Life Upon the Wicked Stage
Under the spotlight of arts and entertainment, Jen, Olivia, and Ashley (who are, in fact, three different people) unpack details of "murder, mayhem, and Mame" in sagas of crime, scandal, hauntings, and more!
Episodes
Jen, Ashley, and Olivia discuss theories about Marilyn Monroe's death, separating documented facts from speculation, following Donald Wolfe's 1998 book Last Days of Marilyn Monroe. They review claims that Monroe may have been a homicide victim tied to alleged Kennedy relationships and potential political fallout, including testimony from Deputy DA John Miner suggesting drugs entered through the large intestine (possibl...
Ashley dives into the "Twilight Zone: The Movie" disaster, detailing the July 23, 1982, on-set helicopter crash in California that killed actor Vic Morrow and child actors Micah Dinh Le (7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (6) and injured six others. They discuss John Landis's "Time Out" segment and explain how studio concerns about an unsympathetic protagonist led Landis to add a Vietnam rescue ending involving the children, wh...
Jen dives into the post–World War II Red Scare in Hollywood, framing it as a true-crime-like witch hunt driven by fear rather than evidence. Beginning with HUAC's October 20, 1947 investigation, they explain how subpoenas, the question "Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?", and pressure to "name names" split witnesses into "friendly" and "unfriendly," leading to the Hollywood 10's contempt conv...
Olivia recaps the docuseries "Dirty Pop: The Life and Times of Lou Pearlman," and traces Pearlman's path from a bullied, document-forging kid with an obsession with blimps to founding Airship International, allegedly aided by a Nazi-affiliated businessman and mafia-linked backing. They describe how Pearlman created Transco...
Ashley delves into the life and death of Hollywood actor Gig Young (born Byron Ellsworth Barr), a prolific Golden Age performer with over 100 film credits, Oscar nominations, and a Best Supporting Actor win for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), yet persistent feelings of inadequacy rooted in an emotionally cold childhood and alleged sexual abuse by a caregiver. Known as the charming second lead w...
The hosts discuss Jerry Lee Lewis's career and controversies, including his rise at Sun Records, membership in the "Million Dollar Quartet," and hits like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire," alongside stories of ego and volatile behavior. They outline his marriages and family tragedies: a bigamous second marriage before his first divorce finalized; marriage at 22 to 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Br...
The hosts of Wicked Stage Pod introduce an episode about the still-unsolved 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in Boston, including background on Isabella Gardner's Venetian-palace-style museum, her restrictive will, and spotty security. On March 18, 1990, two men posing as Boston police were buzzed in, handcuffed and duct-taped two guards in the basement, and spent 81 minutes stealing 13 works, in...
The hosts of a true-crime arts-and-entertainment podcast discuss the 1922 unsolved murder of silent film director William Desmond Taylor, who was found shot in the back inside his Los Angeles bungalow; early crime-scene contamination and a mysterious "doctor" who wrongly declared a stomach hemorrhage complicated the case. Born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner in Ireland, Taylor immigrated to the U.S., married actress Et...
Holiday Horrors: JonBenét Update & Krampus' Legend In this Christmas-themed episode of the Wicked Stage Pod, the hosts delve into the darker side of the festive season. They start with Jen discussing ghost stories' deep roots in Christmas traditions, tracing back to medieval Europe and Charles Dickens' influence. Ashley updates listeners on the ongoing JonBenét Ramsey case, revealing new forensic analysis and potential breakthr...
In this episode hosts Jen, Ashley, and Olivia delve into the tumultuous relationship of Hollywood legends Humphrey Bogart and Mayo Method. Known as the 'Battling Bogarts,' their marriage was marked by public brawls, violence, and Mayo's increasing paranoia and alcoholism. The episode covers Bogart's rise to fame, Method's early career, and their eventual split after Bogart falls in love with Lauren Bacall on the set of 'To Have and...
This episode of the podcast dives into a controversial and gripping true crime story in the art world. Hosts Jen, Ashley, and Olivia discuss the case of 25 alleged Basquiat paintings displayed at the Orlando Museum of Art. The episode explores the dubious provenance of these paintings, their eventual seizure by the FBI, and the downfall of art museum director Aaron De Groft. Despite expert warnings and a shady backstor...
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