‘Dead white men are what I'm legitimately interested in': podcaster Karina Longworth on the forgotten work of Hollywood titans

'When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.' So runs the most famous line from John Ford's elegiac 1962 western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The 44-year-old historian Karina Longworth has other ideas. The former LA Weekly film critic launched her podcast, You Must Remember This, in 2014, setting out to tell 'the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood's first century', as she puts it in the show's introduction. Its title is lifted from the jazz standard As Time Goes By ('You must remember this / A kiss is still a kiss …') as featured in Casablanca. Hearing that wistful, timeworn lyric, it is easy to overlook the imperative hiding in plain sight. With each fastidiously researched and gloriously entertaining episode, Longworth seems to be telling us: you must remember this. To not do so, or to allow fact to curdle into legend, would be unconscionable.
'I don't want to be a schoolmarm scolding people for forgetting,' she says from a sunny upstairs room in the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, Rian Johnson, director of the Knives Out whodunnits and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. 'But I think we can only understand where we are at and where we're going if we look to where we've been.'
One reason she steers clear of modern topics on the podcast is the possible conflict of interest with her husband's career. Jamie Lee Curtis's appearance in the original Knives Out, for instance, precluded Longworth from ever making an episode about that actor's parents, Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, even though they would be ideal subjects. As if further evidence were needed of her passion for the past, a framed poster of Marcel Pagnol's 1936 melodrama César dominates the wall behind her today. Later, she will dismiss several questions about modern Hollywood with the same bored riposte: 'I don't care about new movies.'
That was one of the reasons she hung up her pen at the LA Weekly in 2012. Shortly before quitting, she mocked James Bond's backstory in Skyfall as his 'formative sads' and wrote the film off as 'Downton Abbey with cybercrime and shower sex'. She dismissed Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris as 'a Bill and Ted sequel for cultural studies majors', and said Joss Whedon was 'crippled by his short-term need to please the crowd' in the first Avengers movie.
Film criticism's loss is cinema history's gain. Over 11 years of You Must Remember This, Longworth has covered in granular, invigorating detail everything from the anti-communist blacklist to the influence of Charles Manson and the Hollywood phenomenon of the dead blonde. She is a factchecker par excellence – a full 19 episodes were devoted to clearing up the scurrilous, spiteful untruths in Kenneth Anger's gossip bible Hollywood Babylon. She is also the ally any neglected genius would want on their side, as proved by her season on the late Polly Platt, a largely unsung figure in the careers of Peter Bogdanovich and Wes Anderson.
The latest series, The Old Man Is Still Alive, addresses the declining years of 14 cinematic titans, among them Vincente Minnelli, whose visually groundbreaking The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse sparked the idea for the season after Longworth saw it in Paris on a rainy Saturday evening in 2023. 'It's from the early 1960s but it feels proto-psychedelic. Seeing it reminded me why I started the podcast: to talk about things that have been forgotten.'
With that in mind, she gives us the Hitchcock not of Vertigo and Psycho but of the astringent Frenzy and the meandering Family Plot; the John Ford of Cheyenne Autumn, a well-meaning if not wholly effective critique of the western's values; and the Billy Wilder drawn back to the mournful territory of Sunset Boulevard in Fedora.
It's fascinating to hear Longworth charting the corkscrew turns these film-makers took as they twisted themselves out of shape trying to keep up with the times. But there's no escaping the fact that she has taken on a supremely unfashionable topic: dead white men. A deliberate provocation? 'No, it's what I'm legitimately interested in,' she scoffs. 'My podcast is really hard to make. I can only do it if I care about the subject. Sure, in the world right now there is anger at specific older white men. Part of it is an impulse to say: 'We should just burn it all down and start again.' But history makes us who we are today.'
