Hollywood Profiles of Yesteryear and Three Stooges Throwback: Recent Episodes
Gabe Russo
Each episode, host Gabriel Russo profiles a star of the silent era of Hollywood. Some are scandalous, some are not, but all are interesting and worth remembering. Join Gabe Russo as he learns who these people are along with you. The podcast has turned away from the salacious and more into informative profiling of these barely remembered people and their times, hence the change in name. Three Stooges Throwback is the second podcast on this feed. It is a comprehensive look back at each and every Three Stooges short. Join Gabe Russo as he talks production notes, trivia, goofs, etc. from all 190 Three Stooges shorts.
Ants in the Pantry is the 12th of 190 shorts produced for Columbia Pictures by the Three Stooges. Released in 1936, this stars Moe, Larry and Curley as exterminators who pose as fox hunters. Hilarity ensues
Three Little Beers was the last short released in 1935. The 11th of 190 shorts produced for Columbia Pictures by the comedy team of the Three Stooges. Finishing the year off on a high note, as this is a classic short with lots of gags and a great chase scene with beer barrels.
Hoi Polloi is the 10th of 190 shorts produced for Columbia Pictures by the Three Stooges. It is one of the best and listen to learn more...so there.
Lillian Gish was America's First True Actress and had a career that spanned 75 years. Listen to learn stuff from the past.
Anita Page got the 2nd most fan mail per week at MGM. Then she retired for 60 years. Then she came back and basked in the glory. You can still listen, though.
Mary Nolan was a Zeigfeld Girl, a German film star, a rising Hollywood Starlet and a two-time homewrecker. Find out old things by listening to this podcast today.
The 9th of 190 Columbia Shorts done by the boys. In this one they play carpenters who are mistaken for distillers of scotch. They end up at a fancy party and guess what? Things go badly...
Bebe Daniels won the Medal of Freedom, what did you ever do? She was also one of the first to make the transition from child star to adult star. Listen and learn of old Hollywood.
Cleo Ridgely rode across country on horseback for publicity, so here I am talking about her 108 years later.
In the 8th of 190 Columbia shorts, the Three Stooges play Union spies during the civil war. Help us all. Some funny bits here. Probably the funniest one so far, the boys are hitting their stride.
ZaSu Pitts was partnered with Thelma Todd for 16 comedy pictures, but over her long career, she was much more...find out by listening...
Marjorie White's last film was the Three Stooges first Columbia short, Woman Haters. Facts...
Charlie Chaplin was the biggest star of the Silent era. He created one of the most enduring and iconic characters ever in the Tramp, was married 4 times, and loved much younger women. Charlie Chaplin, Part one...listen to me talk.
Lupe Velez was one of the earliest Mexican Stars. Her career spanned silents and Talkies, but ended in tragic suicide. How? Listen and I'll tell you
Baby Peggy was one of the earliest and biggest stars of Hollywood. Dubbed the Million Dollar Baby and earning 1.5 million per year. Then Dad started spending...
Marie Dressler won the third ever best actress Oscar. She was the most popular actress three years in a row. What happened next? Listen to find out things. The Sounds of Silents.
Bobby Connelly was one of, if not the, first male child star. He was really just getting started when it happened. What happened? Find out inside. The Sounds of Silents.
Joan Lowell was an actress of the Silent era. She was also one of its biggest hoaxers. Huh? Find out how by downloading, listening and rating. Or by streaming and then rating. Please rate me. This episode brought to my attention by: Karen (not sure about sharing her last name) from the Silents Please! group on Facebook. Thanks for the topic!
Lya De Putti was a Hungarian Screen Star who tried to make it big in Hollywoodland. She worked with some of the greats, but couldn't overcome the chicken bone. What? Find out inside...the Sounds of Silents.
The 7th of 190 shorts made by the Three Stooges. Produced in 1935, this one the boys are really hitting their comedic stride. They run from a cop, pretend to be artists, have a clay fight...come along and listen.
