1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, my. 6 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 3: Name is Noel. 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 4: They called me Ben. We're joined with our guest super producer, 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 4: Casey on the case Pegram. Most importantly, you are here, 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 4: and that makes this the stuff they don't want you 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 4: to know. Quick disclaimer, full disclosure. This is an intro 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 4: episode and we weren't aware of the timing. We did 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 4: not know we're writing this we'd be recording it mere 13 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 4: hours after the SAG after union announced their strike against 14 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 4: the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. I don't 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 4: know about you, guys, I fully support SAG after this concept. 16 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 4: The concept that really broke the back of the negotiations 17 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 4: is something regarding AI generated replacement of writers and actors, 18 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 4: which we predicted years and years ago. It's a story 19 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 4: for another evening, But the timing is really interesting. 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, And the other big problem with that whole thing 21 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: is that the streaming business has really changed everything, and 22 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 2: at least according to the head of sag Aftra. The 23 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: contracts have all remained the same, even though the business 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: model has completely changed. 25 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 3: One hundred percent. I mean, I guess the studios could 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 3: argue that their end has changed as well, or at 27 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 3: least in terms of their ability to make money or 28 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 3: the dilution of everything because of so many opportunities. That's 29 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 3: a lot of confusion surrounding it. But the fact of 30 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 3: the matter is that the contracts should change to go 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 3: along with, you know, all of these sea changes and 32 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 3: technology and distribution of this type of media. 33 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 4: Sort of like wages keeping up with inflation, another thing 34 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 4: the powerful hate to talk about. But tonight, in preparation 35 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 4: for that upcoming examination, we are looking back on the 36 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 4: early days of Hollywood. Fellow conspiracy realist, if you if 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 4: you are not aware, this history is very much cyclical. 38 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 4: There was an era back in the day, way before 39 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 4: the rise of the Mouse, when studios often functioned as 40 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:34,119 Speaker 4: almost arms of government, all their own sovereign micro nations 41 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 4: in their with their with their own fiefdoms, and surprise, surprise, 42 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 4: the old studio system was full of conspiracies. This is 43 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 4: a bit of a grab bag, and critics say not 44 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 4: much has changed in the modern day. Here are the facts. 45 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 4: What do we mean when we say studio system. 46 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean essentially when it's it's interesting. The term 47 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,040 Speaker 3: studio often, I think in people's minds, refers to a 48 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 3: physical space where art is created, whether it be like 49 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 3: an art studio, a recording studio, or a film studio, 50 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 3: which is a much larger operation than either of those 51 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 3: two previous examples. You have to have a series of 52 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 3: massive spaces that can house sets and you know, a 53 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 3: mass props and equipment and personnel. You know, of course offices, 54 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 3: all of these things. So these are the studios. They're 55 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: housed on these studio lots, and oftentimes, especially in the 56 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 3: golden age of cinema, on location shooting was not a 57 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 3: thing because of the absolute gargantuan size of the equipment 58 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: and the needs for infrastructure to be able to do that. 59 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 3: So they would film all of these things on these 60 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 3: studio backlots and these giant sound stages which are essentially warehouses. 61 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 3: But the studio system refers to a essentially I guess 62 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 3: monopolistic is probably not too much of a overstatement. But 63 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,559 Speaker 3: a group of studios, quote unquote, these companies, these organizations 64 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 3: that were the only games in town and by the 65 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 3: town referring to Hollywood. 66 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 2: Of course, Well in one of the big things, at 67 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: least early on in the studio system that made them 68 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 2: feel monopolistic was because they were vertically integrated, right, Like, 69 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 2: you're not only shooting like you're talking about in the studios, 70 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: you're shooting the films. You've got the films written for you, 71 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: maybe by writers who work at the stutaff yep you 72 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 2: then you make, don't you distribute the film as well? 73 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: And then also even maybe have like a cinema that 74 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 2: is owned also by the same studio system that then 75 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 2: shows the thing. 76 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, you're absolutely right, Matt. I want to go back 77 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 4: a bit and put this in the context of times. 78 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 4: So the golden age of Hollywood mentioned just a few 79 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 4: seconds ago, conventionally starts with Griffith's The Birth of a Nation, 80 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 4: which lionizes and glorifies the KKK, but starts this golden age. 81 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 4: The monopolistic stuff comes a little bit later. The studio 82 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 4: system the heyday is sort of right. It's like after 83 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 4: the fall of silent film and after the rise of talkies, 84 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 4: And you're absolutely right with the vertical integration. There are 85 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 4: these five studios that are still familiar, most of them today, 86 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 4: that run the game. And there's something else called the 87 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 4: Little three Studios, which is sort of the Luciferian rebels 88 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 4: against the Big five. They owned the Big five MGM 89 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 4: or Metro, Goldwyn Mayor Warner Brothers, Paramount Fox RKO is 90 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 4: the dead one. They owned the theaters in which they 91 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 4: aired their films. This was a catbird seat. Independent outfits 92 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 4: had no chance of breaking through. If you wanted to 93 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 4: be an actor, you weren't paid by the film. You 94 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 4: had a contract with a specific studio. You couldn't jump around, 95 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 4: jump around, to quote Chriss cross in if you were 96 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 4: an independent creature or entity making entertainment, you were absolutely screwed. 97 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 4: Even if your film was objectively really good, the game 98 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 4: was rigged. It's a common conspiracy in so many industries, 99 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 4: both then and now. Maybe we talk like, I don't 100 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 4: know the Little three year kind of the exception. They 101 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 4: were in many ways they were well I almost beeped 102 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 4: out this phrase. They were creator created, you know, like 103 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 4: your Chaplains and your Fairbanks would say, these studios are 104 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 4: screwing me over. I want something that gives me more creativity, 105 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 4: gives me more control over content, and. 106 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 3: We certainly see that today with like you know, independent 107 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 3: houses like a Scilloscope, which was founded by I believe 108 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 3: one of the Beastie boys. The name is Escaping me 109 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 3: which one. But this reminds me too, this integration of 110 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 3: what we see today with things like Live Nation, where 111 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 3: they not only represent the artists, they also own all 112 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 3: of the venues and the ticketing operations essentially. So I 113 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 3: mean it's it's you know, you're it's set up to 114 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 3: fail for anyone that's outside of that system. 115 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 4: One hundred percent, you know, And that's that. It's another 116 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 4: example of why it's so tough to start a car company. Right, 117 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 4: very different industry, but still has some of the same 118 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 4: broken rules. This business. You think Hollywood is dirty today, 119 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 4: I mean, first off, you're right, but this business was 120 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 4: way way dirtier by modern standards, Matt. Like you said, 121 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 4: the integration means these guys don't just since they own 122 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 4: the theaters. You might go to a town as one 123 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 4: theater and that as an MGM theater, so you can 124 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 4: see all the movies you want, so long as they're 125 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 4: made by MGM. You could have any color model ty 126 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 4: you want, so long as it's black, that kind of thing. 127 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 4: There were independent theaters even at this time, there were 128 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 4: local like mom and pop theaters, and if they wanted 129 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 4: to show a paramount or an MGM film, it was 130 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 4: like they had to call a cable company. Remember back 131 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 4: before everybody cut the cable cord. If you wanted the 132 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 4: one good channel, you had to sign up for a 133 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 4: package with like twenty five to fifty other channels. 