How Classic Movies Inspired A Diverse Entertainment Career

Samuel Garza Bernstein’s life and writing reflect the wild intersections of modern life. He was born to an undocumented Mexican mother who everyone assumed was a white Texan, and a Jewish father who passionately supported the Palestinian cause in Egypt, where the family lived for a year when he was a kid. “I was six-years old in Cairo,” Garza Bernstein says, “Surrounded by hot Egyptians, spinning fantasies and inventing myself.” The family traveled all over the world—occasionally on the lam—and lived in Cairo, Honolulu, Austin, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, and Ft. Collins, Colorado.

His newest book Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life has drawn raves from Carol Burnett, Julie Andrews, and Emma Thompson, among many others, and is in bookstores now. He is gearing up for the fourth season of 6-time Emmy Award-winning After Forever, after serving as co-showrunner and co-executive producer of the third season, now streaming on Amazon. His 2025 book, Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild, is a Foreword Magazine award-winner for Biography, and his non-fiction anthology Uncommon Heroes won a Stonewall Book Award from the American Library Association. His pilot for The Secret World of Danny Lopez was named a Writers Guild of America television comedy access project honoree but was also a drama winner at the New York Film Awards and a Content London International Drama Summit nominee for Best Pilot Script. He is also a well-regarded story consultant, working with clients in the United States, the U.K., and Europe.

He won Best Screenplay at the London Independent Film Awards for Elephant & Castle and a G.L.A.A.D. nomination for the Showtime film Bobbie’s Girl, which also garnered its star Bernadette Peters an Emmy nomination. Episodic credits range from the CBS drama Judging Amy to Nickelodeon’s Shimmer and Shine. With composer David Snyder he first adapted his non-fiction book Mr. Confidential as a stage musical, developing it at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and then directing its world premiere at Actors Theatre of Indiana.

Garza Bernstein started his career as an actor and singer, most notably performing in several productions of Evita as Eva’s first conquest, the tango singer “Magaldi.” He also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for trans foster children in Los Angeles County for five years, created and co-chaired a writing mentorship program for public high school students for twelve years, and served as a youth facilitator for the Los Angeles LGBT Center for eight years. He and husband Ronald Shore have been together for over thirty years and split their time between LA and Porto, Portugal. They are currently the hostages of a pair of incorrigible dachshunds.

PRESS FOR RODDY McDOWALL: AN ACTOR’S LIFE: 

Ann Pryor, Kensington Books (212) 407.1526 APryor@kensingtonbooks.com 

Samuelgarzabernstein.com

samuel@samuelgarzabernstein.com 

IMDb page

TCM

PodMatch for Podcasters Affiliate Link.


If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Want to be a guest on Story-Power? Send Lucinda Sage-Midgorden a message on PodMatch, click here

Story-Power on Patreon


I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Prolific Writers Life

My husband, Barry and I are members and experts at Prolific Writers Life, which offers members a variety of free online work sessions and discounts on coaching with industry experts. They offer opportunities to hone your writing skills, develop your author brand, and connect with a supportive community in live events. You can participate in group chats or send private messages to members through Prolific Writers Chat. If you’ve got a writing project, or are an expert who can help members finish their books, come join the community.

They also offer fun events like Films for Writers, which is free for anyone who wants to attend. It’s like a film club. We watch the movies about writers often with tidbits about their writing life, and then come together on the last Friday evening of every month to discuss the movie. You can check out Prolific Writers Life with a free 14 day trial to see if this the community you have been looking for. 

Classic Cinema With the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. Celeste and I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

Classic Cinema: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) is a romantic comedy about a teenager, Susan, played by Shirley Temple, who thinks she’s in love with an older man, played by Cary Grant (Richard). Susan’s sister, Margaret, played by Myrna Loy, is a judge and her guardian. Richard is a successful artist and always seems to be the eye of storms of people wanting to get close to him. Sometimes they are fighting over who should have access to his company and at the beginning of the movie he ends up in Margaret’s court because of a fight over him in a night club. Margaret dismisses the case from lack of motive. Later that day, he gives a lecture at Susan’s high school about art and she sees him as a knight in shining armor and forgets all about her current boyfriend, Jerry.

