Best Will Ross & Devan Scott Podcasts (2024)

1
S5E00 - Scott Eyman, author of 'Laughter in Paradise' 57:54

3d ago57:54

57:54

It’s our final season, and much has changed: Lubitsch is production head of Paramount, though not for long. The Production Code administration is enforcing the Hays code with an iron fist and, much worse, the National Socialist German Workers' Party is ruling Germany with a significantly heavier iron first. Over the course of the next ten years, we…

1
S4E09b - The Merry Widow [1934] with Tim Brayton 1:06:49

2M ago1:06:49

1:06:49

It’s our season finale, and the end of the pre-code era! To celebrate, Tim Brayton returns to discuss THE MERRY WIDOW. We effuse about the film’s infectious energy, the many incredible ‘Lubitsch Touch’ moments and gestures, discuss Lubitsch’s extremely loose adaptation of the Lehar operetta, the French-language version, Edward Everett Horton’s grea…

1
S4E09a - The Merry Widow [1934] and Sound Recording Technology with Eric Dienstfrey 42:01

2M ago42:01

42:01

Eric Dienstfrey joins us to discuss the sound technology behind early talkies, and in particular THE MERRY WIDOW. We cover the ways in which recording and exhibition technology changed and fluctuated throughout the 1930s, the sordid tale of both the innovation and skullduggery engaged in by Electrical Research Products, Inc, the institution of the …

1
S4E08b - Design for Living [1933] with Jordan Fish, Ray Tintori, and Z Behl 45:43

3M ago45:43

45:43

Podcasters, filmmakers, and artists Jordan Fish, Ray Tintori, and Z Behl join us to further discuss DESIGN FOR LIVING and disrupt the flow of the podcast much like the film in question disrupts the format of the romantic comedy! We cover the film’s structure, production design, relationship with branding and commerce, Gilda’s identity as “matron of…

1
S4E08a - Design for Living [1933] with Molly Rasberry 40:02

3M ago40:02

40:02

Molly Rasberry returns to discuss DESIGN FOR LIVING in the first of two episodes devoted to Lubitsch’s (in)famous 1933 pre-code romantic comedy! We cover the absolutely scandalous nature of the film’s central ménage à trois, the drastic changes made to Noel Coward’s source material, the screen presence of the film’s three leads, and much more! Edit…

1
S4E07 - If I Had a Million (The Clerk) [1932] with Bram Ruiter 49:00

3M ago49:00

49:00

Bram Ruiter returns to discuss the Paramount anthology film IF I HAD A MILLION, and in particular Ernst Lubitsch’s contribution THE CLERK. We discuss the struggles inherent to anthology films, compare and contrast the different directorial styles of each of the film’s directors, Lubitsch’s relative mastery of the poetics of cinema, and what we woul…

1
S4E06c - Trouble in Paradise [1932] with Krin Gabbard 45:41

3M ago45:41

45:41

Author and scholar Krin Gabbard joins us for our third and final episode on TROUBLE IN PARADISE! In this episode, we cover Samson Raphaelson’s history with Lubitsch, Samson’s mixed feelings on the film itself, the film’s ambivalence towards the possible romantic pairings that it might end on, and the dense use of leitmotifs in W. Franke Harling’s s…

1
S4E06b - Trouble in Paradise [1932] with Willa Ross 57:36

4M ago57:36

57:36

Willa Ross returns to further discuss TROUBLE IN PARADISE! In this episode, fierce debates are had about the film’s position on the spectrum between idealism and cynicism, Lubitsch’s sense of rhythm, the film’s political angles in the context of the great depression, the famous clock scene, the way in which sensory deprivation allows us to particip…

1
S4E06a - Larceny in 1932: Trouble in Paradise and Jewel Robbery with Tanya Goldman 52:35

4M ago52:35

52:35

In the first of three episodes in on TROUBLE IN PARADISE, Tanya Goldman joins us to discuss two key works in the Gentleman Thief subgenre - the aforementioned TROUBLE IN PARADISE as well as William Dieterle’s JEWEL ROBBERY! We cover the work of William Powell, Kay Francis, Herbert Marshall, and Miriam Hopkins, the differing ways in which each film …

1
S4E05.5 - Love Me Tonight [1932] and Rhythm in Early Sound Film with Lea Jacobs 1:03:24

4M ago1:03:24

1:03:24

University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Emerita Lea Jacobs joins us for a discussion of film rhythm in the early sound era. We discuss the various ways films can deal with on-set singing and musical numbers, the incredibly complex and constrictive ways in with early sound films were constrained when it came to everything from blocking and camera …