134 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 3: That you didn't even want. 135 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, that you would never watch, and now not the 136 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 4: ESPN six. It's just like competitive ocelot pickleball for sure. 137 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 3: And not to get to into the weeds, we talked 138 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 3: about at the top of the show, the new model 139 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 3: of streaming that was essentially designed if we're the benefit 140 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 3: of the consumer, you can choose. You have all this choice, 141 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 3: but it's so diluted because the one show that you 142 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 3: want is on this one streaming service with a whole 143 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 3: bunch of other stuff that you don't want. So when 144 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 3: you have this a la carte system, you end up 145 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 3: amassing all of these various subscriptions to the point where 146 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 3: you're probably paying more now than you ever were for 147 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 3: those obnoxious cable bundles back in the day. 148 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: Oh for certain we are like, it's just the reality 149 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 2: of it, and it's interesting how we saw for a 150 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 2: while there. Sorry we're jumping to modern day just for 151 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 2: a second. But for a while there, we saw places 152 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: like then it was iTunes and then YouTube and other 153 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 2: places offering like you can download the whole season of 154 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 2: whatever this is and it only costs twenty four ninety 155 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,119 Speaker 2: nine or something, and most of us thought, that's egregious. 156 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 2: I can't pay that much for one show show that 157 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 2: I like. 158 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 4: However, a dollar ninety nine. 159 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 5: Episode, Yeah right, I mean it's just we are six 160 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 5: ninety nine a month. Yes, over time, you're paying way 161 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 5: more and you have zero ownership, and that show you 162 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,199 Speaker 5: like might eventually vanish from the service we subscribed to. 163 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: It happens all they're bouncing around. 164 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 4: Nineteen eighty four was pulled off, was the one of 165 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 4: the first books to be pulled off the. 166 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 2: Kindle exactly, or shout out to our former boss David Zaslov, 167 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: who just pulled a bunch of stuff off of what 168 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 2: is now known as max oh DZ Because HBO doesn't 169 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 2: exist anymore, I guess you know what it. 170 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 3: Does a subsidiary and it's so confusing. 171 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 4: Let's be let's be honest about this too, like in 172 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 4: full transparency. Yes, when this when our little archipelago of 173 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 4: podcasting was owned by a previous corporate giant, Discovery. Yes, 174 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 4: because Discovers the credit card company what it was owned 175 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 4: by Discovery. The big boss, the dogla of the place 176 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 4: was a guy named David Zaslov who not only who 177 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 4: now I was in charge of Max Warner's brothers, and 178 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 4: not only as as encounter heat for pulling a lot 179 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 4: of shows, but also pulled a GQ article about how 180 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 4: he pulls things from the public. Yep, which I have 181 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 4: not you know now we have we have spoken really 182 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 4: with this guy. 183 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: Well, he spoke at us. He's a couple of times, 184 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 2: a couple of times. And then we went to Silver Spring, 185 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 2: I think once or twice. 186 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 4: Alright, I did a kids show. We did a kids 187 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 4: show where we the star of the show was a 188 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 4: capouchin monkey. I missed that much. 189 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 3: I wasn't part of that. That sounds like fun but 190 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 3: also hilarious anecdote in retrospect, it was. 191 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 4: It was a time, for sure. But we're we're saying 192 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 4: this because you know, you see again that that's the 193 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 4: message of this episode tonight. We see these cycles at 194 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 4: play when when you are a local theater back in 195 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 4: the golden age of Hollywood and like a small town 196 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 4: in you know, let's say Whoop Do Do, Oklahoma, which 197 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 4: I don't know if that's a real town. If it 198 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 4: is you, if it is, congratulations, your town name is awesome. 199 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 2: Let's say you're a Paramount theater. Okay, wait, are you 200 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 2: a Paramount theater? 201 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 4: You're a Mama pop there. You're independent and there's a 202 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 4: good there's a film that's come out that is amazing. 203 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 4: It is the Ghostbusters or the vibes of its time, 204 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 4: and you got to get it in your town. You're 205 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 4: the only theater in WHOOPI. 206 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 3: Do a tent pole. If you're missing out on this, 207 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 3: you're missing out on Monday. 208 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 4: A summer blockbuster. Yeah, and so uh so you go 209 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 4: to let's say Paramount made the film. You go to 210 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 4: Paramount and you say, hey, we want to make an 211 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 4: agreement with you big studio to to show your film 212 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 4: in our little town in Oklahoma. And then what they 213 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 4: would do was exactly like what cable companies would do 214 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 4: decades and decades later. They would say, we'll give you 215 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 4: a deal. You can have this VERI what's like a 216 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 4: version of. 217 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 2: Vibes casey, do you have a really good nineteen yeah 218 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 2: thirties film the nineteen thirties. 219 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 4: Perfect Citizen Kane. 220 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: That's KAO. 221 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 4: So it's OK, we're changing the story. 222 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, so is gonna play hardball? 223 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. 224 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 4: RKO comes in and they say, we going to make 225 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 4: you a deal. You can see Citizen Kane as one 226 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 4: of the five movies you must buy from us at 227 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 4: the following non negotiable price. And you say, well, I 228 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 4: just want Citizen Kane and they say, we all just 229 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:38,199 Speaker 4: want things. 230 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 2: Well, let's say your movie theater, you're not just going 231 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 2: to show one film, right, right, So it kind of 232 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 2: makes sense for the theater. Right, even if you're an 233 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 2: independent theater, you need more than one film, and you 234 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 2: probably can't go to r KO and Paramount and all 235 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 2: the other places and say I want just your one film. 236 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 4: They might have exclusivity exactly. Well. 237 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 3: And also, you typically with having like a small theater 238 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 3: like that, there's sort of the idea of curation where 239 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 3: like you're sure you want to have the big Temple one, 240 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 3: but then you might also want to have some other ones, 241 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 3: smaller ones that maybe you know, aren't as popular that 242 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 3: you are able to choose and say I stand behind 243 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 3: this one. 244 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 2: Well that's what we have now, right, And I'm thinking. 245 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 3: I went, I went to the Landmark Theater, the Midtown 246 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 3: Arts Cinema, and when saw a very small independent film 247 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 3: called The Lesson, which I quite liked. And they're also 248 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,479 Speaker 3: screening Mission, the new Mission Impossible movie. 249 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 2: Which they can do now it's easier to do now exactly. 250 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 4: And the thing is the these exclusivity contracts could also 251 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 4: go further into some pretty aggressive, pretty sketchy business tactics. 252 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 4: Let's say you're at Whoopie Do, Oklahoma, you're in contact 253 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 4: with r KO, You're trying to get Citizen Kane, and 254 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 4: you can't afford the deal because you know it's going 255 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 4: to give you four other stinker movies. This gives r 256 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 4: KO a tremendous two tremendously evil business advantages. First, it 257 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 4: cooks the distribution numbers for their stinker films. Those are 258 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 4: also going to be something that they can look back 259 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 4: on accounting wise and say great job to each other. Second, 260 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 4: this this can be damaging to that indie theater, So 261 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 4: you can say you as r KO can say and 262 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 4: I know things are tough out there, what if you 263 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 4: just sold the theater to us? And that kind of 264 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 4: that model is quite effective because it's weaponization of economy 265 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 4: of scale. This isn't even the crazy part yet. And 266 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 4: these independent theaters kind of like suppliers for Walmart. Now 267 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 4: they can't say no to the deal. It's the only 268 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 4: game in town. There's not another way to get Citizen Kane, 269 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 4: and so these movies will be distributed. This eventually was 270 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 4: this was unsustainable. So they made the equivalent of billions 271 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 4: of dollars in twenty twenty three money. And it was 272 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 4: a Houseyon era for villains. It was this salad day 273 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 4: to be an evil mogul, you know. 274 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: But it's also when I don't know, it's some amazing stuff. Great, 275 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: it's so weird to think about it that way, because 276 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 2: it really if you don't look at the money and 277 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 2: the power behind it, you have the dreams, like literally 278 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 2: the dreams of which actors of the public people that 279 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 2: got to see the movies. It changed the way we 280 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: viewed the world. 281 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 3: Well, I mean, Casey mentioned Citizen Kane, which I don't 282 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 3: believe was as massive of a hit at the time 283 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 3: as we might perceive it to have been because it's 284 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 3: so influential. I think it did ultimately end up becoming 285 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 3: a success. But when you go back and watch that 286 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 3: movie now, it does not feel dated. I mean, it 287 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 3: certainly has, you know, hallmarks of the time, but some 288 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 3: of the camera techniques and the things that Orson Wells 289 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 3: was coming up with to achieve some of the look 290 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 3: of that picture unbelievable stuff that it's still used today. 