Hess’ Forgotten Hollywood podcast inspired by Golden Age
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Doug Hess has taken his love for old/forgotten films and turned it into a successful podcast. Hess created ‘Forgotten Hollywood’, a podcast discussing Hollywood when it was in the ‘golden age’.
“There’s something special about this genre and era in Hollywood. The movies were spectacular and the stars were bigger than life,” Hess told us. “There are a lot of classic films that people love and remember, on the other hand, there’s so many ‘forgotten’ films that are wonderful too. Those are the ones that I want to shine the spotlight on.”
In preparation for his podcast, Hess listened to many different shows over a two month time frame. In that time, he worked on a format and schedule set that would be different from what is currently available.
To date, Forgotten Hollywood has a total of seventy-three episodes with a variety of topics and is available Mondays on Spotify.
The first episode of the month, Hess discusses the ‘Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month’. “That star is whoever they decide it to be and usually we have about a month to research and record,” Hess said. “TMC does well providing me with information and individuals to speak with.”
The second episode each month is on some type of theme, then the third episode is over a book, where Hess usually has the author on the podcast to discuss their work. The fourth episode, left up to Doug, can be over a film, actor, actress, book or anything else he may have in mind.
When it comes to talking about an actor or actress who has passed, permission is not needed to talk about them. With social media, reaching out to family members of the deceased has made it easier.
“Many of the stars we’re highlighting, their families are eager to keep their names and films alive,” Hess said. “I have been very blessed to speak to a lot of different families and my desire is to help keep their loved one’s legacy alive.”
For one episode, Doug was put in contact with the curator of the Ava Gardner museum. “That was so much fun. The curator and I had a great time speaking on and off the air about Ava and her life. They shared some wonderful stories about her and the museum in North Carolina.”
With his interest in the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’, picking a favorite episode or interview is tough. “I have spoken with Anthony Quinn and Gene Kelly’s widows, plus Baby Grace from ‘Little House on the Prairie’. I have also spoken to several nieces of individuals from the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and the grandson of A. Arnold Gillespie, who did the special effects for Wizard of Oz.”
Next week, Doug will be interviewing Bela Lugosi’s granddaughter. Lugosi is most famous for his portrayal of ‘Dracula’ in the 1931 film. “So, you see why it’s hard for me to say I have just one favorite recording?”
Someone that Hess would like to speak with will be someone from the Fred MacMurray family. MacMurray stared in the film ‘Double Indemnity’ and ‘The Caine Mutiny’. From 1960 to 1972, he started in the show ‘My Three Sons’.
“He was such a great actor that I feel wasn’t truly given his dues,” Hess said.
Hess likes to keep ‘Forgotten Hollywood’ under thirty minutes, but some run just a few minutes longer. In that time frame, Doug puts in as much information as he can. “I think these long interviews are great, but folks tune out quickly. You will get a lot of information in a very short time.”
In addition to his podcast, Hess co-wrote a book titled ‘The Mafia in Hollywood’ with Wayne Clingman.
The team paired up to tell stories about what happens when ‘The Mob’ meets up with Tinseltown. The book covers topics from Jean Harlow to Wayne Newton and murder to car bombings.
“That was a fun project to work on,” Doug said. “Most individuals don’t realize how much the mob was involved in the running of Hollywood and the studios.”
Throughout his research, Hess appreciates every episode where he learns something that he did not know.
One of the most interesting interviews that he has conducted was with Joseph McBride, who worked with John Ford and Orson Wells for a time.
“We talked for awhile after recording. Just a wonderful guy with a lot of information to share,” Hess said. “That is what’s so great about this podcast and speaking with my guests.”
If you would like to tune into ‘Forgotten Hollywood’, search the title in Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
It is also available on spreaker.com/show/Forgotten-Hollywood. You can also like the ‘Forgotten Hollywood’ page on Facebook and follow Hess on Instagram at hessdoug14.