As a student, she was taught the importance of DW Griffith, the director of The Birth of a Nation. 'There was only a cursory conversation around whether the film was racist,' she recalls.
'It was primarily all about the technique. I don't think that's the way to do it either, but nor do I think we should burn all copies of The Birth of a Nation. That sets a dangerous precedent.'
The phrase 'institutional memory' crops up in the new series, and it is this, along with the nuance of considered investigation over kneejerk reaction, that Longworth is fighting to defend. That said, people today are time-poor and inundated with viewing options. With the BFI Southbank hosting a month-long series of the movies covered in the podcast, some of which Longworth will be introducing in person, how does she think potential audiences will respond to the invitation to sample, say, The Only Game in Town, starring Warren Beatty and Elizabeth Taylor? By her own admission, it is 'the least successful of the George Stevens films I've seen, [though] aesthetically it has its moments'. Hardly a ringing endorsement. 'I don't care,' she shrugs. 'I'm not trying to change the paradigm. I'm just reacting to movies the way I react to them.'
Sign up to Film Weekly
Take a front seat at the cinema with our weekly email filled with all the latest news and all the movie action that matters
after newsletter promotion
By and large, the age of 60 is the point at which these figures, many of whom began their careers in the silent era, 'got weird' as they struggled to adapt to cultural changes. When I suggest that ageism is no longer as prevalent now that Martin Scorsese is revered at 82, while Ridley Scott is whooshing along like a runaway train at 87, she disagrees vehemently. 'Look at Megalopolis and the way Coppola was treated as if he was a doddering old man foolishly spending his family's legacy. Even with Scorsese, there's this sense of: 'Aw, the old man is trying to do something else before he dies!' And that's the positive spin. The negative one is: 'Why won't he just make shorter movies?''
Along with erudition and tireless research, listeners of You Must Remember This get Longworth's shimmering writing (on William Wyler's How to Steal a Million: 'Dressed in a slip, a car coat and rain boots, Audrey Hepburn invents grunge') and plenty of shade (to anyone defending Otto Preminger's last film, The Human Factor, she says: 'You do you, babe'). It's all delivered in her alluring conspiratorial tones, which suggest a film noir schemer. Or, as one online fan put it, 'a sexy ghost'.
When I ask how this exaggerated vocal style evolved from the chattier early episodes, she looks unimpressed. 'I'm not trying to do anything differently,' she says. One indisputable change in the new season is that, to adapt TS Eliot and Charles Dickens, she do the directors in different voices. Whereas she once hired actors, even enlisting her husband to play John Huston, she now takes on every role herself, including an amusing Hitchcock with a severe case of irritable vowel syndrome.
Does this have anything to do with her own background as a would-be child actor in LA? 'I'm not acting,' she says firmly. 'I'm doing what I would do if I were telling these stories at a cocktail party.' It was her mother who steered her into auditions as a child. 'She wanted to be an artist and a model. When she had me, she stopped pursuing work outside of the house. That was not the right decision for her, and she killed herself when I was 11. She was in a situation common to many people of her generation: they had been told to want something and then, when they got it, it wasn't fulfilling and they didn't know what to do about that.'
Longworth's acting career was short-lived. 'I had trouble controlling my body and my face. A lot of that came from nervousness at being looked at. I still don't like it. The podcast is the only way I can be free to do any kind of performance because nobody's watching.' Channelling Greta Garbo and providing our conversation with a natural end, she says: 'I want to be alone.'
You Must Remember This Presents … The Old Man is Still Alive is at BFI Southbank, London SE1, until 30 April