291 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 3: So this was like a testing ground for innovative cinematographers 292 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 3: and set designers and all of the stuff that we 293 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 3: now take for granted, I think was sort of being 294 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 3: cooked up in this studio system. 295 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, let's put it this way. What if what if 296 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 4: history went different and paint the idea of paint of 297 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 4: colored stuff you could put on things and it would 298 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 4: dry on walls. What if that was invented in an 299 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 4: age where people could communicate via telegraph, telegram and telephone. Like, 300 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 4: what if somewhere someone just figured out paint in nineteen ten. 301 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 4: That's kind of what happens. And this is untrammeled ground. 302 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 4: This is a new thing. This is like creatively, this 303 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 4: is like making a colony on the moon and learning 304 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 4: how that works. So there's this it's a flood of innovations. 305 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 4: You know, it's a watershed moment. And Matt, you make 306 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 4: this beautiful point like, of course, of course there is 307 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 4: enormous power to this. There are innovations that come along 308 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 4: once and not even one, but like three four generations. 309 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,439 Speaker 4: You know, this is you know what film is like. 310 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 4: It's like when the Right Brothers figured out powered flight. 311 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 4: If but everyone could suddenly buy a powered airplane and 312 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 4: make their own improvements audit. That's I'm just trying to 313 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 4: think of adequate comparison. 314 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 3: At the very maybe not own one, but at the 315 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 3: very least enjoy the benefits of it. 316 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a good note because. 317 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 3: It wasn't until more modern times that even the ability 318 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 3: for an independent individual to make something that resembled a 319 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 3: serious motion picture was even possible. You know, back then 320 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 3: it was That's the point, right, No one would have 321 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 3: had the ability or the infrastructure to make any of 322 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 3: these innovations outside of that studio system because of all 323 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 3: the investment and all of the insane power and money 324 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 3: that was flowing through those systems. Now, you kid with 325 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 3: a camera and iMovie, you know, and a little bit 326 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 3: of get up and go can make like a music 327 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 3: video that rivals Michelle Gondre. You know, I mean, it's 328 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 3: pretty incredible. But back then that was not within the 329 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 3: grasp of anybody outside of those studio systems. 330 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 4: So let's do that. Let's jump around in time leading 331 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,959 Speaker 4: into this next part. What you need to know, folks, 332 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 4: is everything you're about to hear happens before the May fourth, 333 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 4: nineteen forty eight court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, 334 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 4: which spelled doom for the industry. Federal anti trust laws 335 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 4: came down. Studios today no longer fully owned theaters showing movies. 336 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 4: TV is on the rise, ticket sales are dropping. This 337 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 4: changes the way the Big five make films for a 338 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 4: time and seeing these predatory monopolies would be broken until 339 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 4: you know, you zoom out, you see how cyclical these 340 00:18:56,560 --> 00:19:00,080 Speaker 4: things have become. Are there really any big Hollywood with 341 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 4: studio conspiracies? Yes. As a matter of fact, Hollywood was 342 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 4: committing crimes about as prolifically as it made films, which 343 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 4: is to say constantly, we're going to pause for a 344 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 4: word from our sponsor, and then we're gonna have to 345 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 4: dive in. Heads up, this is going to contain at 346 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 4: times graphic information. Here's where it gets crazy. This is 347 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 4: all absolutely true. You've heard of the sketchy accounting, Hollywood accounting. 348 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 3: It is true. 349 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 4: It continues today. There are also multiple cover ups of 350 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 4: everything from white collar crime to sexual assault and yes, homicide. 351 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 3: Matt. 352 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 4: You also mentioned while we're we're taking our break, you know, 353 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 4: are the breaks for you guys are just like a 354 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 4: couple minutes or so. But for us, you know, we 355 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 4: make a day of it. We like god lunch, we 356 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 4: have a picnic lunch, We do like a rom com 357 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 4: and we talk a lot and that and that one 358 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 4: thing you mentioned was also the role that studios played 359 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 4: and weaponized propaganda, which maybe is not illegal in the US, 360 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 4: so wouldn't count quite the same as a crime. But 361 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 4: it's very much I think a moral crime. 362 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 2: It's not yeah, in my mind, is not a crime. 363 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 2: It's a it's a powerful weapon that was realized, right sure, 364 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 2: because before that you could reach audiences with radio and 365 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 2: you could tell people, oh, there's this evil force out 366 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 2: there and we need to you know, combat that force. 367 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 4: But the Jarres have advanced the bond normity. 368 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 2: Well, now you can show people while you know, especially 369 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 2: with talkies. Now you can show them and tell them 370 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 2: at the same time while they're in a captive like 371 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 2: in a captive state in that movie theater. 372 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 3: You kind of wonder too, if maybe some of that 373 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 3: led to some of the sweetheart deals between the government 374 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 3: and the studio systems that allowed some of this corruption 375 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 3: to flourish for so long. I don't have exact examples 376 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 3: of this, but I do have to wonder if before 377 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 3: that court case that you mentioned, Ben, you know, the 378 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 3: US government was maybe willing to not consider this monopoly 379 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 3: in exchange for some of that powerful communication assistance. 380 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 4: For a time, federal authorities would have absolutely intervened on 381 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 4: the behalf of not actors, but studio heads. So if 382 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 4: you had, you know, if you had a studio ahead 383 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 4: who needed a favor, that's how that's how one hand 384 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 4: washes the other. And we've got some great past episodes 385 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 4: on propaganda. Highly recommend it. And if you are, you 386 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 4: know what we should do. I want to make a 387 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 4: good website to share things out because I would love 388 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 4: to share a playlist of wartime propaganda films even and 389 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 4: they're not the ones, not the ones you expect, not 390 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,920 Speaker 4: just like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse talking about World 391 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 4: War Two in vaguely racist ways or extremely racist ways, 392 00:21:52,640 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 4: stuff like warnings about atomic energy from paint companies. 393 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,199 Speaker 3: One hundred percent. You know, I think I've mentioned this 394 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 3: before too, But if anyone is ever in San Francisco 395 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 3: and they want to really get a good look at 396 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 3: a curated collection of some of these Disney propaganda films 397 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 3: that were incredibly ubiquitous at the time, but that the 398 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 3: actual Walt Disney company would rather you maybe not think 399 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 3: too much about, go visit the Walt Disney Family Museum, 400 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 3: which is a part of the Walt Disney Family Trust, 401 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 3: unconnected to the Walt Disney Corporation. So if you go 402 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 3: to this, it's in the Presidio in San Francisco. There's 403 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 3: a whole section on some of the wartime propaganda that 404 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 3: Disney participated in, and it's fantastic. 405 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 4: So back to the crimes of the Golden Age of 406 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 4: Hollywood and these monopolistic studio systems. First, so we spoke 407 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 4: about cycles. If we're being fair, we have to understand 408 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 4: the cycle starts before what we call the Big Five, 409 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 4: in the early days of Hollywood. The like the reason 410 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 4: Hollywood is a thing is because These folks were running 411 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 4: from an earlier oppressor, just like you know, before Zeus 412 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 4: in the gang start oppressing the Grecian society, the Mortals, 413 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 4: they're beefed up with the Titans. There's another oppressor and 414 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 4: the abuse carries down. That's why that religion has so 415 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 4: many powerful metaphors, that belief system. These early filmmakers were 416 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 4: like open minded Beheman jazz cigarette types, and they were 417 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 4: on the run to the West coast because they loved cameras. 418 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 4: But having a camera was like having a ring of power. 419 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 4: And where Thomas Edison is sour on because he would 420 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 4: get he would get word that someone's filming, so they're 421 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 4: not paying him a huge ass licensing fee to help 422 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 4: him further oppressed Nicola Tesla, so he would send out 423 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 4: goons to break their cameras, to sometimes beat the snot 424 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 4: out of them and get his money. So these folks 425 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 4: let out for the territories. They headed west and for 426 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 4: a while they were pretty progressive for their era. They're 427 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 4: pretty experimental. They would try a lot of things. In 428 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,199 Speaker 4: the nineteen tens, this really took off and studios just 429 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 4: couldn't print film fast enough. It was historically speaking, until 430 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 4: the present day. It was probably one of the best 431 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 4: moments in history to get into the entertainment industry. 