From Beneath the Hollywood Sign

EPISODE 129 -  “FRANK LOVEJOY: CLASSIC CINEMA STAR OF THE MONTH” - 3/02/2026 

I think many people know that one of our favorite films is In a Lonely Place (1950). Directed by NICHOLAS RAY, this film noir is the tragic story of a love affair unraveling at the hands of doubt and distrust. It stars HUMPHREY BOGART and GLORIA GRAHAME in roles that would be career-defining. However, adding quiet strength to the film is FRANK LOVEJOY, who played Brub Nicolai, Bogart’s ex-army buddy turned private investigator. In the film, Lovejoy is not flashy, nor does he attempt to steal scenes, but he is so solid, so decent — he becomes the moral compass and Greek Chorus that helps define the narrative. What was so wonderful about Lovejoy was just how ordinary he was. He was Everyman. Square-jawed, no-nonsense, he looked like your Dad, or your uncle, or your local butcher. He wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but he brought such humanity and decency to every role he performed. You may not know his name, but you certainly know his face. So this week, we are going to dive into the life and career of FRANK LOVEJOY, an unsung hero of classic cinema, and our Star of the Month

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Black Bart (1948), starring Yvonne DeCarlo & Dan Duryea;

Home of the Brave (1949), starring James Edwards & Lloyd Bridges;

In A Lonely Place (1950), starring Humphrey Bogart & Gloria Grahame;

South Sea Sinner (1950), starring MacDonald Carey & Shelley Winters;

Three Secrets (1950), starring Eleanor Parker, Patricia Neal, and Ruth Roman;

Breakthrough (1950), starring John Agar & David Brian; 

The Sound of Fury (1950), starring Frank Lovejoy, Kathleen Ryan, & Richard Carlson’

Goodbye My Fancy (1951), starring Joan Crawford & Robert Young;

Force of Arms (1951), starring Wiliam Holden & Nancy Olson;

I’ll See You In My Dreams (1951), starring Doris Day & Danny Thomas;

Starlift (1951), starring Gary Cooper & Doris Day;

I Was A Communist For The FBI (1951), starring Frank Lovejoy & Dorothy Hart;

Retreat, Hell! (1952), starring Frank Lovejoy & Richard Carlson;

The Winning Team (1952), starring Ronald Reagan & Doris Day;

The Hitchhiker (1953), starring Frank Lovejoy & Edmond O’Brien;

House of Wax (1953), starring Vincent Price & Carolyn Jones;

The Charge of Feather River (1953), starring Guy Madison & Vera Miles;

The Americano (1955), starring Glenn Ford & Cesar Romero;

Strategic Air Command (1955), starring James Stewart & June Allyson;

The Finger Man (1955), starring Frank Lovejoy & Forrest Tucker;

Shack Out on 101 (1955), starring Frank Lovejoy & Terry Moore;

The Crooked Web (1955), starring Frank Lovejoy & Richard Denning;

Three Brave Men (1956), starring Ray Milland, Ernest Borgnine, & Frank Lovejoy;

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“THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF THELMA TODD – A CHAT WITH SANDY ADOMAITIS” - 2/23/2026  (128)

On this week’s riveting episode, we dive into the tragic and mysterious 1935 death of beloved Hollywood comedienne THELMA TODD, weaving together the glamour and shadowy intrigue of early Tinseltown with the unsolved questions that have gripped fans for nearly a century. The conversation is elevated by their guest, SANDY ADOMAITIS — creator of The Writer’s Hangout podcast — whose keen insight, deep research, and passion for storytelling help illuminate both the documented facts and the many enduring theories behind Todd’s final hours. Together they explore the actress’s dazzling rise, her business ventures, the conflicting testimonies surrounding her last night, and the enduring debates over whether her death was a tragic accident or something more sinister, creating a nuanced portrait of a Hollywood legend whose death remains an enduring mystery.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Testimony of a Death: Thelma Todd - Mystery, Media, and Myth in 1935 Los Angeles (2016), by Marshall Croddy & Patrick Jenning;

“An Eternal Hollywood Mystery, Wrapped I’m Mink and Fog, Survives the Fires,” January 30, 2026, by Greer Sinclair, Vanity Fair;

