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The pandemic really screwed things up. Going to the movies was one of those things.

I'm not a super cinephile, but like anyone, I enjoyed heading to the theater to see a summer blockbuster,

celebrity stuffed comedy, or well-crafted drama. But through the pandemic, I forgot how to go to the

movies. Crowds of people in an enclosed space, I think, I still flinch. But I went to the theater this

summer twice, and I began remembering. The big screen, the suspension of disbelief, the popcorn

and so do the whole experience, is just about as special now as it was when I was a kid.

A treat, a journey, an escape. And movies have this metacquality about them too.

There's always a story about the story. They're so difficult and expensive and fraught with big egos

that sometimes the tale of how the film got made is more interesting than the film itself.

And that's what we're exploring on today, Saturday, Matt and May, with an episode from the industry,

a podcast that takes a closer look at some of the lesser known or intentionally forgotten stories

of Hollywood. Insane productions, scandalous lawsuits, victories snatched from the jaws of defeat

or advice versa, and maybe the occasional crime. Each episode takes on one topic and attempts to

answer what were they thinking? Today, we learn about a $10 script, a secret tunnel, a desperate

director, an eccentric millionaire, and a star's last film. I hope you enjoy. While you're listening,

be sure to search for and follow the industry. We put links in the show notes to make it easy for you.

Throughout the 1940s, the Lux Radio Theatre was a big hit for CBS. Usually finishing in the top

10 in ratings, the hour-long show used an anthology format to bring adaptations of Broadway shows

and Hollywood movies into people's homes. The story and cast changed in each episode,

...