Episode 5: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three with Dr. Eric Rauchway

There are few films that can be considered as perfect movies. But 1974's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three may be on that list. We're joined this week by Eric Rauchway, a professor at UC Davis and specialist of The New Deal. We break down what this movie has to say about American politics coming out of  World War II, the meaning of the subway to the people of New York City, and whether or not Walter Matthau is the first American action hero. You're going to like where this takes us.

Dr. Eric Rauchway's newest book, Why the New Deal Matters, was published by Yale University Press in 2021. He welcomes applications for graduate study in U.S. history during the 1930s and 1940s, with special interest in policies of the Roosevelt administration. He has chaired the UC Davis Senate committees on the library and on academic freedom and responsibility, as well as the systemwide committee on academic freedom.

Professor Rauchway's recent research focuses on the New Deal and the Second World War. He has consulted for the U.S. Department of Justice and a major Hollywood studio, and welcomes inquiries from prospective graduate or honors students interested in studying the United States in the era of the Great Depression and the New Deal.