Hi, there. Jennifer here. This show is about old movies and stuff. It's the cure insomniacs have been begging for, and the virtual companion for those who are really bored at work. Take it from my mom: "This is incontrovertibly the best podcast the world has ever known." Idle Hour on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VintageCenturyIdleHour
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In this episode we explore the classic film in anticipation of the 2026 adaptation of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Topics covered include: What are moors anyway? Defining characteristics of gothic storytelling. Behind-the-scenes stories in the making of the 1939 version of Wuthering Heights. Jennifer's rating of this film. Check out Jennifer's Substacks: The Idle Hour Notebook (1,000…
Joan Crawford vs. Norma Shearer — Old Hollywood rivalry, Oscar glory, and the beauty standards they defied. In this episode, we explore the real-life tension between two MGM legends and their Academy Award–winning performances in The Divorcee (1939) and Mildred Pierce (1944). We also dive into classic Hollywood beauty ideals — and how Crawford and Shearer challenged the standard definition of…
In this episode, we dive into The Women (1939) , one of classic Hollywood’s most unconventional studio-era films. Featuring an entirely all-woman cast , this comedy-drama pulls back the curtain on marriage, friendship, betrayal, and social power among Manhattan’s elite...but is it any good? We look at why The Women is a classic and also zoom in on the onscreen (and offscreen?) rivalry of two of…
Happy new year! Four Daughters is tonight’s featured story, and if it hasn’t been on your radar, you should get it on there! Jennifer is also going to talk about new year's goals--and an alternative she has come up with. She attended her first retreat this month, so everyone has to hear about that, and then we take a brief look back in time at the Golden Globe awards. All of this--and the usual…
A Star is Born has been remade three times. It must be the greatest story ever told… right? We’re going to find out in tonight’s show. Also, Jennifer has some Disney news from her home town of Kansas City, Missouri. Then, she ponders what the deal is with hobbies nowadays. Why is there all this pressure to monetize everything? She's going to sort it all out. That signpost up ahead is the Vintage…
Tonight Jennifer's talking about two films—both are fun to watch, but one is vastly superior to the other, in her opinion: I Bury the Living and Village of the Damned. Then she'll turn her attention to “audience-ology,” the study of how audience reactions shape the films we ultimately see in theaters. She'll celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rockettes and learn what it takes to be one. And…
Our main topic this week is Stage Door , a fun ensemble film from 1937 starring Ginger Rogers, Katherine Hepburn, and Lucille Ball. That’s our featured film this week, but we have a few other things on the agenda as well: Jennifer is going to introduce you to a show from the 1970s that offers some great stories to fall asleep by. She then has a tale of two books: one you should add to your reading…
Is Top Hat a tolerable musical? | Books to read and avoid | New Job, new Jennifer For a video version of this episode, check out my YouTube channel, Vintage Century Idle Hour. Variety show podcast with reviews of classic movies. Hi there! I'm Jennifer, and this is my little variety show. I talk about old movies, tell stories, and cure insomnia. Commuters, cleaners, crafters, clock-watchers, and…
Hi, everyone! I hope you're having a great summer. In anticipation of Season 2 of the Idle Hour podcast, I'm revealing the list of films I'm going to be exploring when we start up again in August. This was produced as a video on my YouTube channel (The Vintage Century Idle Hour), so if you want to see me and my Notion page, you can check it all out there. When you are looking for something to…
It’s episode 20 of the Vintage Century Idle Hour ! That’s right, we’ve circled the track 20 times, explored 19 films, broken in three announcers, and tried out—how many pretend sponsors? Jennifer can't remember how many. Several. And now it’s time to wrap up our first season. Let’s take a short stroll down memory lane–tonight, on the Vintage Century Idle Hour .