History in Film

Following our discussion last week, we look more at the people involved, including Oppenheimer himself and Lewis Strauss. The post A050b: Oppenheimer (2023) pt. 2 appeared first on .

The film Oppenheimer is so big we have to split it just like the atom. In this first part we look at the science and the decision to drop the [ … ] The post A050a: Oppenheimer (2023) pt. 1 appeared first on .

A look at the real life WWII hero Desmond Doss. The post A049: Hacksaw Ridge (2016) appeared first on .

A fictional story, but gives us a great opportunity to discuss D-Day and the end of the European theater of WWII. The post A048: Saving Private Ryan (1998) appeared first on .

The story behind the most iconic photograph in American military history. The post A047: Flags of Our Fathers (2006) appeared first on .

Iconic best picture winner about US general George Patton. He was a big personality and often his own worst enemy. The post A046: Patton (1970) appeared first on .

A look at the home front during World War II. While the characters here are fictitious, the league and the teams shown were real. The post A045: A League of Their Own (1992) appeared first on .

A very detailed look at the lead up to the attack on Pearl Harbor from both the American and Japanese perspective. The post A044: Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) appeared first on .

Martin Scorsese’s biopic of the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. The post A043: The Aviator (2004) appeared first on .

As we prepare for World War II, we look at the life of Charlie Chaplin and discuss his lampooning of Adolf Hitler in The Great Dictator. The post A042: Chaplin (1992) appeared first on .

Based on John Steinbeck’s novel of Oklahoma farmers moving to California during the Great Depression. The post A041: The Grapes of Wrath (1940) appeared first on .

A bit too Hollywood, but this film gives a good look at the career of James Braddock and the Great Depression. The post A040: Cinderella Man (2005) appeared first on .

An almost-entirely fictionalized account of Elliot Ness and his quest to bring down Al Capone. The post A039: The Untouchables (1987) appeared first on .

We use these fictional stories to highlight Hollywood’s transition from the Silent Era to Talkies. The Jazz Singer (1927) comes up as well. The post A038: The Artist (2011) & Singin’ in the Rain (1952) appeared first on .

Martin Scorsese’s telling of the real-life murders in the Osage communities of 1920s Oklahoma. The post A037: Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) appeared first on .

Great look at the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal. We discuss what they got right and wrong and look a little deeper at some of the key figures. The post A036: Eight Men Out (1988) appeared first on .

A look (though perhaps a boring one) into the lives of American radicals in the 1910s. The post A035: Reds (1981) appeared first on .

The real story of Alvin York isn’t quite what we see in this film led by Gary Cooper’s Oscar-winning performance. The post A034: Sergeant York (1941) appeared first on .

The story of perhaps the greatest athlete of all-time. Thorpe is probably best-known for winning the first-ever pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics. The post A033: Jim Thorpe — All-American (1951) appeared first on .

Based on the largely fictional novel by E.L. Doctorow, there are a handful of historical characters who also feature in this story set in the early 20th century. The post A032: Ragtime (1981) appeared first on .

Based very loosely on the real-life Perdicaris Affair of 1904. Teddy Roosevelt takes action to liberate an American expat who is kidnapped in Morocco. The post A031: The Wind and the Lion (1975) appeared first on .

This TV movie follows the Wright Brothers’ attempt to create the world’s first powered flying machine. Don’t watch it. Listen to us instead. The post A030: The Winds of Kitty Hawk (1978) appeared first on .

Oil! Daniel Day Lewis is perfect as the fictional oil man Daniel Plainview who ruthlessly attempts to dominate California oil production in the early 20th century. The post A029: There Will Be Blood (2007) appeared first on .

Screenwriter William Goldman refused to let the studios cutdown on his historical accuracy while he himself definitely overly simplified and invented things. We look at the real Butch and Sundance [ … ] The post A028: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) appeared first on .

This Charlie Chaplin classic is set during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late-1800s. It saw many people travel through Alaska to Canada in an attempt to strike it rich. The post A027: The Gold Rush (1925) appeared first on .