432 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 3: I mean, the three of us, four of us were 433 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 3: very lucky to get in on the ground floor relatively 434 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 3: speaking of a new ish industry in the form of podcasting, 435 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 3: as one of the only new ish industries that I 436 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 3: can maybe think of in recent history. This time that 437 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 3: we're talking about here was the time to get in 438 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,919 Speaker 3: on the ground floor of filmmaking. And that's why some 439 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 3: of these studios that we're mentioning are still the the 440 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 3: biggest players in the game today because they were the 441 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:03,679 Speaker 3: first to market. 442 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 4: And like Thomas Edison before them, this innovation, the success 443 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 4: this fame had an arguably corrupting nature. These studios that 444 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 4: start off small became very big. They started aggressively consuming 445 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 4: their competitors, and it became more and more a business 446 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 4: and less and less a creative enterprise. Was run by 447 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 4: extremely powerful, extremely rich dudes. Eventually, these studios got so 448 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,199 Speaker 4: powerful that the guys in charge, and they were all guys, 449 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 4: said we can do whatever we want. There aren't really 450 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 4: any consequences. How much does a city councilman cost? You 451 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 4: mean all in exactly or just for the weekend. 452 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's sure, you can rent one rent to own, perhaps, right, 453 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 3: isn't that sort of the equivalent of like long term payoffs? 454 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 4: I guess yeah, you know, you're right. We had. There 455 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 4: was an article I found on crime Reads that talks 456 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 4: about how this realization that there were no consequences translated 457 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 4: into very dangerous stuff a drugs, sex, trafficking, organized crime. 458 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 4: They became incredibly normalized. And along with that, if you've 459 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 4: never worked for organized crime, what you need to know 460 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 4: about working for organized crime is that sometimes the side 461 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:39,479 Speaker 4: benefits are really good, but overall it's a very bad job. 462 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 4: And HR is not a thing, and workers rights are 463 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:47,959 Speaker 4: not a thing. So one example we found is like 464 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 4: you would have this contract as an actor. You would 465 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 4: be filming eighteen hour days, and if you were too tired, 466 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 4: then they would have a guy on set who comes 467 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,239 Speaker 4: with some sort of pick me up, an emphatamine of 468 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 4: some sort, right. 469 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 3: See Mommy's Little Helpers drugs you up with a little 470 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 3: yellow pill, and then you're up and you can't sleep. 471 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 4: So yeah, some other person who comes along gives you 472 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 4: something to help you sleep, and if you are unable 473 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 4: to wake up, for an ungodly hour to start a shoot. 474 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,239 Speaker 4: Then the studio has a doctor in sight who can 475 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:23,160 Speaker 4: give you a little shot. 476 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 3: And we're largely referring to talent. Talent, yes, so, I 477 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 3: mean we hear horror stories about this, like Judy Garland 478 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 3: for example, exactly so just absolutely in a drugged out haze, 479 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 3: you know, and she talks about it, and it led, 480 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 3: you know, due to no fault of her own, to 481 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,880 Speaker 3: serious drug and alcohol addiction, you know, and problems that 482 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 3: just absolutely ruined her life. Well also somehow managing to 483 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 3: have her be one of the biggest, most recognizable stars 484 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 3: on the planet. 485 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 4: And after you know, after a certain time of having 486 00:27:54,800 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 4: someone continually not just psychologically ritualize this, but gets you 487 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 4: physiologically addicted to a shot of some sort of stimulant 488 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 4: in the morning, way past coffee, right, I say that 489 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 4: as a coffee addict. Thanks again, Matt for the excellent ized. 490 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,399 Speaker 3: Coffee shout out to Brash Flash brew coffee. There we go, 491 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 3: because it's fun to say brash Flash. Yeah. 492 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 4: Yeah, Well it becomes normalized. And then the point is 493 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 4: eventually the actor or just cannot perform without that shot 494 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 4: in the morning or that pill at night, which. 495 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 2: That's human trafficking of like texts. 496 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 4: One hundred percent. It also further increases the studio's grip 497 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 4: around the neck of that person. 498 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 3: And not only did they not have what we think 499 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 3: of as rehab today, this is not even something that 500 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 3: would have even been considered. This was a feature, not 501 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 3: a bug. This was like part of the system to 502 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 3: create that stranglehold that you're describing. 503 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 4: Good job, Doc, we'll string this one around. We could 504 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 4: get another we can get another fourteen films out of it, 505 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 4: don't you mean her. 506 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 3: Whatever tato potatoes, get out of here. 507 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 4: You're bother me, not you're going somewhere human trafficking. I 508 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 4: know because this reminds me of like the Dirty Secret 509 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 4: from our K Pop episode Uh, when studios had VIPs 510 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 4: coming in whether it's like you know, the Archduke of 511 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 4: Southwestern Prussia which I made up, or or a high 512 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 4: level government agent or someone you want to bribe. Then 513 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 4: they would turn out their actors male and female, and 514 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 4: they would say, you know, well, Mayor Frank and Looper, 515 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 4: that's not that's funny. 516 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 3: What's a funny? What's a silly name? I can't think 517 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 3: of one sillier than Franken Loper Ben, I'm. 518 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 4: Sorry, Mayor FRANKI Lupper. Whoopedi do okay, whoop do Oklahoma 519 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 4: is coming into town, and uh he's a big fan 520 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 4: of yours. So why don't you it's very disturbent time, 521 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 4: Why don't you be a good girl and go to 522 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 4: his hotel or good which was very. 523 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 3: Only that was buried. I mean the idea of you know, 524 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 3: queerness or any any element of that at the time 525 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 3: would have been reputation annihilating, you. 526 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 4: Know, and that I think it is. You may also 527 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 4: be alluding to child abuse, which was rampant, no question. 528 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 4: Both Like that studio exec. This is a great Shirley 529 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 4: Temple story, all right, So Shirley Temple is like eleven 530 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 4: years old. There's a studio exec who drops his pants 531 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 4: and shows his chunk again to a child, and the 532 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 4: kid laughs her ass off. She thinks it's ridiculous, and 533 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 4: so this, you know, because those monsters are all about power, right, 534 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,719 Speaker 4: so uh so laughing at someone, you know, ruins the power. Anyway, 535 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 4: Temple escaped was like the guy called security guy rushed 536 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 4: out of the room because she laughed at him. And 537 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 4: that's frightening because it shows us how common this was. 538 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,479 Speaker 3: It also shows how, you know, by age eleven, Shirley 539 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 3: Temple clearly already had an absurdly thick skin. And you 540 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 3: know whether or not, I mean, again, the context is 541 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 3: maybe a little unclear, but I would argue that perhaps 542 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 3: she kind of already understood the name of the game 543 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 3: at that point. 544 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 4: It's this terrible, terrible stuck. 545 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 3: I just picture Shirley Temple just smoking chain smoking cigarettes 546 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 3: at twelve, you know, I just I don't know why 547 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 3: I picture that, but it's it's like like a kid 548 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 3: who survived an Eastern European war. 549 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 2: Question. 550 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 4: And it does get worse, you know, we have even 551 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 4: more crimes. Again, this is sort of a grab bag. 552 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 4: But one thing I think we all found really interesting 553 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 4: was that these crimes were so commonplace, so ubiquitous, so normalized, 554 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 4: that covering up the crimes itself became an organized part 555 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 4: of the institution. It became aim someone's job. I can't 556 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 4: believe it. Finally, without shoehorning it in, you guys, we 557 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 4: get to mention comptrollers. What, Yeah, that's what they do. 558 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 4: An evil comptroller is part of this story. 559 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 3: Okay, and maybe also maybe known as like a fixer, right, 560 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 3: someone that can come in and clean up your mask. 561 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 3: But okay, Ben, I need I need more. 562 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 4: Okay, I let's introduce this guy, he said, fixer. There's 563 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 4: a there's a dude that we should introduce named Eddie Mannix. 564 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 4: What do we what do we know about Eddie Mannix? 