THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD: SHADOWS Podcast Tells One of Best Stories Set in The Golden Age of Hollywood Ever

Over the years I fell in love with the classic horror thrillers of RKO Pictures such as Cat People, The Leopard Man, I Walked With a Zombie, The Ghost Ship, The Curse of the cat People, The Body Snatcher, Isle of the Dead, and Bedlem. However, I didn’t know anything about the producer who made these films and brought them to life. The opening credits of these film all feature the name of producer Val Lewton.

The Secret History of Hollywood: Shadows is a brilliantly made podcast that takes a deep dive into Val Lewton’s life. This isn’t just any podcast, though, this podcast is a beautifully written and performed work of freakin’ art! The podcast comes from Adam Roche and what he accomplishes with this podcast completely blew my mind.

Most podcasts I come across are the same old crap that I can’t believe people actually listen to. I’m baffled by how some podcasts are as popular as they are. Then there’s this, which is next level greatness. If there were an Academy Awards for podcasts, this is the podcast that deserves to win all the awards!

The story is filled with so much heart, joy, and emotion and it tells such a beautiful and moving story that it may bring you to tears… several times. Val Lewton’s journey in the Golden Age of Hollywood was a fascinating one that you won’t want to end. After listening to this podcast, Lewton is easily one of my favorite Hollywood producers. The guy was ahead of his time, and you see that in every single film that he made. 

This podcast dives into each of the films that Lewton created in his career and tells the story of how each one came to exist. Most of the films that Lewton made just started with a title that the RKO studio heads would hand him and from there he would create a story around that title. While the studio was looking to make horror films that rivaled those being made at Universal Pictures at the time, Lewton wasn’t interested in making monster movies, he was interested in making horror thrillers that actually scratched at people’s souls. 

I was already a fan of the films that Val Lewton made, but now that I know the story of the man and talent behind those films, I love them even more! I’ve rewatched the films as I’ve been listening to the podcast and there are also a few films that I’ve watched for the first time, all of which have been wonderful. The podcast also dives into the lives of the other people who Val Lewton worked with over the course of his career such as Boris Karloff. Those two had such a great relationship with each other. 

For those of you who are movie fans and interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood or any of these films, this podcast is something that you must listen to! It just tells such an incredible story that you need to know! I’ve been trying to push this podcast on my friends and family and none of them have started listening! It drives me nuts they haven’t started it yet! Whoever listens to this podcast is going to love it, I promise!

Here’s the first episode to get you started:

Listen to this episode from The Secret History Of Hollywood on Spotify. Once upon a time, horror cinema was changed forever by the fiercely inventive imagination of a remarkable man... In Part One of 'Shadows: The Val Lewton Story', hear the curious beginnings of a cinematic legend, whose uniquely terrifying creations were influenced by the dark brand of folklore upon which he was raised...

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