The Plot Thickens
TCM
Our sixth season is Cleopatra, a six-episode series about one of the most expensive and infamous movies ever made. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra should have been a smash. Instead, it was a shoot plagued by medical emergencies, climate disasters, nervous breakdowns, and the most scandalous love affair to ever hit a movie set. Join host Ben Mankiewicz as he digs through his own family stories to understand how it turned out so badly for his Oscar-winning uncle. Cleopatra starts July 17.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 24, 2023 • 18min
Bonus Episode: Bob Minor & Jadie David
Legendary stunt performers Jadie David and Bob Minor go in-depth about their most dangerous stunts, working with Pam Grier, and breaking through as Black stuntpeople in the early 70s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 10, 2023 • 34min
Bonus Episode: Jacqueline Stewart
Ben Mankiewicz speaks to TCM host and Director and President of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Jacqueline Stewart about Pam Grier's star image, the legacy of Blaxploitation, and meeting Pam at the TCM Classic Film Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 13, 2022 • 37min
Bonus Episode: Quentin Tarantino
More from Ben Mankiewicz’s interview with Quentin Tarantino, who speaks about making Jackie Brown, enjoying Blaxploitation, and first seeing Pam when he was an impressionable 10 year-old boy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 6, 2022 • 51min
Ms. Jackie Brown
After receiving a devastating diagnosis, Pam leaves Hollywood and heads home to Colorado. But she’s lured back into the spotlight when the hottest director in Hollywood gives her the role of a lifetime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 29, 2022 • 53min
I’m Gonna Die For Paul Newman
Pam finds love on a movie set when she’s cast opposite superstar comedian Richard Pryor. She sets out to change Richard’s self-destructive ways, and succeeds – for a little while. She then immerses herself in a difficult new role, a role that gives her nightmares but could spark a comeback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 22, 2022 • 42min
Looking Good
As the Blaxploitation craze comes to an end, Pam fights for better roles and hobnobs with the biggest names in showbiz. She meets the love of her life, a hot young comedian named Freddie Prinze -- whose personal demons lead to heartbreak and tragedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 18, 2022 • 10min
Bonus: Pam Grier in Italy
Pam is almost killed when a horse goes wild on the set of a gladiator movie. But instead of losing her life, she meets a new friend, who just happens to be one of the most famous filmmakers in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 15, 2022 • 49min
The Queen of Blaxploitation
Pam’s career hits new heights as Black-themed movies take the country by storm. She stars in four low-budget films in the span of one year, including two bonafide hits: Coffy and Foxy Brown. Yet her celebrity is tied to controversy, as Blaxploitation gets criticized by the Black community and snubbed by the Hollywood establishment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 8, 2022 • 50min
An Actor Prepares
Pam heads to the Philippines to star in a pair of “women in prison” movies, where she endures volatile weather, skimpy costumes, and cobra encounters. She studies acting and learns everything she can about filmmaking, and her raw talent is soon recognized on the set. But Pam’s relationship with Kareem is tested when his religious convictions clash with her feminist ideals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 1, 2022 • 44min
I'm Not From Here
Newly arrived in Los Angeles, Pam learns underground filmmaking at UCLA and sings backup for some of the biggest musical acts of the 60s. She also has her first serious romance, with a towering basketball phenom named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Then, a chance audition for a low-budget movie leads to Pam’s first opportunity in front of the camera, as an actor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
