Rephonic
Artwork for When They Were Making It

When They Were Making It

Patrick Rankin
Marlon Brando
Alfred Hitchcock
Charlie Chaplin
Dorothy Dandridge
Rudolph Valentino
Mae West
Sunset Boulevard
Veronica Lake
Fay Wray
Breakfast At Tiffany's
Shirley Temple
Edward G. Robinson
King Kong
Lana Turner
Judy Garland
A Star Is Born (1954)
Carmen Jones
Psycho
Hollywood Racism
Billy Wilder

The real human stories behind classic Hollywood's greatest films and legends. Marilyn Monroe. Casablanca. Audrey Hepburn. The Wizard of Oz. Charlie Chaplin. Breakfast at Tiffany's. Alfred Hitchcock. Sunset Boulevard. What do they all have in common? They had to make it first. Each week, we go beyond the legend to explore classic Hollywood's biggest icons and most beloved films. Not the myths. Not ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes26Founded6 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Film HistoryHistoryTV & Film

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for When They Were Making It

Latest Episodes

She was the face of the Roaring Twenties, Hollywood's original It Girl, and one of the biggest box-office stars of the silent era. Then the headlines stopped being about her movies.

From a Brooklyn tenement to Paramount superstardom, Clara Bow's ris... more

YouTube

With Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock bet his own money on a low-budget shocker — and changed Hollywood forever. What followed would bring some of his biggest hits, his most troubling partnership, and a final chapter like no other.

Concluding our October Ha... more

YouTube

When Alfred Hitchcock's first bid for independence failed, he pivoted — and began a career-defining decade that would bring some of his most celebrated films, transform him into a household name, and lead him toward a gamble that would change Hollywo... more

YouTube

Before he became the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock had to start somewhere. He started in a British film industry struggling to survive — and in a fight for control that would carry him all the way to Hollywood.

Continuing our October Hallowee... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Host

Patrick Rankin
Writer and producer covering classic Hollywood films and the people behind them

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 460 ratings
  • What a gem

    So well written, researched and delivered with respect. So glad I found this podcast. The host’s voice is relaxing

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    praxis78
    United States20 days ago
  • So interesting

    I am really enjoy this podcast. I was concerned about the monotone voice at first but now enjoy it at bedtime. Very relaxing. It’s fascinating!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PD cleve
    United States23 days ago
  • He’s Seriously Good

    And the Chaplin story wrapped with an unambiguous, perfectly articulated post-mortem.

    Overall this is a high quality, detailed, nuanced, well- researched resource of historical narratives, unfettered by personal injections yet speaking with its own clear voice. This is not nerdy movie star fandom, it’s a thoughtful series about Hollywood’s profound influence on global culture, told from a disciplined and assured human perspective.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Spring7Boy
    United States24 days ago
  • Good Listen

    Subjects are handled with respect and professionalism. Voice and cadence enjoyable.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    267tom
    United Statesa month ago
  • Needs a better narrator

    The narrator’s voice should be used for a podcast meant to put you to sleep. He also mispronounces at least one word per podcast. How hard is it to pronounce “backlash”?Somewhat interesting, but given the audio, might be a better podcast with a narrator who, IMO, did not sound like he was trying to calm down a 5 year old. It also feels like a rip off of the much better podcast “What Went Wrong”. He also clearly makes up a lot of stuff. He says things like “he thought this”. You can’t know what s... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    MichelleGoBlue
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many value the respectful, nuanced treatment of film stars as people rather than simply legends or scandals.
The measured narration works well for some listeners, while others find its slow, monotone delivery difficult to follow.
Listeners often praise the careful research, strong writing, and detailed storytelling.
Some listeners flag mispronunciations of names and places as a distraction.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per EpisodeGender SkewLocation
InterestsProfessionsAge Range
Household IncomeSocial Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About When They Were Making It

What is When They Were Making It about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A carefully researched series of narrative histories about classic Hollywood, its films, and the people who made them. Writer and producer Patrick Rankin tells each story in a measured, chronological style, connecting a performer's or filmmaker's career to the creative decisions, studio pressures, social attitudes, and personal circumstances that shaped it. The focus ranges from silent cinema through the early 1960s, with occasional attention to later chapters in a subject's life and legacy.

Rather than treating stars as icons or reducing them to scandals, the storytelling aims to show the full human story behind their public image. Film fans will find detailed production history, while listeners interested in biography and cultural histor... more

Where can I find podcast stats for When They Were Making It?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for When They Were Making It. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to When They Were Making It and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does When They Were Making It get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for When They Were Making It, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for When They Were Making It?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for When They Were Making It, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does When They Were Making It have?

To see how many followers or subscribers When They Were Making It has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to When They Were Making It?

These podcasts share a similar audience with When They Were Making It:

1. The Plot Thickens
2. You Must Remember This
3. It Was A Book First
4. If You Please, Himan Brown’s Radio Mystery Theater
5. The Secret History Of Hollywood

How many episodes of When They Were Making It are there?

When They Were Making It launched 6 months ago and published 26 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact When They Were Making It?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for When They Were Making It?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for When They Were Making It from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for When They Were Making It?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of When They Were Making It. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days