Best Freundschaft Podcasts (2024)

1
S5E08.25 - Freundschaft by Samson Raphaelson 54:04

10h ago54:04

54:04

A reading of Samson Raphaelson’s Freundschaft, as published on May 11, 1981, in The New Yorker. We have a Discord! Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify NEXT WEEK: Noah Isenberg joins us to discuss Billy Wilder and his cold war comedic epic One, Two, Three. For information as to where to find this film, check out our resources page. WORKS CITED: Freu…

1
S5E08 - Dragonwyck, A Royal Scandal, That Lady In Ermine, and the Death of Ernst Lubitsch with David Cairns 1:09:35

3d ago1:09:35

1:09:35

David Cairns returns to discuss the end of Ernst Lubitsch’s career and life: a period in which, after a heart attack left him debilitated, he produced a series of films directed by the likes of Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Otto Preminger. We cover Dragonwyck, cinema’s foremost depiction of the Dutch patroonship system in what is now upstate New York; A…

1
S5E07.5 - Otto Preminger's Laura [1944] with Eloise Ross 52:14

15d ago52:14

52:14

Writer and film historian Eloise Ross joins us to discuss noted Lubitsch disciple Otto Preminger and his 1944 noir Laura. We cover Preminger’s past and parallels with Lubitsch, the tumultuous story of Laura’s production, the film’s highly unusual tone, its memorable characters and dialogue, and the majesty of Clifton Webb. Edited by Brennen King We…

1
S5E07 - Heaven Can Wait [1943] with Willa Ross 1:05:58

17d ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Willa Ross returns for a lively discussion about Heaven Can Wait. We cover Lubitsch and Raphaelson’s opposing views on the film’s unusual protagonist, its counterintuitive structure and elisions, the film’s theological implications, argue about whether or not the production code negatively impacted the film, and discuss what happened at Fox in the …

1
S5E06b - To Be Or Not To Be [1942] with Peter Labuza 1:09:16

24d ago1:09:16

1:09:16

Peter Labuza returns for the second of two episodes on To Be Or Not To Be. We discuss the film’s production history, the way in which the film both fulfills and frustrates conventions of comedic structure, Lubitsch’s specific habits in directing actors, the film’s unusual tonal arc, the film’s depiction of fascist ideology, and Rudolph Mate’s cinem…

1
S5E06a - To Be Or Not To Be [1942] with Dara and Gary Jaffe 1:11:41

1M ago1:11:41

1:11:41

Returning guest Dara Jaffe and first-time guest Gary Jaffe join us for the first of two episodes on To Be Or Not To Be. In this episode, we cover the interplay between theatre and film, and of improvisation and comedy; the many dimensions of the film’s relationship with Jewish identities; the use of empathy and humanism as anti-fascist tools; Lubit…

1
S5E05.75 - Ernst Lubitsch's American Comedy with William Paul 2:39:53

1M ago2:39:53

2:39:53

We return from our brief hiatus with our most in-depth episode yet, culled from five hours of discussions recorded over a period of several months with William Paul, author of the essential critical study Ernst Lubitsch’s American Comedy. We discuss Paul’s friendship with frequent Lubitsch collaborator Samson Raphaelson, Raphaelson’s sometimes-hars…

1
S5E05.5 - Preston Sturges and Sullivan’s Travels [1941] with Tim Brayton 58:17

2M ago58:17

58:17

Tim Brayton returns to discuss noted Lubitsch fan and disciple Preston Sturges and his 1941 meta-comedy SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS. We cover Sturges’ immense admiration of Lubitsch, the film’s immensely fascinating but perhaps frustrating relationship with its own status as a satire of its own form, Sturges’ political beliefs and moral compass, the value o…

1
S5E05 - That Uncertain Feeling [1941] and Comedic Theory with Lance St. Laurent 52:33

3M ago52:33

52:33

UW-Madison PHD Candidate Lance St. Laurent joins us to discuss THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING, as well as some comedic theory. We discuss our mutual admiration for elements of this relatively minor divorce-and-remarriage-style comedy, Lubitsch’s attempts to tackle psychoanalysis and modern art, and the film’s production origins. Additionally, we go deep on…

