Escapades are back, you know, from their other escapades. This week, we're breaking down one of the best films ever (somewhat) produced by Arthur Freed. That's right, we're taking a good hard look at Good News.

So, this episode is long on the art of adaptation. The production team behind this movie took a fine but boring campus comedy and made it something great, much more than the sum of its parts. How did they do that? Well, it turns out we have a podcast to recommend you.

That's right, this week we bring you a breakdown of what must be considered the greatest college musical ever made, unless there's a better one we haven't seen. We have good news, and it's Good News.

(Warning: There are a lot of jokes about the title in this episode. We removed as many as we could. There are still a lot.)

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin

Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door by Hugh Martin

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips

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

Peter Lawford: The Man Who Kept the Secrets by James Spada

The Peter Lawford Story by Patricia Lawford Stewart and Ted Schwarz

June Allyson by June Allyson and Frances Spatz Leighton

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 18.2: Good News

Lanta, Jesse Cole, Inspirations, Killxve, Japanese-Ambient, Jid Type Beat ----, Krantz, Must Die, Instrumentaldance, Kosh, Instrumentaldrill, Jemalee, John Popi, It”., Iranian Women, Ishq-E-Nabi, Lextypebeat, Jordymone-, Mangus, Matt Dawson, Lafawndah, Jonasbrothersnewalbum, Lian Gold & Erika Krall, Martin Magal, Anartist, Irina Barros, Jagc, Manizales, Loveland, Kız, Mat Moebius,  Sag-Aftra,, Inlfrgmh, Merypaastumho, Kensho, Jenny Hval, John Lewis, Notaplayeranymore, Jamesbaldwin, K.I.Z.

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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

Beesknees, Boystomen, Aruba,Australia,, Alejandrofonseca, Allylotti, Andrés Nicolás, Alkafm, Başkomutan, Ajit, Candidate. According, Alimentationacne, Atteindre, Arealstory, Borden, David Carradine, Alex`S List, Ardko, Career Tips, Avez-Vous, Alphaarmor, Alternaive , Battle-Tested, Atella, Al-Ankabut, Amazingly, Akzenth , Ambientliterature,, Amadmusic, Anaasa,  Avlrock, Another Ta, Akinaspeedstars, Anitfan, Backpack Rap, Basedgod, Anaseedman, Akkhep, Amen,

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Hey ho, it's us, back again with another exciting installment of Hollywood history, one of the most famous bombs of the Freed Unit, 1948's Summer Holiday. This one is for all you Rooney heads out there, we know you've had a hankering for the Mickster. We go deep on his post-war fall from being one of the biggest stars in the world to becoming the show-biz survivor who stayed in the industry for a mouth-watering 87 years.

We also go into what makes this movie such an outlier in the unit, the participation of Rouben Mamoulian. For one of the vanishingly few times in the unit, Summer Holiday is a auteurist work, with very little interference from the MGM machine. We talk about why Mamoulian earned and deserved such hands off treatment.

What more could you want in a podcast? All that, and we have the great Sebastian Figueroa in to chat about the state of modern film.

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney by William J Birnes and Richard A Lertzman

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips

Mamoulian by Tom Milne

Mamoulian: Life On Stage And Screen by David Lurhssen

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 19.1: Summer Holiday (with Sebastian Figueroa)

It's Halloween next week, so we thought we'd break format for a little bit of a spooky treat, Mickey Rooney's most famous foray into horror cinema, the straight to video Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker. Is Mickey that toymaker, or is he the toy? You'll have to listen to us to find out.

Or watch the movie. Oddly, this is also one of the most available movies we've ever covered.

Also, it's a really good movie. Everyone had a really good time, and as we end our era covering the man, it's nice that Rooney could give us one that leaves us feeling good.

Bonus 2: Silent Night Deadly Night 5

Thank God, spooky season is over, because it's just in time to get back to our episode with Sebastian Figueroa already in progress! That's right, we return with part two of our discussion of 1948's Summer Holiday, the most autumnal Summer Holiday on record. 

That's right, we're here to discuss the ins and outs of this highly underrated film. We've got a cast almost completely made up of people who can't sing, but can really, really act, and sometimes that's more than enough. Marvel at Walter Huston's incredible dad act. Take in the delights of Frank Morgan's drunk with a heart of gold. Savor one last Mickey Rooney juvenile before he disappears. Boy, this movie sure has everything.

All of this, and yet another form of old timey transportation being enshrined in song by the unit. What more could you possibly ask for?

Please don't ask for too much more, we're going to be honest with you, this is what we've got this week.

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney by William J Birnes and Richard A Lertzman

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips

Mamoulian by Tom Milne

Mamoulian: Life On Stage And Screen by David Lurhssen

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 19.2: Summer Holiday (with Sebastian Figueroa)

After our brief Holiday absence, Escapades is back with another one of our excursions into works more popular than the films we normally cover. This week, 1944's definitional film noir, Laura.

