Stars of the Golden Age: An Old Hollywood Podcast

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Dick Van Dyke : In celebration of his 100th birthday, this episode dives into the long, remarkable life of this one-of-a-kind TV and film legend. He gave the world iconic beloved characters, and he is a role model for positivity and humanitarianism. 100 years of greatness, and he doesn't seem to be ready to stop quite yet. Happy Birthday, Dick Van Dyke! BONUS CONTENT: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast Episode Sources: Dick Van Dyke: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business, A Memoir by Dick Van Dyke; Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore: The Premiere Sitcom Stars of the 60s and 70s by Charles River Editors; an article from People Magazine by Carly Tagen-Dye and Liz McNeil from November 26, 2025; IMDB Image Source : IMDB Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Edward G. Robinson: A tough guy on the silver screen but a surprisingly different character in his real life. He immigrated to the land of dreams at the turn of the century, and he succeeded at making those big dreams come true. Best yet, he used his success to help others. BONUS CONTENT: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast Episode Sources: A book titled Legends of Hollywood: The Life and Legacy of Edward G. Robinson by Charles River Editors; an article from the Library of Congress titled Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History: The Lower East Side; an article from the USO from March 12, 2015, titled Everyone’s Favorite Gangster; an article from the New York Times from January 27, 1973; an interview with Tony Thomas from 1964; IMDB Image Source: IMDB Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Jeanne Crain: A beloved presence on the silver screen in the 1940s and 1950s, Jeanne Crain brought joy to millions. But behind the scenes, her life was often filled with heartache and tragedy. She may have had one of Hollywood's longest-lasting marriages, but that doesn't mean it was easy. Listen now to hear all about it! BONUS CONTENT: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Episode Sources: A book titled Girl Next Door: The Life and Career of Jeanne Crain by Rupert Alistair; IMDB Image Source: IMDB Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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George Burns: Together with his soul mate, Gracie Allen, George Burns provided the world with decades of laughs. He entertained audiences from the age of 7 to 100. The best years of his life and career were spent alongside his comedy partner and wife, Gracie. Their brand of humor and chemistry was beloved by everyone who heard or saw them. They worked their way up the vaudeville circuit, they did radio, they did television, and they did movies. This is a story of strength, endurance, determination, positivity, humor, and most of all... love. BONUS CONTENT: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Episode Sources: All My Best Friends by George Burns; Gracie: A Love Story by George Burns; A Conversation with George Burns from1989; The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of George Burns from 1978; an article from The University of Arizona titled George Burns and Gracie Allen: Vaudeville’s Greatest Comic Duo by David Soren; IMDB Image Source: IMDB Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Thelma Todd (Part Two:) She was one half of one of the funniest comedy duos of the early 1930s and the positive energy behind Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe. She was beautiful, unique, funny, and kind. But she endured unimaginable tragedy in her life, too. Please visit PART ONE before indulging in this episode, where you will hear about her early life, her road to stardom, her film career, and her romances. In this episode, you will hear about her life as a proud restauranteur, her tragic death, and the circumstances and theories surrounding it. And, of course, the legacy she left behind. SUPPORT THE SHOW & Receive Bonus Content: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast Episode Sources: A book titled The Ice Cream Blonde: The Whirlwind Life and Mysterious Death of Screwball Thelma Todd by Michelle Morgan; a book titled Testimony of a Death: Thelma Todd: Mystery, Media, and Myth in 1935 Los Angeles by Marshall Croddy and Patrick Jenning; an article from the New York Times from December 18, 1935; an article from PBS by Hadley Meares from October 8, 2014; Dawe’s Kakaput Store on Ebay; IMDB Image Source: IMDB Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Thelma Todd (Part One:) She was one half of one of the funniest comedy duos of the early 1930s. She was beautiful, unique, funny, and kind. But she endured unimaginable tragedy in her life, too. In this episode, you will hear about her early life, her road to stardom, her film career, and her romances. In part two, you will hear about her life as a proud restauranteur, her tragic death, and the circumstances and theories surrounding it. And, of course, the legacy she left behind. SUPPORT THE SHOW & Receive Bonus Content: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast Episode Sources: My primary source for this episode was the book The Ice Cream Blonde: The Whirlwind Life and Mysterious Death of Screwball Thelma Todd by Michelle Morgan; an article from PBS by Hadley Meares from October 8, 2014; IMDB Image Source: IMDB Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Boris Karloff: The original Monster of Frankenstein! He departed from the path his family wanted for his life and set forth into the world of acting. But it wouldn't be until he was in his 40s when he saw success and fame. He never lost faith in his dreams, and as a result he went down as one of the most iconic horror stars of all time. SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast Episode Sources: A book titled Boris Karloff: The Biography by Brian Schell; a documentary titled Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster by Thomas Hamilton and Ron MacCloskey; an article on the Monsters of Makeup website by Luke Munson from November 12, 2020 at monstersofmakeup.com; IMDB Image Source: IMDB https://www.podpage.com/stars-of-the-golden-age/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Bea Arthur: She built a very successful theater career and transitioned to television in the 1970s and 1980s, starring in two of the most popular shows of those decades... Maude and The Golden Girls. Her talent was strong and her heart was big, and that showed in her generous advocacy work. BONUS CONTENT: https://patreon.com/StarsoftheGoldenAgePodcast Episode Sources: Lifetime Intimate Portrait of Bea Arthur from 2002; an article from the Reserve & National Guard Magazine by Kari Williams from 2021; an article from Biography by Sara Kettler from March 16, 2020; an article from the New York Post by Barbara Hoffman from January 28, 2002 Image Source: IMDB/Wikipedia Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy