Where Hollywood Hides: Television | Movies | Music | Show Business | Writing | Producing | Directing | Acting

Suzanne and Bob talk about their new book, Where Hollywood Hides: Santa Barbara, and are then joined by Lloyd Schwartz, one of TV’s most prolific writer-producers for stories of his long and successful career in Hollywood. Starting as a standup comic (with a member of The Black Panthers as his working partner), Lloyd recalls selling his first network script while still in college and describes the confidence and writing skills that made him Hollywood’s youngest television producer. With TV writing credits ranging from Harper Valley PTA and Baywatch to movies like The Invisible Woman and A Very Brady Christmas, Lloyd was well prepared when he became the producer of one of television’s most iconic series of all time, The Brady Bunch. Lloyd doesn’t pull any punches as he describes his notion of “happy projects” and reveals his secret to building a lasting writing career and delivers a realistic and practical step-by-step strategy for breaking into the studio system.  “If you do exactly what I’m saying, you’

After his childhood appearance as "Tommy Bailey" in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life  and an incredible 500 acting credits alongside stars like Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sally Field, Shelly Fabares, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Rick Nelson, and Elvis Presley, Hawkins grew restless co-starring as "America's favorite boyfriend and sidekick".  He wanted more out of his Hollywood career...and he went out and got it. Turning away from acting, Jimmy Hawkins set out to “remake” himself and soon became one of Hollywood’s most entrepreneurial and commercially successful independent film and television producers. You’ll hear how Jimmy navigated the shark-infested waters of Hollywood power-brokers and deal-makers to help finance and produce Evel Knievel with George Hamilton, and the thrill of the movie’s star-studded premier at Grauman’s Chiinese Theater that turned a small independent film into a 25-million dollar hit. Not resting on his laurels, Jimmy went on to create and produce hit films like  Scout

Garner Simmons—television and feature film screenwriter—joins Bob McCullough and Suzanne Herrera McCullough for a faced-paced conversation focused upon the twists and turns of his Hollywood writing career. With “writing in the blood”, Garner tells his unique story of breaking into show business while working on his PhD by writing the definitive biography of legendary movie director Sam Peckinpah.  With Peckinpah: A Portrait in Montage as his calling card, Garner began climbing the rungs of the Hollywood career ladder by following his personal mantra: “keep writing”. Simmons reveals how winning a studio screenplay contest first brought him to the attention of mega-agents and gave him the courage to leave Chicago for Hollywood...only to discover that agents don’t always deliver on their promises. Once he was in Hollywood and hearing the frequent advice “to forget this business and go back home”, Garner did what he does best: he kept writing.  You’ll hear his story of  unmatched “chutzpah”, determination, and

Bob and Suzanne interview one of Hollywood’s most esteemed  directors, Jerry London.  With hundreds of primetime television series, movies, and mega-miniseries to his credit, Jerry tells how he broke into show business as an apprentice film editor on I Love Lucy, and what it was like "paying dues" working on The Untouchables and The Danny Thomas Show.  Jerry has great stories about working closely with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, including his "day at the races" with Hollywood stars betting and winning on longshots. Jerry describes his early directing gigs on shows like Hogan’s Heroes, Happy Days, and Love, American Style, where he made a daring creative decision that put him in the limelight and propelled his career forward onto nearly every hit show in Hollywood, including  The Rockford Files,  Kojak, Hawaii Five-0, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Barreta. The biggest mini-series of all time! From directing TV series non-stop, Jerry then graduated to movies and miniseries, ultimately becoming the creative

The episode opens with an audio-clip tease of things to come... and if you’ve never heard of “Radio XERB”, you’re about to get a real lesson in the early days of Rock n’ Roll! Suzanne opens the show with “movie news” about this season’s classic sci-fi monster flick Godzilla starring Ken Watanabe (Suzanne’s fave) and Bryan Cranston (Bob’s fave) revealing the tongue-in-cheek contemporary “take” on it. Bob then jumps into the heart of the episode with his questionable vocal impression of one of the world’s true broadcasting originals, the inimitable Wolfman Jack.  After sharing their personal experiences with the early world of “outlaw radio”, Suzanne and Bob deliver some amazing sound clips from The Wolfman himself and his professional inspiration, early Rock ‘n Roll’s most powerful and popular disc jockey (before he got busted for his involvement in assorted “payola” schemes), the incredibly fast-talking “Moondog” Allan Freed. Uniquely shrouded in well-planned “mystery”, Wolfman Jack’s persona was first revea

It’s a free-wheeling interview as Ross Borden discusses Detroit origins that led to an onstage vaudeville childhood of singing, dancing, and making false eyelashes for nightclub strippers...and how he became (of all things) a professional dentist.   How Ross stepped away from a prosperous 20-year dental career to follow his true creative passions right into the major Hollywood studios as a “go to” guest actor is truly the stuff of Hollywood Dreams.   With credits on shows like Kung Fu, Simon & Simon, Falcon Crest,Hawaii 5-0, and T.J. Hooker, Ross knows what he’s talking about as he shares candid personal memories of David Carradine, Robert Wagner, Jacqueline Bisset, and the Hollywood “casting couch”.   With three beautifully-produced CDs proving his singing and performing prowess, Ross generously shares advice for those with ambitions to enter the highly-charged world of professional music and film acting.    This is the episode anyone who wants to become a working actor should hear as Ross Borden te

Jimmy Hawkins' career is the stuff of Hollywood legend. From his appearance as "Tommy Bailey" in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life to acting alongside stars like Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sally Field, Shelly Fabares, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Rick Nelson, and Elvis Presley, Hawkins reveals the secrets of his success as "America's favorite boyfriend and sidekick". In a career spanning more than three decades, Jimmy became the "go-to" actor who brought unique energy and comedy timing to unforgettable characters that took him from child star to series regular on such classics as Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show, Annie Oakley,  and The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. This is a conversation you won't forget as Jimmy shares stories of casting calls at MGM and Paramount Studios, and describes the chain of events that led him to co-star with Elvis Presley in Spinout and Girl Happy. You'll hear what it was like to work with both Elvis and Ricky Nelson, Jimmy's "inside secret"to dating Hollywood ac

Suzanne opens this episode with her “shout out” to evergreen actress Betty White for yet another birthday milestone and shares her anticipation of the forthcoming Academy Awards. She then candidly reacts to director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Blackfish, the documentary that details the history of SeaWorld Orlando trainers and their work with the killer whale Tilikum. Moving past zoological politics, Bob and Suzanne then share  their experiences shooting Zorro in Madrid, Spain starring Duncan Regehr and Henry Darrow.  Bob details the initial casting process and the creative satisfaction of working  on such a classic character with nearly total creative freedom. Bob remarks that Suzanne wrote one of the show’s “scariest” characters into an episode, and compliments Executive Producers Gary Goodman and Barry Rosen on their well-oiled production machine, while Suzanne seems to snicker at the fact that Bob is obviously afraid of horses. Remembering guest stars Adam West (Batman), Andre The Giant, Jesse Ventura, and

Suzanne opens this episode with some brief gushing over Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s Rush, a film she and Bob both recommend this year along with Dallas Buyers Club.   After mentioning the ongoing Hollywood-Santa Barbara connection—with a nod to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival soon coming to their neighborhood—Bob admits that he  may not have been the “perfect fit” as writer-producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation.   Bob confesses his frustration with the “downward spiral of politics” among the show’s executives and producers, and reveals his ironic point of view about writing for one of television’s cultural holy grails.    With a focus on the show’s characters and storylines, Bob’s year as a writer-producer was colored by his irreverent take on all things technical...to the point that he wrote Samaritan Snare, an episode featuring an alien culture that was the antithesis of The Star Fleet.   Giving a couple of dialogue quotes from the episode, Bob points to an old grammar school joke