1
S5E04.5 - Jack Benny is Not Appearing on This Show [1940] 31:31

3M ago31:31

31:31

This week, we present an episode of the SCREEN GUILD THEATER starring Ernst Lubitsch, Claudette Colbert, and possibly Jack Benny! Originally aired on October 20th, 1940. We have a Discord! Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify NEXT WEEK: Lance St. Laurent joins us to discuss THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING, as well as some comedic theory. For information as t…

1
S5E04c - The Shop Around the Corner [1940] with Adrian Martin 46:50

3M ago46:50

46:50

Critic Adrian Martin joins us for our final episode on THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. In our discussion, we deconstruct some of the film’s camera direction, discuss Lubitsch’s late-period style and his more subtle (yet still very much present) formalism, his structural methodology, his use of repetition, the dynamics between “art” and “craft”, and Lub…

1
S5E04b - The Shop Around the Corner [1940] with Whit Stillman and Jose Arroyo 45:25

3M ago45:25

45:25

Whit Stillman and Jose Arroyo join us for our second episode on THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. Whit discusses Lubitsch’s writing process, the ways in which the film is exemplary of the Hollywood studio system at its best, and his admiration for Pirovitch. Jose later joins us for a formal breakdown of the film’s final scene. We have a Discord! Listen o…

1
S5E04a - The Shop Around the Corner [1940] with Kevin Bahr 54:04

3M ago54:04

54:04

Kevin Bahr joins us for the first of our episodes on the greatest Jimmy Stewart-related Christmas movie of them all, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. In this episode, we discuss the film’s unusual structure, ensemble nature, each character’s arc towards self-improvement, capital, our shared admiration of Pepi, the film’s historical context, Samson Rapha…

1
S5E03b - Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, & Ninotchka [1939] with Donald Brackett 51:12

4M ago51:12

51:12

Author Donald Bracket joins us to discuss NINOTCHKA, and in particular the collaboration between the film’s two writers: Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. We cover their tumultuous collaboration from their first films to its sordid ending with the masterpiece SUNSET BOULEVARD, as well as the development of the screenplay for NINOTCHKA. Edited by G…

1
S5E03a - Ninotchka [1939] with Griffin Newman 1:08:27

4M ago1:08:27

1:08:27

Actor and podcaster Griffin Newman joins us to discuss NINOTCHKA! We discuss Lubitsch’s stature in Hollywood, Greta Garbo’s incredible lead performance, Rouben Mamoulian’s musical remake SILK STOCKINGS, the early development of the script, Cary Grant’s possible involvement, the film’s mechanics as both a romantic comedy and geopolitical satire, the…

1
S5E02 - Bluebeard's Eighth Wife [1938] with Olympia Kiriakou 47:32

4M ago47:32

47:32

Film historian and podcast host Dr. Olympia Kiriakou joins us to discuss Lubitsch’s sole screwball comedy: BLUEBEARD’S EIGHTH WIFE. We run down the definition of “screwball” through lenses of class, sex, tone, and pace; the impact of the production code on the genre; the uneasy fit between Lubitsch and the genre; the film’s terrific meet-cute; the …

1
S5E01 - Angel [1937] with Chris Cassingham 52:08

5M ago52:08

52:08

Film programmer and curator Chris Cassingham joins us to discuss Lubitsch’s ambiguous, cloistered chamber drama ANGEL. We cover Lubitsch’s newfound low-key late period style, the withholding nature of both the film’s characters and the film itself, interwar politics, the film’s deeply-encoded implications, Marlena Dietrich’s persona, and our femini…

1
S5E0.5 - Desire [1936] with Imogen Sara Smith 54:56

5M ago54:56

54:56

Film writer and author Imogen Sara Smith joins us to discuss Frank Borzage’s DESIRE, produced by Ernst Lubitsch during his tenure as Production Head at Paramount Studios! In this episode, we discuss the state of Lubitsch’s career in this time of personal and political upheaval, the state of Hollywood in the Hays Code era, the the careers of Marlene…

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

5M 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

7M 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

7M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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

10M 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

10M 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

10M 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

10M 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1+ y 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

1+ y 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

1+ y 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

1+ y 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

1+ y 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…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Freundschaft Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide