The Real Dog Day Afternoon - ATC International

Australian True Crime

Bravecasting

True Crime

4.6 • 979 Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2026

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of ATC International, we're going to the movies. We're looking at the real story behind the 1995 classic film, Dog Day Afternoon, starring Al Pacino.

It's known as a classic heist flick. But the true story is based on the complicated gay relationship between a Vietnam veteran, and a man desperate to transition and live as a woman.

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CREDITS:

Hosted and created by Meshel Laurie

Executive Producer: Matthew Tankard

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In this episode, we're going to the movies.
0:07.4	We're looking at the real story behind the 1975 classic film Dog Day Afternoon, starring Al Pacino.
0:15.2	You know something, people? You're going to be remembered the rest of your lives for the day you got held up and kidnapped.
0:21.6	At approximately 3pm on August 22nd, 1972,
0:26.6	Sonny Wurzick and Sal Naturali entered the first Brooklyn Savings Bank and attempted a robbery.
0:33.6	My priest!
0:35.6	Nobody moved!
0:39.3	The attempt failed. There's no money here.
0:40.3	They picked it up this afternoon.
0:42.3	There's only 1,100.
0:43.3	This is too much.
0:44.3	It's for you.
0:46.3	What?
0:47.3	The police arrived.
0:48.3	This is Detective Sergeant Eugene Mered.
0:50.3	What are you doing in there?
0:51.3	For the people of the neighborhood it was a side
0:57.6	side show but for sunny and Sal the hostages and the cops it was a dog day
1:05.1	afternoon I'm a Catholic and I don't want to hurt anybody understand hello sunny
1:09.3	you're on the air sunny Jesus I was watching on TV. I'm here with my partner and nine other people. See, we're dying. You're going to see our brains on a sidewalk. They're going to spill our guts out. Shouldn't there's something like that? Boy, you're fine. Hurry! Don't fire! Don't fire! Mom! What are you doing down here? Run. Run. Run. Where am I going to run? Algeria.
1:30.7	Algeria?
1:28.9	One. Mom, what are you doing down here? Run, run. Run. Where am I going to run?
	...

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