Suzanne starts the episode with a “local’s view” of Oprah Winfrey’s recent “yard sale” at The Santa Barbara Polo Club just down the road from the podcast recording studio.    After Bob dodges her questions about “what’s happening with your face?”, he describes returning to the studio where he was once a “gopher”, as a writer-producer of Paramount Television’s huge syndicated hit Star Trek: The Next Generation.   With never-before revealed details of his Rolls-Royce ride and 3-martini lunch with Gene Roddenberry, Bob recalls the rapid turnover of writers, producers, and  executives on ST:TNG, which became a hugely successful syndicated series hit in spite of the downward spiral of internal staff and studio politics.   Bob pulls no punches in describing his meetings with members of the show’s cast, to the point where Suzanne says “What a mess!” Caught in the middle of what he describes as “Shakespearean complexity” on the show, Bob reveals the secret of surviving on the staff of any hit television series.   He

Suzanne begins by creating some mystery and reveals secrets as she talks about her new bathing suit, today’s generation of pampered Hollywood pets, why The Wizard of Oz’s “Toto” was envied by the “munchkins”, and then refers to the new book she and Bob are working on...but won’t reveal the title!   The conversation turns to Bob’s experiences as Supervising Producer on Ohara, a Warner Bros. TV series that starred Pat Morita of The Karate Kid fame. Bob reveals the difficulties in writing and producing a cop show for the former “Mr. Miyagi” with a vague, constantly-changing franchise...a challenge made all the more difficult by a phalanx of bickering producers, studio chiefs, and network executives ranging from future Oscar-winner Brian Grazer to a Keith Richards look-and-act-alike.   Even with all the behind-the-scenes drama, Bob remembers the fun of writing great cop action scripts alongside L.A.P.D. Homicide Detective (and future Assistant L.A. Mayor) Joe Gunn, while casting future superstars like Bran

Suzanne opens discussing Ryan Seacrest’s new reality show “Montecito” and then  analyzes some hits before reviewing “The Seven Worst Reality Shows” to ever make it on the air...while Bob shares his passion for vinyl Rock ‘n Roll record albums. The conversation moves on to how Bob took advantage of his “inside track” deal with NBC Productions and his relationship with programming exec Brandon Tartikoff to pitch and sell a pilot for  Time Out for Dad, which starred NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus and Harriet Nelson. Bob tells what it was like meeting Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus for the first time, and then how Butkus held his own as a comedic actor surrounded by first timers on a movie set.  Bob recalls his meeting withHarriet Nelson who appeared in the show...while Suzanne lets it be known that she’s had a lifelong “thing” for Harriet’s son, famed rocker Ricky Nelson.  We also hear about the casting process that discovered future TV star Johnny Galecki, star of the CBS-TV series The Big Bang

Suzanne begins with the announcement of a new “Music” category at www.WhereHollywoodHides.com, and—while reminding us she’s sooo much younger than Bob—lays claim to being a lifelong Beatles fan.  For his part, Bob admits that he’s just “a rock-and-roll kind of guy” and would’ve bet the farm that I Want to Hold Your Hand would never make the charts.  So much for his musical tastes...   The episode moves on to what Bob himself describes as his “greatest career failure” while under contract to Aaron Spelling Productions writing and producing Dark Mansions for ABC-TV.  It’s a tale of classic Hollywood casting politics as Bob sets the record straight as to exactly why former movie queen Loretta Young never got the part in the film that eventually went to Oscar winner Joan Fontaine.   Bob reveals the nature of production and budgets in Spelling’s 1980s-era Hollywood, as well as the rationale (follow the money!) for the  excessive proliferation of producer credits seen on Dark Mansions.  With a tip of the hat

Opening this follow-up to the previous episode with an off-the-wall giggling fit, Bob and Suzanne quickly recover their “professional bearing” and Suzanne recalls how she broke into the Screen Actors Guild and entered the world of studio and network auditions.  Listen as Suzanne tells how the harsh reality of typecasting and constant rejection taught her just how tough showbiz can be. From a double-date with Robert DeNiro and "the method" at The Actors Studio, to a risque bedroom scene with Bill Murray, Suzanne reveals what "the Hollywood life" was like for a young actress willing to try anything...once. From start to finish, there are lessons here for any aspiring actor... and some bottom line advice for those chasing the dream.