Renee Adoree was one of the earliest European's to become Hollywood stars. Unfortunately, she was not the first we've heard about to contract tuberculosis. Find out more by listening. The Sounds of Silents
The 6th of the Three Stooges shorts. This is a parody of swordplay movies of the day. The Stooges must protect the Queen from being kidnapped. Do they?
The fifth of the Columbia Three Stooges shorts and the first Western theme. Come hear all about the short on my NEW MICROPHONE! Curly is still billed as Jerry Howard on mistitled Horse Collars poster.
Jeanne Eagels was a Broadway star and an upcoming early film star before her hard partying ways caught up with her. Learn more inside... The Sounds of Silents
James Murray had a meteoric rise to stardom, discovered by King Vidor. But he could not handle it and drank to excess. He had an interesting brother and a sad story. Listen up.
Alma Rubens was a rising star, making $3000 a week in pictures. She got hooked on heroin and that was that. She did write her own autobiography in serialized form in national papers, ending it only weeks before she died.
Mildred Davis starred as The Girl, opposite The Boy in 15 comedies with Harold Lloyd. Then she married him and retired to raise the kids. Pretty interesting family tree.
Released 12/8/1934 this is the fourth Columbia Short by the Three Stooges. It features Lucille Ball in one of, if not her earliest appearance in film. It also features the first time the boys refused to do a stunt. Listen up Appleheads.
Lon Chaney was known as the Man of a Thousand Faces. The first King of Horror, plus he did his own makeup.
Norma Talmadge was one of the biggest stars of the 1920's. She even had her fortune the whole time. Was she the basis for Sunset Blvd? No. But listen to hear other stuff. The Sounds of Silents.
Men in Black is the 3rd in the Stooges Series of shorts. It's the classic Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard, the first mixing a drink bit and a first for the Podcast...A Special Guest!!My daughter, Digitalbuild101 on Youtube. A new Stooges fan.
Punch Drunks was filmed May 2-5 1934, and is the 2nd Three Stooges Short. KO Stradivarius goes crazy when he hears Pop Goes the Weasel. He's the champ! Classic Stooges here. One of the best. The only Stooge short in the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress. What do you have in the Library of Congress?
Clarine Seymour was on the verge of superstardom in 1920. She had become one of D.W. Griffith's favorite girls and was getting starring roles. Was she a party girl? No, she got sick.
Woman Haters is the first Three Stooges short for Columbia pictures. It is done in rhyming verse and can get tiresome, as it stifles the boys a bit. But the seeds are there for future greatness! Lots of firsts...
Lucille Ricksen was a child whose star was on the rise. She starred in several big movies and worked with major stars. Maybe she worked too hard? She certainly died too young. Listen to hear things.
Some introductions to the man who formed the act, Ted Healy and his Stooges. This is just some basic information on the history of the Stooges and how they came about. Subsequent episodes will chronologically examine each Three Stooges short with reviews, facts, etc. It should be fun.
John Bunny was one of the first celebrities in Pictures. He made 250 shorts, Bunnyflicks or Bunnygrams, in his short 5 year career. Were these forerunners of The Flintstones and Honeymooners? Yes.
Art Acord was an early Western Star, Rodeo champion, and war hero. Most of his films are lost, but he worked with Buffalo Bill Cody. What about you?
One of the most popular early stars, Marie Prevost endured the wrath of Jack Warner who hounded her out of the business. Did her own dog eat her? No, Kenneth Anger, it did not.
Maurice Costello was the first star to receive fan mail, the first male heartthrob. Was he related to Lou Costello from Abbot and Costello? No. But he was the patriarch of one of Hollywood's most famous families of all time. Find out who... It's Drew Barrymore.
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Marion Davies is best remembered for being mistress to William Randolph Hearst, but she was an actress too. Listen to hear if she was any good...
Mary Miles Minter was a silent era star who gave it all up. She was implicated in the murder of William Desmond Taylor but not really involved. Or was she? listen to find out that she wasn't.
Bobby Harron was a young star of the Silent Era. He was in over 200 pictures, including many by D.W. Griffith. Did he shoot himself in the chest or did it fall and go off? You make the call...
