All Episodes

March 2, 2020 14 mins

Stanley Tucci tells the story of William Mulholland and the lies that made Los Angeles possible.,

The founders of LA had a vision of a future megacity. But there was just one problem - it was a virtual desert, with very little rainfall.

William Mulholland was the man charged with bringing water to the desert. But not without a great deal of double dealing and duplicity.

California wants to dazzle you with its endless sunshine and visions of the future – but that’s just a mirage.

Stanley Tucci imagines the modern history of California as a Hollywood movie, playing a hard-boiled screenwriter uncovering the full, sordid truth. He knows exactly where all the bodies are buried.

Academic consultant: Dr Ian Scott, University of Manchester

Written and produced by Laurence Grissell

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Spooky Podcasts from iHeartRadio
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.