The Industry: A Film History Podcast

Bosley Crowther Vs. Bonnie and Clyde

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:42:00 GMT

When Bonnie and Clyde arrived in 1967, it sparked a fierce debate among film critics. At the center of that debate was New York Times critic Bosley Crowther, who publicly opposed the film even as its reputation grew. This episode looks at Crowther’s battle with the movie, the critics who disagreed with him, and what the controversy reveals about a changing era in American cinema.

Sources in this Episode

Times Announcement. “Crowther Named Critic Emeritus; Renata Adler of New Yorker to Review Films for Times.” The New York Times, November 20, 1967.

Crowther, Bosley. “Run, Bonnie and Clyde: Run, Bonnie.” The New York Times, September 3, 1967. ProQuest.

Crowther, Bosley. “Screen: ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ Arrives: Careers of Murderers Pictured as Farce.” The New York Times, August 14, 1967. ProQuest.

Crowther, Bosley. “Shoot-’Em-Up Film Opens World Fete.” The New York Times, August 7, 1967. ProQuest.

Harris, Mark. Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. New York: Penguin Press, 2008.

Lubow, Arthur. “Renata Adler Is Making Enemies Again.” The New York Times, January 16, 2000.

Martin, Charlie. “The Saga of Bosley Crowther: That Time Film Criticism Got Turned….” Medium.

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The Linguini Incident

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

The making of the quirky heist comedy The Linguini Incident is not a pleasant memory for writer-director Richard Shepard. Yes, he had a great cast including David Bowie and Rosana Arquette. He also was under funded and overwhelmed and eventually lost final cut. However, the sting of this failure never fully left him and thirty years later he set out to correct it. Shepard and Linguini Incident co-star Eszter Balint help tell this story of a missed opportunity and what it means to reclaim your past.

Links

Check out Eszter Balint's latest album

THE LINGUINI INCIDENT -- DIRECTOR'S CUT (2024) TRAILER

Sources

David Bowie - Today Show (USA TV) - INTERVIEW ABOUT THE LINGUINI INCIDENT - 28 April 1992

David Bowie - Good Morning America - Interview On The Set Of The Linguini Incident

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Closing Night Returns

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 15:12:26 GMT

Season 2 of Closing Night is finally here—the theater history podcast that takes you behind the curtain to uncover stories about famous and forgotten Broadway show that closed too soon. While season 1 focused on musicals that came and went from the Marquis Theatre, this season host Patrick Oliver Jones is tackling a whole new kind of theatrical heartbreak: shows that never actually opened on Broadway.

These are the productions that fizzled out during out-of-town tryouts or preview performances, including Lone Star Love, The Little Prince and the Aviator, Lolita, My Love, Let My People Come, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, among others. Episodes start at the end of January and will drop once a month throughout the year, with the first episode being all about Annie 2: Miss Hannigan’s Revenge, which was actually slated to open at the Marquis Theatre but was canceled after a disastrous run in Washington, DC.

Make sure to follow Closing Night on your favorite podcast app and stay connected on Instagram at @closingnightpodcast.

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History Daily - The Suppression of Citizen Kane

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 21:05:43 GMT

Presenting an episode from Noiser and Airship's podcast History Daily.

On History Daily, they do history, daily. Every weekday, Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous moment that happened ‘on this day’ in history. This episode is about our favorite kind of history, film history.

The day is May 1, 1941. Orson Welles’ revolutionary debut “Citizen Kane” premieres in New York after a bitter battle to suppress the film.

Learn more about History Daily.

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Introducing Stories My Brother Used To Tell

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 02:46:26 GMT

Something different from the creator of The Industry is coming soon. Here's a short preview of Stories My Brother Used To Tell.

My older brother Eric would often tell stories of his misspent youth at family gatherings. Seemingly always about a car or girl or both, these ridiculous stories seemed almost impossible to believe. Now, after years of pestering, I've gotten him to share a few of those stories in a new podcast.

Subscribe wherever you're subscribed to The Industry or use this link: Stories My Brother Used To Tell

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Strike It All

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 09:00:13 GMT

In 1982 British filmmakerJames Scott had made an Academy Award winning adaptation of a Graham Greene novella. Adapting another Greene novella, this time as a feature length film, seemed like a natural progression of things. He had Greene's blessing to take his novella Loser Takes All and turn into a film that would feature stage star Robert Lindsay and Molly Ringwald. He had every element in place. Almost. The only thing left was getting American distribution. And that was found when a deal was struck with Miramax. All that James Scott had to do in order to get his modest British comedy made was deal with a producer named Harvey Weinstein, who had a lot of ideas on how this film should be made.