“Classic Hollywood’s Greatest Female Comedy Team Still Packs a Punch,” November 23,, 2018, by Donald Liebenson, 

“Thelma Todd’s Tragedy: The Forgotten Life of the Original Celebrity Restaurateur,” October 8, 2014, by Hadley Meares, PBS.com;

“A Mystery Revisited,” May 29, 2002, by Robert W. Welkos, Los Angeles Times;

“Body of Thelma Todd Found in Death Riddle,” Dec. 17, 1935, Los Angeles Times;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

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EPISODE 127 -  “HOLLYWOOD FIGHTS BACK: THE COMMITTEE FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT” - 2/16/2026 

On October 1st, a group of entertainment professionals—led by iconic actress and activist JANE FONDA—relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment. They did so in response to what they see as troubling actions by the current government, including renewed efforts to silence critics across government, media, the courts, universities, and the entertainment industry. The group is standing up for free speech and creative expression, believing that the right to criticize, question, protest—and even poke fun at those in power—is central to what America has always aimed to be.This isn’t the first time Hollywood has come together to push back against the federal government for violating the Constitution. Back in 1947, the fear of communism sent the government into a frenzy. In an effort to root out so-called “commies,” officials went after elected leaders, government workers, professors, and artists. Many were blacklisted, harassed, silenced, and even jailed because of their political beliefs. To counter this, a group of actors, writers, producers, and directors formed the Committee for the First Amendment, an advocacy group to fight these Hollywood blacklisting, during what would turn out to be a very dark and shameful chapter in American history. This week, we dive into the Committee for the First Amendment, how it started, what it stood for, and why it’s still relevant today.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Show Trial: Hollywood HUAC, and the Birth of the Blacklist (2018), by Thomas Doherty;

Hollywood on Trial: McCarthyism’s War Against the Movies (2007), by Michael Freeland;

Tender Comrades (1997), by Patrick McGilligan & Paul Buhle;

Red Scare: The Memories of the American Inquisition (1995), by Griffen Fariello;

The Way We Wore (1993), by Marsha Hunt;

Witch Hunt: The Revival of Heresy (1950), by Carey McWilliams;

“When Hayden Named Names,” May 3, 2023, by Larry Clinton, SausalitoHistoricalSociety.com

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

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EPISODE 126 -  “THE WESTMORE DYNASTY: MAKE-UP TO THE STARS AND BEYOND” - 2/09/2026 

Hollywood loves dynasties—acting families, directing families, producing families—but one of the most powerful dynasties in film history didn’t appear on screen at all. And it’s one of the rare family dynasties that began in silent films and continues working in film and TV to this very day: THE WESTMORE FAMILY.  

The Westmores were the architects of illusion and the sculptors of stardom. From the pioneering vision of GEORGE WESTMORE who laid the foundations of cinematic makeup, to the extraordinary careers of his six sons, this family transformed faces into movie stars and shifted the culture of how women thought of and accepted the use of makeup in every day life.  Their techniques, philosophies, and innovations continue to influence how we see characters on screen today—often without even realizing it.  Join us as we spend time with The Westmore Dynasty: Hollywood’s ‘First Family’ of makeup.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Makeup Man: From Rocky to Star Trek The Amazing Creations of Hollywood’s Michael Westmore (2017), by Michael Westmore and Jake Page;

The Westmores of Hollywood (1976), by Frank Westmore and Murial Davidson;

“Putting on a Face for Hollywood,” April 12, 1991, by Carie J. Delmar, Los Angeles Times;

“Low-Down on Hollywood Make-up:  Five Brothers and Their Father, Ex-Clevelanders All, Have Film Stars Beating a Path to Their Door,” April 7, 1940, by Inez Wallace, Cleveland Plain Dealer;

www.westmoreland.com

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

In the Sultan's Power (1909);

The Three Musketeers (1921);

The Sheik (1921);

The Sea Beast (1926);

The King of Kings (1927);

It (1927);

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931);

Cimarron (1931);

Scarface (1932);

Lady by Choice (1934);

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935);

Anthony Adverse (1936);

Rhythm on the Range (1936);

The Life of Emile Zola (1937);

Elephant Boy (1937);

Jezebel (1938);

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938);

Professor Beware (1938);

Gone with the Wind (1939);

