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Lost LA
“The Endless Summer” Defined Surf Culture on Its Own Terms
When Bruce Brown set out to document a trip around the world as two surfers bypass seasonal chill in order to ride a continuous summer surf, he contributed to spreading the culture of California. "The Endless Summer" is the embodiment of the California Dream, giving a valid reinterpretation to surf culture from careless teen beach parties to seasoned pro athletes — with a heavy helping of the California sun. Featuring interviews with pro surfer Joyce Hoffman, film distributor R. Paul Allen and Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center archivist Dan Foote.
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27:05
Trace the devastation of the 1928 St. Francis Dam collapse and its deadly flood.
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26:40
How Cold War vigilance and secrecy shaped Southern California culture.
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26:39
The Space Shuttle Endeavour’s journey is traced from its origins.
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26:40
Tiki culture isn’t a Polynesian import — it’s a Hollywood creation.
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26:49
Archives reveal the “forgotten plague” that shaped Southern California: tuberculosis.
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26:50
Visit Hollywood Forever, Evergreen and Forest Lawn, where L.A. reinvented the cemetery.
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26:40
The hiker-activists who led Angelenos into their hills and onto the trails.
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26:39
How Filipino Americans in Southern California are making their heritage more visible.
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26:47
Iconic fast-food chains from McDonald’s to Taco Bell were born in SoCal.
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26:37
After internment camps, Japanese Americans made L.A.'s Crenshaw neighborhood their home.
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26:04
During WWII, L.A. became a sanctuary for Europe’s accomplished artists and intellectuals.