565 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 2: Well, being a comptroller means you're kind of the head 566 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 2: money person. Right, you may not be the head accountant, 567 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 2: but you look at what other what all the accountants 568 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 2: are doing, and you go okay, this is good or bad, 569 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 2: and you have you manage all of that, and you 570 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 2: may have say over how money gets used. 571 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, so like you can you can go in 572 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 4: and say, okay, we need to take this percentage out 573 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:01,640 Speaker 4: of this and put it here like you see the 574 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 4: big picture, the financial forest. Yes, and you're in close 575 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 4: contact with again those gods on the earth in California. 576 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 4: The studio heads. Mannix is an old school died in 577 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 4: the wool MGM guy. He joins right around the time 578 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 4: it gets created, and he is on the payroll all 579 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 4: the way up until his death in nineteen sixty three, 580 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 4: so he's there for a long long time. 581 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 2: And he was general manager too, right, Yeah. 582 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, different times. Yeah, and so he would also he 583 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 4: wouldn't just monitor money, he also monitored the Again, I 584 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:43,959 Speaker 4: keep being reminded of kpop in the modern day. He 585 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:49,719 Speaker 4: would monitor communications with the actors, like on two ways. 586 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 4: So it was like being in prison. What they were 587 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 4: communicating was often they would listen in, you know, if 588 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 4: they were on the phone, the phone was tapped. If 589 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 4: they were writing letters, someone was reading the letters before 590 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 4: they went out. 591 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 3: It also reminds me of the character Mike Armentrout from 592 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 3: Breaking Bad and Better call Saul. How he gets employed 593 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 3: by the Madrigal Corporation, which is like the giant corporate 594 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,759 Speaker 3: front for this illegal meth operation, and they have to 595 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 3: do his paperwork, his I nines is all of that 596 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 3: stuff to make him on paper this particular position, but 597 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 3: in fact he is their fixer or like you know, 598 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 3: head of security. But he's really doing much more nefarious 599 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 3: things and scouting locations for secret underground meth labs and stuff. 600 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, dismantling cars to find trackers exactly. Yeah, that's a 601 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,839 Speaker 4: really good comparison because in practice, no matter what it's 602 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 4: said on paperwork, Mannix was primarily a cover up artist. 603 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 4: He routinely worked with a crack team to keep stuff 604 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 4: out of the news. He got an actor who was 605 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 4: in a drunk driving accident and killed someone. Let's make 606 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 4: sure that the reporters have something more pressing to talk about. Oh, 607 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 4: did a star noted for her wholesomeness have an abortion? 608 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 4: Did someone who was sexually assaulted by a studio head? 609 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 4: Have an abortion? 610 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 3: Have you guys seen the Perry Mason or whatever? 611 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 4: It's great, they got canceled, but it's great. 612 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was very, very good. In one of the 613 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 3: first episodes, there's a kind of fatty Arbuckle type character 614 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 3: or maybe like an Oliver Hardy type character, who is 615 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 3: being stalked by this private investigator Perry Mason, who gets 616 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 3: pictures of him doing like sexy stuff with cake and 617 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 3: a sex worker. Yeah, you gotta watch the episode. But 618 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 3: the point is he gets paid by a studio executive 619 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,960 Speaker 3: to not release those those pictures. 620 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 4: You know. Yeah, and this this is crazy because he 621 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 4: works Mannix works in tandem with the guy's officially the 622 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 4: head of publicity, which is such an Orwellian term when 623 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 4: you learn what this guy really did. The head of 624 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:02,280 Speaker 4: publicity is dude Howard Stricklean. His main he's next journalist. 625 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 4: His main job is to make sure that certain things 626 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 4: are never made public. Yeah, he's the head of anti 627 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 4: publicity really. 628 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 2: Uh yeah, but it's interesting how that works. You're you're 629 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 2: both intelligence and counterintelligence in one role, right, I mean 630 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:19,839 Speaker 2: that's kind of what he's doing. 631 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:20,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 632 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 4: I mean that's a good way to put it too. Yeah, 633 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 4: so he will because he will gladly give reporters other 634 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 4: stories to print, especially if he's got dirt on a 635 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 4: star from another studio, from someone who's not MGM, and 636 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 4: so strictly kind of runs interference to make sure scandals 637 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 4: don't make the papers. And then while he's doing that, 638 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 4: Mannix is saying, Okay, I understand mistakes were made at 639 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 4: that party. You need to go see this doctor and 640 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 4: I'll give you X amount of money and you're gonna 641 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 4: leave town, go back to Whoop to Do. 642 00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 2: Dude, I'm thinking of a movie. 643 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 3: I think. 644 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 2: I think it's Coen Brothers. Maybe I'm wrong. That kind 645 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 2: of depicts Pink Hel Caesar Hail Caesar's Josh Roland actually 646 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 2: does play Eddie Mannox. So on the case, that's it. Thanks, Casey, 647 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,520 Speaker 2: So really watched that movie because it really shows you 648 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 2: this kind of thing in a fictional world that is 649 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 2: also based on the person we're talking about. 650 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:24,839 Speaker 4: Kind of like Hollywood Confidential or LA Confidential as well, 651 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 4: this kind of the filthiness on the hush hush or whatever. 652 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 6: But I did, I did want to say no to 653 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 6: your barton. Think example, there's a moment in that near 654 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 6: the end of the movie where the studio head suddenly 655 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:40,960 Speaker 6: is wearing like military uniform and he's basically considered himself 656 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 6: as an extension of you know, the war effort and 657 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 6: that point. 658 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 4: One hundred percent. 659 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:47,720 Speaker 3: Yeah. 660 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 4: And this so for people who haven't heard of Mannix, 661 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 4: there is one story that is perhaps the most infamous. 662 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 4: While Mannix is paying off, oh I should mention this first. 663 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 4: While Mannix is paying off slash intimidating, slash threatening victims 664 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:06,359 Speaker 4: if they don't play along. Whether you're a victim just 665 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 4: a bystander. You went to the party and you saw 666 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 4: the studio head forcing drugs on a woman and dragging 667 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 4: her somewhere, and you don't play along, Mannix will uh 668 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:23,240 Speaker 4: call his friends from a subsidiary in New Jersey. 669 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 3: Huh, we're talking about the Shriners, right. 670 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 4: Sure, you know, just some just some friends who travel. 671 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 2: Well, let's talk about that really quickly. I know we 672 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 2: need to take a break here in a minute. But 673 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,080 Speaker 2: a movie is a great way to launder money, yes, 674 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 2: because you're talking about huge amounts of money, dude, that 675 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 2: they get paid to so many different outfits, different companies, 676 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 2: different individuals. 677 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 3: Oh absolutely, it's it's like almost as good as like 678 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 3: a construction grift, you know. And it actually comes up 679 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 3: in a later season of The Sopranos where they make 680 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,319 Speaker 3: a movie called like Hatchet or something like it. It's 681 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:08,920 Speaker 3: like a Mabfia meats saw kind of movie, and Christopher 682 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,920 Speaker 3: Montesanti ends up becoming the producer on it. And it, 683 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,800 Speaker 3: of course is a way to disguise money because you know, 684 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 3: you're dealing with so many vendors, you're paying salaries, You 685 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 3: have easily disguisable employees that you can call one thing 686 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,319 Speaker 3: on paper, but they're actually doing something else. It gives 687 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 3: legitimacy to their employee, you know what I mean. It's 688 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 3: really good point. 689 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean podcasting is the next version of the 690 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:36,360 Speaker 4: total clearly, but we're legitimate, right right casey no comment? 691 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:39,480 Speaker 4: Oh geez all right, bro, I see you. 692 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:41,799 Speaker 2: Anyways, So you know, But you know what's crazy though, 693 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,040 Speaker 2: if you look online and you're trying to find articles 694 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:48,920 Speaker 2: or books or you know, accounts of how much money 695 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 2: and what kind of money and where it came from 696 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,880 Speaker 2: and how it was laundered through old Hollywood, I I 697 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 2: have a I can't find any tough because I don't 698 00:39:58,719 --> 00:40:02,439 Speaker 2: know in all the film classes that you know, I've 699 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:07,439 Speaker 2: taken over the years, I've never actually seen concrete examples 700 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:12,720 Speaker 2: of a specific mafia mob organized crime unit working directly 701 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:13,320 Speaker 2: with a studio. 702 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:14,960 Speaker 4: Because so it's acknowledged, Yeah. 703 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 2: It was just kind of operating underneath. 704 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:20,759 Speaker 4: They got away. Is another part of it, right, that 705 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,759 Speaker 4: just behind the curtain, all this stuff is happening, and 706 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 4: these this organized crime. I love this point. So one happened, 707 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:34,839 Speaker 4: it is still happening. By the way that conspiracy continues. 