Before banks had a branch on every corner, they were an exclusive service for the wealthy. For
the poor, working, and immigrant class, saving money was as unreliable as stashing it under a
mattress. But at the turn of the 20 th century, A.P. Giannini revolutionized the industry with his
small bank in San Francisco.
As a first-generation Italian-American, his goal was to serve “the little fellow” and breed
prosperity within his immigrant community. By building trust and giving loans on a simple
handshake, he created one of the largest banks in the country – Bank of America.
"A Little Fellow" tells the story of a man who struck fear into the heart of Wall Street all the way
from his beloved California. Known as “America’s banker,” A.P. Giannini gave a friendly face to
an anonymous industry. As one of the first investors in Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge, and
Hewlett-Packard, his forward-thinking helped the country through two World Wars and the
Great Depression. In a time when banks are seen as impersonal monoliths, this documentary
presents us with a new model of hope from America’s past.