Chapter 1 | The Boys of '36 | American Experience | PBS

In August 1936, just outside Berlin, Germany, crowds gathered for the marquee event of the Olympic rowing contests: the men's eight. The host nation had won more medals than any other and looked to dominate the final race. As Adolf Hitler looked on, nine boys from Washington prepared to row the biggest race of their lives.
Learn more about "The Boys of '36," including where to watch the full film: www.pbs.org/wgb...

[@vapixel]

I have friends who rowed collegiately. This superb documentary is a testimony to the endurance, stamina and grit that the sport of rowing elicits.

[@kckcmctcrc]

A friend mentioned this book about a year ago and I finally got around to reading it. Wow....How had I never heard this story? The '36 Olympics...Jesse Owens, Louis Zamperini, from the book Unbroken... and these Washington Boys. I no longer read Fiction...too many great non-fiction stories out there.

[@chia-lisung5149]

i just want to cry seeing these most beautiful young men carrying and lowering the husky clipper into water.....it's hard to fathom that all of them are gone....what beautiful, powerful human beings....

[@reedjet]

same when it showed them packing the boat out against the whole world i got really emotional.

[@scoutjack]

Same. It’s an odd feeling knowing they are gone

[@nancystevens7447]

I grew up on Lake Washington and by the U of Wash. watching the rowing teams practice. Beautiful sport,beautiful place,beautiful men!

[@gabriellalouise3150]

I just finished the book “the boys in the boats”, it tells this story so well, and really gets across some of the core parts of rowing

[@woofer13]

I've read thousands of books in my life, and this is one of my top ten books. Yesterday, I completed it for the second time....so I decided to see if I could find something on youtube. And I did!

[@bigthomas7304]

it was such a great book, i personally have never liked reading book. But yet, this book is something absolutely spectacular (especially the end).

[@jameshood1928]

Just saw the movie directed by George Clooney. Inspiring film. It was an event that I had never known about.

[@mangyanwalker9724]

I'm still listening to the audible, but is one of those stories that you just want to keep listening. I often find myself staying in a parking lot just to listen for more.

[@englishbulldoglover2258]

Me too. I finished the Audible book while putting up Christmas lights over the weekend. My fastest book as well, 3 days.

[@paryssneville1208]

I cannot wait for the movie! I remember finding this book in middle school and reading it. These young men inspired me to join crew in high school, it was easily one of the best decisions of my life.

[@MicaRayan]

They have hearts of gold. Very resilient. Their team work are iconic

[@SavingHistory]

Amazing story! And such a different mind-set. Victimhood as a form of currency only works in bloated societies. When a society is struggling, like during the depression, it led to nowhere. What a horrible stepmother Joe had, but he also showed himself the depth of his own determination to survive. My own grandparents never talked much about the depression years - except to say things like: “You kids don’t know how lucky you have it.” And though I still don’t know what they went through, I understand why they thought we were the children of plenty. Joe’s story really puts their era into perspective.

[@joygimbel7760]

Can’t believe I didn’t know this story. Just finished his riveting Under The Stars Above, definitely getting this book. So much history to discover.

[@biojoe8676]

Having rowed for Marist College in the 1960s we were always inspired by the huge 60 foot high W painted on the cliff across from Marist college. Imagine. UW ROWING here on the Hudson River ! And, 9 gold Olympic medals won by the "U Dub"

[@biojoe8676]

In the midst of the Great Depression, A truly wonderful United States ❤ miracle: The Boys in the Boat. Dan Brown wrote a MARVELOUS book, and I will always cherish my copy ❤. Imagine, 9 United States Olympic 🇺🇸 Gold medals! USA 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸 ♥

[@biojoe8676]

God bless 🙏 America 🇺🇸.

[@gregcollins3404]

They had the advantage of a boat made by Pocock.

[@ms.x9571]

Thanks for sharing PBS!!

[@bluemoonsy]

This is an amazing story. I cannot think how I would have reacte to all these tribulations.

