L.A.'s Furst Reich

In 1936, Bavarian immigrant August Furst settled his family in Shadow Hills, a quiet, semi-rural slice of Los Angeles. He opened Old Vienna Gardens, a restaurant and tavern designed to bring a touch of European charm to the area. But soon, the locals started talking—and not about the menu. Rumors ran wild: secret German Bund meetings in the back room, underground tunnels hiding who-knows-what, vicious German shepherds guarding stockpiles of weapons, a monkey named Mike known for biting and terrorizing patrons, and even whispers that Hitler himself had made an appearance. By the time the FBI got involved, the neighborhood was in full-blown hysteria. This documentary unravels the bizarre-but-true story of how a small business owner became the center of a whirlwind of wartime suspicion, prejudice, and actual espionage. Combining historical intrigue with campy reenactments, this film dives into the absurdity and chaos of the era, exploring whether August Furst was simply an innocent immigrant caught in a perfect storm of paranoia—or if something darker lurked beneath Old Vienna Gardens.