Links

James Scott's Website

Sources

Rizov, Vadim. The Legend of Harvey Scissorhands. MTV.com, August 9, 2013.

https://www.mtv.com/news/zs4qqu/harvey-weinstein-snowpiercer-cuts

Ringwald, Molly. All The Other Harvey Weinsteins. The New Yorker, October 17, 2017.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/all-the-other-harveys

Robert Lindsay: 'Monster' Weinstein blacklisted me. BBC.com, November 9, 2017.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-41927167

Connelly, Christopher. The Heartbreak Kid. Premiere Magazine, July 1990.

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Elaine's Mayhem

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:00:36 GMT

Elaine May will always be best known for her comedy with Mike Nichols and her screenwriting skills. However, as a director May is an uncompromising force who seemingly would do whatever it takes to get her vision on the screen. This episode looks at the great lengths May went to in order to get Mikey and Nicky, a lifelong passion project made, and what that lack of compromise cost her.

Author Patrick Cooper, director of photography/cameraman Jack Cooperman, and an unnamed crewmember help tell this story of a seemingly simple production that was anything but.

Links

Check out Patrick Cooper's book Aren't You Gonna Die Someday?

Courtney Kocak's podcasts are Podcast Bestie and The Bleeders

Articles

Before the Snyder Cut: Look back at other Hollywood director's cuts (ew.com)

Cock, Jay. Cinema: Hit Men. Time Magazine. January 31st, 1977.

https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,918649,00.html

MIKEY AND NICKY - HOLLOW SQUARE PRESS

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Blake Edwards Strikes Again

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:01 GMT

The death of actor Peter Sellers in 1980 also seemed like the death of the Pink Panther film series. Instead, director Blake Edwards decided it was a new beginning. A beginning of numerous lawsuits, several flops, and one unseen television pilot. Author John LeMay and actor Charlie Schlatter help tell the story of what happened when Blake Edwards kept trying to keep the Panther on the hunt.

Sources

Books

LeMay, John. Trailing the Pink Panther Films: An Unauthorized Guide to the Pink Panther Series. Bicep Books, January, 2022.

Oldham, Gabriella. Blake Edwards: Interviews. University Press of Mississippi, December, 2017.

Wasson, Sam. A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards. Wesleyan University Press, July, 2011.

Articles

"Seller’s Widow Wins $1 Million Damages Over Panther Film" AP News. AP Services, May 24, 1985. https://apnews.com/article/39ab5abec851ab132d99965780aa6a7e

"Film maker Blake Edwards filed a $180 million lawsuit..." UPI Archives. September 28, 1983. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/09/28/Film-maker-Blake-Edwards-filed-a-180-million-lawsuit/1090433569600/

"BLAKE EDWARDS SUED BY MGM/UA" New York Times. Aljean Harmetz. April 17, 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/17/movies/blake-edwards-sued-by-mgm-ua.html

Links

Closing Night: Victor Victoria episode

Transcription Available at The Industry Podcast website.

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Alan Dean Foster

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:00:21 GMT

Alan Dean Foster is an accomplished author in his own right, but in this episode of The Industry, he shares his process of writing movie novelizations and some of the more interesting novelizations he's done. From Star Wars, Alien, The Thing, The Black Hole, and even a very special episode of Maude, Alan shares many of his experiences in this unique writing world.

Links

Dan Delgado on Twitter and Bluesky

Visit Alan Dean Foster's website

Alan Dean Foster's Memoir of his novelization work

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Novelizations 101

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:10:03 GMT

Back in the 1970s and 80s if you walked into a bookstore you would undoubtedly had seen whatever the newest movie was in theaters sitting on a display in book form. The movie novelization is a world unto itself. We take a look at what it takes to adapt a movie to a novel, why the differences can be interesting, and get into why they exist in the first place. With insight from novelization experts Alan Dean Foster and Tim Waggoner, podcast host Paxton Holley, and filmmaker Whit Stillman, the rare filmmaker who has novelized his own films.

Links

Dan Delgado on Twitter and Bluesky

Listen to Paxton Holley's I Read Movies Podcast

Visit Tim Waggoner's website

Visit Alan Dean Foster's website

Buy Whit Stillman's books

If you like the show you can support by clicking here: Buy Me A Coffee.

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Unmade Hitchcock

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:19 GMT

By the 1960's director Alfred Hitchcock was at the absolute height of his powers. He had reached the point where he could make any movie he wanted. Yet as the decade rolled on. Hitchcock seemingly had project after project he had developed not blossom into a feature film. What was keeping Hitchcock from making the movies he really wanted to make? We attempt to answer this question with help from HitchCon's Joel Gunz and author Shawn Levy.

Links:

Listen to Lew Wasserman's story on Glitter and Might: Glitter and Might (pod.link)

Check out HitchCon '23: HitchCon International Alfred Hitchcock Conference

Kaleidescope Test Footage: Alfred Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope Footage - YouTube

Hitchcock documentary: Hitchcock - Reputations - YouTube

If you like the show you can support it by clicking here: Buy Me A Coffee.