The problem begins when Susan goes to Richard’s apartment late one night when Margaret is out, thinking he has invited her to pose for him. Of course, he’s unaware of her belief and completely surprised when he arrives home to find her sleeping on his couch. Frantic about Susan’s safety after arriving home from a party with her friend, Asst. District Attorney, Tommy, played by Rudy Vallee, Margaret realizes where Susan has gone. When they arrive at Richard’s apartment just as he’s discovered Susan, all h*ll breaks loose.

Given what’s going on in the world today, the situation in the move may seem like a cautionary tale. But it’s not icky, it’s hilarious. Richard is not attracted to Susan at all, and the solution to help her get over her infatuation is innocent and harmless. Dr. Beemish, played by Ray Collins, is not only Margaret and Susan’s uncle, he’s also the court psychiatrist and suggests that to keep himself out of jail, Richard date Susan to help her get over her infatuation. This will be done under family supervision, of course. Richard doesn’t want to do it, but he’s in a difficult place so the deal is struck.

While Richard is reluctantly attending basketball games and school picnics, he’s getting to know Margaret. It’s a slow progression to their falling love, but Uncle Beemish is there to help push it along because he knows that Margaret has denied herself any romantic entanglements because of her devotion to raising Susan.

The script won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Sidney Sheldon. There are some funny bits of dialogue that help keep the mood light and engaging.

There are words and phrases from the movie that are so unique and charming that Celeste and I love to use them in our every day conversations. We hope you will watch the movie and our analysis of it and start a conversation about this entertaining movie. It’s a great one to watch when you need a good laugh.

International Dublin Writers’ Festival

Laurence O’Bryan is an Irish author, entrepreneur, and internationally recognized book marketing expert whose career has been built around a simple belief: great books deserve to be discovered. As the founder of BooksGoSocial, he has helped thousands of independent and traditionally published authors reach readers worldwide through innovative advertising, promotion, and publishing services. Drawing on decades of experience in sales, digital marketing, and publishing, he has become a respected voice on book promotion, speaking at conferences across Europe and North America and training authors in modern publishing strategies.

Socials

International Dublin Writers’ Festival

Books Go Social

His books: The Istanbul Puzzle, First of five Puzzle books

The Sign of the Blood, First of A Dangerous Emperor series

The Rise of Synne, The First of The Last Seer series

The International Dublin Writers’ Festival

David Gutierrez, Non-Fungible Book Club, nfbclub for Audio Books

Prolific Writers Life

Find a Company You can Trust with Trustpilot

Story-Power on Patreon 

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Prolific Writers Life 

My husband, Barry and I are members and experts at Prolific Writers Life, which offers members a variety of free online work sessions and discounts on coaching with industry experts. They offer opportunities to hone your writing skills, develop your author brand, and connect with a supportive community in live events. You can participate in group chats or send private messages to members through Prolific Writers Chat. If you’ve got a writing project, or are an expert who can help members finish their books, come join the community.

They also offer fun events like Films for Writers, which is free for anyone who wants to attend. It’s like a film club. We watch the movies about writers often with tidbits about their writing life, and then come together on the last Friday evening of every month to discuss the movie. You can check out Prolific Writers Life with a free 14 day trial to see if this the community you have been looking for. 

