Mainstreet Podcast
Podcast: Emmy winner comedy writer Bruce Vilanch is on MainStreet with Gary Alan
By Gary Alan
Feb 5, 2025

On this episode of MainStreet my guest is two-time Emmy Award Winner,
Comedy Writer, Songwriter, and Actor Bruce Vilanch. Bruce has
Written for the Oscars, Emmy, Tony and Grammy Awards and for
TV, Films and Broadway Shows. Mr. Vilanch has worked with Stars
like Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal and Robin Williams.
We had some fun with some behind the scenes stories from Bruce’s career.

The post Podcast: Emmy winner comedy writer Bruce Vilanch is on MainStreet with Gary Alan first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

We Got Bruce
A Dusturbance In The Force Wins Best Documentary At Film Threats ‘Award This’
By Kyle Newman
February 6, 2025

“Our documentary A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE (about the making of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special) won “BEST DOCUMENTARY” at the #FilmThreat #AwardThis movie awards! Congrats to Jeremy Coon Steve Kozak Adam F. Gold Berg and the whole team! If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s currently on all platforms and available on bluray!”

The post A Dusturbance In The Force Wins Best Documentary At Film Threats ‘Award This’ first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Redditt
I’m Bruce Vilanch, the Comedy Writer Behind 25 Years of Oscars Ceremonies—AMA!
By Staff
January 30, 2025

It is I, Bruce Vilanch—comedy writer, Emmy winner, and the man responsible for countless Oscars zingers (the good, the bad, and the “what were they thinking?!”). I wrote for 25 Academy Awards ceremonies, collaborating with hosts like Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, and Billy Crystal. In 2000, I became the show’s head writer, steering the laughs until 2014.

Beyond the Oscars, I’ve crafted comedy for the Tonys, Grammys, and Emmys, written alongside Roger Ebert at the Chicago Tribune, and penned Bette Midler’s iconic farewell serenade to Johnny Carson—an Emmy-winning moment. I held court as a head writer (and a literal square) for four years on Hollywood Squares next to my pal Whoopi Goldberg.

I’ve also contributed to TV history in other ways—writing for Donny & Marie, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and yes, the infamously disastrous Star Wars Holiday Special. On the bright side, I’ve written jokes for legends like Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Rosie O’Donnell, and even Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

I’ll be online tomorrow, Thursday, January 30th, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. PST. Ask me about the Oscars, Hollywood’s best (and worst) moments, or my long, strange career. Start dropping questions now, and I’ll answer them tomorrow!

And if you want even more, check out my podcast, The Oscars…What Were They Thinking?! on Spotify, Apple, or all other platforms here.

Oh, and I’ve got a new book—It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time, which explores my adventures in comedy (and infamy). You can pre-order it now.

To read the Q & A Click Here

The post Bruce Vilanch’s AMA Subreddit Interview January 30, 2025 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
Bruce’s Podcast: 1942 – How Green Was My Oscar?
By Mister D
January 23, 2025

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex look back at the 1942 Oscars for the films of 1941 — easily one of the greatest years in movie history. And, among those great films is the film often cited as ‘the greatest film of all-time’ — the Stairway to Heaven of movies… Citizen Kane. But, did this Orson Welles masterpiece win the Oscar the year it came out? Find out — as well as hear about all the other great movies that should be on your must-see list!

To learn more about the show, go to Oscars.wtf

Please feel free to leave comments on Spotify and/or reviews on Apple. We’re always open to compliments (and criticism if it’s constructive!)

MOVIES MENTIONED

Gone with the Wind

Deep Throat

Citizen Kane

Mank

How Green was my Valley

Blossoms in the Dust

Here Comes Mr. Jordan

Hold Back the Dawn

The Little Foxes

One Foot in Heaven

Sergeant York

The Maltese Falcon

Suspicion

Spellbound

Notorious

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Down to Earth (1947)

Down to Earth (2001)

The Informant

The Grapes of Wrath

Penny Serenade

None but the Lonely Heart

North by Northwest

Charade

His Girl Friday

Father Goose

Arsenic and Old Lace

Casablanca

The African Queen

The Caine Mutiny

The Roaring Twenties

Ball of Fire

The Lady Eve

The More the Merrier

The Devil and Mrs. Jones

The Devil in Miss Jones

Conflict

Shadow of a Doubt

The Great Lie

Miss Miniver

Blood and Sand

Tom, Dick and Harry

Tall, Dark and Handsome

Julia

The Razor’s Edge

Witness for the Prosecution

You’ll Never Get Rich

All American Co Ed

Las Vegas Nights

Sun Valley Serenade

Buck Privates

Blues in the Night

Riding on a Rainbow

Dumbo

Lady Be Good

Last Time I Saw Paris

The post Bruce’s Podcast: 1942 – How Green Was My Oscar? first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

The Hollywood Reporter
Leslie Jordan 2 Get Posthumous Life Achievement Award at Hollywood Museum
BY CHRIS GARDNER
JUNE 20, 2024

Leslie Jordan to Receive Posthumous Life Achievement Award at Hollywood Museum
The honor, accepted by longtime Jordan pal Del Shores, will be presented during an event to mark the debut of the museum’s Real to Reel: Portrayals and Perceptions of LGBTQs in Hollywood exhibit.

Leslie Jordan will soon have an award named after him.

The late actor, who died at age 67 on Oct. 24, 2022, will be honored with an inaugural Leslie Jordan Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hollywood Museum on June 25. The posthumous prize, which will be accepted by producer and longtime Jordan pal Del Shores of the Del Shores Foundation, will be presented during a special event to mark the debut of the museum’s queer tribute exhibit, the 11th annual Real to Reel: Portrayals and Perceptions of LGBTQ+ in Hollywood. Also on the bill that night will be a special comedy performance by gay icon Bruce Vilanch, along with speakers including Shores, Ann Walker, and Emerson Collins.

Leslie Jordan and Terrence McNally Among National LGBTQ Wall of Honor 2023 Inductees
Expected attendees also include Hollywood Museum founder and president Donelle Dadigan, Young & the Restless star Kate Linder, Lee Purcell, Jeremy Miller, Alice Amter, Kathy Kolla, Rico E. Anderson, Tyrone DuBose, Eve Richards, Melissa Niece Smith, Gary Lane, Larry Lane, Geoffrey Mark, Paul L. Hart, Peter Szeliga, Brooke St. John, Darren Deng, Guillermo Diaz, Bobby Trendy, Jason Stuart, Shawn Pelofsky, John Tucker, Megan Davis, Jackette Knightley, Alan Rich, Sherry Vine, Ingenue, Glen Alen and others.

The Real to Reel exhibit is designed to spotlight 100+ years of content, costumes, props, and memorabilia from films, TV shows, and digital offerings. It will also feature special costumes worn by Jordan during his long career.

“The museum welcomes the opportunity to create and showcase this important exhibition, sharing with the public the artistic expression and extraordinary significance of the LGBTQ+ culture and its effect and impact on the world through the medium of entertainment,” Dadigan said of the works, houses in the Hollywood Museum that is located in the historic Max Factor Building.

It’s not the first honor Jordan has received after his death. He was previously honored with a Leslie Jordan Award for Excellence in the Arts at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s gala on April 22, 2023.

The post Leslie Jordan 2 Get Posthumous Life Achievement Award first appeared on We Got Bruce!.