1
S4E05 - One Hour with You [1932] with Matt Severson 1:09:07

4M ago1:09:07

1:09:07

In this very special episode, we visit Matt Severson on-location at the Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, California to discuss the glorious pre-code adultery musical ONE HOUR WITH YOU! In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the film’s monumental horniness, the ways in which Lubitsch & company were allowed to get said horniness past…

1
S4E04 - The Man I Killed aka Broken Lullaby [1932] with Will Sloan 45:55

5M ago45:55

45:55

Film writer and podcaster Will Sloan joins us to discuss THE MAN I KILLED (BROKEN LULLABY), Lubitsch’s heartfelt 1932 pacifist screed and his only straight-ahead drama of the sound era. We cover the film’s radical interwar politics, its portrayal of grief, the many different performance styles on display, the haunting and twisted ending, national p…

1
S4E03 - The Smiling Lieutenant [1931] with Jonathan Mackris 57:00

5M ago57:00

57:00

UC Berkeley PHD student Jonathan Mackris joins us to discuss Lubitsch’s 1931 musical THE SMILING LIEUTENANT! In this episode, we cover Maurice Chevalier’s career and charisma, the film’s mildly troubled production, the entrance of the highly consequential Samson Raphaelson to the Lubitsch stable of collaborators, Lubitsch’s increasingly ambitious u…

1
S4E02 - Monte Carlo [1930] and Trash Cinema with Katharine Coldiron 56:17

5M ago56:17

56:17

Katharine Coldiron, author of Junk Film: Why Bad Movies Matter, joins us to discuss Ernst Lubitsch’s 1930 musical MONTE CARLO. Our wide-ranging conversation covers the evolution of Lubitsch’s formal technique in the early sound era, the film’s extremely naughty lyrical content, and its gentle satire of class and gender roles. In the second half of …

1
S4E01 - The Love Parade [1929] with Jennifer Fleeger 55:16

5M ago55:16

55:16

Ursinus College professor Jennifer Fleeger joins us to discuss THE LOVE PARADE. In this episode, we cover the operetta form, the divergent singing styles of Jeanette Macdonald and Maurice Chevalier, how those styles interact with the recording technology of the time, as well as this film’s fascinating and sometimes uneasy ways of dealing with both …

1
S4E00 - Early Hollywood Camera Movement with Patrick Keating 1:03:08

6M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

How Would Lubitsch Do It returns for a fourth season! It’s an exciting time for Ernst Lubitsch and, therefore, the podcast: this season, we’ll be covering the years between the introduction of synchronized sound in Hollywood and the establishment of the Production Code Administration in 1934. Ahead of us lie the years of Lubitsch’s greatest influen…

1
S3E09 - Eternal Love (1929) with Bram Ruiter 48:59

8M ago48:59

48:59

In our Season 3 finale, returning guest Bram Ruiter joins us to discuss the final film Ernst Lubitsch ever directed that didn’t involved on-set sound recording: ETERNAL LOVE! We discuss the film’s unusual status as a hybrid silent/sound picture, the strange story of how this film was lost and then discovered, John Barrymore’s dipsomaniacal tendenci…

1
S3E08 - The Patriot (1928) and the works of Josef von Sternberg with David Cairns 58:46

8M ago58:46

58:46

THE PATRIOT is a lost film. So, returning guest David Cairns joins us to pick up the pieces and discuss the film’s, and Ernst Lubistsc’s, connections to acclaimed studio rebel Josef Von Sternberg! We discuss THE SCARLET EMPRESS, THE LAST COMMAND, DISHONORED, THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN, BLONDE VENUS, SHANGHAI EXPRESS, and Sternberg’s habit of burning ever…

1
S3E07 - The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) with David Neary 53:57

8M ago53:57

53:57

Whitney Museum digital asset manager and restorationist David Neary joins us to discuss THE STUDENT PRINCE IN OLD HEIDELBERG. We discuss all things film preservation, including photochemical and digital restoration processes, stochastic film restoration, the dangers and benefits of nitrate film stocks, and the morality of piracy. Recorded live in N…

1
S3E06 - So This is Paris (1926) with Julia Sirmons 51:10

8M ago51:10

51:10

Julia Sirmons joins us to discuss SO THIS IS PARIS, Lubitsch’s 1926 sex farce and pseudo-remake of THE MERRY JAIL. We cover the ways that Lubitsch treats feminine desire and fantasies, the film’s slightly tenuous connection to its titular location, the kaleidoscopic party scene, Lubitsch’s minimal use of title cards, communication and miscommunicat…

1
S3E05 - Lady Windermere’s Fan (1925) with Dave Kehr 56:12

9M ago56:12

56:12

Legendary critic and Museum of Modern Art film curator Dave Kehr joins us to discuss LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN and the MOMA’s restorations of it and three more of this season’s films*. We discuss all the elements of the restoration process: scans, tinting, scoring, digital trickery, distribution, and even thievery. To request films such as LADY WINDERM…

1
S3E04 - Forbidden Paradise (1924) with Will Ross 58:44

9M ago58:44

58:44

Returning guest Will Ross joins us to discuss FORBIDDEN PARADISE. We cover Lubitsch’s use of blocking, cutting, and production design for thematic purposes, anachronistic automobiles, slanderous Catharine the Great biopics, the film’s abstract politics, frivolous revolutionaries, the psychological effects of intercutting tints, MOMA’s intensive res…

1
S3E03 - Three Women [1924] with James Penco 37:34

9M ago37:34

37:34

James Penco joins us to discuss THREE WOMEN, Lubitsch’s 1924 melodramedy*. We discuss Lubitsch’s use of objects as a proxy for characters, the film’s sometimes-baffling tonal decisions, the preservation state of Lubitsch’s American silents, the wisdom of “Three Women” as a title, and the undeniable talents of Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall. *To co…

1
S3E02 - The Marriage Circle [1924] with Sarah Shachat 49:32

9M ago49:32

49:32

Sarah Shachat joins us on-location in New York City to discuss THE MARRIAGE CIRCLE.. We mull over the evolution this film represents in Lubitsch’s tone, the strange pairing of Ernst Lubitsch and the Warner Brothers, the luminous Adolphe Menjou, Lubitsch’s bewilderingly advantageous contractual terms, his filmmaking philosophy circa the mid 1920s, t…

1
S3E01.5 - Charlie Chaplin’s ’A Woman of Paris’ [1923] with Margaret “Molly” Rasberry 50:08

10M ago50:08

50:08

Margaret "Molly" Rasberry joins us to for a special side episode Charlie Chaplin’s A WOMAN OF PARIS: A DRAMA OF FATE, a key influence on Ernst Lubitsch going forward. We discuss Chaplin’s political leanings, the luminous Adolphe Menjou, the stories of the women who inspired the film, the impact it had on Lubitsch’s career, the evolution of film act…

1
S3E01 - Rosita [1923] with Tim Brayton 52:01

10M ago52:01

52:01

Critic and friend of the show Tim Brayton returns to discuss Lubitsch’s first American silent film, ROSITA. We discuss Lubitsch’s artistic evolution upon leaving Berlin and entering Hollywood, his struggles with Merry Pickford, the film’s recent MOMA restoration, Lubitsch’s newfound mastery of tone, this film’s status as a ‘transitional work’, the …

1
S3E00 - A History of Early Hollywood with Peter Labuza 1:11:21

10M ago1:11:21

1:11:21

We’re back, and Ernst Lubitsch is now in Hollywood! It’s been an exciting time for the podcast: we’ve traveled around the world or, more specifically, to Los Angeles and New York City, to record the next few seasons. We begin at the Margaret Herrick Library at Beverly Hills, in conversation with Peter Labuza as we discuss the history of early Holly…

1
S2E09 - The Flame [1923] with Stefan Drössler 1:08:40

11M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

For our season finale, we’re excited to welcome Munich Film Museum director Stefan Drössler to discuss the (mostly) lost film THE FLAME. Stefan was responsible for the reconstructions of both THE FLAME and THE LOVES OF THE PHARAOH, and shares his insights into all elements of the restoration process: handling and structuring the film elements, crea…

1
S2E08 - The Loves of the Pharaoh [1922] with Kristin Thompson 41:47

12M ago41:47

41:47

Film academic, Egyptologist, all-around legend Kristin Thompson joins us to discuss THE LOVES OF THE PHARAOH! We cover the ‘Egyptomania’ craze that swept the western world in the early 20th century, the film’s anachronism, the possible historical inspirations for the film’s plot, Lubitsch’s transition to dark studios, the evolution in acting styles…