Join us as we talk all about this truly great film, Hollywood representations of queerness, and what it means for a film to be not only outside of the Freed Unit, but outside MGM all together. Then we talk about Otto Preminger's extra curricular activities. Sometimes you play the hits.

This week on the podcast, more noir moodiness than you can shake a stick at. Don't worry, the singing and dancing will continue apace shortly, with our episodes on the Pirate.

Texts referenced:

Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews by Carl Rollyson

Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King by Foster Mirsch

Mamoulian by Tom Milne

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Ephemera 18: Laura

It's time to get serious. This week, we're back to talking about one of the classic films of the unit, 1948's The Pirate. Join Harry and Angela as we talk about this behemoth of a movie, along with long digressions about its fatal flaw, which is the notable lack of any pirates entering during its runtime. There are no pirates in the Pirate. What a terrible decision.

We also find time to discuss the wandering providence of this script, the developing changes to the Hollywood studio system and the beginning of the blacklist, but seriously, you couldn't have a single pirate ship? Or a parrot? Nothing?

All this and little else, this week on Escapades.

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

People Will Talk by John Kobal

Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin

Get Happy: The Life and Times of Judy Garland by Gerald Clark

Judy Garland: a Biography by Anne Edwards

Judy Garland: The Day to Day Chronicle of a Legend by Scott Schecter


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

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

Cole Porter by William McBrien

The Genius of the System by Thomas Schatz

The Cinematic Voyage of The Pirate by Pratibha A Dabholkar and Earl J Hess

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 20.1: The Pirate

Welcome back to our second episode of the classic film The Pirate. The most expensive film ever produced by the Freed unit, and one of its most troubled productions. As always, there's a lot to talk about.

Whether it's Cole Porter's antipathy to the product, Judy Garland's antipathy to the production or Gene Kelly and Vincente Minnelli's professional sympathies, everything seemed to happen on this movie. Join us for a celebration of big sets, big musical numbers and truly titanic acting. Walter Slezak, we see you and appreciate you.

The Pirate, it's a really good one.
 
Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

People Will Talk by John Kobal

Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin

Get Happy: The Life and Times of Judy Garland by Gerald Clark

Judy Garland: a Biography by Anne Edwards

Judy Garland: The Day to Day Chronicle of a Legend by Scott Schecter

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

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

Cole Porter by William McBrien

The Genius of the System by Thomas Schatz

The Cinematic Voyage of The Pirate by Pratibha A Dabholkar and Earl J Hess

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 20.2: The Pirate

We return to Ephemera for the rollicking good time that is 1948's version of The Three Musketeers. Get ready for incredible acrobatics and deeply mediocre sword fighting. All that and a celebration of the cavalcade of players that we here on the podcast deeply love. We've got Van Heflin emoting, Vincent Price slavering, Frank Morgan prevaricating. All of our favorites, giving us exactly what they do best.

We also have the return of June Allyson and Angela Lansbury, who we are happy to see, but, let's be frank, The Three Musketeers is a property that underserves its female performers. Lana Turner does break herself off a piece, however.

Join us for what has to be the single most American version of this story, disregarding the hundred other versions out there.

Texts Referenced:

Just Making Movies by Ronald L Davis

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

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Ephemera 19: The Three Musketeers

It's almost seasonally appropriate! 

We're here to talk today about the film Easter Parade, the newest in a continuing series of Arthur Freed films about Vaudeville in the 1910's. It's not our first. It's definitely not our last. Is it our greatest?

Whatever the answer, Easter Parade does give us a chance to talk about the man behind its music, perhaps the most important songwriter of the era, Irving Berlin. Let's look at the man behind such hits as Sadie Salome, Go Home and You Can't Stay Up on Bevo. 

We have a whale of a time, go listen!

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

Get Happy: The Life and Times of Judy Garland by Gerald Clark

Judy Garland: a Biography by Anne Edwards

Judy Garland: The Day to Day Chronicle of a Legend by Scott Schecter

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

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

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips

Puttin' On the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache by Peter Levinson

Steps In Time by Fred Astaire

As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin by Laurence Bergreen

Irving Berlin's American Musical Theater by Jeffery Magee

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 21.1: Easter Parade

It's like we never left!

Harry and John proceed to wrap up their discussion of Easter Parade, one of the most successful screen musicals of the Classical Hollywood era. It's a wide ranging discussion of exquisite hats, precision choreography, even when you're not supposed to notice and lighter than air light comic acting. All that and extra Irving Berlin, too! Eight (seven) brand new (old, repurposed) songs!

All that, and we get the return of the specialty entertainer, the return of Jeni Le Gon (you remember her, the Sping), and the return of getting to discuss vaudeville in the early 1900s. So, so many, many happy returns.

It's an Escapade! It'd have to be, otherwise we'd change the name!