708 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 4: You're just not really going to hear about it. If 709 00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,879 Speaker 4: it's you're not going to hear about it unless it's 710 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:46,719 Speaker 4: an outsider organized crime thing or a foreign government like 711 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 4: our Chinese film industry conspiracy episode. The reason we know 712 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:54,799 Speaker 4: about that is because Uncle Sam doesn't like Uncle She. 713 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 3: That's right, and it certainly does feel like the quote 714 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,719 Speaker 3: unquote mafia as we know it depict it in Godfather, Goodfellas, 715 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 3: and Sopranos type movies. Doesn't quite have the prominence that 716 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:07,600 Speaker 3: it once did. They've gone a lot more underground, right 717 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 3: because of Rico cases and things like that. 718 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:15,400 Speaker 4: Or like the Yakuza, they've relocated, or they've become increasingly 719 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:17,480 Speaker 4: in mansular discover. 720 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 2: I did find one example that we can at least 721 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,480 Speaker 2: point to just quickly, but it comes from two thousand 722 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 2: and six. 723 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:29,080 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, again, it's still happening. You could also if 724 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 4: you were of the philosophy that the US military is 725 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:36,239 Speaker 4: a form of organized crime, then Hollywood's totally in bed 726 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 4: with them too. Just gonna throw that hot table there. 727 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:43,359 Speaker 4: I don't agree with it personally, but it's a valid point. 728 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,560 Speaker 2: Well, this one comes from two thousand and six. L 729 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 2: A Times reported on it, and it's an outfit called 730 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:52,000 Speaker 2: Limelight Films, and it had a couple of executives. They 731 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 2: were accused of essentially laundering ecstasy sale money through some 732 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 2: of their productions and selling or sell to undercover agents 733 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:04,359 Speaker 2: through the production. It was really interesting. You can read 734 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:05,839 Speaker 2: it right now if you want to read that article 735 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:09,280 Speaker 2: is called movie execs charged in money laundering case. That's 736 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:11,480 Speaker 2: literally it, and you got to find it. 737 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 4: But you know how easy it is to avoid consequences. Still, 738 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 4: as a studio exec, you can just have the companies, 739 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:25,120 Speaker 4: the hierarchy and the organizational structure of them are very 740 00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:31,759 Speaker 4: very well done. Just objectively, it's super easy for a 741 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 4: studio exec to say I had no idea that happened, 742 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 4: you know what I mean, Look, detective, I respect what 743 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:43,440 Speaker 4: you do. I back the blue, but I make hundreds 744 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 4: of movies and hundreds of millions dollars a year. I 745 00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 4: don't watch every falling sparrow. And you know what, it 746 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:54,319 Speaker 4: does sound like an unfortunate accident, and I wish they're 747 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 4: family the best. You let us know if there's anything 748 00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:58,799 Speaker 4: we can do. Now, I've got to take this call 749 00:42:58,800 --> 00:42:59,439 Speaker 4: at one thirty. 750 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,680 Speaker 3: Any ability, Man, it's the name of the game. 751 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:05,840 Speaker 4: And that is a hypothetical, hypothetical incident. 752 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:07,840 Speaker 3: I was going there with you. Yeah, Like, I. 753 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:13,319 Speaker 4: Just feel like it's chilling how plausible that sounds, you know, 754 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:16,879 Speaker 4: and again to your appointment, this is two thousand and six, right, 755 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,480 Speaker 4: and to your point in all this is just that 756 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:23,160 Speaker 4: kind of opportunity for crime is going to continue because 757 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:24,880 Speaker 4: there is so much money to be made. 758 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 3: And not to mention the police, right, I mean the 759 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,640 Speaker 3: police were probably on the payrolls of some of these 760 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:32,879 Speaker 3: studios off the books as well. 761 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:35,120 Speaker 4: That's why they broke up. That's why they don't make music. 762 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:39,719 Speaker 2: Man, let's talk about the actor Frank Sinatra, who was 763 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 2: also a musician Old Blue Eyes. He was in a 764 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:44,080 Speaker 2: lot of movies. 765 00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, Oh well, I mean you'll recall in The Godfather, 766 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:50,319 Speaker 3: I forget the character's name, case you'll probably point it 767 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 3: out real quick. There's a Frank Sinatra esque character who 768 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:57,520 Speaker 3: becomes a big singing star in Hollywood and they're trying to, 769 00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:00,360 Speaker 3: you know, convince his producer to put him in his movie. 770 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:02,839 Speaker 3: And that's where the famous horse's head in the bed 771 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:05,760 Speaker 3: sequence comes from. And then of course that producer decides 772 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,880 Speaker 3: to change his tune. Yeah, real life snatch a huge 773 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:10,880 Speaker 3: sexual predator. 774 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 6: I think it was Johnny Fontange. 775 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 3: That's great. 776 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:16,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, uh so glad you're here, Casey. 777 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:17,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, thanks for coming. 778 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:17,640 Speaker 3: Man. 779 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:20,280 Speaker 2: You guys get to see him like every week, multiple 780 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:21,840 Speaker 2: times a week. No, no, don't do. 781 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:23,680 Speaker 4: No, this is especial occasion. 782 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 3: Oh wait, when does the New Ridiculous History anymore? 783 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 2: It's Max Okay, it's. 784 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:30,840 Speaker 3: Max with the facts and Casey on the case. 785 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:34,279 Speaker 4: Never the twain shall meet, right, I have never seen 786 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:36,360 Speaker 4: them in the same room. 787 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:37,360 Speaker 2: Well, either way, I'm jealous. 788 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 4: You got a comment on that one? No comment? 789 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:41,000 Speaker 3: Damn it all right? 790 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:44,799 Speaker 4: Anyway, one day now I feel like I'm the investigator 791 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:45,920 Speaker 4: one day pagram. 792 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:48,919 Speaker 3: Well, but speaking of the investigator, back to the police. Yeah, 793 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:53,760 Speaker 3: I mean the law enforcement agency, not the seminole nineteen 794 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:57,320 Speaker 3: eighties rock band. At the very least, they were turning 795 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 3: a blind eye. At the very most, they were outright 796 00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 3: getting paid off and perhaps even helping some of these 797 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 3: crimes be covered up or perhaps even perpetrated. 798 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 4: One hundred percent to because they may have just been 799 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:14,239 Speaker 4: fans of the movies, or you know, they might have 800 00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 4: gotten a discount at the Brothels. Sorry will pause for 801 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:29,279 Speaker 4: a word from our sponsor. We'll be right back. We've returned. Yes, Brothels. 802 00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:35,160 Speaker 4: We mentioned we mentioned what sounds like K pop level 803 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:40,920 Speaker 4: sex trafficking with VIPs, but it went much more pervasive, 804 00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:44,000 Speaker 4: much more extensive than that, And they're both very very 805 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:49,320 Speaker 4: terrible things. When to introduce you to Louis B. Meyer, 806 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:52,600 Speaker 4: who has sometimes been called the monster of MGM, When 807 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:57,279 Speaker 4: Harvey Weinstein was convicted for numerous sexual crimes. A lot 808 00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:01,400 Speaker 4: of people were bringing up the specter of former MGM 809 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:06,560 Speaker 4: studio had Meyer. He was talented studio exec in arguably 810 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,080 Speaker 4: person with a lot of mental issues and kind of 811 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:16,520 Speaker 4: a piece of his reputation remains under debate today. We're 812 00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 4: talking about this a little bit off air. He was 813 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:23,239 Speaker 4: known for routinely micromanaging and obsessively controlling his creators. He 814 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:28,359 Speaker 4: was like, stars are no one. I build stars. Do 815 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:32,160 Speaker 4: what I say, which is funny because Eddie Mannix also 816 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 4: had a like a plaque in his office where he said, 817 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 4: the only star of MGM is the lion, you know, 818 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:44,080 Speaker 4: the lion from the from thatsequence, Yeah, the. 819 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 3: One that you start the Pink Floyd record, thefter the 820 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:46,560 Speaker 3: third roar. 821 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:51,960 Speaker 4: But Meyer was known to turn a blind eye to 822 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 4: sexual abuse of female performers, probably male performers too, and 823 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:02,680 Speaker 4: he also is known to participate in that abuse himself, 824 00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 4: never convicted of doing so. 825 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:07,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, and just you know, not Devil's advocate necessarily, but 826 00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:11,439 Speaker 3: just to offer another perspective from someone who perhaps maybe 827 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:15,640 Speaker 3: a little too close. There is an essay from Meyer's 828 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:23,320 Speaker 3: great nephew, I believe that defends Meyer's reputation and offered 829 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:26,080 Speaker 3: a few quotes from folks like Joan Crawford, and also 830 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:30,319 Speaker 3: the mention of the idea that Judy Garland, while having 831 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:33,839 Speaker 3: leveled accusations that he had fed her pills throughout her 832 00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:37,400 Speaker 3: career and all this stuff. Apparently this person claims that 833 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:41,120 Speaker 3: she rescinded some of his accusations. But again it feels 834 00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:45,800 Speaker 3: a little biased and a little tainted with revisionist history 835 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:49,560 Speaker 3: and sort of you know, maybe trying to clear the 836 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:53,080 Speaker 3: name of someone who feels their relative has been wronged. 