of our film for tod...
Schlemiel, Schlimazel! Happy 50th Birthday, "Laverne & Shirley" (Part Two)
A great sitcom can survive a lot, but it can’t survive forgetting who it is. We’re back for Part Two of our “Laverne & Shirley” 50th anniversary celebration, and we dig into why that basement apartment window, the working-class charm, and “...
Schlemiel, Schlimazel! Happy 50th Birthday, “Laverne & Shirley” (Part One)
We're making our dreams come true today, as we dive into the wonderfully wacky world of our two favorite Milwaukee bottle-cappers while they transverse life, love, and a little vo-de-oh-doh-doh. Yes, we’re talking about Ms. DeFazio and Ms. Feen...
100: Buster Keaton in “The General” (1926)
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 Keat...
Dolly: A Celebration! With Special Guests Del Shores & Randy L. Schmidt
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, la...
Gloria's Trash: "BUtterfield 8" (1960)
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". T...
Jungle Dread: "The Opposite Sex" (1956) with Special Guests Brandon Davis and Ben Burke
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 sh...
Guys and Molls: "Lady for a Day" (1933)
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...
Hello, Gorgeous! The Streisand Television Specials (1965/1966)
One performer. No guest stars. No dancing chorus to hide behind. Just one unbelievably talented and chutzpah-filled 22-year-old staring down the biggest network in America—and winning all the marbles. It’s Barbra Streisand in the 19...
The American Nightmare: “A Place In The Sun” (1951)
We take a listener recommendation and give Brad one more chance to become a George Stevens fan. Will he? Won't he? You'll have to listen to find out, as we tackle what is, arguably, Steven's masterwork and certainly one of the greatest films of...
Auntie Maimed? “Mame” (1974)
“She croaked the blues right out of the horn.”So went a famous movie review by-line, and it kills us to admit it, but it’s true. It’s also true that it is by popular demand that we’re tackling it all…the good, the bad, and the filters...
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A Girl Like That! "Red Headed Woman" (1932)
"So gentlemen prefer blondes do they?" This famous opening line is delivered with more than a little irony by our leading lady, the lethally funny Lil Andrews, in today’s film: MGM’s 1932 pre-Code classic “Red Headed Woman”...
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Reviews, Requests, and No Regrets
It’s our very own “bottle” episode. Sort of…Your movie picks are taking over the show today. A listener voicemail, classic Hollywood wish lists, and a friendly debate over a famous ending all in one relaxed “bottle” hang. Hit play,...
The One Where We Talk About "Friends"
Could we be more excited about this week's episode? We know!!This week, we are hanging out with six of our favorite Gen Xers whose relationship dramas, career travails, sexual exploits and over-caffeinated adventures kept us captiv...
Can’t Stop the Movie! with Special Guest Bruce Vilanch
It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we were wrong. It was a GREAT idea to ask the one and only Bruce Vilanch to help us kick off our new “Can’t Stop the Movie!” summer series with the granddaddies of guilty pleasures, 1980’s disco...
Bye Bye Blackbird: “The Maltese Falcon” (1941)
A priceless object. A room full of liars. One detective trying to stay loyal to his own dubious moral code. We’re diving into "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), the Warner Bros classic that turns a hardboiled mystery into the blueprint for film noir,...
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Sissy-fied: “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980)
We ain't too dadgum ignorant to recognize that Sissy Spacek's Oscar-winning performance as the "Coal Miner’s Daughter," Loretta Lynn, is one of the most startlingly real transformations any actor has made in film history. Spacek doesn't "...
Vagabond Shoes: "New York, New York" (1977) with Special Guest Brandon Davis
Start spreading the news! I'm flying solo without Brad this week, so I called in film historian Brandon Davis to help me unpack Martin Scorsese’s flawed but brilliant masterpiece from 1977, "New York, New York" starring the one an...
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Celebrating Marilyn: “Something’s Got to Give” (1962)
We are celebrating someone's birthday today on "Going Hollywood" and it is an occasion truly worth marking: Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday on June 1, 2026. And though it may be odd to think of the ultimate movie sex siren as a centenarian, her...
Race Relations: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967)
People love to dismiss “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” as “dated,” but that word can hide a much harsher truth: much of the discomfort it dramatizes never fully went away. Stanley Kramer’s 1967 classic is still a relevant thesis that dares to as...
Miss Independence: "That Girl" (ABC, 1966-1971)
"Oh, Donald!"One gurgling little declaration, and a television icon is born. Is it Mary Richards? Is it Maude Findlay? Nope. It's "That Girl"!A sitcom can look light as air and still change what viewers believe is possible. ...
Daughter Dearest: “Mildred Pierce” (1945)
Long before she became notorious for her real life mothering skills, Joan Crawford was famous for her portrayal of a reel life mother; one who had an alarming (one may say unnatural) obsession with her oldest child, and one who would g...