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

Get Happy: The Life and Times of Judy Garland by Gerald Clark

Judy Garland: a Biography by Anne Edwards

Judy Garland: The Day to Day Chronicle of a Legend by Scott Schecter

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

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

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips

Puttin' On the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache by Peter Levinson

Steps In Time by Fred Astaire

As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin by Laurence Bergreen

Irving Berlin's American Musical Theater by Jeffery Magee

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 21.2: Easter Parade

We're back, with a long sad goodbye to the two talents that made this unit, one of the most personally insulting movies ever foisted upon its actors, 1948's Words and Music.

Wait! Don't go! Please? There's still fun and frolic to be had! In this first episode, we get to talk about the life story of the two geniuses that are nominally the subject of the film. That's right, we're talking Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. Who knows, the boys themselves might show up for a little cameo.

That's a promise, actually. Give us a listen. Two full hours of entertainment for your delectation, and an extra ten minutes in the bargain!

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

Get Happy: The Life and Times of Judy Garland by Gerald Clark

Judy Garland: a Biography by Anne Edwards

Judy Garland: The Day to Day Chronicle of a Legend by Scott Schecter

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

The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney by William J Birnes and Richard A Lertzman

Elvis' Favorite Director: The Amazing 52 Year Career of Norman Taurog by Michael A Hoey

Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin

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

We'll Have Manhattan by Dominic Symonds

Richard Rodgers by Geoffrey Block

The Richard Rodgers Reader by Geoffrey Block

Musical Stages by Richard Rodgers

A Ship Without a Sail Gary Marmorstein

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 22.1: Words and Music

Welcome back to the incredible false story of Rodgers and Hart! That's right, we're finishing our discussion of 1948's nominal biopic, Words and Music. Harry and John get into every nook and cranny of this particular picture, down to the fact that literally no one involved actually wanted to be. It's punishment the movie!

But it's also more than that, because nothing that involves the Rodgers and Hart songbook can be completely terrible. Come for one of Mickey Rooney's most interesting adult performances! Come for one of Gene Kelly's greatest dance sequences! Come for Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen and Perry Como!

Mostly, come for one last ride. It's the final MGM film starring Mickey and Judy, it's our final chance (barring a bonus) to talk about these two legendary performers giving their all in a film and an industry that didn't deserve them.

It's Escapades! Sometimes it's a little sad!

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

Get Happy: The Life and Times of Judy Garland by Gerald Clark

Judy Garland: a Biography by Anne Edwards

Judy Garland: The Day to Day Chronicle of a Legend by Scott Schecter

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

The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney by William J Birnes and Richard A Lertzman

Elvis' Favorite Director: The Amazing 52 Year Career of Norman Taurog by Michael A Hoey

Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin

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

We'll Have Manhattan by Dominic Symonds

Richard Rodgers by Geoffrey Block

The Richard Rodgers Reader by Geoffrey Block

Musical Stages by Richard Rodgers

A Ship Without a Sail Gary Marmorstein

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 22.2: Words and Music

We've finally reached it, our final Mickey and Judy episode, examining one of the great artifacts of the television era, the first episode of the Judy Garland Show, with special guest, Mickey Rooney.

In order to talk about this one last meeting of the masters, we've brought back our own very special guest, that's right, it's the return of people's favorite, Michael Edward Moseley. Please, join us as we appreciate our favorites giving us what they did best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPaqeVM4zMo&t=2s

Texts Referenced:

The Other Side of the Rainbow With Judy Garland On the Dawn Patrol by Mel Torme

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Ephemera 21: Mickey and Judy's Last Ride (with Michael Moseley)

And we're back! Join Harry and Angela for our most sports centric episode ever. That being said, if you know anything about sports, maybe don't listen, because we are officially clueless in this particular field. Or maybe scratch that. Maybe the entertainment is in watching us fumble about in the dark about America's past time.

Despite all that, come for the comradery and fellow feeling, stay for the random screaming of Angela's new cat. We got rid of most of it, but there's still cat in there!

Episode 23.1: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Welcome to our triumphant return to a movie that is...less than triumphant. It's 1949's Take Me Out to the Ball Game, a successful film that most people involved would rather forget.

However, there's still interesting stuff here! We have Busby Berkeley's last credited directorial effort. We have what might be Frank Sinatra's queerest performance. We even have Esther Williams! Sort of. Less so than you'd think. We have all of that, and we're only one podcast.

Texts Referenced:

The World of Entertainment by Hugh Fordin

Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Times of Louie B Mayer by Scott Eyman

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

Buzz: the Life and Art of Busby Berkeley by Jeffery Spivak

Dancing On The Ceiling: Stanley Donen and His Movies by Stephen M Silverman

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

Baseball: The Early Years by Harold Seymour and Dorothy Seymour Mills

Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan

The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography by Esther Williams and Digby Diehl

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @adreamescapade

Write us a letter: adreamescapade@gmail.com

Intro theme performed by Journeyman John Baker (@pos1)

Episode 23.2: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

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

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