Courtland Dines was shot by Mabel Normand's chauffer after a night of partying with Edna Purviance. Was it a love triangle? No, I don't think it was. But Courtland Dines did get shot and Joe Kelly aka Horace Greer did it.
Larry Semon was a popular comedian of the early 1920's, rivaling Chaplin. He directed and starred in the 1925 silent Wizard of Oz. Did he fake his death to avoid creditors? You'll have to listen. (I think he might've.)
Annette Kellerman was a swimming and diving champion who also did the first nude scene by a major star on screen. Not enough? She also invented the one piece bathing costume. There.
The Biograph girl. The first Movie Star whose name was known to the public. She was super popular even before Hollywood. Come with me to the 1910's, and listen.
Do you like gossip? Not as much as Hedda Hopper did. She was one of the first gossip columnists and called her house "the house that fear built." Check her out.
Mack Sennett was an actor, director, and studio owner who gave Chaplin, Arbuckle and many others their start. Who or what are the Keystone Kops? Well, listen.
She was one of the biggest stars in the world in the early days of Hollywood. She was also the first woman to die at the height of her popularity. Find out what happened by listening.
By 1930, the majority of films were "Talkies". Was it an easy transition? No. What happened? Find out in around 15 minutes.
Valentino was the first male sex symbol. He was a Latin Lover from Italy. What was a taxi dancer? listen.
She was the first Femme Fatale on film. She worked exclusively in silent film. Most of her stuff has been lost, but her fame remains. Listen up folks. She was Cleopatra.
A print interview I did about the show. I figured I'd post it here. The link no longer works, but here it is for you, to read. Please check it out. New episode coming in a day or two. Always. Or a week or two.
When did you first start listening to podcasts and what was/were the first podcast(s) that you listened to? In 2005, I heard about podcasts. I discovered a show called Fanboy Radio and it piqued my interest. The first podcast I actually listened to was Comic Geek Speak. I had heard about Ricky Gervais, and about podcasts but did not know where to find them. I downloaded the Yahoo Podcatcher, which was a big unwieldy thing that took over my computer. Once I learned how I-tunes worked, I was hooked.
What are some of your current favorite podcasts that you listen to and why?
I am a huge comedy nerd, as well as an Anglophile. So I listen to tons of comedy, plus a bunch of soccer shows from the UK. I listen to most of the Earwolf shows. Comedy Bang Bang, etc. Kevin Smith’s Smodcast is great. It’s usually a sort of fluid list. I’m always looking for something new to check out, but I’m kind of picky. Since it is soccer season currently, I listen to the football shows from the UK first. BBC 606 is the best, it is a phone in show with opinions from fans instead of pundits. The BBC shows, most British shows, are the only ones that originate as radio shows first. Mostly I stick with strictly podcasts. Here’s my list: Uhh Yeah Dude, The Dollop, Doug Loves Movies, Football Weekly, I Was There Too, Greg Proops Film Club, 5 live World Football Phone-in, Hollywood Babylon, Monday Morning Podcast, 606 Football Phone in, Spontaneanation, 5 live Football Daily, Mysteries Abound, Improv4Humans, Stuff You Should Know, Who Charted, Second Captains, WTF, Danny Baker Show, Smodcast, Dead Authors, How Did This Get Made, The Bugle, Comedy Bang Bang, 7 Day Saturday, Steve Austin Show, The Smartest Man in the World, Useless Information Podcast.
On what device(s) and app(s) do you listen to podcasts and why do you choose that/those device(s) and app(s)?
I download them on I-Tunes and listen on my I-phone. It used to be my I-pod shuffle, but since I got the phone, it’s all in one. I host my podcast on Podomatic.com which has a great free hosting service. Although, I am reaching my storage and bandwidth limits and will have to pay the Pro fee soon. I hear you can host free on Libsyn, or Google Drive, but I haven’t looked into any of that yet. I kind of podcast in a vacuum in that I don’t know anyone else who does it or could offer tips, so I plug along as I can.