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Two (More) From History Daily

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:00:07 GMT

Presenting two episodes from Noiser and Airship's podcast History Daily.

First up it’s. The First Flight of the Wright Brothers:

December 17, 1903. Orville and Wilbur Wright achieve the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane flight in history.

Then it's The Spruce Goose Takes Flight:

November 2, 1947. American aviator Howard Hughes risks his life and reputation by taking to the skies in the largest aircraft ever built: the Spruce Goose.

Learn more about History Daily.

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The Lost Picture Show: How Peter Bogdanovich's Final Cut Was Lost and Found

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 07:00:09 GMT

Peter Bogdanovich's final film, She's Funny That Way, came and went and barely anyone seemed to notice. However, it wasn't the movie he really made. What Peter actually filmed was a black and white screwball comedy called Squirrels to the Nuts. What happened is a typical story. The movie didn't test well and the studio changed the film completely, and no surprise the studio version bombed anyway. The original version? That was believed lost to history.

Or so we thought.

A few years later, James Kenney (possibly the world's biggest Bogdanovich fan) found the original version in tact. On eBay.

This episode features James Kenney, documentarian Bill Teck, and Louise Stratten (Peter's ex-wife and Squirrels co-screenwriter) all helping to tell this story which seems to have an actual Hollywood Ending.

Sources:

Peter Bogdanovich Had a Vision for This Film. Now It’s Finally Being Seen. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

“You Saved One of My Best Pictures”: My Adventures with Peter Bogdanovich and his Lost, Last Picture Show – Tremble…Sigh…Wonder… (tremblesighwonder.com)

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Season 5 Trailer

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 23:08:55 GMT

A new season of The Industry with Dan Delgado is coming soon. More stories of overlooked film history. This season features a lost and found director's cut, the show going on and on without it's star, the biggest director in Hollywood consistantly not getting his movies made, and the joys of movie novelizations.

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Introducing Closing Night

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Step into the captivating world of Broadway musicals with Closing Night, a new narrative theater history podcast. In Season 1, we explore the magical musicals that graced the stage of the Marquis Theatre, beginning with the controversial demolitions that birthed its legacy. Join us as we chronicle the rich history of some remarkable shows at one of Broadway's youngest venues, unveiling their untold stories through rare audio clips and behind-the-scenes insights as well as interviews with industry experts, actors, and creative teams. We'll relive the excitement and artistic energy that brought these musicals to Broadway and what led up to their closing night. Whether you're a theater enthusiast, creative artist, or history buff, come enjoy this journey through some gems of Broadway that came and went from the Marquis Theatre.

You can find Closing Night wherever you get podcasts or you can find it here: https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcast/closing-night/

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A Not So New Hope (Updated)

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 21:33:11 GMT

There's a new autobiographical period movie that's recently been released about a young kid who is so fascinated by the movies he makes his own films at home, and eventually has a successful Hollywood career. No, I'm not talking about The Fabelmans.

Patrick Read Johnson's newly released 5-25-77 may seem like an attempt to cash in The Fabelmans buzz, but his films production predates the new Spielberg film by well over a decade.

The Industry first covered 5-25-77 back in 2019 when Johnson thought he was on the verge of releasing it. Fast forward three more years and 5-25-77 is hitting streaming via Showtime, not to mention a short theatrical release back in Sept. This episode of The Industry is a rerelease of our original episode about 5-25-77 plus a new update with Johnson to see what it took to get him to finally cross the finish line and what he'll do now that he's finally crossed it.

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Presenting How I Got Greenlit

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 23:07:33 GMT

The Industry presents How I Got Greenlit, a new podcast hosted by the Creator of HBO’s Project Greenlight Alex Keledjian and Emmy Award Winning Producer Ryan Gibson, exploring how our favorite films got made and how they made our favorite filmmakers.

This episode is part one of their two part conversation with screenwriter Chap Taylor.

Chap Taylor has written screenplays and television pilots for all of the major Hollywood studios. He's worked for such producers as Brian Grazer, Scott Rudin, Irwin Winkler, Arnold Kopelson, and for directors Wes Craven and Ridley Scott. He co-wrote the Paramount feature film Changing Lanes, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as uncredited work on National Treasure, Behind Enemy Lines and the remake of the horror classic, The Omen.

Links

How I Got Greenlit: https://ncpodcasts.com/how-i-got-greenlit

Chap Taylor Part 2: Apple | Spotify

Twitter: @howigotgreenlit

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Two From History Daily

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:00:25 GMT

The Industry is proud to present back-to-back episodes of one the best history podcasts around: History Daily.

On History Daily, they do history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history.

