"HOLLYWOOD'S FINAL CURTAIN CALL: LAST FILMS OF LEGENDARY STARS" (161)

EPISODE 161 - “HOLLYWOOD’S FINAL CURTAIN CALL: LAST FILMS OF LEGENDARY STARS ” - 10/12/2026 What happens when a Hollywood legend takes that final bow? This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, we welcome back our good friend Brandon Davis, host of the Front Row Classics podcast, for a fascinating look at the final film performances of some of our favorite legendary stars. Some went out on a high note, others chose projects that left us scratching our heads, and a few delivered unforgettable performances that proved they still had plenty of magic left. Join Brandon, Nan, and Steve as we revisit the last time some of Hollywood’s greatest stars appeared on the big screen—and ask the question: Was it a fitting farewell? SHOW NOTES: Sources: “Everyone Who Has Won a Posthumous Oscar,” March 16, 2026, by Maureen Lenker, Entertainment Weekly; “Posthumous Oscar Nominations: 7 Actors Who Were Recognized After Their Deaths,” by Carson Blackwelder, ABCnews.com; wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: Saratoga (1937), starring Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Walter Pidgeon, Hattie McDaniel, Frank Morgan, Una Merkel, and Margaret Hamilton; To Be Or Not To Be (1942), starring Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, and Helmut Dantine; He Ran All the Way (1951) starring John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Selena Royle, Gladys George, and Norman Lloyd; I Could Go On Singing (1963), starring Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Gregory Phillips, Aline MacMahon, and Jack Klugman; Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967), starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton, Beah Richards, Cecil Kellaway, Isabel Sanford, Roy Glenn, and Virginia Christine; Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), starring Bruce Dern, Madelyn Khan, Terri Garr, Art Carney, Phil Silvers, and Ron Leibman; Ragtime (1981), starring James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern, Howard E. Rollins, Brad Dourif, Moses Gunn, Pat O’Brien, Mary Steenburgen, James Olson, Mandy Patinkin, and Donald O’Connor; Always (1989), starring Richard Dreyfuss, Hollywood Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson, and Audrey Hepburn; The Rainmaker (1997), starring Matt Damon, Claire Dane, Danny DeVito, Jon Voight, Mary Kay Place, Danny Glover, Mickey Rourke, Roy Scheider, Andrew Shue, and Teresa Wright; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices