Thanks to a recommendation of a friend, I have been able to pass my working day with ease. Journalist Karina Longworth‘s (my new she-ro) and her podcast, “You Must Remember This,” have become an essential  part of my podcasting life. Each episode begins with the haunting titular refrain taken from “As Time Goes By,” the song made famous (of course) by the 1942 classic Casablanca. The broadcast then proceeds to pass by in a brisk 45 minutes (more or less), as it explores “the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century.”

It is a heavy lift to be sure – considering there have been many, many tawdry stories chronicling Hollywood acts of ill repute. Scandals, intrigues and conspiracies abound in her reportage, which in some cases, she has conveniently grouped together by theme (e.g. “Charles Mason in Hollywood” or “MGM Stories”). Through thorough research, Ms. Longowrth  constructs a narrative as close to the truth as she can find and substantiate. I think this is my favorite part of the podcast – especially when it comes to deconstructing tales that have passed through the generations as fact – for instance, answering questions that I have had, including Was Errol Flynn really a Nazi spy? Listen to find out 🙂

Also really cool is that she is open to listener feedback about what subject to cover; if she chooses your listener suggestion you get a shout out! Not that this is an incentive or anything but since listening to her podcast, I have put together my own list of subjects I would like to find out more about.

Give it a listen. I am sure you will be glad you did.