BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 383) — Did the Oppenheimer movie get the Manhattan Project right? Today, we'll dig into the film's portrayal of the project. From the Los Alamos we see in the movie to what we don't see in the movie such as Oak Ridge's massive factories, Hanford's plutonium production, and more that you don't ever see in the movie. Get Alice's book Alice Lovejoy is the author of Tales of Militant Chemistry , film scholar, and a professor at the University of Minnesota. She'll joi...
Feb 17, 2026•55 min•Ep. 383
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 382) — Join me in this throwback style BOATS episode without any guests. It'll just be you and I learning about the true story behind 2023's Oppenheimer . Was the poisoned apple scene real? How well was the Trinity Test portrayed on screen? What does the movie leave out from Oppenheimer's life? If you've seen the movie and wondered what really happened, this episode is your guided tour through the history behind the film. Chapters 0:00 Intro, synopsis & Two T...
Jan 30, 2026•44 min•Ep. 382
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 381) — My love of history started with the legend of King Arthur. While there are many King Arthur movies to pick from, today we'll learn about the one that marketed itself as being more historically accurate than the others. Dorsey Armstrong on The Great Courses Plus Historian Dorsey Armstrong breaks down the historical accuracy of the 2004 film King Arthur . Learn the true story behind the legends of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, the Round Table, and more. Chapter...
Jan 14, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 381
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 380) — Today we dive into the 2013 film Captain Phillips directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks—and discover how much of Hollywood's version actually matches the true story of the Maersk Alabama hijacking. Trial attorney Brian Beckcom, who represented the crew of the container ship after the Somali pirate attack, shares accounts of what really happened during this dramatic rescue operation and reveals the major inaccuracies that made it to the screen....
Dec 16, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 380
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 379) — Most movies focus on the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, but the true story of December 7th, 1941, involves a coordinated global offensive across the Pacific. In this episode, history professor Joshua Donohue returns to explore what the movies miss—including attacks on Wake Island, the Philippines, and military installations across Oahu that extended far beyond the harbor itself. From civilian casualties to pilot heroics to the international scope of Japa...
Dec 07, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 379
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 378) — Discover the historical accuracy behind the 2025 film "Nuremberg" which is adapted from Jack El-Hai's book "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist." Get Jack's Book: The Nazi and the Psychiatrist Learn about the real Dr. Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) and his complex relationship with Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) during the historic Nuremberg trials. What did the filmmakers get right and what did they change from the true story? Tune in to find out! Also Mentioned J...
Nov 25, 2025•52 min•Ep. 378
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 377) — The first season of FX’s “Feud” chronicles the turbulent making of the 1962 thriller “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Over eight episodes set against Hollywood's fading Golden Age, “Feud” focuses on a simmering resentment between aging stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, on-set clashes over performances and camera work, and the film’s premiere. Get Scott's book Where to watch Feud To help us separate fact from fiction in the series today is Scott Eyman, ...
Nov 18, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 377
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 376) — This special three-in-one episode is a thorough exploration of the true story behind the U.S. government's top secret program investigating UFOs called Project Blue Book. In 2019, the History Channel released a dramatized version of Project Blue Book's reports starring Aidan Gillen as Dr. J. Allen Hynek. Ufologist Rob Kristoffersen will help us uncover the true story behind each episode of the twenty episodes in the TV series. Then, the third part of our e...
Oct 07, 2025•3 hr 38 min•Ep. 376
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 375) — Donald Rumsfeld served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense twice in his career, including during the 9/11 attacks. Today, we'll learn how the movies "Vice", "W." bring a fictional portrayal of Rumsfeld. We'll also look into the accuracy of the documentary "The Unknown Known" which interviews Rumsfeld himself. Get William's book Separating fact from fiction for us today is William Cooper, whose new historical fiction novel "The Trial of Donald H. Rumsfeld"...
Sep 18, 2025•59 min•Ep. 375
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 374) — Today we'll rejoin Billy the Kid's outlaw gang as they continue their attempts to escape the law following the events in Young Guns ( BOATS EP. 146 ). Was Brushy Bill Roberts a real person? Was he Billy the Kid? What other creative liberties did the filmmakers take in telling the true story of Billy the Kid? Where to watch Young Guns II Follow Josh's podcast To help us unravel the historical accuracy of Young Guns II, we'll be joined by Josh, the host of T...