Whether it’s to remember the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, the day “that will live in infamy,” or to celebrate that 20th day in July, 1969, when mankind reached the moon, History Daily is there to tell you the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world—one day at a time.

So if you’re stuck in traffic, bored at work—wherever you are, listen to History Daily to remind yourself that something incredible happened to make that day historic.

A co-production from award-winning podcasters Airship and Noiser.

Find out more about History Daily by checking out their website at https://www.noiser.com/history-daily.

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Two Princes: Part Two

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:34:19 GMT

After Paramount Pictures' 1974 version of The Little Prince seemingly vanished into thin air, it would be decades before another big screen version would come around.

That version would be fully animated, with a voice cast that included Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Benicio Del Toro, James Franco, Ricky Gervais, Paul Giamatti and Marion Cotillard. But Paramount abruptly abandoned plans to release the film, and in this episode, The Little Prince director Mark Osborne explains what he thinks went wrong.

Plus, Patrick Oliver Jones of the Why I'll Never Make It podcast talks to the makers of the new Broadway version of The Little Prince that just opened last week.

The Little Prince on Broadway: https://thelittleprincebroadway.com

Why I'll Never Make it: https://whyillnevermakeit.com/

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Two Princes: Part One

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 00:26:26 GMT

Joseph Tandet was a lawyer who was not in The Industry. But when the opportunity arose to own the rights to The Little Prince, he took it.

He wound up as a producer on a big-budget movie adaptation. The 1974 version of The Little Prince had everything going for it, including Gene Wilder, musical numbers by Lerner & Loewe, Bob Fosse dancing, and Stanley Donen in what should have been his element. But something went wrong between the page and the screen.

Several years after Tandet's movie of The Little Prince became a forgotten memory, he used his ownership of the rights again, this time to mount a stage version that would never officially open.

This episode is a crossover with the Why I'll Never Make It podcast and features host Patrick Oliver Jones doing most of the hosting duties here. It also features both Little Princes: Steven Warner from the 1974 film and Anthony Rapp (Star Trek Discovery) from the 1982 Broadway edition.

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The Greatest Cartoon Almost Made

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 15:45:49 GMT

At the height of his career, Richard Williams was hailed as the next Walt Disney. He wanted to prove that animation was high art, not just something to sell toys and cereal. So he spent three decades working on a single film called The Thief and The Cobbler, which was going to be extraordinary. But he made a deal with a movie studio that he couldn't keep.

This episode of Imaginary Worlds features Garrett Gilchrist, Kevin Schreck, Neil Boyle and Greg Duffell discuss whether Hollywood or Williams's perfectionism did him in.

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The Fall and Rise of Super Mario Bros.

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 01:26:55 GMT

How did they make a movie out of Super Mario Bros, and why did it not really resemble the game it was based on? This episode tells the story of how Super Mario Bros went down, and how an alternate cut was found, restored — and released online this year.

SMB screenwriter Parker Bennett, along with the curators of the Super Mario Bros archive, Ryan Hoss and Steven Applebaum, help tell this story of a maligned, misguided movie that now has cult status and genuine love.

We also recount the time Dennis Hopper lost it.

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How Grizzly II: Revenge Was Released After 37 Years

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 00:57:24 GMT

The 1983 horror movie Grizzly II: Revenge boasts a cast that includes George Clooney, Laura Dern, and Charlie Sheen. But it may never have been released if not for Hungarian producer Suzanne C. Nagy, who finally made it available to audiences after 37 years.

On the latest episode of The Industry, host Dan Delgado interviews Nagy, the original producer of Grizzly II: Revenge. A sequel to the popular 1976 film Grizzly, which cashed in on the post-Jaws killer animal craze, Grizzly II: Revenge follows the story of a mama bear who attacks a large rock concert to take out her rage towards the poachers who killed her cub.

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One Man's Quest to Fix Superman IV

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 14:33:32 GMT

Like many Superman fans, British actor Aaron Price grew up believing a man could fly — thanks to the spectacular 1978 Richard Donner film starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel.

But a decade after that film, Superman IV arrived to challenge fans' faith with a rough, budget-challenged story that pitted Supes against Nuclear Man, a forgettable villain created vis-a-vis the Cold War arms race.

Still, Price believes the film is redeemable — and in this special bonus episode of The Industry, he explains how he is trying to restore director Sydney J. Furie's original vision for Reeve's final Superman film.

You can follow Aaron Price and his campaign to #ReleasetheFurieCut on Twitter: He's @AaronLewisPrice.

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Harold Lloyd's Last Film — With Preston Sturges and Howard Hughes

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 14:46:29 GMT

Preston Sturges was so desperate to direct that he sold one of his scripts for $10 — then persuaded silent film and talkie star Harold Lloyd to star.

