podcast (COMING October 16, 2023)
SEASON 1
When you want Tyrone Power instead of Tom Hardy, Jennifer Jones instead of Jennifer Lawrence, or Robert Mitchum rather than Robert Pattinson, then FROM BENEATH THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN is the gin joint for you. Each week, writer and producer STEVE CUBINE and actress NAN MCNAMARA explore, discuss, and dissect the magical, mysterious, amusing, and sometime bizarre tales of Old Hollywood. So sit back and revisit a time when the pictures were still big and everyone was ready for their close-up.
Ep. 1 - Oscar Fumbles
Hollywood's Oscar ceremony is like the Super Bowl for cinema lovers. But beyond the clothes, the speeches, and the musical numbers, it’s all about the winners. And some leave us scratching our heads. Did How Green Was My Valley really deserve the Best Picture Oscar over Casablanca in 1941? How did CARY GRANT and MYRNA LOY never win competitive Oscars? And who the hell is LUISE RAINER? Join STEVE CUBINE and NAN McNAMARA as they discuss Oscar's biggest fumbles.
Ep. 2 - The Sordid History of The Knickerbocker Hotel
Planted firmly in the middle of Hollywood is the Knickerbocker Hotel, a big, boxy, building with a faded facade appearing like a sad relic from a gayer time. Only the illuminated block letters of its sign that light up the Hollywood night sky hint at the lively history of this Hollywood landmark that BETTE DAVIS, MAUREEN O’SULLIVAN, and DICK POWELL once called home. From affairs to arrests to seances to suicides, we take a deep dive into the sordid past of this once grand dame of Hollywood.
Ep. 3 - Hollywood's Web of Love
Everyone in old Hollywood can probably be connected by whom they dated, married, or screwed. And two of the most desirable lovers of the era were LANA TURNER and AVA GARDNER, two Hollywood superstars who shared a friendship, similar backgrounds, and many romantic partners, including a husband. Join us as we connect the romantic dots through old Hollywood using Lana and Ava’s little back books as our guide.
Ep. 4 - The Murders, Mayhem, and Mischief of Beachwood Canyon
When you drive through Beachwood Canyon, don't be fooled by the droves of tourists vying for the perfect shot of the Hollywood sign or the beautiful stone gates of the village that lead to storybook houses. The canyon has had its share of strange, and often dark, Hollywood history including religious cults, suicides, and a love triangle murder that involved popular and prolific Hollywood actor PAUL KELLY. Join us as we explore the happenings that occurred “from beneath the Hollywood sign.”
Ep. 5 - Anne Revere: Mother Courage
The name ANNE REVERE may not ring a bell to many today, but during the 1940’s, the Broadway-trained, Tony-winning actress, was one of the most revered character actresses in Hollywood. Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner in 1944 for National Velvet , she left an indelible mark as Gregory Peck’s sympathetic mother in Gentleman’s Agreement in 1947. Learn about her life, career, and the shameful witch hunt of a Wisconsin Senator looking to make a name for himself that ended her brilliant career.