On this episode of Our American Stories the director was a renegade filmmaker who'd never made a profitable picture The producer was hired because he could stay below budget The star had a reputation for being difficult A formula for disaster No the makings of one of the greatest films of all time Here to tell the story is Harlan Lebo author of The Godfather Legacy Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent it's not something that we have been able to commercialize But there's something going on here more than feasting family and football Robert Tracy McKenzie is a professor of history at Wheaton College and is the author of The First Thanksgiving He's here to tell us the story of this quintessentially American holiday Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories in a big and memorable way PT Barnum changed how all Americans lived He gave them something to talk about and dream about Our movies television and whole entertainment-saturated culture is what it is today because of what he started He seems almost a fable now but then he did in his own day too Here to tell the story is the Executive Director of the PT Barnum Museum Kathy Maher Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Hedy Lamarr set a high standard for more than screen performance She negotiated for fair contract terms - and in her spare time applied her mind to solve a torpedo guidance problem for the U S Navy in wartime Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories he origin of this conflict flowed from a deceptively simple question a riddle of sorts that a Catholic monk named Martin Luther wrestled with for years The question he asked himself was this Am I a good person Here to tell the story is Eric Metaxas bestselling author of Martin Luther Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories the brutal double-murder that happened in Fall River Massachusetts in has long been considered an unsolved mystery Cara Robertson author of the The Trial Of Lizzie Borden tells the story Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Halloween An American Holiday An American History and Lisa Morton is the author of Trick or Treat A History of Halloween Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories a legend in the hotel world Horst Schulze has reshaped how service and hospitality are defined in business standards that have become world famous Throughout the years he worked for both Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Hotels Corporation before becoming one of the founding members of the luxury hotel chain The Ritz Carlton in Here's Horst with his story Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories despite the church's refusal to annul a previous marriage this couple spent days together for decades all the while upholding their traditional values And despite never exchanging vows even death couldn't part them Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories on October a television program debuted that would eventually produce nearly nine thousand shows over a span of nearly years Here's the History Guy with the story of Captain Kangaroo Here's the History Guy with the story Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories on the morning of September Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning Twin Towers It was his first day on the job Peter's here to tell his story Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories the story of Richard King and his King Ranch has much to tell us about America Here is the pulse of the national epic of cattle and cowboys ranchers and horses a vast fortune created out of the oldest source of wealth there is land and cattle Roger McGrath brings us the story along with William Yancey from Texas A amp M University Kingsville Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Halloween An American Holiday An American History and Lisa Morton is the author of Trick Or Treat A History of Halloween Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]