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

• Daily Mirror

'I went to a Knives Out-inspired whodunnit dinner and was not expecting this'

If you take Cluedo a little too seriously, this immersive dinner could be the next best activity date for you. I went along to The Perfect Bite experience, with tantalising drama and a murder to be solved Ever fancied yourself as Sherlock Holmes or Benoit Blanc? Or maybe you watched the Knives Out films and thought you'd love to be involved in a whodunnit investigation? Either way, if you're looking to add a little more bite to your usual romantic dinner, The Perfect Bite could be the next best dinner date idea. The Perfect Bite - hosted at Gaucho, City of London - adds a tantalising twist to your standard meal, serving up an evening of entertainment while you enjoy your steak and chips. By attending this limited time event, you're signing yourself up to a delicious four-course meal but you'll have to work for it, as you attempt to solve a twist-filled murder mystery, led by detective Logan Locke. ‌ ‌ READ MORE: Daniel Craig looks unrecognisable as he steps out in Venice with wife Rachel Weisz I have to say I wasn't expecting the level of suspense while enjoying my meal. Couples were embroiled in full blow arguments, suspects had breakdowns as we questioned them over their involvement and double lives were exposed. I worked alongside three other guests to find clues between courses, and watch the drama unfold as suspects revealed their true colours as the plot thickened. The Perfect Bite serves as an ideal immersive experience for a group of friends or as an exciting change to your usual date night. I left Gaucho feeling fulfilled, not only had I enjoyed a tasty meal, but I'd also solved a murder and had a decent dose of drama to go and tell my friends about. The Perfect Bite is inspired by Netflix 's Knives Out, which is set for a third instalment. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery sees Daniel Craig reprising his role as the charming sleuth Benoit. Joining him is an A-list cast including Josh O'Connor (known for Challengers and The Crown), Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Priscilla), Mila Kunis (Black Swan) and the legendary Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction, 101 Dalmations). Jeremy Renner is also making a comeback to the franchise. Devotees will recall his stint as the mascot for a hot sauce brand in Glass Onion, but his character in Wake Up Dead Man is entirely unrelated. ‌ The latest instalment will hit the streaming service on December 12, 2025, but Craig admitted that he'd love for the movie to go into theatres. 'Hopefully, Netflix will push it out a bit, and people will get to see it. The people I speak to – the fans, I suppose – all they want to do is take their families and go see it at the cinemas. That's all they want to do. Hopefully we can give them that experience,' the former James Bond star told Variety. Netflix's first-look prompted reactions from fans, with one saying: "Let's go. Love Daniel Craig in this role," while another commented: "I'm just here for Benoit Blanc's Southern charm and all the chaos in between." Another film enthusiast predicted: "This mystery is shaping up to be the best one yet." ‌ How to book The Perfect Bite Immersive Dinner The Perfect Bite, A Dinner Experience Inspired by Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery takes place at Gaucho City of London. This exclusive event launched on June 5, 2025. Seating is limited, so grab your tickets before they vanish! Ticket prices: ‌ General Admission Individual ticket: £140 + VAT Table of 4: £499 + VAT (£124.75 per person) Prime Time (Fridays & Saturdays)

The Independent

05-06-2025

• The Independent

For Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves' co-star 10 years ago and once again, 'Ballerina' is a pirouette

