Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Doc Holliday is one of the most famous figures of the American Old West, known for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his role in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Movies and television have turned him into a legend, but the real Doc Holliday was far more complicated than the popular portrayals suggest.Historian Roger McGrath joins us to tell the true story of John Henry “Doc” Holliday—the Southern dentist who became a gambler, gunslinger, and enduring figure of frontier history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Cazale never became a movie star. He never received an Academy Award nomination, and his film career lasted only six years. Yet Al Pacino considered him an acting idol, Meryl Streep fell in love with him, and every one of the five films he appeared in was nominated for Best Picture.Jonjo Powers, author of A Small Perfection: John Cazale and the Art of Acting, shares the remarkable story of the man who brought Fredo Corleone to life, made some of Hollywood's greatest actors better, and died at just 42 years old with a nearly perfect body of work behind him. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pat Boone was at the height of his career when television executives told him to cancel a guest. That guest was Harry Belafonte, the singer whose hit “Day-O” had made him famous around the world. Boone was warned that audiences in some parts of the country wouldn’t accept a Black artist on stage beside him. His answer was simple: if Belafonte wasn’t welcome, neither was he.Boone recalls the night he chose integrity over career security and why that moment meant more than the show itself. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Joe DiMaggio became an American icon, but he was only one of three brothers who made it to the major leagues. Raised in a large Italian immigrant family near San Francisco, Vince, Joe, and Dom DiMaggio each defied their father’s hopes that they would become fishermen and instead chased a future in baseball.Four-time New York Times bestselling author Tom Clavin, author of The DiMaggios: Three Brothers, Their Passion for Baseball, Their Pursuit of the American Dream, shares the story of how Vince opened the door, Joe became a Yankees legend, and Dom carved out an All-Star career with the Boston Red Sox. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Chet Leuliette came home from World War II with little money and no high school diploma, but with a determination to build a better life for his family. He sold potato chips, raised his son in a home where money was often scarce, and quietly spent his life helping the people around him.Former automotive executive Tim Leuliette remembers the father who would give up his own lunch so his son could buy the Weekly Reader, helped a child with birth defects receive treatment at a Shriners hospital, and never believed his own wartime wounds merited a Purple Heart when so many of his fellow soldiers had suffered worse. Chet never made more than $20,000 a year, but to Tim, he was one of the wealthiest men he ever knew. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.