This is a story that includes Howard Hughes, a secret tunnel to the Chateau Marmont, and some very funny insights by Sturges' son, Tom Sturges.

It also notes the amusing similarities between 1947's The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, which has some interesting parallels with Todd Phillips massive 2009 hit The Hangover.

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Behind the Scenes of The Industry

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 21:11:01 GMT

Dan Delgado is the host of The Industry, where he focuses each episode on lesser-known or forgotten movie history. He tells stories of Hollywood's weirdest decisions — and has a special place in his heart for the industry heroes who tried, and usually failed, to make something great.

On this special crossover episode of MovieMaker and The Industry, Dan talks about his VHS-shaped 1980s childhood, and how it led him to create the curious world of The Industry.

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Pacino! Chinatown 2! Spider-Man! The High-Water Mark of Cannon Films

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 22:24:06 GMT

At the 1986 Cannes Film Festival, the impresarios of Cannon Films — best known for movies like Superman IV and Over the Top — showed up on the scene in matching tracksuits, with a grand vision.

They announced their slate of movies for the next year or so. And while the majors were being lazy with their 15 or so movies a year, Cannon's announcement was for a jaw-dropping 60 films. Sixty!

Many of the films got made. But plenty of them didn't. The movies were to star Al Pacino, John Travolta, Walter Matthau, Whoopi Goldberg, and more, and involve creators like Paul Schrader and Roman Polanski.

There were also big plans for a Spider-Man film, years before the hit Sam Raimi films starring Tobey Maguire as the web-slinger.

So what happened? We explain on this episode of the industry.

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Comrade Cukor: When Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Taylor and Cicely Tyson Invaded The Soviet Union

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 00:44:51 GMT

In the 1970s, in an attempt to thaw the Cold War, the U.S. and USSR decided to co-produce a film: Cinematic detente!

The United States would provide big Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda and Cicely Tyson. They would be directed by the legendary George Cukor. The Soviet Union agreed to provide the crew, equipment, locations, and of course some ballet dancers.

Then it all fell apart, because of course it did.

Also, be sure to check out the We Know Jack Show Podcast!

Sources for this episode:

Shaw, T. (2012). Nightmare on Nevsky Prospekt: The Blue Bird as a Curious Instance of U.S.-Soviet Film Collaboration during the Cold War. Journal of Cold War Studies, 14(1), 3-33. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/26924108

Olsen, Lynne. Will Soviet-US Film Find Happiness? Ft. Myers News-Press, March 4, 1975

Cooper, Arthur & Friendly, Jr, Alfred. Hooray for Hollygrad! Newsweek, March 31, 1975

Reed, Rex. 'Bluebird' limps rather than soars on detente. Long Beach Press Telegram, August 17,1975.

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Bruce Lee and Bruceploitation 101

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 02:19:13 GMT

When Bruce Lee died on June 20, 1973, Hollywood and Hong Kong scrambled to replace him, creating a misbegotten genre called "Bruceploitation."

But Bruce Lee was, of course, irreplaceable.

On the latest episode of The Industry, Dan Delgado details the rise of Bruce Lee — and the foolish, quixotic attempts to find any actor who could match him in terms of fighting prowess, charm and charisma.

All together now: Good luck with that.

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Lions and Tigers and Stitches, Oh My! The Making of Roar

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 19:47:44 GMT

Roar is the story of a family — including Tippi Hedren and real-life daughter Melanie Griffith — stalked by lions and tigers on an African nature preserve.

When it was finally released in the United States in 2015 — nearly 40 years after it began its five-year, accident-filled shoot — savvy distribution company Drafhouse Films used the tagline, "No Animals Were Harmed in the Making of This Film. Seventy Cast and Crew Members Were."

Have we mentioned that Roar was intended as a family comedy?

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When Nicholas Ray Made a Student Film... at 61

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 02:32:39 GMT

Nicholas Ray is a legendary director known for his emotional, incredibly influential output in the 1950s. From Humphrey Bogart's best performance with In A Lonely Place to James Dean's iconic turn in Rebel Without A Cause, Nicholas Ray was responsible for some of film's greatest moments. As Jean-Luc Godard explained, "Cinema is Nicholas Ray."

But Ray's demons of drinking, gambling, and drug abuse helped lead him on a destructive course. With no one willing to hire him anymore, he took a job teaching film in upstate New York — and seized on the opportunity to make one more film, using his students as his novice film crew.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, review it, and recommend it to a friend — the love and attention that everyone involved poured into it will quickly become apparent. And check out Nicca Ray's book, Ray by Ray: A Daughter's Take on the Legend of Nicholas Ray.

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Woodstock on Wheels? The Failure of Medicine Ball Caravan

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 01:09:38 GMT

In 1970 Warner Brothers had a surprise hit on its hands when they released the documentary/concert film Woodstock.

