David Fantle has been speaking on cruise ships since 2005, one year after the publication of his first book, "Reel to Real." Fantle has interviewed more than 250 show business personalities over the past 40 years, including such legendary names as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, James Cagney, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, George Burns, Milton Berle, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and Gregory Peck. His second book of celebrity interviews, "Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends": was published by McFarland & Company in 2018. His third book, "C'mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock" (the 1950 MGM musical starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire) will be published by the University of Mississippi Press in October 2023.

Fantle is an adjunct professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee where he teaches courses in film, television and popular culture. He is also the former Deputy Secretary of Tourism for Wisconsin.

For cruise ship guests, Fantle has 12 different 45-minute presentations featuring stories, rare photos and film clips, mostly drawn from his many personal celebrity encounters.

#1: Hollywood Stars & Stories:
Astaire, Kelly, Sinatra, Garland, Rooney and more….
Summary:
Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he tells his stories of interviewing such film legends as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, George Burns, Bob Hope and more.

#2: Hollywood Stars & Stories: The Comics
Hope, Burns, Ball, Berle and more…  
Summary:
Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he takes us down memory lane with remembrances of his interviews with legendary comedians Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, George Burns and Milton Berle.

#3: Hollywood Stars & Stories: The Blacklist
Summary:
It was called the “Golden Age,” but for many it was anything but golden. In 1947, the U.S. Congress was aggressively working to flush out perceived communists from the ranks of Hollywood. Many stars, including James Cagney, Lucille Ball, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart were caught in the crossfire. Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he recounts those dark days.

#4: Hollywood Stars & Stories: Silver Screen Legends:
Cagney, Heston, Peck, Borgnine, Leigh, Curtis and more…
Summary:
Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he takes us down memory lane with remembrances of his interviews with legendary silver screen stars James Cagney, Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. 

#5: Hollywood Stars & Stories: Musical Film Legends:
Astaire, Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and more…
Summary:
They sang and danced their way into the nation's heart. Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he takes us down memory lane with his remembrances of his interviews with legendary musical stars Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, the Nicholas Bros. and more.

#6: Hollywood Stars & Stories: TV’s Favorite Crime Fighters
Summary:
In television, crime did not pay. “Elliot Ness,” “Columbo,” “Mannix,” “Pepper Anderson” and Alexander Mundy – by the end of the show, they always got the “bad guy.” Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he talks crime and punishment and shares stories from his interviews with Robert Stack, Peter Falk, Mike Connors, Angie Dickinson and Robert Wagner.

#7: Hollywood Stars & Stories: Music Legends
Artie Shaw, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Cahn and other music makers
Summary:
It was the rock n' roll of an earlier time, the swinging music of the Big Bands. Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he shares his stories about Artie Shaw, Les Brown and legendary songwriter Harry Warren, composer of "Chattanooga Choo Choo,” "Serenade in Blue" and “You'll Never Know."

#8: Hollywood Stars & Stories: The Great Song Standards
Summary:
Can you imagine “The Wizard of Oz” without “Over the Rainbow?” It almost happened. Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he recounts the stories behind some of America’s most beloved song standards.

#9: Hollywood Stars & Stories: The Great MGM Musical Directors
Summary:
You may not recognize the names Vincente Minnelli, Stanley Donen, Chuck Walters or George Sidney, but you know their films: “Singin’ in the Rain, “Gigi,’ “Easter Parade,” “Show Boat” and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he recounts the stories behind these film classics.

#10: Hollywood Stars & Stories: The Character Actors
Martin Landau, Lee Van Cleef, Ray Walston and more.
Summary:
You may not know their names, but you’ll know their faces. Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he recounts the stories behind interviewing these memorable supporting players.

#11: Hollywood Stars & Stories: More Comics
Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Jerry Lewis and Jack Carter
Summary:
They made us laugh for decades. But behind the stage, these comedy icons took a serious side. Join celebrity author and film historian David Fantle as he recounts stories from his interviews with these classic funnymen.

#12: Rock legends on film: Elvis and the Beatles
Summary:
From Viva Las Vegas to A Hard Day’s Night, Elvis and the Beatles changed the face of music starting in the 1950s. Film historian and celebrity author David Fantle, will tell stories and show clips of these legendary musical artists and their film work.

I teach film history at Marquette University in Milwaukee, I've interviewed more than 250 show business stars (mostly from Hollywood's Golden Age) and I'm co-author of two books, Reel to Real (2004) and Hollywood Heyday (2018). I've been a cruise ship speaker with 11 different 45-minute presentations since 2005 and have worked with HAL, Radisson Seven Seas, P&O and have been a regular Beyond the Podium speaker for Celebrity for the past 10 years.