The new book by Alan Royle, ‘Movies Based on True Stories’, due for release in May 2015, examines how Hollywood manipulates history in order to create entertaining films.
‘Movies Based on True Stories’ looks at over 300 feature films ranging from the birth of the industry to the present day; some good, some bad, and compares what really happened historically with Hollywood’s dramatizations that, more often than not, strayed considerably from the facts as we know them. This book also occasionally focuses on fictional movies that contain historical inaccuracies, or points of interest regarding the pictures themselves or the players appearing in them. As you will find in these pages, truth can indeed be far stranger than fiction.
The art of making movies based on true stories, on actual events involving real people, nearly always requires liberties to be taken with the truth, primarily because of time restraints, but also because dramatic license is essential if the picture is to achieve any semblance of box-office success. Events that may have happened over several decades must be somehow crammed into an intelligent, comprehensible narrative, (complete with real-life, believable characters), usually of 120-150 minutes duration. The most dramatic, soul-stirring moments really need to come at the end of the story, too, even if they may have actually taken place at or near the beginning. The art of building drama and tension that culminates in a stirring, inspirational conclusion is virtually formulaic for a Hollywood movie, so if that means ‘adjusting’ history, then adjusted it must be. Even the best historical movies, the best movies based on true stories, suffer from this.
Comparing Hollywood and history can be a most exasperating exercise for historians, but if we all expect entertainment from the cinema, then we must reluctantly accept that this ‘molding’ of historical fact is the price we have to pay for it. In Movies Based on True Stories I look at a great many films that have some basis in actual events; movies premised with such phrases as: ‘Based on a true story’, ‘Based on actual events’, ‘What you see here actually happened’, and so forth.
The degree of license varies enormously from picture to picture and the ‘cross-over’ from truth to half-truth, to utter fabrication, can often appear quite seamless if the director and writer know their stuff. This, of course, can lead to rather biased historical representations, some even intended by producers working to an agenda. Our understanding of great events or great people, therefore, can be seriously compromised in the process. One example is Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991), a movie that cleverly melds actual footage with created dramatization that can easily dupe the average cinema goer into thinking that everything he or she is watching is historically accurate when, in fact, it is not. Chariots of Fire (1981) is another example of distorting history, of dramatic license versus historical accuracy. This book Movies Based on True Stories comments on these pictures and hundreds more.
Some of Movies Based on True Stories content concerns fictional films that contain an element of historical trivia that is worth mentioning; for example, the 2000 Bruce Willis vehicle, The Whole Nine Yards. The story, of course, is made up, but the title has an interesting ‘based on fact’ origin. In effect then, I offer an assessment of the factual accuracy (or otherwise) of many of the best historical movies as well as some of the worst, plus little snippets of intriguing movie trivia that I found unusual or informative or both. Primarily, however, the focus is on telling you what actually happened compared to what Hollywood would have you believe. Hollywood versus history, so to speak.
You will notice I have, on occasion, voiced my personal opinion on matters or events that I feel strongly about. It is my belief that a historian has an obligation to not only analyze and assess, but to then express his or her views on such issues, providing the facts remain unaltered or distorted. After all, one of the great joys in life is being able to exchange points of view with others, or to read and assess the feelings of others on topics that affect us all. I have little interest in merely reciting facts. Anyone can do that. Expressing opinions on those facts is what makes us human beings instead of robots (or news readers for that matter).
During the course of my research, I have regularly come across unusual or obscure data about the actors in some of these movies. My first book, Hollywood Warts ‘n’ All addressed the private lives of actors and actresses, and is full of movie trivia, scandal, feuds, loves, war records, sexual preferences, addictions, even studio cover-ups in more circumstances than you might imagine. In this second book I have occasionally included tidbits of Hollywood trivia along those lines, but have opted to save most of any extra, newly discovered data for book three which is currently undergoing a final edit prior to publication. I have, however, taken the liberty to insert into the conclusion of Movies Based on True Stories the following lists of my own preferences.
My Favourite Performances by Actors
My Favourite Performances by Actresses
My Favourite 100 Movies of All Time
Academy Award Winning Movies by Year
My Choices for Each Year’s Best Picture Oscar
Of course, your taste is bound to differ from mine, but therein lies the fun of comparing our
views with the views of others. After all, we are all experts when it comes to our own
preferences.
New book `Movies Based on True Stories`
by Alan Royle, January 2015
Hi! I simply wish to offer you a big thumbs up for your great information you have got here
on this post.I will be reurning too your site for more soon.
That is good to hear, Britney. Thank you. I usually post something each day.
What’s up to all, the contents present at this web page are actually awesome for people knowledge, well,
keep up the nice work fellows.