1
S2E07 - The Wildcat [1921] with Bram Ruiter and Will Ross 48:07

12M ago48:07

48:07

Will Ross and Bram Ruiter rejoin us to discuss Lubitsch’s 1921 Bavarian expressionist comedy epic THE WILDCAT. We wrestle with this exhilarating-yet-difficult work as we consider unmotivated aspect ratio changes, body double swaps, questionable rug-pull endings, Lubitsch’s artistic toolkit, and the film’s ridiculous production design. Griffin Sheel…

1
S2E06.5 - Napoléon vu par Abel Gance [1927] with Paul Cuff 48:53

12M ago48:53

48:53

Surprise! Paul Cuff returns to discuss something completely different: Abel Gance’s 1927 epic NAPOLEON! We discuss our shared love of the film, our first experiences watching it, Abel Gance’s subsequent career, and the history of the film’s restoration. Gloria Mercer was our dialogue editor for this episode. NEXT WEEK: Bram Ruiter and Will Ross rej…

1
S2E06 - Anna Boleyn [1920] with Paul Cuff 40:05

1y ago40:05

40:05

Film academic Paul Cuff joins us to discuss ANNA BOLEYN, Lubitsch’s second grand historical biopic about European royalty. We discuss Lubitsch’s career directory, the uses and misuses of Emil Jannings and Henny Porten, Weimar-era production design and lighting, silent film scores, and how this film compares to Lubitsch’s others epics. Gloria Mercer…

1
S2E05 - This is Not a Sumurun [1920] Episode 18:31

1y ago18:31

18:31

Instead of discussing SUMURUN, Devan will discuss the podcast and answer some of your questions. We’re starting a discord! Check it out here: https://discord.gg/jJFvB5tk NEXT WEEK: Film academic Paul Cuff joins us to discuss ANNA BOLEYN, Lubitsch’s second grand historical biopic about European royalty.…

1
S2E04 - Romeo and Juliet in the Snow [1920] with Maddie Whittle 38:44

1y ago38:44

38:44

Film writer and programmer Maddie Whittle joins us to discuss ROMEO AND JULIET IN THE SNOW, Lubitsch’s other 1920 comic riff on William Shakespeare. We discuss shocking adaptational genre shifts, dunking jokes, Lubitsch’s habit of shooting location exteriors in the alps and only the alps, continuity, and the sad preservation status of this film. Gr…

1
S2E03 - Kohlheisel’s Daughters [1920] with David Cairns 51:15

1y ago51:15

51:15

Filmmaker, critic, and academic David Cairns joins us to discuss KOHLHEISEL’S DAUGHTERS, Lubitsch’s Bavarian comic riff on Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. We delve into the difficulties of adapting one of the English canon’s most infamously chauvinistic plays, empathizing with 103-year-old art, our confusion over the fact that this film ha…

1
S2E02 - The Doll [1919] with Tim Brayton 45:43

1y ago45:43

45:43

Critic and friend of the show Tim Brayton returns to discuss Lubitsch’s lo-fi comic masterpiece THE DOLL. Much enthusiasm for this completely iconoclastic curio of a film is shared as we discuss the nature of artifice, history’s least-convincing fake horses, the mysterious circumstances under which this film’s release was botched, Lubitsch’s not-al…

1
S2E01 - Madame DuBarry [1919] with Jaime Rebanal 53:48

1y ago53:48

53:48

Critic Jaime Rebanal joins us to discuss MADAME DUBARRY, Lubitsch’s highly celebrated international breakthrough. What are we to make of it aesthetically circa 2023? How do we interface with 104-year-old blockbusters? Are biopics inherently broken? Who is Emil Subich? We cover all this and more, plus John Ford! NEXT WEEK: Critic and friend of the s…

1
S2E00 - Early Film Lighting with Luci Marzola 1:08:29

1y ago1:08:29

1:08:29

We’re back, as season two commences! As is now tradition, we start our season with a discussion intended to provide some context. In this episode, film and media historian Luci Marzola and I discuss early Hollywood lighting, the role of cinematographers throughout this era, the consequences of sound, and questions of realism! Our focus is on the de…

1
S1E08 - The Oyster Princess [1919] with Bram Ruiter 51:34

1y ago51:34

51:34

Season One draws to a close in maximalist style as experimental filmmaker Bram Ruiter us for a particularly exuberant episode in which we discuss Lubitsch’s grand Ruritanian comic epic THE OYSTER PRINCESS. Our discussion is wide-ranging and a little giddy due to our excitement at discussing such a thrilling and hilarious mini-epic, so prepare for a…