Sep 02, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 374
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 373) — Learn about legendary aviator Amelia Earhart as she was portrayed onscreen by Hilary Swank in the 2009 biopic. To uncover the true story, today we'll talk with author, documentarian, and host of Chasing Earhart , the only podcast dedicated entirely to Amelia Earhart: Chris Williamson. Where to watch Amelia Get Chris's book Chris Williamson has an array of work with the Chasing Earhart Project, including the book "Rabbit Hole: The Vanishing of Amelia Earhar...
Aug 19, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 373
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 372) — Travel back to the Old West for a tale of revenge, Pinkerton agents, and frontier justice in the wake of the Civil War. One of those former Pinkerton agents in the movie is John Scobell (Gbenga Akinnagbe), making 2025's Trail of Vengeance the first movie to feature John Scobell as one of its main characters. Where to watch Trail of Vengeance Get Rob's book To help us separate fact from fiction in the movie today is author Rob Hilliard, whose book "In Freed...
Aug 05, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 372
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 371) — How well do you know about the real Bruce Lee? There are a lot of myths that came out of the movie "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" so today we'll pull another classic episode from the Based on a True Story vault. Where to watch Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Get Matthew's book Matthew Polly authored "Bruce Lee: A Life," called the definitive biography by The New York Times. His research revealed Lee's more complex humanity, debunking decades of Hollywood my...
Jul 22, 2025•55 min•Ep. 371
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 370) — Twentieth Century-Fox's "Titanic" starring Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb claims to draw facts from 1912 congressional inquiries, so how well does it do when we compare it to history? Where to watch Titanic (1953) Get Mark's book Mark B. Perry is the author of the novel "And Introducing Dexter Gaines: A Novel of Old Hollywood", a tale that transports you back to the time when during the film's production. is a Golden Globe and Emmy-winning screenwrite...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 370
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 369) — This Friday marks the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. Arguably the most popular movie depicting the fighting on the beaches of Normandy is 1998's Saving Private Ryan . Where to watch Saving Private Ryan In this remastered edition of Based on a True Story, we'll compare the movie with what really happened with historian Marty Morgan. What did Saving Private Ryan get right, where did it miss the mark, and hear how the movie has influenced Marty's exp...
Jun 03, 2025•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 369
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 368) — Go behind the true stories shown in Holocaust movies through the experiences of Robert Wolf's family. Since we'll be talking about the Holocaust, listener discretion is advised. Get Robert's book Where to watch today's movies The Sound of Music (1965) Life is Beautiful (1997) Schindler's List (1993) Walking with the Enemy (2013) Sunshine (1999) Did you enjoy this episode? Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Join the ...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 368
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 367) — Is John McClane a realistic cop or just an action hero with a badge? Yippee-ki-yay, history lovers, let's see if McClane would survive a real Internal Affairs review. Where to watch "Die Hard" now Helping us conduct a review of McClane from the entire Die Hard franchise is retired U.S. police sergeant Patrick O'Donnell, who is now a technical consultant and author of "The Good Collar." Get Patrick's book Also mentioned in this episode Hire Patrick for your...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 367
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 366) — Homer’s "The Iliad" tells the story of the Trojan War, a tale brought to the big screen in the 2004 film "Troy." But with an ancient epic as its foundation—and Hollywood’s creative liberties—how much of the story is real? Where to watch "Troy" now In this episode, Neil Laird peels back the layers of myth and fiction to uncover the truth. Neil is a multiple Emmy-nominated director and producer of historical films for networks including Discovery, BBC, PBS, ...