837 00:47:53,120 --> 00:47:55,040 Speaker 3: But I feel like there's a lot of smoke, so 838 00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:57,120 Speaker 3: it's probably the very least a little bit of fire. 839 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 4: Control of law enforcement too, make it a very difficult 840 00:48:01,920 --> 00:48:07,240 Speaker 4: problem to navigate, you know. And again, not convicted of stuff. 841 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 4: It is considered fairly confirmed that he sexually abused an 842 00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:15,120 Speaker 4: underage Judy Garland, although as he said, she would later 843 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:19,120 Speaker 4: say it wasn't the case. It's it's gross. But we 844 00:48:19,239 --> 00:48:24,040 Speaker 4: do know that he he in part funded a brothel 845 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 4: that used plastic surgery to make sex workers look like 846 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:33,920 Speaker 4: popular stars of Like, yeah, yeah. 847 00:48:34,239 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 2: Is that a proven thing? 848 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:39,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, okay, it's it's what's not proven about it is 849 00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:47,320 Speaker 4: the technically the degree to which Meyer was aware. Okay, 850 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:49,799 Speaker 4: so it might might have been like he knew he 851 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:57,280 Speaker 4: was putting something into like the entertainment slash fund. Okay, yeah, 852 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:05,840 Speaker 4: and uh again gross gross stuff, no consequences whatsoever. The 853 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 4: casting couch was another dirty thing. There was a Fox 854 00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:12,120 Speaker 4: producer named Darryl F. Xanuk and according to an author 855 00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:15,360 Speaker 4: named Marlus Harris who wrote a book called The Xanux 856 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 4: of Hollywood Dark Legacy of American Dynasty, this guy had 857 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:24,000 Speaker 4: a routine. He ended the day early at four pm. 858 00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:29,600 Speaker 4: Every day, his studio at his office at Fox Century 859 00:49:29,640 --> 00:49:33,640 Speaker 4: City Studio would shut down and he would pick a 860 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:38,680 Speaker 4: young woman to be hustled through an underground passage to 861 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:39,600 Speaker 4: his office. 862 00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:43,719 Speaker 3: And this is allegedly as reported in this book, right, 863 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:48,480 Speaker 3: is reported in this book. Yeah yeah, an interesting personal story. 864 00:49:48,719 --> 00:49:51,520 Speaker 3: When I worked for Public Radio, there was a film 865 00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:54,239 Speaker 3: called Get Low. You guys might have seen that shot 866 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,680 Speaker 3: in Georgia in Crawfordville, which is like a little kind 867 00:49:57,719 --> 00:50:00,200 Speaker 3: of small town that they used oftentimes for these like 868 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:05,040 Speaker 3: old timey Southern like you know, Berg type shoots. Robert 869 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:07,239 Speaker 3: Duvall was in it. Cissy spasically was in it. I 870 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:10,880 Speaker 3: covered it for Public Radio, and the producer of the 871 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:15,960 Speaker 3: film none other than Dean Xanik, the great grandson of 872 00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:23,359 Speaker 3: Darryl Zanik, his son Richard Zanak. Dean's father won an 873 00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:26,719 Speaker 3: Academy Award for producing Driving Miss Daisy launched the career 874 00:50:26,760 --> 00:50:29,600 Speaker 3: of Steven Spielberg. So that legacy that you're referring to 875 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:32,160 Speaker 3: it is, it is a real thing. I remember one 876 00:50:32,239 --> 00:50:34,480 Speaker 3: question that I asked Dean when I got to interview him, 877 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:37,920 Speaker 3: was how do you become a producer of Hollywood? And 878 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:40,920 Speaker 3: he basically said, you gotta have a dad who was 879 00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:43,279 Speaker 3: a producer. You know, you have to be part of 880 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:46,440 Speaker 3: that system. No one just pops up and becomes a 881 00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:49,759 Speaker 3: major Hollywood producer. But even you know Dean, he didn't 882 00:50:49,760 --> 00:50:52,359 Speaker 3: produce any major, major Hollywood films. He focused more on 883 00:50:52,400 --> 00:50:54,120 Speaker 3: like like Terry Gilliam. He did a movie called The 884 00:50:54,200 --> 00:50:57,279 Speaker 3: Zero Theorem with Terry Gilliam and this get Low. But 885 00:50:57,520 --> 00:51:00,600 Speaker 3: I think the age of that dynasty, you know, producer 886 00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:04,280 Speaker 3: figurehead is sort of past us. In some ways. It's interesting. 887 00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:06,320 Speaker 3: I think it's still. 888 00:51:06,160 --> 00:51:07,720 Speaker 2: There, certainly. 889 00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:12,480 Speaker 3: I'm just arguing, like why was why is Dean producing 890 00:51:12,880 --> 00:51:16,239 Speaker 3: smaller films? Whereas his father was literally the guy who 891 00:51:16,280 --> 00:51:20,040 Speaker 3: made Steven Spears doors less shut. I'm saying that's the case. 892 00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:23,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, yeah, that's weird because we work You and 893 00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:26,480 Speaker 2: I both work with a former head of MGM, a 894 00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:32,279 Speaker 2: guy who ran MGM, And it's fascinating to see this 895 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:33,759 Speaker 2: person We're just not going to name who it is, 896 00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:36,040 Speaker 2: but it's fascinating to see this person doing what they're 897 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:40,360 Speaker 2: doing now that formerly ran a giant studio. Yeah. I 898 00:51:40,360 --> 00:51:43,480 Speaker 2: don't know what there is. I guess that's more of. 899 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:45,560 Speaker 4: A this is a room I'm not allowed in. 900 00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:48,719 Speaker 2: It's n nothing to do exclusion. 901 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:53,920 Speaker 3: The similar system has less of a stranglehold, especially as 902 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:58,279 Speaker 3: media has been diluted to the point of absurdity. You know, 903 00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:02,600 Speaker 3: things like podcasts and other revenue streams are much more 904 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:05,640 Speaker 3: of a part of the portfolio than they ever you 905 00:52:05,680 --> 00:52:08,440 Speaker 3: know what I mean, because no longer are these movies 906 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:11,640 Speaker 3: just a sure thing anymore? Are these studios just Yeah, but. 907 00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:15,520 Speaker 2: It's interesting to see now is they're attempting to find 908 00:52:15,560 --> 00:52:20,640 Speaker 2: stories that will be super successful in that way. I 909 00:52:20,680 --> 00:52:21,720 Speaker 2: don't know, it's interesting. 910 00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:26,280 Speaker 4: The point here, though, is that the normalized sexual abuse 911 00:52:26,360 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 4: of actors male and female, like during this time was 912 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:33,240 Speaker 4: so commonplace that it acquired a name and remains heartbreakingly 913 00:52:33,320 --> 00:52:36,799 Speaker 4: relevant today. The casting couch. You've heard of this, We 914 00:52:36,840 --> 00:52:40,279 Speaker 4: don't need to necessarily explain what it is. Unfortunately, the 915 00:52:40,320 --> 00:52:46,000 Speaker 4: examples are infinite or near infinite at this point, and 916 00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:50,600 Speaker 4: numerous lurid scandals have occurred as a result of this, 917 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:55,160 Speaker 4: and the number of scandals we know about are absolutely 918 00:52:55,239 --> 00:52:59,200 Speaker 4: dwarfed by the horrific events that the public will never 919 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:03,360 Speaker 4: learn about because people took them to their graves. Eventually, 920 00:53:03,400 --> 00:53:07,000 Speaker 4: the public turns against old Hollywood. They become increasingly fed 921 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:10,799 Speaker 4: up with this strange, sinister system or the format took 922 00:53:10,840 --> 00:53:14,600 Speaker 4: at that time. Interestingly enough, the story about Fatty Arbuckle 923 00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:20,000 Speaker 4: and the alleged death slash sexual assault our Buckle was 924 00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:23,920 Speaker 4: probably not guilty, but that story caught on in the 925 00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:27,520 Speaker 4: Zeitgei so much that it led to the public examining 926 00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:31,759 Speaker 4: more actual, like real lurid scandals, and there was a 927 00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:35,200 Speaker 4: moral panic. The old Hollywood system didn't survive as a 928 00:53:35,239 --> 00:53:38,960 Speaker 4: result past that nineteen forty eight court case versus Paramount. 929 00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:44,040 Speaker 4: But just like a horror movie monster, the thing America 930 00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:50,280 Speaker 4: thought it killed hid itself away recuperated and arguably returned 931 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:52,800 Speaker 4: in a slightly different form for a sequel. 932 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:56,480 Speaker 3: So why is all this important? You can start by 933 00:53:56,600 --> 00:53:59,120 Speaker 3: saying it's important to just understand the past in order 934 00:53:59,160 --> 00:54:03,759 Speaker 3: to make sense of the present. The precedence of this 935 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:09,800 Speaker 3: massive entertainment conglomo this industry because it sets a precedent 936 00:54:09,800 --> 00:54:12,240 Speaker 3: for the understanding of the current state of the industry 937 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:14,960 Speaker 3: in the modern day, which we've hinted at in drips 938 00:54:14,960 --> 00:54:18,440 Speaker 3: and drabs throughout the episode. So much like a blockbuster 939 00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:22,400 Speaker 3: film franchise, history of course does repeat itself, and sometimes 940 00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:23,600 Speaker 3: it rhymes. 941 00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:27,239 Speaker 4: Often with little, if it's if, it's I. It's like 942 00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:30,759 Speaker 4: a modern film franchise, it often repeats with little or 943 00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:32,759 Speaker 4: no significant change in the plot. 944 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:37,720 Speaker 3: Like the Fast and Furious movies, like The Transformers, thinking, 945 00:54:38,520 --> 00:54:39,319 Speaker 3: how how does it? 946 00:54:39,440 --> 00:54:42,160 Speaker 4: You know what? Let's do the spoiler. It makes no 947 00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:45,560 Speaker 4: sense that Palpatine just comes back. That's just they could 948 00:54:45,600 --> 00:54:46,120 Speaker 4: have done. 949 00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:47,640 Speaker 3: It in a more clever way. 950 00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:49,680 Speaker 4: Could they could have done something? 951 00:54:49,719 --> 00:54:52,560 Speaker 2: They could have done something, and so Palpatine comes back. 952 00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:57,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, it doesn't even matter, Matt, It doesn't really really does. 953 00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:01,520 Speaker 4: By the time it happens, it looks cool, but it's not. 954 00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:05,680 Speaker 4: You know what, A lot of people worked very hard 955 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:06,680 Speaker 4: on that film. 956 00:55:06,960 --> 00:55:09,080 Speaker 3: And that is a very important caveat to add. By 957 00:55:09,120 --> 00:55:11,680 Speaker 3: the way, any time I or any of us are 958 00:55:11,760 --> 00:55:16,400 Speaker 3: like poopooing film, we are not poopooing the individuals that 959 00:55:16,520 --> 00:55:20,040 Speaker 3: made them, because we know, based on our limited experience 960 00:55:20,120 --> 00:55:23,520 Speaker 3: on big Hollywood sets, it is insane amounts of work 961 00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:26,760 Speaker 3: Here in Atlanta. This city thrives on these types of shoots, 962 00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:30,960 Speaker 3: and we know people from every sector of that industry, 963 00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:34,160 Speaker 3: and I mean, these are some of the most hard working, dedicated, 964 00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:37,000 Speaker 3: and incredibly talented people that you could ever ask to 965 00:55:37,040 --> 00:55:38,280 Speaker 3: be a part of any team. 966 00:55:38,160 --> 00:55:40,839 Speaker 4: Which is why I am a huge supporter of the 967 00:55:40,880 --> 00:55:43,319 Speaker 4: strike and I can't wait till we get to that 968 00:55:43,440 --> 00:55:48,920 Speaker 4: episode on this show. The terror absolutely continues into the 969 00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:51,960 Speaker 4: modern day. Matt, you and I talked a bit off 970 00:55:52,000 --> 00:55:54,120 Speaker 4: air about a case that we didn't even get to 971 00:55:54,239 --> 00:55:59,960 Speaker 4: in this episode, which is just shows that the organized 972 00:56:00,160 --> 00:56:03,759 Speaker 4: crime involving Hollywood is not limited to the borders of 973 00:56:03,760 --> 00:56:04,680 Speaker 4: the United States. 