1
S1E07 - Meyer From Berlin [1919] with Fran Hoepfner 44:38

1+ y ago44:38

44:38

Writer and critic Fran Hoepfner joins us to discuss MEYER FROM BERLIN, Ernst Lubitsch’s only certified Adam Sandler-style vacation comedy. This lightweight comedy of class is a jumping-off point for discussions about silent film form, comedic modes and traditions, the nature of hotels, and our ability to enjoy flawed works from a century ago. NEXT …

1
S1E06 - Carmen [1918] with Jose Arroyo 48:24

1+ y ago48:24

48:24

Warwick University associate professor Jose Arroyo joins us to discuss Lubitsch’s 1918 adaptation of Prosper Mérimée’s CARMEN. A drastic scaling-up in production scale and ambition, the film serves as a jumping-off point for our discussions about the source material, Lubitsch’s growing stature in German cinema, the American rerelease of the film, P…

1
S1E05 - The Eyes of the Mummy Ma [1918] with Tim Brayton 44:54

1+ y ago44:54

44:54

Film critic, podcaster, PHD candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and former guest Tim Brayton joins us to discuss THE EYES OF THE MUMMY MA, Lubitsch’s oldest surviving drama. In this episode, we discuss the momentous arrival of Emil Jannings and Pola Negri to the stock company, the rather troubling orientalist aspects of the film, and …

1
S1E04 - I Don’t Want to Be a Man [1918] with Peter Labuza 59:19

1+ y ago59:19

59:19

International Cinematographer’s Guild Researcher, academic, and former guest Peter Labuza joins us to discuss I DON’T WANT TO BE A MAN, Lubitsch’s 1918 gender-defying farce featuring the great Ossi Oswalda as a young woman who decides to spend a day as a man. Hijinks, transgressions, public drunkenness, and romance ensue! NEXT WEEK: Tim Brayton joi…

1
S1E03 - The Merry Jail [1917] with Matt Severson 50:28

1+ y ago50:28

50:28

Margaret Herrick Library Director Matt Severson joins us to discuss THE MERRY JAIL, Lubitsch’s first operetta adaptation. It’s a big step forward towards the recognizable comedy of manners that would become Lubitsch’s trademark, and a great jumping off point to discuss the beginnings of his stylistic tendencies. NEXT WEEK: Peter Labuza joins us to …

1
S1E02 - Shoe Palace Pinkus [1916] with Dara Jaffe 1:05:32

1+ y ago1:05:32

1:05:32

The journey through Lubitsch’s catalogue continues with SHOE PALACE PINKUS, a short comedy about Sally Pinkus (Lubitsch), a gregarious footwear entrepreneur. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Assistant Curator Dara Jaffe joins us to discuss the controversy that surrounds the character of Sally Pinkus and Jewish representation, margins of safety in …

1
S1E01 - When I Was Dead (aka Where Is My Treasure) [1916] with Will Ross 50:37

1+ y ago50:37

50:37

We begin at a film that doesn’t actually represent much of a beginning: Lubitsch’s first shorts remain lost, which leaves us with WHEN I WAS DEAD, also known as WHERE IS MY TREASURE. Film Formally co-host Will Ross joins us as we discuss Lubitsch’s early life, the state of film comedy circa 1916, “door stuff”, tinting in silent films, 3-D, and more…

1
S1E00: A Brief History of Modern Germany with Lauren Faulkner Rossi 1:32:15

1+ y ago1:32:15

1:32:15

We begin our journey into the filmography of Ernst Lubitsch with a bit of scene-setting, as Simon Fraser University assistant professor Lauren Rossi joins us to discuss the history of Weimar Germany. Our discussion is wide-ranging, beginning with the Napoleonic era and ending with the downfall of the Weimar republic; in focusing on this period, we …

1
How Would Lubitsch Do It? - A Trailer 2:20

1+ y ago2:20

2:20

It's here! HOW WOULD LUBITSCH DO IT? is a journey through the life and works of Ernst Lubitsch in chronological order, one film at a time. In this limited podcast series, host Devan Scott will facilitate a series of discussions about all 43 of Ernst Lubitsch’s surviving films, from Wo ist mein Schatz to Cluny Brown. Each episode will consist of a m…

1
Commentary 6 - STILL PROCESSING with Sophy Romvari 26:21

2y ago26:21

26:21

FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. To listen along, have the film ready to go and hit “pla…

1
Commentary 5 - IN DOG YEARS with Sophy Romvari 15:08

2y ago15:08

15:08

FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. We’ll be releasing one per week for the next six weeks.…

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