{"product_id":"born-to-lose-rachel-walther-9781915316509","title":"Born to Lose: The Misfits Who Made Dog Day Afternoon","description":"August 22, 1972: Two men attempt to rob a bank in Brooklyn. They fail miserably: the money they'd hoped for isn't there, the cops get tipped off immediately, and within 30 minutes they're in a hostage situation with the FBI. Things \u003ci\u003ereally\u003c\/i\u003e get crazy when reporters learn that one of the robbers is gay and married to a trans woman. The crowd of journalists and onlookers grows into the hundreds, desperate for a glimpse of this charismatic live-wire who's robbing the bank not for greed or thrills, but to fund his partner's sexual reassignment surgery. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSound familiar? This is the plot of \u003ci\u003eDog Day Afternoon\u003c\/i\u003e, the 1975 film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, John Cazale, and Chris Sarandon. It remains a high-water mark of New Hollywood, where the best acting talent of the day came together on a film that was truly exceptional. But equally exceptional was the fact that the film was based on a true-life incident. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on extensive archival research, film historian Rachel Walther delves into the film's backstory, tracing how an unbelievable true crime tale of love, bank robbery, and LGBTQI+ activism became a box-office smash and catapulted a group of Brooklyn outsiders into the media spotlight. Name-checked on TV shows from \u003ci\u003eThe Simpsons\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eDrunk History\u003c\/i\u003e, and now a Broadway play, \u003ci\u003eDog Day Afternoon\u003c\/i\u003e's legacy continues to inspire filmmakers, writers, and actors. Walther's deep dive interrogates the film's place in the 1970s zeitgeist, set against a background of antiwar activism and the fight for gay and trans rights, and in doing so shows its continuing relevance today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rachel Walther\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1915316502\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781915316509\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Headpress\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/05\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 152\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.62lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 10.00h x 8.00w x 0.50d","brand":"Rachel Walther","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48114078810367,"sku":"9781915316509","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_18201dc0-c92c-4b6d-9d41-230a71153a33.jpg?v=1769618978","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/born-to-lose-rachel-walther-9781915316509","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}