

Based on a True Story
Dan LeFebvre
We've all seen movies that claim to be 'based on a true story', but have you ever wondered how accurate they are? That's what we'll find out as we compare Hollywood with history.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 9, 2024 • 44min
This Week: 300: Rise of an Empire, United 93, A Star-Spangled Story, The Exorcism of Emily Rose
BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 9-15, 2024) — Tuesday this week marks the anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, which we see in the movie 300: Rise of an Empire. Then, of course, we'll be looking at this week's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks from the movie United 93. For our third historical event, we'll learn about A Star-Spangled Story and how an event from this week in history inspired the U.S. national anthem. We'll also learn about the true story behind The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which released exactly 19 years ago today.Did you enjoy this episode? Support the next one!Events from this week in history
Tuesday: 300: Rise of an Empire
Wednesday: United 93 | BOATS #113
Saturday: A Star-Spangled Story
Birthdays from this week in history
Thursday: Henry Hudson in The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson
Friday: Daniel Defoe in Robinson Crusoe
Sunday: Marco Polo in Marco Polo
Historical movies released this week in historyFriday: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Also mentioned in this episode
300: Rise of an Empire: Based on a True Story episode #5 about 300
300: Rise of an Empire: Photos from the battlefield at Marathon as it looks today
300: Rise of an Empire: Map of the Battle of Marathon
300: Rise of an Empire: More about the Battle of Marathon's affect on democracy today
The Exorcism of Emily Rose: The Windsor Star 1978 article interviewing the priests
The Exorcism of Emily Rose: National Catholic Register article about the 1998 revised rite of exorcism
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Sep 5, 2024 • 17min
Today: The Great Fire and the Extinguishment of the Great Fire of London
BOATS TODAY (SEPT 5, 2024) — After four days of fighting the flames, the Great Fire of London was finally extinguished on this day in 1666 so today we'll learn more about how the events from exactly 358 years ago today were shown in the TV miniseries called The Great Fire.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Watch it now: Find where The Great Fire is streamingDid you enjoy this episode?
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Sep 2, 2024 • 23min
This Week: Rome, Geronimo: An American Legend, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
BOATS THIS WEEK (SEPT 2-8, 2024) — On this day almost two thousand years ago, the Battle of Actium decided power in Rome. Not coincidentally, we'll learn about that today from a TV show called Rome. The second event from this week in history according to the movies comes from the 1993 film called Geronimo: An American Legend, because Wednesday this week marks the 138th anniversary of that event. For our third event, we'll learn about one of Jesse James' infamous holdups from September 7th, 1876 as it's shown in the movie The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Events from This Week in History
Monday: Rome
Wednesday: Geronimo: An American Legend
Saturday: The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
Birthdays from This Week in History
Tuesday: James "Whitey" Bulger in Black Mass
Thursday: Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | BOATS #166
Friday: Marquis de Lafayette in Turn: Washington's Spies | BOATS #139
Saturday: Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age | BOATS #106 (Elizabeth) | BOATS #112 (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
A Historical Movie Releasing This WeekFriday: 1992
Mentioned in this episode
Krakatoa and Edvard Munch's The Scream
Original newspaper reports of each Jack the Ripper victim
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Sep 2, 2024 • 9min
Today: The Great Fire and the Initial Ignition of the Great Fire of London
Editor's Note: The fire started after midnight on September 2nd in London, so if you're in the United States like I am then you might see this minisode release on September 1st due to time zones.BOATS TODAY (SEPT 2, 2024) — The Great Fire of London started exactly 358 years ago today, so we'll learn how well the TV miniseries called The Great Fire shows the way it all started.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Watch it now: Find where The Great Fire is streamingDid you enjoy this episode?
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Aug 26, 2024 • 27min
This Week: Saving Mr Banks, Krakatoa East of Java, From Hell
BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 26-SEPT 1, 2024) — Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary of Disney's Mary Poppins premiered, and that event is shown in the 2013 movie called Saving Mr. Banks about the making of Mary Poppins. If that's too confusing, give the episode a listen to unravel it all. From there, we'll travel to the west of Java to the movie incorrectly titled Krakatoa, East of Java. It got the geography wrong in the title, but we'll find out how well it shows the eruption of Krakatoa from August 28th, 1883. Then we'll go to London in 1888 because this Saturday is the anniversary of the first Jack the Ripper victim being discovered; an event from the movie From Hell.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Events from This Week in History
Tuesday: Saving Mr. Banks
Wednesday: Krakatoa, East of Java
Thursday: From Hell | BOATS #93 | Jack the Ripper newspaper reports
Birthdays from This Week in History
Tuesday: President Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ
Friday: Mary Shelley in Mary Shelley
Saturday: Caligula in The Robe
Historical Movies Releasing This WeekFriday: 1992
Mentioned in this episode
Krakatoa and Edvard Munch's The Scream
Original newspaper reports of each Jack the Ripper victim
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Aug 19, 2024 • 23min
This Week: The Crucible, Sweet Dreams, Pompeii
BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 19-25,2024) — Historical events from the movies start with The Crucible and how it depicts the Salem witch trials from this week in 1692. Then, we'll learn a bit about Patsy Cline's hit song "Crazy" because it was this week in 1961 that she started recording it in the studio, and that's shown in the 1985 biopic about her life called Sweet Dreams. For our third event, we'll learn about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius as it was shown in the movie Pompeii.Editor's note: The filmmakers couldn't have known this, but there's a good chance it didn't actually happen this week in history. Listen to the episode to learn more.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Events from this week in history
Monday: The Crucible
Wednesday: Sweet Dreams
Saturday: Pompeii
Birthdays from this week in history
Friday: King Louis XVI of France in Marie Antionette
Saturday: William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace
Sunday: Ivan Vasilyevich "Ivan the Terrible" in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Historical movie released this week in historyWednesday: Inglorious Basterds
Also mentioned in this episode
Photos from the real Pompeii
Schindler's List with Dr. Dan McMillan
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Aug 12, 2024 • 1h 3min
The Mummy (1999) with Dr. Aidan Dodson
The Mummy (1999) is packed with supernatural powers, Hollywood magic, and...maybe some truth? After all, mummies were a real thing. We'll chat with acclaimed Egyptologist Dr. Aidan Dodson to find out how much of the movie is based in history.Where to start learning more of the true story
Monarchs of the Nile
Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife
More from Aidan's Lives and Afterlives series
Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife
The First Pharaohs: Their Lives and Afterlives
Tutankhamun, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife
The Nubian Pharaohs of Egypt: Their Lives and Afterlives
Thutmose III and Hatshepsut, Pharaohs of Egypt: Their Lives and Afterlives
Aidan's author pageDid you enjoy this episode?