When and why did you decide to become a podcaster?
I did my first podcast in late 2005. It was called Gabe’s Superhero Show, then my wife and I did Comics and More with Gabe and Mandy. Superhero Show went 13 episodes and then my daughter was born and I had no time to podcast. Comics and More was just a couple of episodes, my wife wasn’t really into it. It took several years to get into it again with Hollywood Scandals of Yesteryear, and I’m at episode 16, trying to stay on a regular schedule. I was just captivated by the medium, and felt the need to broadcast about something. Anything.
As a podcaster, do you have any influences (they don't have to be from the podcasting world)?
Kevin Smith was and is a huge influence. He is always professing his love of podcasting and suggesting people record their own shows about the things that they are passionate about. Beyond that, all of the podcasters that I listen to influence me in various ways, to try to be funny, or interesting, or keep it short, etc. The guys who do solo podcasts, like Bill Burr, Greg Proops, etc. I am not comparing myself to either of these great talents, but I aspire to do an interesting show on my own. No one wants to listen to me blather on for an hour or more, but these guys can do a stream of consciousness show that is entertaining, interesting, and informative as (continued)
Was Max Schreck a real vampire? Of course not, silly. But Director FW Murnau's head really was stolen. Listen to hear things.
Martha Mansfield was an up and coming actress when tragedy struck. Her dress caught fire on set and she died. Peg Entwistle was a stage star who turned to suicide when her movie career did not take off. She jumped from the H in the Hollywoodland sign. Listen as we profile both in under 20! Image is Martha with John Barrymore in her last picture.
Too many rumors surrounded It Girl, Clara Bow. She wasn't as wild as they all claimed, was she? Orgies, lesbianism, bestiality? No. But listen anyway.
The mysterious death of Thelma Todd in 1935 is investigated. Was it gangster, Lucky Luciano? Probably. So there it is, listen anyway.
Eureka! We've found them all! Not really, but several cool treasure troves of lost films have been found. Check the rediscovered films' stories.
It's been estimated that up to 90% of silent films have been lost, as well as up to half of all talking films up to 1950. It's terrible, some people's entire body of work has disappeared.
The Big Five, the Little three, and Poverty Row. A little taste of early movie studios in under 20 minutes.
Half of Hollywood's first Celebrity Couple, "King of Hollywood", first hand and footprints in front of Grauman's Theater, Founded the Motion Picture Academy, Host of the first Oscars, and practically invented the costumed hero genre of films. Plus, did all his own stunts. Any questions? My new personal hero, Douglas Fairbanks was the man. twitter: @grusso1971 www.facebook.com/gaberussoart www.facebook.com/hollywoodscandalsofyesteryear
Mabel Normand was co-star of the first feature length comedy (with Chaplin), and lived a tumultuous life. The last person to see William Desmond Taylor alive is one of the scandals. Listen for the whole shebang!
Barbara Lamarr, "the girl who was too beautiful" starred in 30 pictures, wrote screenplays, and danced on broadway. Heroin and alcohol led to tuburculosis and death at 29 in 1926.
Thomas Ince, one of the biggest names in early Hollywood dies mysteriously aboard a yacht owned by newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst. Charlie Chaplin was there as well, listen to the sordid tale.
The first big drug scandal in young Hollywood, Wallace Reid dies in January of 1923. The movie studio hooked him and used him up.
The unsolved murder of Director, William Desmond Taylor in 1922. Note This is the re-recorded version. No irritating music while I talk. Just me irritating you.
1921 Fatty Arbuckle is put on trial for the rape and murder of Virginia Rappe. What happened? we'll see.
We take a look at the Hollywood of 1915-ish and the silent era in general. Back to the scandals next time with Fatty Arbuckle. please leave a comment here and on facebook.
The story of silent film star Olive Thomas.
Note It is mentioned that the house where Sharon Tate was murdered is the same house that William Desmond Taylor lived. This is not true and I am sorry for any confusion or anger this statement has caused. The podcast will endeavor to have no further mistakes in facts, only in delivery.