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214: Scott Eyman KNOWS Hollywood, Perception, Reality, Film History, and Joan Crawford

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

Release Date: 01/22/2026

214: Scott Eyman KNOWS Hollywood, Perception, Reality, Film History, and Joan Crawford show art 214: Scott Eyman KNOWS Hollywood, Perception, Reality, Film History, and Joan Crawford

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

Film historian and acclaimed New York Times bestselling biographer Scott Eyman has written the definitive biography of Hollywood icon Joan Crawford, drawing on never-before-seen documents and photos from the Crawford estate.

Joan Crawford flourished for decades, working for multiple studios in every genre from romance to westerns ("Mildred Pierce," "Johnny Guitar"), musicals to noir ("Torch Song," "A Woman's Face"), and being directed by a young Steven Spielberg in one of her last appearances. Along the way, she accumulated four husbands, an Academy Award for Best Actress, and the...

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213: John Abendshien KNOWS Movies, Healthcare, Curiosity Gone Wild, Human Nature, Kevin McCallister & Home Alone Home Ownership show art 213: John Abendshien KNOWS Movies, Healthcare, Curiosity Gone Wild, Human Nature, Kevin McCallister & Home Alone Home Ownership

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

Imagine your home suddenly transformed into a Hollywood icon.   That's precisely what happened to John Abendshien, whose real-life house became the star of "Home Alone." More than just a film set, it turned into a character of its own, filled with traps and slapstick chaos that helped make the movie a global hit.   Decades later, the house remains legendary. Tourists visit, merchandise abounds—even gingerbread replicas exist. In his new book, "Home But Alone No More," Abendshien shares the fascinating behind-the-scenes story: how the location was chosen, what filming was like, and...

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212: Mark Malkoff KNOWS Entertainment, Comedy, Late Night TV, Obsessive Behavior & Johnny Carson show art 212: Mark Malkoff KNOWS Entertainment, Comedy, Late Night TV, Obsessive Behavior & Johnny Carson

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

Mark Malkoff is a comedian, writer, and podcast host. He has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR's Weekend Edition, and for eight years hosted the popular podcast The Carson Podcast.   His new book, "Love Johnny Carson," is a wildly entertaining account by one of the world's most obsessed and informed fans of TV icon Johnny Carson, setting the record straight on Carson's legacy and shining a light on the personality behind the legendary comedian and talk show host.   Carson aficionado Mark Malkoff has amassed more Carson stories from original sources than anyone in...

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211: Robin Hauser KNOWS Documentaries, Egg Freezing, Human Nature & Courageous Women show art 211: Robin Hauser KNOWS Documentaries, Egg Freezing, Human Nature & Courageous Women

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

Once a niche medical procedure, egg freezing is now a billion-dollar industry that promises women the ability to pause their biological clocks and extend their reproductive choices.    For some, it’s a path to empowerment; for others, it’s a costly gamble in an unregulated system with no guarantees. Through the experiences of three American women navigating the process, this documentary examines the realities behind the growing trend—who has access, who profits, and what’s at stake.    With insights from medical experts, ethicists, and industry leaders, the film...

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210: Kevin Goetz and Bob Levin KNOW Movies, Storytelling, Creative Instinct, Audience Insight & Box Office Success show art 210: Kevin Goetz and Bob Levin KNOW Movies, Storytelling, Creative Instinct, Audience Insight & Box Office Success

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

Dive into the behind-the-scenes world of the movie business, where entertainment strategist Kevin Goetz reveals the pivotal intersection of creative instinct and audience insight. This is the sweet spot where the business of film meets the art of storytelling. When it comes to cinematic success, every detail matters—from early concept to the final marketing push.   "How to Score in Hollywood" is a playbook for guiding movie-making decisions at every turn. Drawing from nearly four decades of experience, Goetz shows how films can be made and marketed to turn a profit by aligning creative...

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209: B.A Crisp KNOWS Empathy, Resilience, Spirituality, Cognition & Ghost Management show art 209: B.A Crisp KNOWS Empathy, Resilience, Spirituality, Cognition & Ghost Management

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

This episode will help you start to understand how to embrace your emotional ghosts and transform them into catalysts for healing and growth.   Her third appearance with Randall Kenneth Jones, B. A. Crisp is a strategist at Crisp Concepts, Inc., in Herndon, VA. Her professional portfolio ranges from psychiatric assessment specialist to adviser with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate, where she collaborated on anti-human trafficking research. She also lent her expertise to Homeland Security Investigations on Illicit Finance Crimes and Gangs. ...

