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At the peak of the studio system in the 1940s, Hollywood was releasing over 400 films a year.

An actor under contract could be in six films in twelve months. Some were great. Some were filmed in eight days on sets borrowed from last week's picture. All of them employed the carpenters, the seamstresses, the technicians, and the crews who built an entire industry from scratch.

Name a classic Hollywood film you think more people should know about. 🎬

1 day ago | [YT] | 10

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Which classic comedy duo do you reach for first?🎬

3 days ago | [YT] | 8

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Memorial Day weekend is four days away.

Classic Hollywood made some of the most honest WWII films ever produced - because the people behind the camera had been there. William Wyler flew combat missions to film footage for Mrs. Miniver. Audie Murphy played himself in To Hell and Back and could not bring himself to watch the final cut.

Name a classic WWII film you think every American should see. 🎬

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

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Gilligan's Island ran for three seasons - 1964 to 1967.

CBS cancelled it to make room for Gunsmoke. The cast found out from a newspaper.

The show went into syndication and became one of the most-watched series in television history. Bob Denver, who played Gilligan, never received syndication royalties. Residuals were not yet standard practice when his contract was signed.

Name a classic TV show that was cancelled before its time. 🎬

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

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The debate that never ends.

Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes 14 times between 1939 and 1946 and defined the character for a generation. Before him, Arthur Wontner played him six times in Britain. After him came Ronald Howard, Peter Cushing, and eventually Jeremy Brett - who many consider the definitive version.

Every generation gets their Holmes. Every generation is certain theirs is right.

Who is the definitive Sherlock Holmes for you? 🎬

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 12

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What kind of classic did you discover first? 🎬

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 8

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Tonight at 8 PM Eastern - crime night.
D.O.A. (1950). How Awful About Allan (1970).
Free. No sign-up. Just great cinema.
Which classic thriller from Hollywood's golden age is your favourite? 🎬

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 13

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The Academy did not always get it right.

Barbara Stanwyck: 84 films. Four nominations. Zero wins. An honorary Oscar in 1982 - after fifty years of being the best actress in almost every room she walked into.

Cary Grant never won a competitive Oscar. Neither did Deborah Kerr. Peter O'Toole had eight nominations and zero wins.

Which classic Hollywood star was most robbed by the Academy? 🎬

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3

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Tonight at 8 PM Eastern - two gripping thrillers.
Stacy Keach. Martin Sheen. Two men in impossible situations.
Free. No sign-up. Just great cinema.
Which classic thriller from the 70s stayed with you the longest? 🎬

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 8

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The producer of The Flying Deuces (1939) was a Soviet intelligence agent.

Boris Morros had been filing reports for Soviet intelligence since 1934.
Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and the entire cast had no idea.

In 1947, Morros became a double agent for the FBI.
His story was later turned into a movie of its own.

The Flying Deuces is on the channel right now.

What's a production fact that surprised you about a classic film? 🎬

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 1