Years before Ana de Armas was using an ice skate to slice a neck in 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,' she co-starred with Keanu Reeves in a much different film. The erotic thriller 'Knock Knock,' released in 2015, was de Armas' first Hollywood film. De Armas, born and raised in Cuba, had just come to Los Angeles after acting in Spain. English was new to her, so she had to learn her lines phonetically. 'It was tough and I felt miserable at times and very lonely,' she says in an interview. 'But I wanted to prove myself. I remember being in meetings with producers and they would be like, 'OK, I'll see you in a year when you learn English.' Before I left the office, I would say, 'I'll see you in two months.'' Since 'Knock Knock,' her rise to stardom has been one of the last decade's most meteoric. She was radiant even as a hologram in 'Blade Runner 2049.' She stole the show in Rian Johnson's star-studded 'Knives Out.' She breezed through the Bond movie 'No Time to Die.' She was Oscar nominated for her Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde. ' And now, 10 years after those scenes with Reeves, de Armas is for the first time headlining a big summer action movie. In 'Ballerina,' in theaters Friday, de Armas' progressive development as an unlikely action star reaches a butt-kicking crescendo, inheriting the mantle of one of the most esteemed, high-body-count franchises. 'It's a big moment in my career, and I know that. I can see that,' she says. 'It makes me look back in many ways, just being with Keanu in another film in such a different place in my career. It definitely gives me perspective of the journey and everything since we met. Things have come far since then.' Taking on the pressure of 'John Wick' While de Armas, 37, isn't new to movie stardom, or the tabloid coverage that comes with it, many of her career highlights have been streaming releases. 'The Gray Man' and 'Blonde' were Netflix. 'Ghosted' was Apple TV+. But 'Ballerina' will rely on de Armas (and abiding 'John Wick' fandom) to put moviegoers in seats. Heading in, analysts expected an opening weekend of around $35-40 million, which would be a solid result for a spinoff that required extensive reshoots. Reviews, particularly for de Armas playing a ballerina-assassin, have been good. 'There's a lot of pressure,' says director Len Wiseman. 'It's a lot to carry all on her shoulders. But she'll be the first person to tell you: 'Put it on. Let me carry the weight. I'm totally game.'' De Armas, whose talents include the ability to be present and personable on even the most frenzied red carpets, has done the globe-trotting work to make 'Ballerina' a big deal: appearing at CinemaCon, gamely eating hot wings and cheerfully deflecting questions about her next film, 'Deeper,' with Tom Cruise. Yet for someone so comfortable in the spotlight, one of the more interesting facts about de Armas is that she lives part time in that bastion of young A-listers: Vermont. 'Yeah, it surprised many people,' she says, chuckling. 'As soon as I went up there, I knew that was going to be a place that would bring me happiness and sanity and peace. But I know for a Cuban who doesn't like cold very much, it's very strange.' 'This has been a surprise' Winding up in northern New England is just as unexpected as landing an action movie like 'Ballerina.' She grew up with the conviction, from age 12, that she would be an actor. But she studied theater. 'I never thought I was going to do action,' de Armas says. 'What was relatable for me was watching Cuban actors on TV and in movies. That was my reality. That's all I knew, so the actors I looked up to were those.' De Armas also had bad asthma, which makes some of the things she does in 'Ballerina' — a movie with a flamethrower duel — all the more remarkable to her. 'I couldn't do anything,' she remembers. 'I couldn't run. I sometimes couldn't play with my friends. I had to just be home and be still so I wouldn't get an asthma attack. So I never thought of myself as someone athletic or able to run just a block. So this has been a surprise.' At 14, she auditioned and got into Havana's National Theatre of Cuba. Four years later, with Spanish citizenship through her grandparents, she moved to Madrid to pursue acting. When she arrive in LA in 2014, she had to start all over again. Now as one of the top Latina stars in Hollywood, she's watched as immigrant paths like hers have grow increasingly arduous if not impossible. The day after she spoke to The Associated Press, the Trump administration announced a travel ban on 12 countries and heavy restrictions on citizens of other countries, including Cuba. 'I got here at a time when things were definitely easier in that sense,' says de Armas, who announced her then-imminent U.S. citizenship while hosting 'Saturday Night Live' in 2023. 'So I just feel very lucky for that. But it's difficult. Everything that's going on is very difficult and very sad and really challenging for many people. I definitely wish things were different.' 'She doesn't just enjoy the view' Chad Stahelski, director of the four 'John Wick' films and producer of 'Ballerina,' was about to start production on 'John Wick: Chapter 4' when producer Basil Iwanyk and Nathan Kahane, president of Lionsgate, called to set up a Zoom about casting de Armas. He quickly watched every scene she had been in. 'How many people would have played the Bond girl kind of goofy like that?' he says. 'I know that I can harden people up. I know I can make them the assassin, but getting the charm and the love and the humor out of someone is trickier. But she had it.' In 'Knives Out,' Stahelski saw someone who could go from scared and uncertain to a look of 'I'm going to stab you in the eye.' 'I like that in my action heroes,' he says. 'I don't want to see the stoic, superhero vibe where everything's going to be OK.' But it wasn't just her acting or her charisma that convinced Stahelski. It was her life story. ''John Wick' is all hard work — and I don't mean just in the training. You've got to love it and put yourself out there,' says Stahelski. 'When you get her story about how she came from the age of 12, got into acting, what she sacrificed, what she did, that's what got my attention. 'Oh, she's a perseverer. She doesn't just enjoy the view, she enjoys the climb.'' When that quote is read back to her, de Armas laughs, and agrees. 'Being Cuban, and my upbringing and my family and everything I've done, I've never had a plan B,' she says. 'I've never had that thing of, 'Well, if it doesn't work, my family can help.' Or, 'I can do this other career.' This was it. And I also knew, besides being the thing I loved the most, this was my survival. This is how I live. This is how I feed myself and my family. So it's also a sense of, I don't know, responsibility.' That makes her reflect back to when she was just trying to make it in Hollywood, sounding out words, trying not to disappoint directors whose instructions she could barely understand, trying not to be intimidated by the action star across from her who had just finished shooting the first 'John Wick.' 'I was so committed to do it,' she says. 'I was so invested in the trying of it, just giving it a shot. When I give something a shot, I try my best, whatever that is. Then I can actually say: I gave it a shot.'

