The Next Reel Film Podcast
The Letter
We unpack The Letter in our Bette Davis series: moonlit shadows, Hays Code pressure, colonial privilege, and a letter that turns into leverage.
January 22, 2026
For all you proper film enthusiasts who would like to peruse the films of TruStory FM’s entertainment podcasts by release decade. Get ready for a firehose of film history in these here stacks.
We unpack The Letter in our Bette Davis series: moonlit shadows, Hays Code pressure, colonial privilege, and a letter that turns into leverage.
It’s time for our December member bonus episode and this month, the members voted to add a holiday film to our film noir series, landing on the Repeat Performance, where a woman is given the chance to relive a year and see if she can fix the mistakes she made.
Screenwriter James Handel joins us to discuss his genre-bending career and Powell & Pressburger’s psychological masterpiece Black Narcissus, a stunning exploration of faith, desire, and control.
We wrap up our series on the nominees at the 1947 Academy Awards for Best Writing, Screenplay with a conversation about Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 film “Rome, Open City.” It’s a powerful film and a great entry in the early days of Italian neo-realism. Anna Magnani and Aldo Fabrizi are the standouts, but it’s really the war-torn city of Rome that lends incredible authenticity to this dark war story. Great conversation. Check it out!
We continue our series on the 1947 Academy Award • Best Writing, Screenplay nominees, looking at Robert Siodmak’s “The Killers,” adapted from Ernest Hemingway’s short story. It’s a thrill of a noir and gorgeous to boot. Plus, Burt Lancaster in his first film and Ava Gardner as a knockout femme fatale! Check it out and tune in!
We continue our 1947 Academy Award Best Writing, Screenplay nominee series with a conversation about David Lean’s 1945 film “Brief Encounter.” Does the drama about a never-consumed affair warrant all the, well… drama? Or does it end up feeling dated and tepid? We go back and forth on this one. Great conversation – tune in!
We continue looking at 1947 Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees with William Wyler’s Best Picture winner, “The Best Years of Our Lives”. A magnificent film nailing the story of veterans struggling to reconnect with society after war. Check it out and tune in!
We kick off our 1947 Academy Award Best Writing, Screenplay nominee series with John Cromwell’s “Anna and the King of Siam.” Despite some tough brownface and other related struggles, the story of Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut is one that’s intrigued audiences for ages. So how does this film work? And does it hold a candle to “The King and I”? Tune in!
Screenwriter Todd Alcott joins us to talk about the masterful Disney classic BAMBI from 1942. Why does this seemingly simple story about a passive deer growing up without a clear sense of purpose work so well? In the words of Alcott, it’s about life. It’s an unforgettable conversation. Tune in!
We wrap up our time with Nick and Nora Charles (and Asta! And Nick Jr!) as we dig into their last cinematic outing together, the 1947 film ‘Song of the Thin Man’ directed by Edward Buzzell. It’s a perfect way to wrap up our time with these characters as the story balances perfectly between crime and comedy. Tune in!