YMRT #24: Mia Farrow in the 1960s, Part Two: Mia and Dory

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts.

In our last episode. we learned about Mia Farrow’s transition from Catholic school girl to wife of Frank Sinatra, and her breakout role in Rosemary’s Baby, which cost her her first marriage. This episode, while continuing the story of Mia Farrow’s life and career in the 1960s, is a little different. We’ll trace Mia’s flight to India, her time studying transcendental meditation with the Beatles, and the production of two of her most interesting movies, Secret Ceremony and John and Mary. It was whilst shooting the latter film that Mia fell in love with Andre Previn, who was married at the time to lyricist DoryPrevin — whose story will guide the second half of this episode. A schizophrenic pill addict who was afraid to fly, DoryPrevin tried, and failed, to fly to London to stop her husband from leaving her for Mia. Instead, Dory wrote a song about it — and touched off a new career as a groundbreaking autobiographical singer-songwriter.

Show notes!

Once again, special thanks are owed to Amy Nicholson of the LA Weekly and The Canon podcast, who played Mia Farrow. 

If you haven’t listened to part one of this episode, please do! All of the sources used last time were relevant this time, but this episode is heavily indebted to DoryPrevin’s two autobiographies, Midnight Baby (the super crazy, jazz poetry version of her bad childhood), and Bog-trotter (the much more lucid account of her adult life, with lyrics). Both are out of print, but if you can find them used, they’re great, particularly Bog-trotter. Also, any of Dory’s music that you can get your hands on is incredibly worthy. In addition, this episode references the following articles: 

“I’m Insane,” says DoryPrevin PEOPLE, January 17, 1977

“An interview with DoryPrevin” Croydon Municipal

“DoryPrevin, Songwriter, Is Dead at 86” New York Times, February 14, 2012

See also these two radio interviews (the BBC clip is excerpted in the episode):

Bernadette Cahill interview, 2005

DoryPrevin BBC interview

Discography:

Sun King by The Beatles

This Protector by The White Stripes

Blue Jay Way by The Beatles

Goodbye Charlie by Dory and Andre Previn, performed by Bobby Darin

Dear Prudence by The Beatles

Calabash by Co.fee

Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod

Back in the USSR by TheBeatles

Lady Jane by The Rolling Stones

Holy Thursday by David Axelrod

Cylinder One by Chris Zabriskie

Whole Lotta Love performed by Ike and Tina Turner

In Pompei by Joan of Arc

Bobby’s Dream by Ralph Burns

Theme From Valley of the Dolls by Dory and Andre Previn, performed by Dionne Warwick

For Better or Worse by Kai Engel

Benbient by Canton

Once Tomorrow (instrumental version) by Josh Woodward

Undercover Vampire Policeman by Chris Zabriskie

I am a Man Who Will Fight For Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie

Mary C Brown and the Hollywood Sign by DoryPrevin, performed by Kate Dimbleby and Naadia Sheriff

Exlibris by Kosta T

How’m I Gonna Get Myself Together by DoryPrevin

live recording of Mary C, Brown and the Hollywood Sign, performed by DoryPrevin

YMRT #15: Madonna From Sean to Warren, Part Two

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts.

In the concluding chapter of a two-part episode about Madonna and movies (see part one here), we talk about her mutually beneficial professional and personal involvement with Warren Beatty. In 1989, Beatty, the self-described “president of Hollywood,” was coming off the disaster of Ishtar, and decided to star in and direct Dick Tracy as a way to prove that he still had his finger on the pulse of the culture. Madonna, who was still reeling from the end of her marriage to Sean Penn, saw Beatty and Dick Tracy as her avenue to legit Hollywood movie stardom — but she hedged her bets by producing her own cinematic showcase, Truth or Dare.

Show notes!

Side note first: Have you seen Madonna’s Twitter/Instagram? There’s some interesting stuff on it, particularly this image of her and Michael Jackson at the Academy Awards captioned “Time is a whore she screws everyone!” and also multipleposts in which she refers to Rocco, her son with Guy Ritchie, as Spicoli — the character Sean Penn played in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

This episode was originally supposed to be one part, but there was simply too much to say, so I split it in two. So all of the sources cited in Part One’s show notes apply to this one, too. Also: Star: The Life and Wild Times of Warren Beatty by Peter Biskind, and the following articles/magazines:

“Tracymania,” by David Ansen and Pamela Abramson, Newsweek, 6/25/1990

“He Still Leaves Them Breathless,” by Elizabeth Sporkin, People, 7/02/1990

Peter Biskind’s cover story in the June 1990 issue of Premiere

Mediography:

Clips from Truth or Dare, directed by Alek Keshishian

Discography:

"Born to be Blue" by Chet Baker

"Exchange" by Massive Attack

"Fiery Yellow" by Stereolab

"Laserdisc" by Chris Zabriskie

"Big Deal" by Everything But the Girl

"Down the Depths" performed by Blossom Dearie

“Roughcut” by Tripwire

"5:00 AM" by Peter Rudenko

"I’d Rather Be Your Lover" by Madonna

"The Simple Complex" by Uncle Bibby

"Sooner or Later" by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Madonna

"43 Days" Kemi Helwa

"Hanky Panky" by Madonna 

"Out of the Skies, Under the Earth" by Chris Zabriskie

"Something to Remember" by Madonna

"Divider" by Chris Zabriskie

"snake eyes" by off key

"For Better or Worse" by Kai Engel

"Vogue" by Madonna

"Still" by DNTEL

"Batdance" by Prince

"Make it Drums" by Daedelus 

"Pots and Pans" by The Kills

"9 Mile" by Naram

"(Pray For) Spanish Eyes" by Madonna

"Promise to Try" by Madonna

"Live to Tell" by Madonna

"Love Like a Sunset" by Phoenix

"Last Songs" by DNTEL

"Money" by Jahzzar

"Justify my Love" by Madonna

"Love Don’t Live Here Anymore," performed by Madonna