From her first days visiting a boyfriend on the set of The Godfather with Francis Ford Coppola and Al Pacino, Suzanne moved quickly from one opportunity to the next and found herself front-and-center at Hollywood’s famed Central Casting Agency. She soon found herself  in front of the cameras on shows like Quincy, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Rockford Files, Columbo, Emergency, C.H.I.P.S., and Kojak, to name just a few. Suzanne also reveals some of the “dark side” of being an attractive female on those sets, as well as her fond memories of working with true professionals like Lee Majors, James Garner and Bill Bixby. We hear about what was surely her biggest break when Suzanne was working on Fantasy Island as one of several “Lava-Lava Girls”. Suzanne leaves us hanging a bit, promising to tell us next about her always surprising career as an actress…and much more!

Celebrating their milestone 10th episode, Suzanne bathes in the afterglow of Ben Affleck’s Argo win as Best Motion Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards, but chastises the show’s producers not having someone on hand to catch Jennifer Lawrence when she took a tumble on her way to accept her Oscar.  Suzanne mentions the birthday of an iconic I Love Lucy star, and Bob recalls being on the Paramount Studios lot with Lucy where Desi Arnaz reinvented the way sitcoms are shot.  We then learn about the gloriously indulged life of a writer-producer working under contract to Aaron Spelling and Suzanne shares details of Spelling’s background that eventually led him to become the most powerful TV producer in history. When Spelling handed Bob Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives to read, it was the beginning of an incredible year that had him hob-nobbing with major showbiz icons like Rod Steiger, Candace Bergin, Robert Stack, Suzanne Somers, Angie Dickenson, Joanna Cassidy, Stephanie Powers, and the man who would later

Bob & Suzanne share their history on "Falcon Crest" with fond memories of location shooting in The Napa Valley. Suzanne reveals details of her friendship with Jane Wyman while Bob sings the praises of the show's amazing cast including Susan Sullivan, Bob Foxworth, David Selby, William R. Moses, Lorenzo Lamas, and a certain Playmate of the Year. Working with film legend guest stars always brought surprises...from huge cue cards to a fear of kissing! The episode wraps up with Bob describing how his work on the show came to an unexpected end, making a not-so-casual reference to the head of the studio as...well...a "prick". Owwww....

Bob & Suzanne open with the contrast between Barbara Walters' recent bout with chicken pox and Matt Damon's debut as a standup comic on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"...which leads to Bob admitting he's too short for Nicole Kidman while Suzanne slips in yet another fawning comment about Ben Affleck! We learn how Bob went from writing "BJ & The Bear" to helping create one of the most enduring nighttime soaps of all time, "Falcon Crest"...and that Suzanne just missed becoming a housekeeper having sex with J.R. Ewing on "Dallas" (with a nod to Governor Schwarzenneger). And before it's over, Bob's equestrian skills become a source of humor for his long-legged tall-in-the-saddle co-host.

Suzanne manages to get Lance Armstrong, Phil Jackson, and Hugh Hefner into the same conversation, makes her feelings about Ben Affleck pretty clear and then deftly grills Bob about his "intentions" with Farrah Fawcett... And Bob digs into his memory bank with details of his "Bionic Woman" scripts, touches upon unexpected backstage experience with David Lee Roth and Van Halen, and pays tribute to character actor Robert Loggia.  

For the New Year, Bob & Suzanne detail how Bob went from Location Manager at Paramount and Universal to selling his first story on The Six Million Dollar Man by overcoming the age-old problem of executive nepotism and...theft. We hear about life on the set with Lee Majors, and how Bob just happened to spend a day alone with Farrah Fawcett well before she ever rached stardom on Charlie's Angels. Suzanne manages to dish a little Hollywood gossip, but admits to wearing "Farrah hair" when it was the rage!