American Experience

History Series / 15 Seasons

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

52m 54s

Grand Dragon Bob Jones

3m 28s

On August 14, 1966 over 5,000 people gathered at the Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, North Carolina to support Klan leaders under investigation by the Federal Government. It was the state's largest political gathering of the year. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

The FBI and the Klan

1m 59s

When the FBI began to investigate the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan, one of their most important informants was a member of Grand Dragon Bob Jones' inner circle. "Klansville U.S.A." premieres January 13 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Klansville U.S.A. Preview

30s

As the civil rights movement grew in the 1960s, the long-dormant Ku Klux Klan reemerged with a vengeance. North Carolina, long seen as the most progressive southern state, saw a boom in Klan membership under the leadership of Grand Dragon Bob Jones. In just three years, the North Carolina Klan grew to some 10,000 members, helping give the state a new nickname: “Klansville, USA."

Introducing Robert Ripley

2m 48s

Robert Ripley built a vast multimedia empire by showcasing the bizarre, strange, and downright grotesque from all over the globe. The public was fascinated by his "curioddities," but also by the man himself. Part globetrotter, part "hayseed," Ripley would become an international superstar... "Believe It or Not!" Premieres January 6, 2015 on American Experience PBS.

Ripley's Big Break

2m 27s

Cartoonist Robert Ripley gets a contract with Hearst for $100,000 a year, increasing his income ten fold, and calling for one cartoon per day year-round. "Believe It or Not" enters the American lexicon. Ripley: Believe It or Not premieres on PBS American Experience January 6, 2015 at 9/8c.

Ripley in Papua New Guinea

1m 54s

Ripley traveled to Papua New Guinea in 1934. In this silent film Ripley observes tribal dances, meets warriors and visits homes. The local man wearing a belt was later featured in Ripley's "Believe It or Not!" cartoon, in which Ripley explains: "The Tanobada tribe of New Guinea wear tight belts to show that they eat little in order to obtain wives more easily. It is a disgrace to be fat in Papua."

Ripley Stuck in the Snow

26s

In 1932, Robert Ripley and his entourage got stuck in the snowy Caucasus mountains on the border of Russia. This silent clip shows oxen pulling Ripley's hired car through the deep snow. For the rest of the trip, Ripley ditched the car and took a train.

Ripley in Thailand

34s

This silent film clip shows Robert Ripley's 1932 trip to Bangkok, Thailand where he visited the Wat Arun temple. Ripley referred to it as “The Temple of Broken Dishes” as it is decorated with fragments of porcelain dishware.

Ripley Believe It Or Not Preview

30s

Robert Ripley mesmerized the nation with his blend of homespun Americana, colorful exotica and freakish oddities. His “Believe It or Not!” franchise grew into an entertainment empire, expanding from newspapers to every form of “new media” in the 20th century: radio, film and, ultimately, television. "Ripley Believe It Or Not" premieres January 6, 2014 on PBS American Experience.

Ripley in India

30s

In 1922, Ripley made his first trip to India in his “Ramble ‘Round the World” for the New York "Globe." This silent film clip is from his 1936 trip. It features Indian street scenes, followed by a leisurely boat ride along the Ganges.

Ripley in Kenya

20s

In this silent film clip from his trip to Kenya in 1934, Robert Ripley joins a local man in bouncing on the springy land near Kenya’s “Underground Lake.” Ripley also tries a sample of a Kigelia tree, also known as the “sausage tree” due to its sausage-shaped fruit.

Ripley in a Rickshaw

1m 20s

In this silent film clip, Robert Ripley rides rickshaws ‘round the world. The first is during his trip to Thailand in 1932. Next up is his trip to China in 1932, where he takes a speedy ride on a village street, followed by a more leisurely one on the Great Wall of China. Two years later he hitches a ride in Durban, South Africa in 1934.

Ripley: Believe It or Not, Chapter 1

7m 9s

LeRoy Robert Ripley rose to fame during the Great Depression, transforming himself from a skinny, buck-toothed boy into an entertainer who mesmerized the nation with his razzle-dazzle blend of homespun Americana, colorful exotica and freakish oddities. Americans not only loved his bizarre fare, but were fascinated by the man himself.

Coming in Winter 2015

2m 59s

Watch a short video about what is coming to American Experience this January and February, with a message from Executive Producer Mark Samels. The season kicks off on January 6 with "Ripley: Believe It or Not," followed by "Klansville U.S.A.," "Edison," "The Big Burn," and "The Forgotten Plague."

Khrushchev's American Journey

32m 49s

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev was the first Soviet leader to visit the United States. This archival film from the United States Information Service details Khrushchev's twelve day tour from Washington DC to New York, California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania.

Beyond the Doc: Khrushchev

3m 45s

In September 1959, Nikita Khrushchev was the first Soviet leader to visit the United States. His family, including his 22-year-old son, Sergei, accompanied the Soviet premier on his American tour. Sergei reflects on the whirlwind, cross-country trip and his impressions of America and its people. "Cold War Roadshow" premieres November 18 on PBS American Experience.

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