On this episode of Our American Stories, few filmmakers embody the American dream as vividly as Frank Capra. Born in Sicily in 1897, he carried the memory of arriving at New York Harbor—and his father pointing to the Statue of Liberty—through World War I and into Hollywood’s golden age. In films like It’s a Wonderful Life, Capra celebrated resilience, community, and the strength of ordinary people. Our own Lee Habeeb, along with recordings of Capra himself, shares the story of the immigrant boy who rose to direct some of Hollywood’s greatest films.

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