Though the studio spent less than a million dollars on it, the film would eventually gross $50 million at the box office. Warner Bros. had caught lightning in a bottle. The question for the suits was: How do we make lightning strike twice?

The answer was the Medicine Ball Caravan. But the lightning fizzled.

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My Wife! From Kazakhstan Watched the New Borat (Bonus Episode)

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 12:22:27 GMT

When I first met Aigul Kaparova, the woman whom I would eventually marry, she told me she was from Kazakhstan. And of course there was basically one thing I knew about Kazakhstan: Borat.

I remember asking her how she felt about Borat, because I remembered the reaction to that film in Kazakhstan. She told me the whole controversy didn't really bother her much and that the country had seemingly accepted that Borat would always be associated with her home.

And that was about it.

Until this week. That's when Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat unexpectedly turned back up in everyone's world with Borat Second Moviefilm, now streaming on Amazon Prime.

To my surprise, Aigul told me two things: She had never seen Borat before, and she was really excited to see this new movie.

So with that in mind there was only one thing for me to do: Turn on my recorder and document the experience of Borat with someone from Kazakhstan.

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How Superman IV Became a Disaster: Christopher Reeve's Two-Picture Deal

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 18:18:36 GMT

Christopher Reeve came out of Superman retirement to make Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, a film widely considered a disaster.

He had said in 1983, after the release of Superman III, that he was done with the role that made him a star.

So why did he return for a relatively low-budget superman movie, in which he battled a villain named Nuclear Man?

To help green light another film, Street Smart, which helped launch the film career of Morgan Freeman.

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Blood Circus — Inside an Infomercial Star's One-Ring Circus

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:16:00 GMT

In 1985, Baltimore infomercial star Santo Victor Rigatuso, aka Santo Gold, produced an extravaganza with something for everyone: It promised horror, wrestling, rock, and even a "three-headed Munga Magoon." It was all supposed to be filmed and turned into a feature film more exciting than the recent Rocky III.

The spectacle, called Blood Circus, was also supposed to introduce some exciting new technology called a "scream bag." Attendees were promised a Thundervision sound system, atomic fleas, and a "new type of movie unlike anything you will ever experience."

They received none of these things. But the failure of Blood Circus is a remarkable story that brings together The Wire creator David Simon, indie music star Santigold, and Mark H. Weingartner, who would later work on Inception, Dunkirk and The Hunger Games Saga.

If you'd like to learn more about Blood Circus, here are the sources for this episode of The Industry:

Articles

Anft, Michael. “Fool’s Gold” – Santo Rigatuso: The Man with the Four-Way Lips, Baltimore City Paper, February 16, 1990.

http://www.baltimoreorless.com/2011/01/fools-gold-santo-rigatuso-the-man-with-the-four-way-lips/

Harrington, Richard. The Fans Cry for 'Blood'! But the Gore's Not Real In Filming of Wrestling Flick, The Washington Post, February 11, 1985.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/02/11/the-fans-cry-for-bloodbut-the-gores-not-real-in-filming-of-wrestling-flick/08b3117c-36fc-43bf-8538-aa66c9ae3801/

Jacobson, Joan. State Slaps Down Prison ‘Enterprise’, The Evening Sun, March 16, 1990.

Warmkessel, Karen.

$2 Million Fund Ordered To Repay Those Bilked By TV Huckster, The Baltimore Sun, November 14, 1989.

Simon, David. Too Little Carnage to Satisfy Crowd, The Baltimore Sun, February 11, 1985.

Case Summary: U.S. v. CEN-CARD AGENCY/C.C.A.C.

https://casetext.com/case/us-v-cen-card-agencyccac

P.S. Docket No. 30/77, August 19, 1988.

https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/judicial/admin-decisions/1988/30-77d.htm

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The Other John Barry

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 19:12:06 GMT

John Barry is a deeply respected set designer, responsible for the Korova Milk Bar in A Clockwork Orange, the cantina in Star Wars, and the Fortress of Solitude in Superman, among other starkly original film locales. But when it came time to make his own film, Saturn 3, things fell apart.

The setup for Saturn 3 is fine: Farrah Fawcett and Kirk Douglas are a May-December Adam and Eve in space. Then Harvey Keitel arrives. With a clumsy robot.

John Barry escaped from Saturn 3 just in time to work on the sequel to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back. But from there, his story took a tragic turn.

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Five Days of the Tiger

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 00:17:43 GMT

In 1971 actor Elliott Gould was on top of world. Then he started A Glimpse of Tiger, a new movie that he was starring and producing. What followed was a tumultuous five day production that would see Gould fire his director, terrify his co-star, and have armed guards be called to the set.

Show notes with sources listed can be found here.

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Behold... The Apple!

