Lions, Towers & Shields

About Lions, Towers & Shields

A celebration of films from the classic Hollywood era. Shelly Brisbin leads a merry band through recaps and reviews of great old movies from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

Publisher

Shelly Brisbin

Category

tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Feb 2020

Latest episode

21 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

149 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Aug 2026

   148: Priced to Move for Criminals

   Nicholas Ray makes his film debut directing “They Live By Night,” a noir love story. Not your usual, noir dude obsessed by a bad woman, but an actual relationship, conducted under trying circumstances. Kathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger made a couple of films together, but this is the best. Enjoy Howard de Silva as a mean gangster. He has no dance numbers. The film is based on the novel, “hieves Like Us”. It’s genuinely one of my favorites, and so it becomes my birthday pick....

2. 

   16 Aug 2026

   147: Roddy McDowall: An Actor's Life

   Author (and friend of the show) Samuel Garza Bernstein is back with another story about the characters who were central to Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond. His new book, Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life - From “How Green Was My Valley” to “Lassie” to “Planet of the Apes” is the story of a child star who became a great friend and beloved member to many in the Hollywood community. We spoke with Sam in 2024 when his Joan Crawford book was published....

3. 

   2 Aug 2026

   146: I Think They Did It!

   Here is an early film by David Lean about a chance encounter at a train station that leads to complicated feelings for both parties. It’s “Brief Encounter.” Ceilia Johnson (ever heard of ‘er?) gives a nuanced, emotional performance. And the film is very real and down-to-earth, despite the intensity of the relationships depicted. It’s a love story, if you’re interested in genre things, but there’s plenty for cinephiles to appreciate as well....

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

17 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

73

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

Contact Lions, Towers & Shields

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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