974 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:08,440 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, well, I don't know. I don't know if 975 00:56:08,440 --> 00:56:09,560 Speaker 2: I'll call it terror, I would. 976 00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:11,280 Speaker 4: Call it like geopolitical intrigue. 977 00:56:11,360 --> 00:56:14,120 Speaker 2: There you go, That's that's what it is, because we 978 00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:18,400 Speaker 2: were just learning about an Israeli agent that was hanging 979 00:56:18,400 --> 00:56:21,320 Speaker 2: out in Hollywood for a while. A billionaire made a 980 00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:23,879 Speaker 2: Pretty Woman. That's one of the films he worked on, 981 00:56:24,320 --> 00:56:28,160 Speaker 2: Mister and Missus Smith, Bohemian Rhapsody. There's a very recent stuff. 982 00:56:28,840 --> 00:56:31,839 Speaker 2: There's reporting here from books and a bunch of other 983 00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:34,839 Speaker 2: reporting from New York Times in like twenty eleven up 984 00:56:34,920 --> 00:56:39,440 Speaker 2: until this year about Arnan. I think it's milchan is 985 00:56:39,480 --> 00:56:42,759 Speaker 2: how you would say it. But this guy is a 986 00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:47,480 Speaker 2: Hollywood movie producer, billionaire who's also an arms dealer or trader. 987 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:49,600 Speaker 4: You get in situations working. 988 00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:53,759 Speaker 2: For Israeli intelligence, what you get in situations, but any 989 00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:56,480 Speaker 2: kind of situations We've been talking about this whole time. 990 00:56:56,280 --> 00:56:58,799 Speaker 4: The situations people could get it, you know what I mean. 991 00:56:58,840 --> 00:57:04,560 Speaker 4: There's no there's no know university course, there's no specific 992 00:57:04,680 --> 00:57:07,439 Speaker 4: kind of board certification you have to pass to become 993 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:08,080 Speaker 4: a producer. 994 00:57:08,120 --> 00:57:10,359 Speaker 3: Well, that's to my point about what Dean Xanak said. 995 00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:11,640 Speaker 3: I thought it was so interesting. I was like, how 996 00:57:11,640 --> 00:57:15,080 Speaker 3: does one train to become a Hollywood producer? And there 997 00:57:15,120 --> 00:57:17,600 Speaker 3: really is no answer to that, because, first of all, 998 00:57:17,640 --> 00:57:19,600 Speaker 3: it's a little vague as to what they even do. 999 00:57:19,720 --> 00:57:22,840 Speaker 3: There is no one thing they do. You know, they 1000 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:26,160 Speaker 3: oversee things that people will often say they handle the money, 1001 00:57:26,160 --> 00:57:28,400 Speaker 3: but they don't exactly handle the money. 1002 00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:31,520 Speaker 2: Maybe they have secure. 1003 00:57:32,760 --> 00:57:35,720 Speaker 4: That's true. I mean, there's this takes me like, I 1004 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:38,120 Speaker 4: really appreciate the time when this, this takes me to 1005 00:57:38,560 --> 00:57:41,960 Speaker 4: other episodes I think we should do like Saudi Arabia 1006 00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:45,320 Speaker 4: and golf. I was about to mention the golf tournament 1007 00:57:45,400 --> 00:57:46,200 Speaker 4: has been on my mind. 1008 00:57:46,520 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 3: There's some hearings that are taking place as to whether 1009 00:57:48,720 --> 00:57:51,840 Speaker 3: or not that merger is okay. 1010 00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:54,440 Speaker 4: I'm sure the Crown Prince gives a I mean, well 1011 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:54,720 Speaker 4: that's the. 1012 00:57:54,720 --> 00:57:56,920 Speaker 3: Point, right, is the idea of a of a country 1013 00:57:57,080 --> 00:57:59,640 Speaker 3: with a let's just very say as checkered is those 1014 00:57:59,720 --> 00:58:02,440 Speaker 3: things they were on their head past of human rights 1015 00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:07,480 Speaker 3: abuse and all of a sudden like this giant organization 1016 00:58:07,680 --> 00:58:10,880 Speaker 3: around a professional sport that is huge money in America. 1017 00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:14,040 Speaker 3: Basically feeling almost strong armed into having to merge with 1018 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:17,680 Speaker 3: these folks to keep relevant. Yeah, confused as to how 1019 00:58:17,720 --> 00:58:18,520 Speaker 3: it came around. 1020 00:58:18,360 --> 00:58:20,919 Speaker 4: Seeing it in Core and it look folks, we're we're 1021 00:58:21,000 --> 00:58:25,760 Speaker 4: singling out Saudi Arabia with good reason. We're not. It's 1022 00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:29,680 Speaker 4: not based on any religious nor racial prejudice. Oh the 1023 00:58:29,760 --> 00:58:31,800 Speaker 4: name for that is the Catha by the way, got it, 1024 00:58:32,200 --> 00:58:35,120 Speaker 4: Thank you once again, but the look out a look 1025 00:58:35,160 --> 00:58:40,360 Speaker 4: at our previous episode on how the US allows Saudi 1026 00:58:40,440 --> 00:58:44,600 Speaker 4: Arabia nationals, often college students, but not always, to commit 1027 00:58:44,640 --> 00:58:47,400 Speaker 4: crimes and escape. Yeah, just a fly, we did culture 1028 00:58:47,960 --> 00:58:48,720 Speaker 4: the hell. 1029 00:58:49,720 --> 00:58:54,560 Speaker 2: Let's look at bribery scandals from twenty twelve where studios 1030 00:58:54,600 --> 00:58:58,800 Speaker 2: were caught bribing Chinese officials to get movies in China. 1031 00:58:58,720 --> 00:59:03,800 Speaker 4: Which have in twenty twelve. Though, yes, it continues. It 1032 00:59:03,840 --> 00:59:08,640 Speaker 4: continues because entertainment is so easy, easily weaponized. It is 1033 00:59:08,720 --> 00:59:12,720 Speaker 4: soft power, it is diplomacy. This stuff continues in the 1034 00:59:12,720 --> 00:59:15,919 Speaker 4: modern day. And you know, I mentioned that I think 1035 00:59:16,400 --> 00:59:20,360 Speaker 4: several of these stories could be deep dive miniseries all 1036 00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:23,360 Speaker 4: on their own. A lot of the research we did 1037 00:59:23,480 --> 00:59:25,920 Speaker 4: hasn't made it into this episode. We have to return 1038 00:59:26,000 --> 00:59:28,960 Speaker 4: for at least two more, one on Ai Film and 1039 00:59:29,000 --> 00:59:33,520 Speaker 4: the Strikes, and probably more than one on these recent 1040 00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:36,600 Speaker 4: Hollywood scandals like you're mentioning, Matt. I mean, for now, 1041 00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:40,120 Speaker 4: all we can say is that Hollywood has been cartoonishly 1042 00:59:40,400 --> 00:59:43,600 Speaker 4: deeply crooked for a very very long time, and at 1043 00:59:43,680 --> 00:59:48,360 Speaker 4: literally every moment of its existence, just behind the curtain. 1044 00:59:48,560 --> 00:59:50,640 Speaker 4: There's been a ton of stuff they don't want you 1045 00:59:50,720 --> 00:59:53,000 Speaker 4: to know. And we say that as all four of 1046 00:59:53,080 --> 00:59:58,560 Speaker 4: us are huge, huge cinophiles and fans of film. Thank 1047 00:59:58,600 --> 01:00:01,880 Speaker 4: you to everybody too, and thank you to our super 1048 01:00:01,880 --> 01:00:05,480 Speaker 4: producer Casey on the case pagrim Casey, how'd we do? 1049 01:00:06,360 --> 01:00:06,440 Speaker 1: That? 1050 01:00:06,520 --> 01:00:06,920 Speaker 2: Was great? 1051 01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:09,920 Speaker 6: I've just been enjoying listening the whole time. Had I 1052 01:00:09,920 --> 01:00:13,080 Speaker 6: had a couple a little small recommendations that throw out there. 1053 01:00:14,760 --> 01:00:18,920 Speaker 6: There's a book called Hollywood Babylon by the recently deceased 1054 01:00:19,240 --> 01:00:22,880 Speaker 6: experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger, and it kind of is a 1055 01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:28,200 Speaker 6: deep dive into this early Hollywood ceedy underground and a 1056 01:00:28,240 --> 01:00:30,480 Speaker 6: lot of people have said that many of the things 1057 01:00:30,480 --> 01:00:33,280 Speaker 6: that happened in that book are fabricated, so you know, 1058 01:00:33,360 --> 01:00:35,880 Speaker 6: you may not take it as the gospel truth the 1059 01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:38,600 Speaker 6: entire book, but it definitely conveys the sense of that 1060 01:00:38,640 --> 01:00:41,960 Speaker 6: period and just kind of the landscape as it existed. 1061 01:00:42,760 --> 01:00:44,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, it makes me think of that. There's also a 1062 01:00:44,240 --> 01:00:48,280 Speaker 3: podcast by Karina Longworth. It talks about I think there's 1063 01:00:48,280 --> 01:00:51,440 Speaker 3: actually a whole series specifically on Hollywood Babylon, but in 1064 01:00:51,440 --> 01:00:54,080 Speaker 3: general that is a great deep dive podcast into all 1065 01:00:54,120 --> 01:00:55,600 Speaker 3: of the kinds of stuff we're talking about today. 1066 01:00:55,720 --> 01:00:58,080 Speaker 6: And there was also a documentary a few years back 1067 01:00:58,240 --> 01:01:02,480 Speaker 6: called Scottie in the Secret History of Hollywood. It's about 1068 01:01:02,520 --> 01:01:05,920 Speaker 6: a guy who ran a gas station who ended up 1069 01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:10,240 Speaker 6: becoming like the pimp to Hollywood in the form of 1070 01:01:11,880 --> 01:01:16,040 Speaker 6: just finding young men, especially for closeted actors, and would 1071 01:01:16,120 --> 01:01:19,600 Speaker 6: sort of facilitate these hookups that were next to the 1072 01:01:19,640 --> 01:01:22,240 Speaker 6: gas station. There was a show that was Yes, there's 1073 01:01:22,280 --> 01:01:24,160 Speaker 6: also a Ryan Murphy series that kind of. 1074 01:01:25,840 --> 01:01:30,560 Speaker 3: Ye, so it probably is salacious and funny. 1075 01:01:30,600 --> 01:01:34,400 Speaker 6: The documentary is very like upbeat about this guy, and 1076 01:01:34,480 --> 01:01:36,280 Speaker 6: even though he's sort of known as like the pimp 1077 01:01:36,320 --> 01:01:40,800 Speaker 6: of Hollywood, apparently the way he tells it, anyway, he 1078 01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:43,280 Speaker 6: was just sort of like allowing people that were in 1079 01:01:43,280 --> 01:01:45,720 Speaker 6: the closet, which was most people, most actors in that 1080 01:01:45,760 --> 01:01:49,760 Speaker 6: period felt like they had to be closeted. He was facilitating, 1081 01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:52,560 Speaker 6: you know, them to be able to express themselves sexually 1082 01:01:52,560 --> 01:01:55,240 Speaker 6: and so on. So it's it's a very interesting documentary. 1083 01:01:54,800 --> 01:02:01,160 Speaker 4: Anyway, and we know again thank you, Casey, and we 1084 01:02:01,280 --> 01:02:05,080 Speaker 4: know that there's much much more to all of these stories. 1085 01:02:05,320 --> 01:02:09,880 Speaker 4: We'd like to hear the stories of old Hollywood scandal, corruption, 1086 01:02:10,040 --> 01:02:15,040 Speaker 4: crime and conspiracy that speak to you. This didn't have 1087 01:02:15,680 --> 01:02:17,960 Speaker 4: deep dives in it. It is more of a grab 1088 01:02:18,040 --> 01:02:21,640 Speaker 4: bag to set us up for future actions. The way 1089 01:02:21,720 --> 01:02:25,040 Speaker 4: that the French government has changed the laws about surveillance, 1090 01:02:26,120 --> 01:02:31,440 Speaker 4: deep cuts, callbacks. We want you, we want you to 1091 01:02:31,520 --> 01:02:33,880 Speaker 4: call on us. We want you to reach out and 1092 01:02:33,960 --> 01:02:36,800 Speaker 4: touch faith. On the internet. You can find us in 1093 01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:38,200 Speaker 4: all sorts of platforms. 1094 01:02:38,280 --> 01:02:40,760 Speaker 3: Also, don't forget to touch grass. And by the way, 1095 01:02:40,960 --> 01:02:41,880 Speaker 3: being make sure you do that. 1096 01:02:44,040 --> 01:02:45,480 Speaker 4: I know that expression. I hate it. 1097 01:02:45,520 --> 01:02:47,160 Speaker 3: I think it's funny. But Ma's surprised, you don't know, Matt. 1098 01:02:47,200 --> 01:02:52,400 Speaker 3: It's the idea that people are like, it's like, you 1099 01:02:52,480 --> 01:02:53,680 Speaker 3: got to get out and touch grass. 1100 01:02:54,080 --> 01:02:55,080 Speaker 2: You know, I thought you were. 1101 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,440 Speaker 4: But it makes me think of touch cloth, which is 1102 01:02:57,440 --> 01:03:01,160 Speaker 4: an old school expression for having to take our so bad. 1103 01:03:01,400 --> 01:03:05,640 Speaker 3: That's right, sure, yeah, But apparently in Eldenring, the idea 1104 01:03:05,760 --> 01:03:09,280 Speaker 3: of having to touch grace when you find the sites 1105 01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:11,120 Speaker 3: of grace is sort of a little wink wink and 1106 01:03:11,240 --> 01:03:14,400 Speaker 3: nod to the term touchgrass, reminding you to don't just 1107 01:03:14,480 --> 01:03:17,680 Speaker 3: live in elden Ring, go outside. But yeah, anyway, but 1108 01:03:17,760 --> 01:03:19,960 Speaker 3: you can reach us. Indeed all over the internet. We 1109 01:03:20,000 --> 01:03:23,840 Speaker 3: are at conspiracy stuff on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Conspiracy 1110 01:03:23,840 --> 01:03:26,440 Speaker 3: Stuff show on Instagram and TikTok. Oh. 1111 01:03:26,520 --> 01:03:28,920 Speaker 2: Yes, you can reach us on the phone lines. It's 1112 01:03:28,920 --> 01:03:34,919 Speaker 2: a voicemail. Our number is one eight three three STDWYTK. 1113 01:03:35,440 --> 01:03:37,640 Speaker 2: When you call in, give yourself a cool nickname, not 1114 01:03:37,760 --> 01:03:39,840 Speaker 2: your government name. Man, let us know if we can 1115 01:03:39,960 --> 01:03:40,800 Speaker 2: use your message on. 1116 01:03:40,800 --> 01:03:42,360 Speaker 3: The Am Jazz to that baby. 1117 01:03:42,480 --> 01:03:46,200 Speaker 2: I'm trying my best. Oh yeah, use your name and 1118 01:03:46,360 --> 01:03:48,680 Speaker 2: message if you got three minutes, say anything you want. 1119 01:03:48,960 --> 01:03:51,320 Speaker 2: If you don't want to use voicemail, why not instead 1120 01:03:51,440 --> 01:03:53,280 Speaker 2: use our good old fashioned email. 1121 01:03:53,400 --> 01:04:15,200 Speaker 4: We are conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com. 1122 01:04:15,320 --> 01:04:17,400 Speaker 2: Stuff they don't want you to know is a production 1123 01:04:17,480 --> 01:04:22,040 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 1124 01:04:22,120 --> 01:04:24,960 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.