PodMatch for Podcasters Affiliate Link

If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Want to be a guest on Story-Power? Send Lucinda Sage-Midgorden a message on PodMatch, click here

Classic Cinema With the Sage Sisters 

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. Celeste and I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

Classic Cinema: Chocolat

Chocolat (2000) is a story about Vianne and her young daughter Anouk, who come to a small town in France in 1959 and shake up the moral code set by the Comte de Reynaud. It is the beginning of Lent and Vianne played by Julliette Binoche wants to open a chocolate shop. The Comte, played by Alfred Molina vows to make sure Vianne’s shop closes before the end of Lent. He sees her as a threat to the tight control he has on the everyday lives of the people of his village. But Vianne’s kind nature and knack for understanding people, foils his plans. As for Vianne, this is the first town where she has felt accepted and where she might be able to put down roots. There are, of course, complications with the boat travelers showing up to further disrupt the Comte plans. The cast is stacked with fabulous actors like, Judi Dench, Carrie Anne Moss, Johnny Depp and more.

If you’ve seen this movie, you know what happens in the end. If not, you are in for a treat. It’s a heart warming film one that will restore your faith in humanity. Comment below and let us know what you think of our analysis and of this wonderful movie.

Come Join our Facebook Group and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. Celeste and I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

Dancing Through the Shadow: A Close-up of China During Mao’s Reign

Leif Bristow is an Emmy winning producer, director, screenwriter, and bestselling author who has spent decades bringing unforgettable stories to life for audiences around the world. But Dancing Through the Shadow is far more than just another project. It is a story that found him personally.

The inspiration came through Tia Zhang, an internationally celebrated dancer, Shen Yun artist, and survivor whose extraordinary life story recently earned her the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions and impact. Tia once taught ballet to Leif and Agnes Bristow’s daughter, and through that connection, the family came to learn the unimaginable truth of her life, surviving oppression under Mao era China, enduring extraordinary hardship, and ultimately escaping to freedom.

Agnes Bristow knew this was a story the world needed to read, which led her to write the award winning bestselling novel Dancing Through the Shadow. Leif, as a filmmaker and storyteller, knew it was equally a story that needed to be brought to the screen.

Podcast audiences will gain a fascinating behind the scenes look at how a real life friendship uncovered one of the most remarkable untold survival stories of our time, the journey of transforming truth into powerful storytelling, the creative process behind adapting books to film, and why stories of courage, freedom, resilience, and the human spirit matter now more than ever.

Website, Facebook, (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, Leif’s IMDb page where you can see his entire filmography

Dancing Through the Shadow, Agnes Bristow

Love on Safari (2018) Starring Lacey Chabert and Jon Cor, Brittany Bristow

Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) Starring Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood and Kyle MacLachlan

Dr. Robert J. Wolf, Story-Power episode 138, “20 Miracles and 4 escapes from Tyranny”

Love on the Danube: Royal Getaway (2025)

A Sweet Austrian Holiday (2024)

Beyond Black Beauty (2024)

John Rhys-Davies, Actor, Lord of the Rings, and much more

PodMatch for Podcasters Affiliate link for PodMatch below.

This episode is brought to you by PodMatch, the dating service for podcasters. They introduced me to Leif Bristow, and I’m so glad they did. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation and remember that if you have a podcast or something to share with the world, check out PodMatch at my affiliate link at PodMatch and tell them Lucinda sent you.

Want to be a guest on Story-Power? Send Lucinda Sage-Midgorden a message on PodMatch, click here.

Story-Power on Patreon

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Prolific Writers Life

My husband, Barry and I are members and experts at Prolific Writers Life, which offers members a variety of free online work sessions and discounts on coaching with industry experts. They offer opportunities to hone your writing skills, develop your author brand, and connect with a supportive community in live events. You can participate in group chats or send private messages to members through Prolific Writers Chat. If you’ve got a writing project, or are an expert who can help members finish their books, come join the community.

They also offer fun events like Films for Writers, which is free for anyone who wants to attend. It’s like a film club. We watch the movies about writers often with tidbits about their writing life, and then come together on the last Friday evening of every month to discuss the movie. You can check out Prolific Writers Life with a free 14 day trial to see if this the community you have been looking for. 

Classic Cinema With the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. Celeste and I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.