You Must Remember This
Secret and forgotten histories of Hollywood's first century
Overview
You Must Remember This is created by Karina Longworth and explores the secret and forgotten histories of Hollywood's first century through heavily researched creative nonfiction storytelling. The podcast has produced over 200 episodes organized into thematic seasons that examine specific eras, scandals, stars, and cultural phenomena from Hollywood's golden age and beyond. The Washington Post has called the show both knowledgeable and laceratingly funny, capturing Longworth's ability to combine rigorous historical research with sharp cultural criticism and engaging narrative. Each episode or season-long arc reconstructs moments from Hollywood history that have been obscured, mythologized, or deliberately hidden, revealing the human stories behind the glamorous facade of the studio system.
Longworth's approach is deeply researched, drawing on biographies, studio archives, personal correspondence, and contemporaneous news coverage to construct accurate, nuanced portraits of her subjects. The narrative style is novelistic rather than academic, with careful attention to storytelling structure, pacing, and character development that makes historical material compelling and accessible. Episodes vary in length but often run 30 to 60 minutes, with some special installments extending longer to fully develop complex stories. The show's production values emphasize Longworth's authoritative narration, supported by period music and minimal additional production elements that keep the focus on the stories themselves. The podcast has covered subjects including the blacklist era, dead blondes, Charles Manson's Hollywood connections, the studio moguls, Polly Platt and the women behind the New Hollywood, and many other topics that illuminate how Hollywood's history shapes its present.
How It Works
Ideal for actors who want to understand the historical context of the industry they work in, including the power structures, cultural forces, and systemic inequities that shaped Hollywood and continue to influence it today. The show is particularly valuable for actors interested in film history, classic Hollywood performance styles, and the ways that stardom has been constructed, mythologized, and exploited across different eras. Longworth's feminist perspective and attention to the experiences of women in Hollywood make the podcast especially relevant for understanding how gender has shaped the industry's treatment of actors and other creative professionals. The show also benefits actors who appreciate the narrative craft of storytelling, as Longworth's episode construction offers lessons in how to shape and present complex material with clarity and impact.
Free on all podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. The show's extensive archive of over 200 episodes provides a comprehensive education in Hollywood history at no cost, making it one of the most valuable free resources for actors interested in the cultural and historical dimensions of their profession.
Who Uses It
Highly recommended for actors who want to understand that the industry's current challenges — power imbalances, exploitation, systemic discrimination, the tension between art and commerce — are not new but rather deeply rooted in Hollywood's history. Longworth's research and storytelling reveal patterns that persist across eras, helping actors recognize that many of the frustrations and injustices they encounter are structural rather than personal or inevitable. What sets You Must Remember This apart from general entertainment history content is Longworth's rigorous research combined with her critical perspective — she does not simply celebrate Hollywood's golden age but interrogates the power dynamics, abuses, and cultural assumptions that shaped it. For actors who want to think critically about the industry they are part of and to understand how its past continues to shape its present, this podcast provides essential historical and cultural context. The show serves as a reminder that actors are part of a long tradition of creative work that has always involved navigating exploitation, inequality, and the commodification of talent and image.
Pricing & Plans
You Must Remember This is completely free on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. The podcast's creator, Karina Longworth, supports the show through listener donations via Patreon, but all episodes are freely available regardless of whether listeners contribute financially. The extensive archive of over 200 episodes represents hundreds of hours of meticulously researched content that would cost thousands of dollars if delivered through an academic course or professional seminar. For actors who want to develop a sophisticated understanding of Hollywood history and its ongoing influence on contemporary industry practices, this podcast provides a graduate-level education at no cost. The show's free accessibility ensures that historical knowledge and critical perspective on the industry are available to actors regardless of their financial circumstances, democratizing access to insights that can inform both artistic and career decisions.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
The podcast's greatest strength is Karina Longworth's combination of rigorous historical research, sophisticated cultural analysis, and compelling narrative storytelling that makes the past feel vivid, relevant, and instructive for understanding the present. Episodes that examine the experiences of specific actors — Marilyn Monroe, Hedy Lamarr, Jean Seberg, Anna May Wong, and many others — reveal how the industry has constructed, exploited, and discarded talent across different eras, providing context for understanding contemporary conversations about representation, power, and exploitation. The show's thematic seasons allow for deep exploration of specific historical moments and cultural phenomena, creating comprehensive portraits rather than superficial overviews. Longworth's feminist perspective brings attention to the experiences of women in Hollywood who have often been marginalized, erased, or reduced to simplistic narratives in mainstream histories, recovering their stories and restoring complexity to their legacies. The podcast's critical approach helps actors understand that Hollywood's glamorous mythologies often obscure exploitation, inequality, and suffering, encouraging a more clear-eyed understanding of the industry's realities. The show also demonstrates the power of narrative research and storytelling as a form of cultural criticism, offering a model for how actors might approach script analysis and character development with similar attention to historical and cultural context.
What Could Be Better
The podcast is focused on Hollywood history rather than contemporary acting practice, which means it provides cultural and historical context rather than actionable career advice or technique instruction. Actors seeking immediate practical guidance on auditions, agents, self-taping, or breaking into the industry will need to supplement this podcast with more instructionally focused resources. The show's emphasis on Hollywood's golden age and mid-20th-century history means it provides less coverage of recent decades and contemporary industry dynamics, which may feel less immediately relevant to actors navigating today's market. Some episodes deal with difficult subject matter including abuse, exploitation, addiction, and suicide, which may be emotionally challenging for some listeners. Longworth's narrative approach occasionally involves speculation or imaginative reconstruction where historical records are incomplete, which requires listeners to distinguish between documented fact and informed interpretation. The podcast's production is primarily solo narration rather than interview-based conversation, which may feel less dynamic than multi-voice formats for some listeners. Additionally, the show's American film industry focus means it provides limited coverage of theater, international cinema, or other performance traditions.
Our Recommendation
Actors who want to develop a critical historical understanding of the industry they work in should make You Must Remember This essential listening, as the patterns and power dynamics Longworth documents continue to shape Hollywood today. The podcast is particularly valuable for actors interested in film history, classic Hollywood performance, and the cultural forces that have shaped American cinema and stardom. If you are primarily focused on immediate career advancement and have limited interest in historical context, you may find the podcast's content interesting but not directly applicable to your current challenges, though the cultural literacy it provides can deepen your understanding of the industry's assumptions and values. Pair the podcast with contemporary industry and craft-focused resources to balance historical perspective with practical professional development. The show is also valuable for actors interested in developing their own content or producing, as understanding Hollywood's historical business practices and power structures informs strategic decision-making in contemporary contexts.
Pro Tips
When listening to episodes about specific actors from Hollywood's past, consider how their experiences with the studio system, public image management, and career challenges compare to the dynamics actors face today — the technologies and specific practices have changed, but many fundamental power structures persist. Pay attention to Longworth's research methodology and storytelling techniques, as her approach to reconstructing historical narratives offers insights that can inform your own script analysis and character development work. Use the podcast's examination of how Hollywood has constructed stardom across different eras to think critically about contemporary celebrity culture and your own relationship to image, publicity, and public presentation. When the show discusses the exploitation and abuse that many actors experienced under the studio system, recognize that while specific practices have changed, the power imbalances that enabled such treatment persist in different forms, which should inform your approach to professional boundaries and self-advocacy. Share episodes with fellow actors to spark conversations about the industry's history and its ongoing influence, as collective critical consciousness helps actors support each other in navigating contemporary challenges with historical awareness.