About this episode
It is a time of change at RKO. Val Lewton's horror movie unit is being widely imitated by Hollywood at large, all hoping to attract the kinds of audiences flocking to Lewton's modern brand of horror. But Lewton himself is facing an insurmountable problem: how to create RKO's first "Monster Rally". The answer will come from the most unlikely of places: the Lewton family's private collection of letters... At the same time, RKO boss Charles Koerner is demanding an interim movie, a horror set upon the seas to be called 'The Ghost Ship'. In order to bring it to life, Lewton will have to circumvent the attentions of an uncompromising new supervisor, as well as survive the eccentric excesses of his new technical advisor... Meanwhile, at the Pasadena Playhouse, two writers have just staged an original play that will have a devastating effect on Lewton's career... If you’ve enjoyed this episode, and would like to aid in its creation, then please consider becoming a patron of the shows! You’ll earn hundreds more hours of bonus content, including ALL complete series’ of The Secret History of Hollywood, as well as bonus documentaries, extra listening, movie commentaries, and much more! Simply go to www.patreon.com/attaboysecret and choose the tier you’d like to access or CLICK HERE Show Credits A very special thanks to the peerless Mark Gatiss , and to Brook Darnell of the Library Of Congress for her tireless research into the private papers of Val Lewton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices