PODCAST · history
Dad's Attic
by Willa Leannah
Escape the current mainstream feed of influencers and celebrities and get back to the 'good old days' of radio, TV, movies, music... Dad's Attic is a multigenerational podcast expounding on pop culture of the past. Father-daughter team, Mike and Willa Leannah, discuss why the past is still relevant, what we can learn from it, and why we'll never, ever stop loving it.
Episodes
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Just the Tip of the Ice-...I mean...Fre-berg
Strangely, the summer had gone so fast it almost felt like a dish at Thanksgiving--passed. (Hey, we can't all be Raymond Chandler!) Our final episode of the season is here, and we've got a (partially) wrapped biography on Stan Freberg as referenced in our last show. (Can anyone really get to the...
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Leave it to Freberg
A few spooky Suspense scenarios, a burrow down a 'Wally and Beaver' rabbit hole, and a snippet about Stan...you've got yourself the penultimate episode of Season 4, folks! In our normal fashion (if either one of of us could possibly be considered normal... (We are normal and we want our freedom...
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R.R.H.F...Thick as Bricks or just some Monkee Business?
Hey Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, quit Monkeeing around already and listen up! Dad has some hot takes on artists that should not have been inducted...along with some that 'to-Tull-y' should be (Hint, hint)! Also, find what it was like to live life as a Monkee, and then browse through Dad's Jethro...
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Roll On, Stones
If there's one thing we do best it's sharing our critiques of what many would consider "old news", but to us, old news is the best news. Today's news is that Dad promises this will be the last serious critique of his favorite band to loathe...The Stones. We'll just see about that! Then stay tuned...
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Ya 'Bea' Da 'Benaderet' Doo!
Ahh, summer...when you make the hike up the attic stairs, sweating profusely over seemingly obsolete topics of yore...that's right, we've forgone the poolside for the important stuff! ! A report on The Flintstones, more on Judy Collins, and a bio on Bea Benaderet! How could anyone resist?! And...
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Attic-ish Basement
Good morning, afternoon, or evening! Whenever or wherever you've found us is fine by us. We happen to be broadcasting not from dad's attic, but from Willa's basement. C'mon! It's hot in that attic in summer! Give us a break! We had what seemed like an unlimited amount of chatting to do today,...
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Bibbidy, Bobbidy, Bushmiller
In this episode we leave the attic and make a break for the great outdoors. Welcome to 'Willa's Backyard'! (Doesn't quite have the same ring to it...back to the drawing board) Today we giggle and gaggle about various 60s tunes, the venerable Verna Felton, and the publication of yet another...
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Crooks of the Brooks
Dear listener, you might be wondering which delightful topic the above title is referring to. Well, you are sure to be impressed to discover it pertains to two separate themes: The 1952 classic western 'Bend of the River' as well as the humorous film 'The Producers'. You see, the words in our…
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It's a Rocker!
In this episode Dad and Willa compare 1970s rock and roll greats Stevie Wonder and Chicago, exploring the momentous sound produced by the two. Dad also uncovers fascinating lyrical secrets of Bobby Bloom's 'Montego Bay' (Who Vernon and Gillian are we may never know!). Dad is very excited at the...
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We're Back!
5...4...3...2...1....Mics on, volume up...we're back on the air! It has been a few seasons since we've had a season, and folks, we are flooded with ideas and fervor to talk about all things antique. Join us for discussions on W.C. Fields (again), P.G. Wodehouse, and the little known Connie...
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Um
The truth behind the Dad's Attic legend of us never saying 'um'.
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Happy Trails To You!
Dear listeners, a name change may be in our future; you may come to know the show as Grandpa's Attic from here on out! With the new little Alfred Hitchcock look-alike on the way, we conclude this season with a healthy talk on many musical musings, specifically touching on the works of Keef…
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A-Wop Bop A Lu Bop and a Slice of Bread
In this episode our two crusaders of quondam culture prattle on about the likes of Sinatra, Little Richard, the band 'Bread', and so much more. Join us for a discussion on viewpoints changing over time, for better or for worse! Just don't 'touch that dial' and change this episode out for one of...
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Harry Nilsson on the Brink with Colonel Hogan and Colonel Klink
I know, I know what you must think, that Willa and Dad are little finks for not uploading an episode link for weeks on end...it really stinks! But here you go, before you blink, we've got it all but the kitchen sink. No really, today we get back to business discussing Lennon's 'Lost Weekend'...
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Well, Patch My Pantywaist! A Real 'Ball of Fire'!
We all know Dad and Willa both believe in honoring the past. In this episode our chat turns to the sense of responsibility we have to continue processing classic works of art, be they movies, books, radio shows, music... what makes them so great? What makes them stand out? Do they still deserve…
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It's a Treasure Trove!
What didn't we cover in this one?! We unwrap literal and figurative gifts in this episode, bouncing back and forth with the silliest quips, cracks, and conundrums. It's got a little bit of everything, including chats on Jim Croce, a synopsis of the movie 'The Stranger' directed by Orson Welles,...
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We're Back! You'd Better Beatle-ieve It!
Here we go again, embarking on another explosion of pop culture history here on Dad's Attic, Season 3! Lots of things have happened since we shared the airwaves with you last and, boy, are we glad to be back to the mics. To get things rocking and rolling again, we are covering a topic that is…
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A Dad's Attic Christmas Special
Ho, ho, ho! The holiday season is upon us. A new year is around the corner, but we at Dad's Attic prefer to ring in the old and...put off the new until next year. So come along with us on a retro Christmas escapade as we discuss classic carols, provocative short stories, heartwarming flicks, and...
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Chillin' with Matt Dillon and the Smell of...Beach Boys
Tonight Dad gives us a loving account of one of our favorite old time radio shows, Gunsmoke. Such a treasure of a show! And Willa finish us off with the beginnings of a conversation featuring The Beach Boys...which we've determined must continue on in season three! We've had some good vibrations...
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Okay...Just This Once..."From 'Family Affair' to 'Niagara'"
Peppered with a variety of other topics, this week we satiate our appetite for antique TV and movies by biting off a hunk of the 60s show 'Family Affair', a show that Dad wouldn't say is necessarily his bread and butter, though he does admit when the other three TV channels left something to be...
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Folky Polka and Funny Pages
We won't Yank-ovic your chain, we were a bit cranky about the comics, but, frankly, Yankovic turned out to be a barrel of unexpected fun. Accordion to dad, the funny pages aren't what they used to be, but still gets plenty of laughs from them every day. And on the rare occasions when he doesn't…
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Nyuk, Nyuk, Name that (Classical) Tune!
You'll sointenly enjoy this episode of Dad's Attic, especially if you are a fan of the slapstick stylings of The Three Stooges. If you aren't a fan, tune in anyway. At the very least, you'll work your extraocular muscles as you roll your eyes and learn a little something about the trio to boot.…
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A is for 1940s Noir Radio, As We Can Plainly See
If you thought we couldn't get more far reaching into the realms of past pop culture, guess again. This week, Dad gives detail on John Lennon's first album 'Plastic Ono Band' and also shares readings from Lennon's fantastical books. Too bad Dad didn't bone up on his Liverpudlian accent for this...
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Hi-De-Hi-De-Hi and A Couple of Tra-La-La-s
What you might not know is that during every episode Willa's mom, A.K.A., Dad's wife Geralyn, sneaks up and serves a healthy snack to us two hosts. One thing she does not do is break into 'Everybody Eats When They Come to My House' while doing so--a grave oversight. After this episode, we sure…
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A Really Big Shoe That's Strong to the Finich
We can only hope in our wildest dreams that our dear listeners avidly tune in to episodes of Dad's Attic the way the masses tuned in to Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights. In this show we discuss how Ed made it all work so well. If that's not enough, sit back, crack a can of spinach, as we gleefully...
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In Like Flynn! Or On Second Thought...
Dad's Attic du jour has highs and lows--first we discussed hot takes on song lyrics--the good, the bad, the ugly. We got onto Errol Flynn. Unfortunately, he was more bad and ugly than anything else, but luckily we recovered with a lively chat about the history of sound effects which left us both…
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Holy Dad's Attic, Batman! Bette Davis, Oswald Cobblepot, Robert Benchley...and more!
Wham! Sok! Kazowee! This episode we come out punching with Batman banter and conclude with a feud--the feud between the esteemed Bette Davis and the glamorous Joan Crawford. Who knew this cast of characters would commingle in one airspace? Of course we also get on the odd tangent about the odd...
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Album Covers, Gyro Gearloose, Dave Brubeck...and All That Jazz
Hey y'all! We got so jazzed about season two that we bit off more than we could chew and began our second foray (wait..June Foray? No, that must be an upcoming topic...) before we could really get the ball (we already covered her, I think) rolling. But believe us, we are here, we are sincere, and...
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The Foibles and Follies of Fame
Dear listeners, in this episode Dad and Willa chat at length about the risks and rewards surrounding the exciting, the attractive, the sometimes detrimental acquisition of fame. We talk about those who handled fame well and those who struggled...and why. Willa references an article by Mark...
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Its A Gift...To Be Back On The Air
Well helloooo there! We're back at our mad chatting in the attic! We hope during our interlude you, dear listener, had the opportunity to watch the classic W.C. Fields film, "It's A Gift". Dad and Willa have watched with fervor, and have been keeping their thoughts on the subject mum for far too...
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Episode 13-Bonus
We couldn't get enough, so we're back for a bonus episode. The two of us are so thrilled to keep on going, we loaded this episode with inspiration for our next season. We hope you enjoy this little hors d'oeuvre while we get back to work! Stay tuned!
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Episode 12
Ah, dear listeners, we've made it to the final episode of season one! With topics ranging from Frances Bavier to Alice Cooper, our first foray into podcast-dom was quite eclectic. Today's episode is no different as we pull topics from Dad's retro coffee can and reveal the potential subjects for...
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Episode 11
We are close to completing our first season of Dad's Attic! In this penultimate episode, our faithful hosts passionately discuss plenty of "What's New That's Old" topics. Dad delivers information on The Allman Brothers and Willa shares her opinion of a kitschy piece of 1950s cinema, The Pajama...
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Episode 10
Welcome back to another thrilling episode of Dad's Attic! In this weeks edition, we cover information on the elusive Eden Ahbez, creator of the song Nature Boy, and we also take a deep dive into the hit TV show Green Acres. If there's one thing we're good at, it's variety!
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Episode 9
Ah, Dad and Willa were having too much fun on this one. We discussed a myriad of topics, but focused most of our attention on The Bonzo Dog Band and The Beatles' White Album. It was a lovely snowy afternoon when we recorded this one, and time was on our side. Please enjoy another rip-roaring...
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Episode 8
After a bout with the dreaded Covid 19, we're back with more material than we can keep track of! Episode 8 includes information on the new Amazon Prime biopic Being the Ricardos, old radio program Pat Novak for Hire, J.D Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye, and songwriters Leiber and…
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Episode 7
This week's thrilling conglomeration of conversation includes a brief comparison between radio programs Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger, a mini bio on comedian Harry Parkyakarkus, the last word on Bob Newhart, and we FINALLY get around to covering rock band Alice Cooper. We've got a wide range of...
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Episode 6
After a small holiday hiatus we're back! Today's topics include a reflection on the old radio gem The Couple Next Door, and information on Bob Newhart, Nat "King" Cole, and the 50s TV show Life With Elizabeth. We also continue an ongoing discussion on racism, sexism, and bigotry present in many...
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Episode 5
Dad and Willa attempt to catch up on past topics we promised to discuss, including the iconic Wally Cox, the lovely Francis Bavier, and the most effectual Top Cat. When there are decades upon decades of pop culture history to indulge in, it's easy to get side tracked, so join us on another...
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Episode 4
The conversation for this episode kicks off with Dad's take on a favorite British comedy, "Last of the Summer Wine", which morphs into a conversation on humor. What makes something funny, anyway? The chat continues with brief information on Orson Wells and more elaborate information on the old…
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Episode 3
In which we discuss the audio/visual connections of old radio, Damon Runyon, seasons of media consumption, the injustices of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and more!
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Episode 2
Dad and Willa go off script and discuss everything from Alfred Hitchcock to The Who to John Steinbeck. It's a humdinger, folks!
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Episode 1
Today we peek into the past and remember four greats of retro TV. Frances Bavier performed in various broadway shows, but is most remembered for her role in the Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. We also cover the most effectual Top Cat and his gang. Get to know about comedian Jack Benny's...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Escape the current mainstream feed of influencers and celebrities and get back to the 'good old days' of radio, TV, movies, music... Dad's Attic is a multigenerational podcast expounding on pop culture of the past. Father-daughter team, Mike and Willa Leannah, discuss why the past is still relevant, what we can learn from it, and why we'll never, ever stop loving it.
HOSTED BY
Willa Leannah
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dad's Attic have?
Dad's Attic currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dad's Attic about?
Escape the current mainstream feed of influencers and celebrities and get back to the 'good old days' of radio, TV, movies, music... Dad's Attic is a multigenerational podcast expounding on pop culture of the past. Father-daughter team, Mike and Willa Leannah, discuss why the past is still...
How often does Dad's Attic release new episodes?
Dad's Attic has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dad's Attic?
You can listen to Dad's Attic on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dad's Attic?
Dad's Attic is created and hosted by Willa Leannah.
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