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 18:24:05 GMT

When Israeli filmmaker Menahem Golan wanted to break into Hollywood he went all in on an over the top disco musical. Unfortunately by 1980, when his movie was released, disco was dead and the reaction to his flashy new film didn’t go according to plan.

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Bonus Episode: A Very Special Presentation

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Slow, melancholy, and the true meaning of Christmas. It might sound more like a December mass at a local church but it's actually commonly used description of a beloved holiday classic: A Charlie Brown Christmas.

In this bonus episode we go over how this timeless tale, that was originally as wanted as a withered Charlie Brown tree, became to be the enduring classic it's considered today.

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A Not So New Hope

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Patrick Read Johnson first wrapped on his autobiographical film 5-25-77 back in 2004. The title refers to the day Star Wars was released and how it changed his life. In the years since then he's be working to get the picture finished his own way. In 2019 he's almost there.

Show notes and sources listed at http://industrypodcast.org/articles

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How To Slice A Sicilian

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Director Michael Cimino has a complicated history. As Oscar and Razzie winner who only made seven films, Cimino frequently found himself struggling with producers to get his vision out.

When the producers of The Sicilian felt his version was too long he used his final cut clause to give them something else. It wasn't a good idea.

Show notes and links to sources can be found at https://industrypodcast.org/articles

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The Rebellion of Jamaa Fanaka

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Jamaa Fanaka was the most prolific college filmmaker of all time. Once he left college he found Hollywood to not be so inclusive. He decided to fight the industry with a series of lawsuits that would ultimately cost him his career.

Filmmakers Zeinabu Davis, Lexi Alexander, and Maria Giese help tell this story along with Jamaa's attorney Irving Meyer.

Show notes and sources listed here: https://industrypodcast.org/articles

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He Really Was That Masked Man

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 07:00:00 GMT

On paper it was a great idea. Bringing the iconic character of The Lone Ranger to the silver screen should have brought with it good feelings of classic television, Americana, and just plain ole nostalgia. However, when producers decided to ice out Clayton Moore, the man who was behind the mask for years on television, they found themselves in fight with the Lone Ranger fan base itself. On the set of the new Lone Ranger movie issues also abound with the new masked man.

Dawn Moore, Clayton Moore's daughter and actor Michael Horse help tell this story of nostalgia gone wrong.

Show notes available at https://industrypodcast.org/articles

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No Mr. Bond, I Expect You In Court

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 07:00:00 GMT

The James Bond series has been going for over 50 years. In that time the MI:6 agent has fought many villains. However, for many fans of the series, 007's greatest villain might have been off screen. Producer Kevin McClory helped create the "cinematic Bond" and then spent most of the rest of his life trying to claim him for himself.

Show notes and sources listed at http://industrypodcast.org/articles

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The (Almost, But Not Quite) Return of Billy Jack

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:00:00 GMT

In the 1970's actor Tom Laughlin helped change the industry with his advertising and distribution ideas for his Billy Jack series. In the 1980's he planned a comeback movie and another potential industry game changer, this time for home video. It did not go according to plan.

Robin Hutton, Laughlin's former assistant and an author, helps the story of Laughlin's attempted return.

Show notes and sources listed at http://industrypodcast.org/articles.

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The Dino De Laurentiis Million Dollar Giveaway

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Robertino Yanzanny was just a teenager in Puerto Rico when he fell in love with the movies and developed an admiration for super producer Dino De Laurentiis.

De Laurentiis left a huge impression in The Industry. Big successes and big flops and big risks were his standard. When Dino opened his own studio in the 1980s things did not go exactly according to plan. Then he had an idea. It involved garbage bags.

Yanzanny helps tell the story of what it was like to work with De Laurentiis during this time and his encounter with De Laurentiis after he had died.

Show notes available at http://industrypodcast.org/articles.

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The Great Gleason Pivot

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Jackie Gleason is an entertainment legend. He's one guy who truly did it all. Movies, Broadway, conducted his own orchestra (!), and most of all television. He was The Great One, after all. That doesn't mean the guy didn't make mistakes. In 1961 Gleason made a huge mistake when, after a couple of years away from television, he made a highly anticipated return with what turned out to be a ridiculous game show. What he did next was unheard of.

Show notes for this episode can be found at http://industrypodcast.org/articles

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Season Two Trailer

Thu, 09 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

A new season of The Industry is coming this summer, with more lesser known stories of Hollywood history.

Check out season one at http://theindustrypodcast.com.

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The Ballad of Coy and Vance

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 09:00:00 GMT

The Dukes of Hazzard was a top ten show heading into its fifth season. That's when a report came out revealing just how much the show had earned in merchandising. And that's when the stars of that show realized how much they weren't getting. In this episode of The Industry we take a look at the contract dispute that led to two replacements taking over a top ten show and how that show would never be in the top ten again. Byron Cherry (Coy Duke) helps tell the story of Coy and Vance.

