Episode 280

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Nancy Olson Livingston joins Weezy and Lisa for a captivating journey through Hollywood's Golden Age and show business history, all seen through the eyes of a woman who was there for so many of its defining moments. Her memoir is titled A Front Row Seat and wait until you hear what she has witnessed!

Nancy Olson (now 98!) was once a UCLA student and a Paramount contract player learning every facet of filmmaking by simply spending time on the studio lot, where she first caught the attention of director Billy Wilder during the shooting of her screen debut in Canadian Pacific. 

Impressed by her wholesome Midwestern authenticity, Wilder cast her as Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard. 

Nancy offers a fascinating look at Wilder's unique directing style which involved extensive rehearsals before shooting only one take! She then recounts the memorable love scene with William Holden that took an unexpected turn when Holden's wife interrupted their steamy embrace with a very emphatic "Cut!"

Although Nancy stepped away from Hollywood (Marrying Alan J. Lerner)  before any of her first four films were even released, the success of Sunset Boulevard drew her back to the screen.

She returned at the personal invitation of Walt Disney to star in Pollyanna and then The Absent Minded Professor and she relished every moment spent working with the consummate professionals at Disney.

While married to legendary lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, Nancy played an instrumental role in reuniting the stellar songwriting team of Lerner and Loewe!

After an estrangement, she helped bring them back together and paved the way for the creation of My Fair Lady, a musical Lerner ultimately dedicated to her. She recalls serving as an unofficial first audience for the now-iconic, "The Rain in Spain!”

Nancy’s next chapter begins with her marriage to Capitol Records Exec Alan Livingston. The  first time he played her music by a new British band called The Beatles she was not impressed but she did hatch the idea for the hottest ticket of the 60s, the Meet The Beatles garden party which took place at her parents’ home in Brentwood and raised money for charity while Hollywood insiders got to introduce their kids to The Beatles!

Nancy was also present at an inauguration night after party, in 1960, when she answered a knock at the door to find JFK standing there and just needing some quiet reflection with close friends before embarking on his next enormous task.

Plus, Weezy is recommending Season Three of the Podcast, The Telepathy Tapes and Lisa is re-binging Parks and Rec.