Platt and Bogdanovich

It's unusual that you get two documentary podcasts about one subject being released serially at the same time.

One podcast -- "The Plot Thickens" -- is from an established brand, Turner Classic Movies, and while it's TCM's first venture into podcasting, it has the slickness and polish that one would expect from a Turner Classic Movies "normal" documentary.

The other podcast -- "You Must Remember This" -- is from historian and film fan, Korina Longworth. This podcast has been it's been going since 2014, and it has a rich back catalog of subject matter relating to old and recent movies. It is also a slick and polished production

Anyway, both these shows offer viewpoints on the creative and romantic partnership of Peter Bogdanovich and his former wife and early collaborator Polly Platt.

TCM concentrates on Bogdanovich and slightly downplays Platt.

Longworth concentrates on Platt and plays up Platt's contributions to Bogdanovich's early successes.

Platt and Bogdanovich collaborated on "Targets," "The Last Picture Show," "What's Up Doc," and "Paper Moon." All three (leaving aside "Targets") of Bogdanovich's "good" movies. His output post-Platt is so-so. "Daisy Miller," "At Long Last Love," "Nickelodeon," "Saint Jack," "They All Laughed," "Mask," and a bunch of stuff you haven't heard of.

The shows treat the subjects's careers chronologically, and there are still more shows to be released, so, going forward, I'm pretty sure they will have less to do with the relationship between Platt and Bogdanovich, but I find myself more excited about hearing Platt's story. 

I guess she somehow ended up working with James L. Brooks on projects including "Terms of Endearment," and "The Simpsons." 

Bogdanovich ended up making a lot of so-so movies after Platt split, and I'm having a tough time listening to him talk about how much he loved Cybill Shepard and Dorothy Stratton.

My takeaway from both podcasts: Bogdanovich shouldn't have left Platt.

You Must Remember This

The Plot Thickens