Larger Than Life
Wondery
In 1960s Los Angeles, after the catastrophic Watts riots, an outsized character emerged — one who found an unexpected way to unite people across race and class. Odds are you’ve never heard of him. From L.A. Times Studios, the team behind “Dirty John” and “Man in the Window,” comes “Larger Than Life,” a docu-series about Big Willie Robinson, a 6-foot-6, muscle-bound street racer who preached peace a quarter-mile at a time. Cops and criminals, movie stars and miscreants, even Crips and Bloods — out at the drag strip, Big Willie could get them all to see eye to eye, easing tensions and making L.A. a safer and more unified place. For a time, he was a celebrated figure in L.A. — but today his legend has faded. What caused him to fall into obscurity? Reported, written and hosted by Daniel Miller from the L.A. Times. Produced by L.A. Times Studios and Neon Hum Media.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Networks:
Wondery
Description:
In 1960s Los Angeles, after the catastrophic Watts riots, an outsized character emerged — one who found an unexpected way to unite people across race and class. Odds are you’ve never heard of him. From L.A. Times Studios, the team behind “Dirty John” and “Man in the Window,” comes “Larger Than Life,” a docu-series about Big Willie Robinson, a 6-foot-6, muscle-bound street racer who preached peace a quarter-mile at a time. Cops and criminals, movie stars and miscreants, even Crips and Bloods — out at the drag strip, Big Willie could get them all to see eye to eye, easing tensions and making L.A. a safer and more unified place. For a time, he was a celebrated figure in L.A. — but today his legend has faded. What caused him to fall into obscurity? Reported, written and hosted by Daniel Miller from the L.A. Times. Produced by L.A. Times Studios and Neon Hum Media.
Language:
English
Episodes
Introducing 'Foretold'
5/18/2023
"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing a preview of the first episode with you here today.
In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities.
Follow "Foretold" to hear new episodes every Tuesday.
Duration:00:08:34
L.A. Times presents The Trials of Frank Carson
5/25/2021
One lawyer saw a broken system. But the system saw a vigilante killer. From Christopher Goffard, the Los Angeles Times reporter and host behind the hit podcasts Dirty John and Detective Trapp, comes a new eight-episode true crime podcast, The Trials of Frank Carson. This story of power, politics and the law centers around Carson, the famously caustic defense attorney, who dedicated his life’s work to the very thing that has turned against him — the justice system.
The first two episodes premiere Tuesday May 25, available wherever you listen to podcasts. http://link.chtbl.com/FrankCarson. Special bonus episodes are available exclusively to L.A. Times subscribers. https://www.latimes.com/frank-carson-podcast.
Duration:00:06:11
Introducing Paperclip: America's Nazi Scientists
5/26/2020
Truth can be as strange as fiction. Such is the case with a top-secret program that brought Nazi scientists to America. From L.A. Times Studios comes "Paperclip: America's Nazi Scientists," a podcast paid for by Amazon Studios and inspired by its Emmy-eligible dramatic series “Hunters." Starring Al Pacino and Logan Lerman. Join host Michael Ian Black as he teams up with a Cold War scholar to explore the truth about Operation Paperclip.
Listen and subscribe now:...
Duration:00:08:34
Introducing WeCrashed
1/29/2020
The Rise and Fall of WeWork is a stunning story of hope and hubris. WeWork was the poster child for a new economy. Its founders wanted to revolutionize everything about the way people lived their lives. Its charismatic founder Adam Neumann had an intoxicating vision for the company — but did it ever match the reality?
Subscribe today: wondery.fm/wecrashedLTL
Duration:00:05:35
Introducing Detective Trapp
11/19/2019
Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs – as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa...
Duration:00:01:20
The Last Race | 7
8/6/2019
Episode 7: Big Willie Robinson’s decision to make himself into a myth ends in tragedy. An effort to understand his legacy leads to a harrowing street race in Compton, and, ultimately, a question: What does it really mean to be larger than life?
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:37:00
Shut Down | 6
7/30/2019
Episode 6: As the drug trade and gang violence of the 1980s engulf South Los Angeles, Big Willie Robinson finds himself without a racetrack and sees his influence waning. But after the city burns again, he seizes a chance to start anew.
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:38:18
The Lie | 5
7/23/2019
Episode 5: A startling revelation about Big Willie Robinson leads to a reappraisal of the street racer and his mission. As members of the Brotherhood of Street Racers try to make sense of his secret, a new truth emerges.
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:35:28
Fast and Famous | 4
7/16/2019
Episode 4: Big Willie Robinson has a surprising career turn in the entertainment industry, working as an actor, rubbing shoulders with A-listers and appearing in some iconic 1970s films. He even has connections to the “The Fast and the Furious” and “Star Wars” film franchises.
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:33:58
Run Whatcha Brung | 3
7/11/2019
Episode 3: Banned from street racing in L.A. in the early 1970s, Big Willie Robinson becomes fixated with building a racetrack for the Brotherhood of Street Racers. He wants a place where all are welcome — even cops and criminals — but can he pull it off?
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:31:01
Becoming Big Willie | 2
7/9/2019
Episode 2: In the five years after the 1965 Watts riots, Big Willie Robinson meets the love of his life, gets the car of his dreams, forges ties with the LAPD and starts the Brotherhood of Street Racers.
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:31:18
King of the Street | 1
7/9/2019
Episode 1: L.A. street racing legend Big Willie Robinson uses cars to heal a city torn apart by racial violence. His larger-than-life exploits touch Hollywood, the Southland’s most notorious gangs and even the Los Angeles Times.
Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL
Duration:00:28:19
Introducing Larger Than Life
7/1/2019
This is the true story of a street racer who united Los Angeles — but left behind a tangle of questions. Reported, written and hosted by Daniel Miller from the Los Angeles Times. Premieres July 9.
Duration:00:03:06