[@scottparkes7744]

It was a great story and really looking forward to George Clooneys movie of it coming out at Christmas!

[@dbongoloid9541]

Such an amazing book, an even more amazing event.

[@kevindiaz-lane4404]

As a rower (rowing in my veins), I would have named this experience "The Boat in the Boys"!

[@BobSullivanAKABuffy]

Reading the book now. Joe's early life was HORRIBLE (as was the wicked stepmother). I've been told for years how it's such a good book and much like Killers of the Flower Moon I'm finally reading it just before the movie comes out.

[@user-rn6hr1qw3l]

Husky nation and Husky tradition goes deep , and now we have COACH Deboer and the Washington Huskies in the final 4 cfp this year . Unbelievable!!

[@englishbulldoglover2258]

Seems like a perfect time for the movie to come out. I plan to see it on Christmas Day and watch the Dawgs defeat Sark again on New Years Day.

[@Goldenstateguy1]

How can parents do that to their kids? Horrible people Joe's parents were.

[@kathyraygoza3299]

Depression was bad to live through but potentially horrible if you were an orphan. My Mother and her sister were orphaned at an early age their Mother died in childbirth, the father took son and left the girls behind with Grandmother until she to passed away a few years later and then they were passed around from aunt to aunt. Once they were taken out to the country with a loaf of bread and baloney and told to wait there. No one came back for them so they next morning they decided to walk home. These were little girls of 7&9.00An old Japanese truck farmer gave them a ride back to El Centro and returned them home. My Mom remembers hearing him tell them that if he ever heard that anything happened to them he would tell the sherrif how he found the girls.

[@mitchellweiner4990]

What a wonderful story! I loved the book!

[@Valente_Quintero]

An amazing story

[@pattersonbec42]

Such a story!!! Love it.

[@ricksindars4810]

My cousin Joyce Simdars was married to Joe Rantz. Here is a link to a photo below you may be interested in. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=805957612752934&set=t.100000161082518&type=3&theater

[@maicey_t.]

+Rick Sindars I just finished reading The Boys In The Boat, and I fell in love with Joyce's character. It's incredibly cool you're related to her. :)

[@ricksindars4810]

Thank you. There is a movie in the process. Daniel James Brown met our former President Bill Clinton and had a conversation with him this year regarding The Boys in the Boat.

[@karenbishop5885]

The story leading up to this is the true story… “boys in the boat”

[@greghirst3338]

Excellent book. Can hardly wait for the movie! Thank you George.

[@chia-lisung5149]

wait, according to the book, Joe Rantz's mom died of throat cancer

[@sarracene]

, at that time in history, that was more likely; thanks for adding this note..

[@ghzelmohamed4901]

brave boys , god bless them !!

[@richardallen3289]

Read the book years ago & thought they might make the movie before i die ? They are going to make the movie i knew it.

[@sling247]

Is there chapter 2 in this format?

[@JP-lu9ed]

What happened to the younger half brothers?

[@frankducett9]

Don't you finish any of these documentaries?😮

[@christinejackson3922]

This looks good but if I want to watch all of it I have to rent it on Apple TV for $4.99

[@eastbayguy832000]

Or you could go see the George Clooney movie and pay $13.00 or so.

[@mattluszczak8095]

Did any of these rowers.went to war?

[@jrm2383]

The hardships that people back then went through, compared to the cushy existence we have today. And all we hear is constant complaining from the perpetually offended, grievance culture liberals, minorities and politicians. It’s really disgusting

[@UserName-sj8fg]

What makes this Chapter 1? Is there a chapter 2?

[@rcruz4510]

Great story but they were preceded by the American Crew team who won gold in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Now THERE is a story!

[@dgoldsmith1074]

gotta wonder what kind of "spat" with the younger brother...I can only assume he had many issues growing up and the step-mom may have not wanted the younger boys to pick-up on it all...Yes life can be cruel...but it's hard to swallow that she "just didn't like him"...but that may be the case...I just don't like one sided stories.