Daily Mail​

29-05-2025

• Daily Mail​

Ana de Armas stuns in a glamorous strapless gown as she continues John Wick: Ballerina premiere tour in Paris... without beau Tom Cruise

Ana de Armas looked glamorous in an elegant strapless black and white gown as she attended the Ballerina premiere at Le Grand Rex in Paris, France on Wednesday. The actress, 37, showed off her amazing figure in the number which boasted a structured corset strapless top which cascaded down into a dramatic white ruffled skirt. Ana elevated her frame in a pair of towering heels and accessorised with a dazzling silver necklace and matching earrings. Styling her long brunette tresses in a neat up do, the Knives Out star flashed her gorgeous smile as she posed up a storm on the red carpet before being joined by director Len Wiseman. Ballerina is the latest instalment in the John Wick franchise, with Ana starring as the lead character Eve Macarro. Ana arrived in the French capital earlier that day and rocked a pair of knee-high leather boots as she headed to a question and answer session with fans. She teamed a high-waisted mini skirt with a long sleeved top and layered over a leather trench coat. Ana accessorised her outfit with gold jewellery and topped it off with black, opaque tights. The actress has been rumoured to be dating Tom Cruise for months, but neither has publicly confirmed their relationship status. When quizzed about the scrutiny into her private life, Ana admitted during an interview with ELLE Spain, that she's grown more accustomed to dealing with it and accepted it came as part of the price of fame. Alluding to her apparent determination not to confirm her and Tom's relationship status, she explained she's learned how important it is for her to have a separation between her 'public persona' and private life. She said: 'Over the years, you get more used to it. You learn to find your corners, your privacy, your way of doing things, your lifestyle... 'I'm one of those who think there should be external boundaries, a barrier that's quite visible to others and to oneself.' 'Making it clear, "This is as far as I go with my work, my public persona, what's expected of me, and what I want to share with viewers and fans." That's wonderful, and I want to do it. 'You can't let the negative side of fame upset you, because then you won't enjoy the beautiful aspects, but it's essential to separate. 'We're all people and we need that privacy, consideration, and space.' She added: 'It seems incredible to have to say it, but we've forgotten that minimum of respect for others.' 'Sometimes we have to make an abrupt stop so others are aware of your reality, but, well, I find my way. When I want to disappear from the map, I do'. However, Ana also admitted that the public criticism she's received over some of her past relationships has 'hurt me at times'. Tom has been busy promoting his own starring role in recent weeks following the release of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, which premiered earlier this month.