For aspiring actors, Route 66 was more than just a highway: it was a pathway to Hollywood. In this episode, Sean Fletcher sits down with film critic James King to explore why the Mother Road became such a powerful symbol of ambition, opportunity and the pursuit of stardom in American culture.

Sean and James also speak to Jim Harris, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier and the pier's resident historian, about why filmmakers have been drawn to this iconic location generation after generation. They also meet Renee Charles, president of the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association, who restored the historic gas station known as Cars on the Route, one of the key inspirations behind the Disney and Pixar classic Cars.

Thank you to our contributors:

https://www.santamonicapier.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CarsOnTheRoute/

To see Sean and James in the studio, watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBQ-eO84AFk

Subscribe here for your weekly dose of Route 66: America's Greatest Road Trip with Sean Fletcher and read more at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/discover-america/

Route 66: America's Greatest Road Trip with Sean Fletcher is brought to you by Visit The USA and produced by Telegraph Media Group.

CREDITS

Host: Sean Fletcher

Telegraph Media Group

Executive producers: Abby Draycott, Jasmin Nahar, Rachel Truman, Vanessa Woodgate

Creative director: Jonathan Clayton-Jones

Video producer: Ed Emsley

Designer: Dan Knight

Platform Media

Producer: Alice Tilley

Executive Producers: Mick Tucker, Aidan Seymour-Judd

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