Intermezzo (1939);

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939);

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939);

Rebecca (1940);

The Strawberry Blonde (1941);

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948);

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954);

The Ten Commandments (1956);

The Mountain (1956);

My Geisha (1962);

Two for the Seesaw (1962);

Irma la Douce (1963);

Sweet Charity (1969);

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970);

There Was a Crooked Man (1970);

Soylent Green (1973);

The Towering Inferno (1974);

Rocky (1976);

Being There (1979);

Raging Bull (1980);

Mask (1985);

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EPISODE 125 -  “VIRGINIA MAYO: CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD STAR OF THE MONTH” - 2/02/2026 

One of the most glamorous actresses in old Hollywood undoubtedly was VIRGINIA MAYO. This peaches-and-cream, midwestern beauty started her career wrangling two men in a horse costume on stage before being discovered by producer SAMUEL GOLDWYN and transformed into a full-blown movie star. Often playing the fantasy girl to leading men like BOB HOPE and DANNY KAYE, her beauty sometimes made people miss the fact that she was a very capable actress — particularly when she played bad girls in films like “The Best Years of Our Lives” and “White Heat.” She was very adept at light comedy, romance films, and drama, appearing in over 50 feature films and many television shows throughout her career. And tune in to find out about Steve’s connection to this old Hollywood glamour girl as we celebrate Mayo as our February Star of the Month.  

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

The Best Years of My Life (2001), by Virginia Mayo, as told to LC Van Savage;

The Forties Gals (1980), by James Robert Parish & Don E. Stanke;

“Virginia Mayo’s 100th Birthday,” November 30, 2020, by Vanessa Varquez, www.ashroudofthoughts.com;

“Virginia Mayo, 84, Stunning Actress of 1940s Romantic Films,” January 19, 2005, Los Angeles Times;

Virginia Mayo, Movie Actress, Dies at 84,” January 18, 2005, by Richard Severo, New York Times;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Follies Girls (1943), starring Wendy Barrie;

Up In Arms (1944), starring Danny Kaye & Constance Dowling;

Jack London (1943), starring Michael O’Shea;

Seven Days Ashore (1944), starring Wally Brown;

The Princess and the Pirate (1944), starring Bob Hope & Virginia Mayo;

Wonder Man (1945), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, & Vera Ellen;

The Kid From Brooklyn (1946), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera Ellen & Steve Cochran;

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff & Ann Rutherford;

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews & Teresa Wright;

A Song Is Born (1948), starring Danny Kaye & Virginia Mayo;

Smart Girls Don’t Talk  (1948), starring Bruce Bennett & Virginia Mayo;

Flaxy Martin (1949), starring Virginia Mayo & Zachary Scott;

Colorado Territory (1948), starring Joel McCrea & Virginia Mayo;

White Heat (1949), starring James Cagney & Virginia Mayo;

Red Light (1949), starring George Brent & Virginia Mayo;

Always Leave Them Laughing (1949), starring Milton Berle, Virgina Mayo & Ruth Roman;

Backfire (1950), starring Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo & Edmond O’Brien;

The Flame and the Arrow (1950), starring Burt Lancaster & Virginia Mayo;

The West Point Story (1950), starring James Cagney & Virginia Mayo;

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), starring Gregory Peck & Virginia Mayo;

She’s Working Her Way Though College (1952), starring Ronald Reagan & Virginia Mayo;

South Sea Woman (1953), starring Burt Lancaster & Virginia Mayo;  

Pearl of the Pacific (1955), starring Dennis Morgan & Virginia Mayo;

The Silver Chalice (1954), starring Paul Newman, Virgina Mayo * Pier Angeli;

Congo Crossing (1956), starring Virginia Mayo & George Nadar;

The Big Land (1957), starring Alan Ladd & Virginia Mayo;

The Story of Mankind (1957), starring Vincent Price, Ronald Colman & Peter Lorre;

Young Fury (1965), starring Rory Calhoun & Virginia Mayo;

Castle of Evil (1966), starring Scott Brady & Virginia Mayo;

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), starring Bruce Dern & Madelyn Kahn;

Hunted (1977), starring Aldo Ray;

French Quarter (1978); starring Bruce Davison;

The Man Next Door (1997); starring Karen Carlson;

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