Show Notes

People Magazine, August 9, 1982 - https://people.com/archive/this-hazzard-feud-is-real-the-tv-show-puts-up-its-new-dukes-as-bo-and-luke-walk-out-vol-18-no-6/

The Dukes of Hazard: The Unofficial Companion - https://books.google.com/books?id=VHV5iZH9uG4C&authuser=0

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Staring at the Sunn

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT

Aliens, mountain men, and Jesus were the stars of the day for Sunn Classic Pictures. Throughout the 1970s, Sunn Classic proved to be a highly successful independent movie studio, cranking out pseudo-documentaries and G rated nature themed movies like it was going out of style. They used unique methods to get their ideas and to get their movies out to the public. The Industry takes a look at the history of the company that specialized in inventing history.

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Mr. Dugan Doesn't Go To Washington

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 06:37:19 GMT

Mister Dugan had the potential to be a hit show. It was a topical series about a recently elected idealistic black congressman who has to contend with his less than helpful staff. Norman Lear was producing, Cleavon Little was the star. However, just days before it was to air on CBS in 1979 Lear himself pulled the show from the schedule. What went wrong? We take a look at the troubled production that started when Lear's hit series Maude ended.

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Bonus Episode: Waiting For Hoffman

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 11:00:00 GMT

In this bonus episode we take a look at how in the 1980s Cannon Films signed a major star to the biggest deal in entertainment history and still didn't get the movie made. LaBrava was to be an adaptation of the Elmore Leonard (Justified, Get Shorty, Jackie Brown) novel and a signal that Cannon had moved into the big leagues. Instead Cannon's own excitement over the project became its biggest problem.

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The Legend of Supertrain

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 09:00:00 GMT

The fall season for NBC in the 1978-79 season was a disaster. It was such a wreck that virtually of their fall debuts were gone by the time January rolled around. However, hope was on the horizon. For the last place network, they had an ace up their sleeve that they could not wait to play. That ace was called Supertrain, a super expensive, super marketed, super show that couldn't miss. Until it did. The failure of Supertrain is of legendaryproportions. A failure that all other giant television failures would become measured against. Was it really that expensive? Was it really that bad? And did it really almost bankrupt NBC? We look into this legend with the help of Supertrain superfan Tony Cook.

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Cliff Robertson Will Not Be Silenced

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 09:00:00 GMT

In 1977 actor Cliff Robertson received a notice in the mail saying he owed taxes a $10,000 payment he received from Columbia Pictures. The only problem was he hadn't worked for Columbia Pictures in the previous year.

What followed uncovered embezzlement, a corporate power struggle, and the blackballing of the man who started it all and would not stop talking about it.

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Winter Kills

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 08:00:00 GMT

Director William Richert had a dream set up for his first feature film. It was based on a new popular novel from the author of The Manchurian Candidate, he had a hot leading leading man in Jeff Bridges, and he had an all-star supporting cast made of up Oscar winners, legendary character actors, and one bonafide member of Hollywood royalty. What could go wrong? As it turns out, everything! William Richert helps tell this story that involves shotguns, drug dealers, and a repossessed mink coat.

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Sorcerer

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 12:00:30 GMT

After earning massive success in the early 1970's with the movies The French Connection and The Exorcist, William Friedkin could call his own shots. For his next movie he decided on a remake of the 1953 French thriller The Wages of Fear.

What started out as a small budgeted movie turned ballooned into a never ending production with casting issues, unwelcoming locals, and uncooperative rivers.

Toby Roan of the Sorcerer Blog helps explain the mystique of this movie, which Friedkin considers his best.

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Lambada vs The Forbidden Dance

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 10:00:00 GMT

When Menahem Golan left Cannon Films for 21st Century Pictures, he brought with him a grudge that would propel both companies into direct competition over the Brazilian dance craze, the lambada. From this sprang a crazy race to the theaters between competing lambada movies.

J. Eddie Peck, star of Lambada (for Cannon Films) and Greydon Clark, director of The Forbidden Dance (for 21st Century Pictures) help tell the true story of this cinematic grudge match.

Get Greydon Clark's autobiography here.

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The Rural Purge

Sat, 23 Jun 2018 00:27:15 GMT

The Rural Purge is legend of television history. A landmark time and a watershed moment when TV decided to leave behind the down home fun and wholesomeness of shows like Mayberry RFD, Green Aces, and The Beverly Hillbillies for urban skewing shows like All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. But what was it that prompted mass cancellations and started a television revolution? In this episode we explore the history of The Rural Purge with author Telly Davidson.

Telly Davidson's latest book is available here.

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The Industry Trailer

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 23:14:30 GMT

Introducing a new podcast telling stories of Hollywood history.

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