Thank you, Alisha. Much appreciated.
Seriously, such a important internet site.
Nice of you to say so. Thank you.
hello!,I love your writing very so much! percentage we be in contact more about your post on AOL?
I require a specialist on this area to resolve my problem.
Maybe that’s you! Looking forward to look you.
Thank you.
Keeep on writing,great job!
Feel free to viisit my blog … This Hostgator Coupon might save you money
Thank you.
Thank you for some other informative blog. Where else could
I get that kind of information written in such a perfect
approach? I’ve a venture that I’m simply now working
on, and I’ve been at the glance out for such info.
Glad to be of help.
Awesome post.
Thank you.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am going through troubles with your RSS.
I don’t understand the reason why I cannot subscribe
to it. Is there anybody else having identical
RSS problems? Anyone who knows the answer can you kindly respond?
Thanks!!
My blog; help wanted
Hi Phil, I’ve added an RSS link on the page sidebar, take a look and see if that works for you.
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I have read stuff
from. I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity,
Guess I’ll just bookmark this page.
Thank you, Muriel. I try to post at least one item per day.
What a wonderfully informed website. So glad I found this. On the odd occasion when I like to watch a movie it’s always effort to find a good one. Your website is intelligently written, this has given me confidence in your recommendations. I have found half a dozen movies I really want to see yet didn’t know about til coming here. Thank you, I have you in my favourites.
Glad to be of help, Jessy. I suppose I might have unusual taste (different to yours anyway), but maybe some of my suggestions will suit you. I hope so. Do you mind telling me which country you are from?
These are truly enormous ideas in about blogging. You have touched some good factors
here. Any way keep up wrinting.
Thank you. Very kind of you to say so.
I visited many websites but the audio feature for audio songs current at this web site is in fact fabulous.
Here is my blog … Where do I find my Google+ RSS feed?
Hi, I think you may have my movie site mixed up with another.
I believe everything composed was actually very reasonable.
However, consider this, what if you added a little content?
I ain’t suggesting your information is not solid., however what if
you added something that grabbed people’s attention? I mean Movies Based
on True Stories – Historian Alan RoyleHistorian Alan Royle | Historical Movie Info, Movie Trivia,
Fascinating Hollywood Facts is a little vanilla.
You might peek at Yahoo’s home page and note how they write news headlines to
get people to open the links. You might add a video or a pic or two to get readers excited
about everything’ve written. Just my opinion, it would make your blog a little livelier.
Thank you for your suggestions. I only started this about 2 months ago at my son’s suggestion. He knows the technical side of things, but I am afraid all I know how to do is write. I will mention your message to him, however, and see if he can address those issues you raise. Thanks again.
Greate post. Keeep writing such kind of information on yor
blog. Im really impressed by your blog.
Hi there, You’ve performed an excellent job.
I will definitely digg it and ffor my part recommend to my friends.
I aam sure they’ll be benefited from this site.
My web blog; jordan belfort
Asking questions are truly fastidious thing if you are
not understanding something fully, except this post offers good
understanding even.
Your means of describing everyting iin this paragraph is really nice, every one can simply be
aware of it, Thanks a lot.
Feeel free to visit my homepage: galveston dwi lawyer (where2Go.com)
Magnificent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff
previous to and you are just extremely great. I really like
what you have acquired here, really like what you’re saying and the way in which
you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it wise.
I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is really a great web site.
Hola! I’ve been following your site for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from
Porter Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic job!
I just had to post a comment, this site has the best stuff about actors, I hope you keep posting more content.
Thanks, we will be updating the content on a daily basis, and releasing a book in May 2015 covering more than 400 Movies Based On True Stories and how they compare to the actual historical events.
When I oгiginally commеnted I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each
tije a cߋmmеnt is added I get four emails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove me from that
service? Cheers!
my webloɡ diet solution
Hi
I apologise for all the emails, I am still learning how wordpress handles comments and subscriptions.
I have installed a new plugin that should now allow you to modify your profile and stop the emails, or just receive emails for responses to your comments etc.
Please let me know if you have any trouble with the settings.
Howdy! This blog post could not be written much better!
Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
He always kept talking about this. I will send this article
to him. Pretty sure he’ll have a good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
Found your internet site on Facebook, great post. Will share again.
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both
equally educative and entertaining, and let me tell you,you’ve hit the
nail on the head. The issue is an issue that too
few men and women are speaking intelligently about.
I’mvery happy I stumbled across this in my hunt for
something concerning this.
This site is incredible!, I can’t wait for the next post, they are so interesting, thanks
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to be a
famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!