[@DopplersDad]

There's quite a bit of insight to be gained by reading the book on which this doc is based. The film glosses over quite a bit of info and leaves out huge chunks of back story, reducing a large number of family members' story, context and interaction to the word "spat," for instance. Not knocking the film. It's actually pretty good, but it's really a sped up, quick run through a museum, not bothering with taking the time to read the interactive signage, thereby missing lots of important detail.

[@chia-lisung5149]

read the book

[@danielbaer8924]

If I remember correctly the little brother was running around in Joe’s garden. Nothing that would warrant kicking a child out of the house.

[@HeartWorX.Creations]

Yes, there’s always ”2” sides to every story, but the depression era has sadly, TOO many TRUE stories that are riddled w/cruelty & abandonment relative to children/family members…His father was obviously a WEAK/BROKEN man & losing his wife to lung cancer didn’t help anything -I’m certain!!!!

[@robbriner9575]

It doesn't matter much, but if all the rowers on the team were 18 or older --- as I suspect -- why are they referred to as "boys" rather than "young men"?

[@jjj1951]

Why does it matter?

[@robbriner9575]

How words are used over time, especially adjectives, tells a story of social evolution -- putting how words, especially adjectives, are used TODAY in perspective. Think of the words "alien," "senior citizen," and "socialism." The delineation of boyhood (or childhood) and adulthood has shifted dramatically since the 1930s -- as has gender and religion. This story reminds us of that reality that is all around us every day if we notice.

[@englishbulldoglover2258]

If you're around sports today, you'll find the men's team refer to themselves as "Boys". I officiate collegiate sports. They will yell, "Let's go Boys!" to each other. Probably the same back then as well.

[@robbriner9575]

You're right! I didn't think of that. "Boys" leaves some room for affection while "men" puts them in the less sentimental category of adults. (Why are ships usually referred to as the feminine gender?)

[@xfhghe]

Back then voting age was 21. But I agree, they were young men.

[@albertmarnell9976]

If any of the boys were homosexual and found out, they would have been put in prison, ostracized or even killed. It is always important to remember this reality when getting caught up in these human interest stories. So much is omitted. Omission is the same as lying.

[@jeromilittle]

The main 1930’s concerns were the depression and the nazis. Why are you harping on about an issue that still exists in many countries today, when there’s no evidence that any of these ‘36 rowers were homosexual or persecuted. Why don’t you talk about another unrelated, but far worse problem: slavery, the ever-present bain of humanity. More slavery now than ever. I guess you’re omitting it therefore you’re lying.

[@albertmarnell9976]

You know very little and only care about one thing. Paragraph 175 (known formally as §175 StGB; also known as Section 175 in English) was a provision of the German Criminal Code from 15 May 1871 to 10 March 1994. These laws still exist, even in the United States. It is still legal in 50% of the states to deny housing and employment to people ''perceived to be sexually different". If you want to talk about an ever-present bane (not bain) of humanity, persecution based on sexual orientation and variation is globally still a problem. List of 66 countries where homosexuality is illegal. Look it up. Capital punishment for homosexuality. Look it up. Your reading comprehension and defensive assumptions need working on. When the concentration camps were "liberated" by the allies after WW ll was over, gay men were sent to prison because even the allied countries still had laws on the books criminalizing homosexuality. 10 countries still have slavery, China being the largest of them. What's your point? One injustice does not negate the other. You referred to me as a liar. I'm almost 70. Trust me, you have a great deal to learn. @@jeromilittle

[@jeromilittle]

@@albertmarnell9976What? What do you think is the one thing I care about? And how does one work on one’s “defensive assumptions”? I wasn’t defending anything. Your reading and response skills could also use some work. I’ll ask again because you refused to answer my question: why are you harping on about an issue that these men didn’t have to deal with? An issue that is irrelevant to their story? You’re like my coworker who is 1/32nd Native American, and he will make sure to work his heritage into every conversation, whether it’s about space exploration or the ancient Greeks. Everyone thinks he’s unbearable.