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208: David M. Lubin KNOWS Art, Film, Subtext, Motivation, Education, Human Nature & Sunset Boulevard show art 208: David M. Lubin KNOWS Art, Film, Subtext, Motivation, Education, Human Nature & Sunset Boulevard

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

This episode will help you understand how art—specifically cinema—can grow in importance over time, and our ongoing exploration of art continues to shed valuable light on the human condition. #ArtIsLife   Today, more than 70 years after it premiered, "Sunset Boulevard" remains the finest ever movie made about the pathology of fame: those who lose it, those who abuse it, and those who never attain it at all.    Great films are born of great collaborations, and "Sunset Boulevard" represents one of the most extraordinary confluences of cinematic talent in film history. Still,...

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207: Brian Edwards KNOWS Friendship, Loyalty, Entertainment, Media & Brian Edwards show art 207: Brian Edwards KNOWS Friendship, Loyalty, Entertainment, Media & Brian Edwards

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

This episode will help you KNOW more about the value of thoughtfully capturing and sharing one's legacy, accepting your past, including the highs and the lows, and giving credit where credit is due. In the mid-1980s, LGBTQ+ trailblazer Edwards carved his path alongside icons like Donna Summer and Joan Rivers. Over the decades, he built a reputation as a multi-award-winning talent executive, client relations rep, producer, writer, and occasional performer – working with some of the most recognizable names in show business: Cindy Crawford, Susan Sarandon, Melissa Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg,...

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206: Michael Seth Starr KNOWS Entertainment, Wordplay, Comedy, Exploration & Rodney Dangerfield show art 206: Michael Seth Starr KNOWS Entertainment, Wordplay, Comedy, Exploration & Rodney Dangerfield

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

This episode will help you KNOW more about the value of thoughtfully capturing and sharing one’s legacy—and giving credit where credit is due.   Michael Seth Starr covered television at the New York Post as a reporter, columnist, critic, and editor for over 28 years. He has written a filmography of Peter Sellers and biographies of Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Art Carney, Joey Bishop, Bobby Darin, Raymond Burr, William Shatner, Redd Foxx, and Ringo Starr. He has made frequent appearances on television, including The Today Show, Access Hollywood, Good Morning America,...

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205: Bob Burg KNOWS Lifelong Learning, Loyalty, Leadership & How to Give and Receive show art 205: Bob Burg KNOWS Lifelong Learning, Loyalty, Leadership & How to Give and Receive

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

After listening to this very personal episode, you will KNOW more about the importance of, not just finding, but understanding joy. For more than 30 years, Bob Burg has been successfully showing entrepreneurs, leaders, and sales professionals how to build relationships, communicate their value, and accelerate their business growth. Although for years he was best known for his sales classic, "Endless Referrals," it's his business parable, "The Go-Giver," co-authored with John David Mann, that has created a worldwide movement. While part of a four-book series, "The Go-Giver" itself has sold well...

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More Episodes
Film historian and acclaimed New York Times bestselling biographer Scott Eyman has written the definitive biography of Hollywood icon Joan Crawford, drawing on never-before-seen documents and photos from the Crawford estate.

Joan Crawford flourished for decades, working for multiple studios in every genre from romance to westerns ("Mildred Pierce," "Johnny Guitar"), musicals to noir ("Torch Song," "A Woman's Face"), and being directed by a young Steven Spielberg in one of her last appearances. Along the way, she accumulated four husbands, an Academy Award for Best Actress, and the undeniable status of a legend.

Scott Eyman is the author or coauthor of eighteen books, including the bestseller "John Wayne," as well as "Pieces of My Heart" and "You Must Remember This" with actor Robert Wagner. Eyman, formerly the literary critic at The Palm Beach Post, also writes book reviews for The Wall Street Journal and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune. He and his wife, Lynn, live in West Palm Beach. 
 
Described by recurring guest Erin Brockovich as "The best podcast and host ever," "ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones" is a premier podcast and media platform dedicated to exploring the intersection of professional success, personal fulfillment, and human potential. Through a series of high-energy conversations with celebrities, changemakers, and thought leaders, Jones delves into the minds of entertainment industry icons and beyond to extract actionable leadership and lifestyle insights. With its frequent focus on the arts and humanities, the show skillfully balances the glamour of fame and/or the power of influence with the humor and pathos of everyday life, creating a rich tapestry of human nature and shared experience. 
 
Listeners are invited into inspiring discussions that prioritize personal growth and the pursuit of excellence, offering a masterclass in creativity and innovation. Whether highlighting a household name or a community activist, every episode is packed with life lessons and motivational stories designed to empower individuals to reach their highest potential.
 
Host Randall Kenneth Jones is a bestselling author, speaker, and creative communications consultant. The announcer is the celebrated voice actor Susan Bennett, widely known as the original voice of Siri.
 
Often described as an "antidote to today's anxiety-ridden media landscape," ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones offers a fun yet meaningful spin on aging, legacy, lifelong learning, and "edutainment," by emphasizing the importance of importance, conversation, laughter, listening, and thought.
 
"ON THE KNOWS" is produced and edited by Kevin Randall Jones.
 
Podcast Highlights:
 
• Scott and Randy set a fun tone for the interview by discussing an appropriate quote from Howard Strickling, former MGM Head of Publicity: "Don't let them interview you. You interview them. Find out what they're interested in and ask them about it. Then you can direct the interview in the direction you want."
• Scott explains why he chooses the projects he chooses.
• Scott talks about how the pandemic led him to write his Charlie Chaplin book before his Joan Crawford book, due to the availability of information online.
• Scott begins to explain Joan Crawford's appeal as a book subject.
• Randy shares his personal connection with Joan's alma mater, Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.
• Randy gives a shout-out to Dr. James Wood, former President of Stephens College, for providing Crawford with three rules for life that, to Jones, still stand the test of time:
• Never quit a job until it's finished. 
• The world isn't interested in your problems. 
• If you can find you can do a job, move on, because you're already bigger than the job. If the job is impossible, stick with it. You may never accomplish it, but you'll grow in the trying.
• Scott discusses Joan's (lack of) classroom education. 
• Randy and Scott discuss our nation's challenging relationship with identifying the "truth," how Scott defines "truth" in his work, specifically with regards to Joan Crawford, and in the infamous book/movie "Mommie Dearest."
• Scott discusses the differences between Joan Crawford, Lucille LeSueur, and Billie Cassin, the three names she was known by in her life.
• Scott discusses "Possessed" and why it's his favorite of Crawford's films.
• Randy explains his fun connection to two films, having played comedic versions of Jane Hudson in a stage production of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and Cousin Miriam in "Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte" in Florida.
• Scott and Randy discuss the kinder side of Joan Crawford and what she teaches us today. Being attentive, invested in others, a good listener, committed, and professional—and how these qualities are not unique to the entertainment industry.
• Scott and Randy discuss the danger of hearsay and the absence of thoughtful research. 
• Randy thanks Scott for his sensitive yet honest portrayal of aging.
 
Best Quotes:
 
• Scott Eyman: "As both actress and woman, [Joan Crawford] forged ahead, determined to outrun squalor and damage, to transcend the fear that coexisted with the other primary qualities she brought to the movies, and to her life: courage… sexual energy… vitality… defiance. Joan Crawford learned to love the light, and the light loved her back."
 
• Scott Eyman: "Joan was working-class with no education to speak of but plenty of vaulting ambition and saw no reason to lie about either."
 
• Scott Eyman: "[Joan Crawford] really worked at cultivating an audience because the audience was standing in for all the love she hadn't had."
 
• Scott Eyman: "Underneath the carapace of Joan Crawford, she was still Lucille LeSueur, a distressed worker with a perpetually endangered sense of self-worth."
 
• Scott Eyman "[Joan Crawford] had a sense of herself as a role she must play, that she could play, and it was her best role. She knew how to do it."
 
• Scott Eyman: "My job is to find the humanity in whatever I write about."
 
 
Scott Eyman: www.scotteyman.com 
Randall Kenneth Jones: www.RandallKennethJones.com
Susan Bennett: www.SusanCBennett.com
Kevin Randall Jones: www.KevinRandallJones.com