Apr 15, 2025•59 min•Ep. 366
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 365) — Discover the behind-the-scenes story of Black Hawk Down, as historian Josh Donohue shares insights on the chaotic 1993 mission in Mogadishu. Learn what truly happened versus what Hollywood depicted. Subscribe to Josh's YouTube channel Josh has been on the podcast before to cover the historical accuracy of Thirteen Days and We Were Soldiers, and he's currently working on a new YouTube channel. Where to watch Black Hawk Down now Mentioned in this episode Jos...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 365
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 364) — Acclaimed historian Jon Parshall separates fact from fiction in the classic film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and the brutal realities of the Thai-Burma Railway during World War II, also known as the Death Railway. We'll contrast the film's fictional Colonel Nicholson with his real-life counterpart Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey, who sabotaged bridge construction when possible rather than cooperating with the Japanese. Follow Jon's new book at 1942book...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 364
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 363) — In today’s Behind the True Story episode, we take a closer look at the career of award-winning director and producer Robyn Flanery. Robyn's latest project, the documentary series "Profit Over People," explores the failure of the U.S. healthcare system. She previously directed the critically acclaimed documentary "Broken Worlds: The Island" and has worked behind the scenes on historical films such as "The Butler" and "Dallas Buyers Club." Her credits also i...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 363
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 362) — Author Rob Hilliard joins us to bring "The Pinkertons" miniseries to a close by covering episodes 15 through 22 of the TV show. From John Scobell and Kate Warne to Allan and Will Pinkerton, Rob's book takes what we know from history and fills in many of the blanks with a thrilling narrative. Grab your copy of "In Freedom's Shadow" Also mentioned in this episode Learn more about Dr. Mary Walker Transcript and more for this episode Find the rest of "The Pink...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 362
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 361) — We're continuing a look at "The Pinkertons" by covering episodes eight to 14 of the TV show. Find part one linked here . Coming back for today's episode is "In Freedom's Shadow" author Rob Hilliard. Rob's book is a historical novel based on the incredibly true story of Pinkertons operative John Scobell. Mentioned in this episode Get your copy of Rob's book "In Freedom's Shadow" Transcript and more for this episode Find the rest of "The Pinkertons" miniseri...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 361
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 360) — We're beginning of a three-part miniseries covering all 22 episodes of " The Pinkertons ." Today, we examine the first seven episodes of the television series. Joining us for the miniseries is author Rob Hilliard, whose book " In Freedom's Shadow " is a historical novel based on the true story of Pinkerton operative John Scobell, and includes many of the characters we see in the series. Mentioned in this episode Get your copy of Rob's book "In Freedom's Sh...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 360
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 359) — Today is the 80th anniversary (January 25, 1945) of the official end of the Battle of the Bulge campaign during World War II. On our episode today, we'll learn about the classic film from 60 years ago (1965) that has often been criticized for many of its historical inaccuracies as it depicts the battle. Where to watch Battle of the Bulge To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll be joined by Robert B. O'Connor, author of the novel called Jeep Show: A Tr...
Jan 25, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 359
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 358) — In 2000's Thirteen Days, we see a lot of the behind-the-scenes discussions and decisions that took place during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll get to hear from Joshua Donohue, who is the Adjunct Professor of History at Suffolk County Community College as well as Farmingdale State College. Where to watch Thirteen Days Follow Josh's work Heroic Fight for Wake Island Check back soon for more of Josh's...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 358
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 357) — A new biopic from director Pablo Larraín tells the story of renowned opera singer Maria Callas. Unfortunately, the movie falls short in telling the true story of the real Maria Callas. Today we'll get to learn from Sophia Lambton, the author of The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography. Get the Maria Callas biography Earlier this year, Sophia's biography of Maria Callas took home the 2024 ARSC Awards' Best Historical Research in Recorded Classical Music. ...
Dec 30, 2024•2 hr•Ep. 357
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 356) — Today we're tackling all five movies in the storied Indiana Jones franchise that needs no further introduction. To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll learn from multiple Emmy-nominated director and producer Neil Laird. Learn more about Neil's work While his name may not be as popular as Indiana Jones, if you've watched programming on Discovery, BBC, PBS, History Channel, or National Geographic, then you're likely familiar with his work. From Mysteri...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 356
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 355) — Today is the 83rd anniversary of the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor that was depicted in the 1970 movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Often praised for its accuracy, Tora! Tora! Tora! has also perpetrated some myths about what really happened. Where to watch Tora! Tora! Tora! now To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll be joined by Jon Parshall, an award-winning author who has worked as a historical consultant on numerous TV shows, and as a frequent lecturer at ...
Dec 07, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 355
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 354) — Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, we're walking into Casablanca on this episode to answer: How historically accurate is the movie? Where to watch Casablanca now Helping us separate fact from fiction is Bob LeMent from Static Radio . Listen to Bob's show at StaticRadio.com Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support cl...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 354