[@albertmarnell9976]

You can not compare national origin with human sexuality. Of course these young men had to deal with homophobia and sexual phobias. Everyone did. What are you going on about? "Everyone thinks he’s unbearable." From your reaction, "You’re like my coworker"? I'm not like anyone but me! Perhaps you are unbearable. Read more and you might understand, which you do not want to do because you don't know enough about that era and don't want to think about it. Why do you think that 4 people gave what I wrote a few thumbs up? Because they know what I'm referring to. You do not. Read about in depth about "The Lavender Scare" In 1953, Executive Order 10450 was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This executive action was the culmination of a period, called the “Lavender Scare,” that coincided with the communist "Red Scare." During the Lavender Scare, members of the LGBTQIA+ community were deemed a threat to national security. The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the Hays Code, after Will H. Hays, president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) from 1922 to 1945. I'm not going to write you a book about the fear of homosexuality or any sexual variations which are all common and normal. I'm sharing my "hunch" about what these young men went through. Some of them were most likely homosexuals. Perhaps this is from life experience of growing up around and living in the city of New York from the 1970s and subsequent decades. What might be obvious to me, you might find obscure. I knew about or met celebrities that were desperately hiding their orientation. Merv Griffin was one of them as was Joel Crothers who I met. Now will you say "Who's Joel Crothers?" He and Tom Selleck were put in an unasked for competition. I did not juxtapose Selleck and Crothers on the cover of T.V. guide. They were both leading men but Crothers was desperately trying to hide his sexual orientation. Given the high percentage of people that experience same sex attraction and the lives that these young men lived, it is obvious to me that in some shape or form they had to deal with a world that was endlessly ignorant about the reality of the commonness of same sex attraction. BTW, the slavery issue is something that I bring up quite often too. Mainly I bring this up because of the exception in the 13th amendment which most people are clueless about. I'm not going to change you and when you have lived through or seen what I have in my life, I don't need the documentary to tell me everything. Some things are a given based on the times they occurred. With the kind of lives that these men lived, their sexuality had to come into play during their lives. How many were and how many were not, I do not know. There are things which are to me very obvious because of life experience. @@jeromilittle

[@albertmarnell9976]

All people's response skills can use work, you and I included. I'm not god. Besides, there is no god. That is another stupidity that annoys me. Just so you understand, my mother was born in a country that has been insanely vilified and stereotyped. I'm only half the nationality that she was but I constantly almost daily read or hear people say ignorant things about what I am half of. It insulted and hurt my mother, her parents that helped raise me and me as an American born half this and half that which to this day annoys, frustrates and angers me. I'm constantly correcting people or trying to educate them. There are few people that will listen and learn what I know and have the facts to back it up. But most people are successfully brainwashed and live in a world of half-baked information. @@jeromilittle

[@johnburke9793]

N

[@japanjack62]

Those poor German rowers, like the athletes of Communists countries, when they lose, they either are executed or lose their house or job...

[@cjdavis2684]

F### the Furer !!!

[@Engelhafen]

Rowing isn’t an upper body strength sport - it’s lower body

[@rjwintl]

Actually , it’s a “finesse” sport such as archery or golf where technique becomes the x-factor for success !!!

[@jameshudson169]

these "boys" were young men. not sure that calling them "boys" isn't sexist.

[@jameshudson169]

you don't tune in to your radio. you might tune in ON your radio. or you might tune your radio to. but you never tune in to your radio!

[@jameshudson169]

I liked it better when it was THE american experience. american experience is a let down. it's ALL in the name.

[@tmiscouch7812]

just saw The boys in the boat @AMCTheatres. Phenomenal!!!

[@xadam2dudex]

They are so skinny .. The rich caused so much suffering

[@myrnachavez9652]

Still do!😢