Join the BOATS Discord community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/discord
Find the transcript and full show notes: https://links.boatspodcast.com/340
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Remove the ads by supporting the show: https://links.boatspodcast.com/support
Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through these links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 12, 2024 • 39min
This Week: The Philadelphia Experiment, Macbeth, The Pacific
BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 12-18,2024) — Today is the 81st anniversary of the conspiracy theory from the 1984 movie The Philadelphia Experiment. Or is it? Tune in to find out. After that, we'll move into the Shakespearean classic-turned-modern movie Macbeth (2015) because this Wednesday is the 984th anniversary (1040 CE) of King Duncan I of Scotland's death. This week also marks the 79th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, so our third event will come from the HBO miniseries The Pacific.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Events from This Week in History
Monday: The Philadelphia Experiment
Wednesday: Macbeth
Thursday: The Pacific | BOATS The Pacific Miniseries
Birthdays from This Week in History
Tuesday: Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun
Wednesday: Doc Holliday in Tombstone | BOATS #59 | BOATS #142 (Chris Wimmer) | BOATS #317 (Tom Clavin)
Thursday: Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon | BOATS Napoleon Miniseries
Friday: T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia | BOATS #49
Historical Movies Released This Week in History
Thursday: Apocalypse Now
Saturday: Monty Python's Life of Brian
Mentioned in this episode
The Philadelphia Experiment II
The Philadelphia Experiment (2012)
Potsdam Conference photos
Chris Wimmer's Legends of the Old West podcast
Tom Clavin's Tombstone book
Louis Sarkozy's book Napoleon's Library
Alexander Mikaberidze's book The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History
Lt. Col. John Stockton photo
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Aug 5, 2024 • 39min
This Week: Braveheart, Hatfields & McCoys, The Walk, Frost/Nixon
BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 5-11,2024) — This week's events from historical movies starts with Monday's 719th anniversary (August 5th, 1305) of William Wallace's (Mel Gibson) capture shown in the movie 'Braveheart.' In the History Channel's dramatic miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys", we'll see how it portrays the feud between their two families turning to bloodshed for the first time on August 7th, 1882. It was also on August 7th, but in the year 1974, that Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) became the only person in history to ever walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. We'll learn about that from the 2015 Robert Zemeckis film "The Walk." Finally, we'll learn about President Nixon's (Frank Langella) resignation from August 8th, 1974 as it was shown in the Ron Howard film "Frost/Nixon."And last but certainly not least, our 'based on a true story' movie from this week in history is the comedy-drama from August 7th, 2009 "Julie & Julia."Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Events from This Week in History
Monday, August 5th: Braveheart | BOATS #45
Wednesday, August 7th: Hatfields & McCoys
Wednesday, August 7th: The Walk
Thursday, August 8th: Frost/Nixon | BOATS #4
Birthdays from This Week in History
Monday, August 5th: Neil Armstrong in First Man | BOATS #144
Wednesday, August 7th: Mata Hari in Mata Hari | BOATS #74
Sunday, August 10th: Herbert Hoover in The Day the Bubble Burst
A Historical Movie Released This Week in HistoryWednesday, August 7th: Julie & Julia
Mentioned in this episode
Frost/Nixon: President Nixon's resignation address
Julie & Julia: Julie Powell's book
Julie & Julia: Julia Child's book
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Jul 29, 2024 • 36min
This Week: USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, Rush, Patton
BOATS THIS WEEK (JUL 29-AUG 4,2024) — There were two major disaster this week in history. The first we'll learn about is an event many consider the worst shark attack in history, which began on July 30th, 1945, and is shown in the movie USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage. Our next historical disaster marks its 48th anniversary on Thursday this week, and we'll watch the racing movie starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl called Rush, because it was on August 1st, 1976, that Daniel Brühl's character in that movie, Formula One legend Niki Lauda, nearly died in a fiery wreck during the German Grand Prix.Then, we'll learn about the "Slap Heard 'Round the World" from the World War II movie Patton, because this Saturday is the 81st anniversary of when General George S. Patton slapped U.S. Army Private Charles Kuhl.Last but certainly not least, our 'based on a true story' movie from this week in history is yet another disaster movie: Ron Howard's 2022 movie called Thirteen Lives.Until next time, here's where you can continue the story.Events from This Week in History
Tuesday: USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage | BOATS #48
Thursday: Rush | BOATS #70
Saturday: Patton | BOATS #163
Birthdays from This Week in History
Monday: Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie
Thursday: William Travis in The Alamo | BOATS #172
Sunday: Louis Armstrong in Louis
A Historical Movie Released This Week in HistoryMonday: Thirteen Lives
Mentioned in this episodeRush: Original footage of Niki Lauda's crashDid you enjoy this episode?
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Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/337 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.


