On April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake struck Northern California. In three terrible days San Francisco, the "Paris of the Pacific," was wiped from the earth. The Damnedest, Finest Ruins paints a riveting portrait of courage and chaos. James Dalessandro uses rare photos and actual film of the disaster to create a captivating story of human courage and political incompetence, underscored by the music of Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, who performed five hours before the disaster and barely made it out alive.
—James Dalessandro