rected in between Cabin in the Sky and Meet Me In St Louis, so we went back in time a little bit for 1943's I Dood It. Well, you saw Red Skelton's mug on the cover image, that means there's only one guest who can cover this movie adequately, and that's John Cassaro, who produces music under the name Journeyman John Baker, find his work where ever you find music.

But wait, there's so much more reason to cover this film. It is the final MGM starring role of the luminous Eleanor Powell. Hazel Scott and Lena Horne both perform an incredible specialty number, and this film begins the reign of Kay Thompson at MGM.

We talk about all this along with Buster Keaton's love for Red Skelton, Arthur Freed's shadow producer at MGM and the modern state of the kissing booth.

It's chock-full of important vitamins this week!

Texts Referenced:

Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood's Dark Dreamer by Emanuel Levy

A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli by Mark Griffin

Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin

Lena Horne: In Person as told to Helen Arstein & Carlton Moss

Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Lefin

Camera Man by Dana Stevens

Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life by James Curtis

People Will Talk by John Kobal

Red Skelton: The Mask Behind the Mask by Wes Gehring

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Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Ephemera 11: I Dood It (with John Cassarro)

We watched the first, so here's the last ever Betty Comden and Adolph Green movie, and what a movie. What A Way To Go is more movie than any eight films you can name. We have everything, stars, glittering gowns, sex appeal, gigantic sets, musical numbers. This movie doesn't miss a trick....

Except it misses them all. Here it is, one of the quietest gigantic successes Hollywood ever had, a movie no one likes talking about, for to say its name invokes its power. How did a project with so many great people behind it go so horribly wrong?

Well, as like always, we're going to talk about it.

Texts Referenced:

They Made Us Happy: Betty Comden & Adolph Green's Musicals and Movies by Andy Propst

Gene Kelly: The Making of a Creative Legend by Earl J Hess and Pratibha A Dabholkar

He's Got Rhythm: The Life and Career of Gene Kelly by Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson

My Lucky Stars: A Hollywood Memoir by Shirley MacLaine

Ephemera 17: What A Way To Go

A podcast examining the films of the Arthur Freed unit through the lens of two people who should know better.

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Ephemera 17: What A Way To Go

Escapades Through the Dream Factory

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