History in Film
224 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsTravel, exercise, & movies
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Episodes
A038: The Artist (2011) & Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
April 09, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBWe 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 .
A037: Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
March 26, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBMartin 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 .
A036: Eight Men Out (1988)
March 12, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBGreat 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 .
A035: Reds (1981)
February 27, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBA look (though perhaps a boring one) into the lives of American radicals in the 1910s. The post A035: Reds (1981) appeared first on .
A034: Sergeant York (1941)
February 13, 2024 12:00 - 58 minutes - 46.7 MBThe 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 .
A033: Jim Thorpe — All-American (1951)
January 30, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 58 MBThe 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 .
A032: Ragtime (1981)
January 16, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBBased 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 .
A031: The Wind and the Lion (1975)
January 02, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 75 MBBased 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 .
A030: The Winds of Kitty Hawk (1978)
December 19, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBThis 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 .
A029: There Will Be Blood (2007)
December 05, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MBOil! 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 .
A028: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
November 21, 2023 12:00 - 58 minutes - 46.9 MBScreenwriter 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 .
A027: The Gold Rush (1925)
November 07, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 50 MBThis 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 .
A026b: The Lighthouse (2019)
October 31, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 40.9 MBHappy Halloween! This gloomy tale is set at an off-shore lighthouse in New England near the end of the 19th century. The post A026b: The Lighthouse (2019) appeared first on .
A026: The Prestige (2006)
October 24, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 42.5 MBWe use The Prestige as an excuse to discuss Nikola Tesla and the early days of electricity in the United States. The post A026: The Prestige (2006) appeared first on .
A025: Edison, the Man (1940)
October 10, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBThis is a bit oversimplified and fictionalized, but still gives an okay look at the man behind the lightbulb. The post A025: Edison, the Man (1940) appeared first on .
A024: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)
September 26, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBThis HBO original film focuses on the people involved in the political fight over the Black Hills in South Dakota that led to the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890. The post A024: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) appeared first on .
A023: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
September 12, 2023 11:00 - 55 minutes - 44.5 MBAs the outlaw career of Jesse James was winding down, an eager young criminal named Robert Ford joined his gang. This film is a fairly accurate portrayal of the final [ … ] The post A023: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) appeared first on .
A022: Stagecoach (1939)
August 29, 2023 11:00 - 46 minutes - 37.6 MBA group of strangers travel through Apache territory on their way from Arizona to New Mexico in June of 1880. The post A022: Stagecoach (1939) appeared first on .
A021: The Molly Maguires (1970)
August 15, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBRichard Harris and Sean Connery star in this story of a detective infiltrating a coal union in 1876 Pennsylvania. Based on actual events. The post A021: The Molly Maguires (1970) appeared first on .
A020b: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
August 08, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBThis Coen Brothers anthology is just a fun look at various Old West tropes while all being centered around death. The post A020b: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) appeared first on .
A020: In Old Chicago (1938)
August 01, 2023 11:00 - 45 minutes - 36.5 MBA fictionalized family drama about the O’Leary family whose cow is credited with starting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The post A020: In Old Chicago (1938) appeared first on .
A019: Little Big Man (1970)
July 18, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBDustin Hoffman stars as Jack Crab, a man claiming to be the lone white survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. His life story runs him through the gamut [ … ] The post A019: Little Big Man (1970) appeared first on .
A018b: The Searchers (1956)
July 11, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 40.9 MBSet in Texas from ~1868-1873, The Searchers follows two men on a quest to rescue a little girl from the Comanches who kidnapped her. The post A018b: The Searchers (1956) appeared first on .
A018: Lincoln (2012)
July 04, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBAnother stellar performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in this film about the President’s quest to pass the 13th Amendment. The post A018: Lincoln (2012) appeared first on .
A017: Dances with Wolves (1990)
June 20, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBThis is a fictional story, but still gives us an opportunity to discuss Native Americans during the Civil War. We also wrap up the fighting of the Civil War itself [ … ] The post A017: Dances with Wolves (1990) appeared first on .
A016: Glory (1989)
June 06, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBA solid movie and a fairly accurate look at the 54th Massachusetts regiment of African-American soldiers during the Civil War. The post A016: Glory (1989) appeared first on .
A015: Gettysburg (1993)
May 23, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBFake beards and lack of blood aside, this may be the most accurate film we’ve ever discussed on the podcast. The post A015: Gettysburg (1993) appeared first on .
A014: The General (1926)
May 09, 2023 11:00 - 55 minutes - 44.8 MBBuster Keaton’s silent classic is based an actual event called the Great Locomotive Chase from April 12, 1862. While it starts out fairly accurate, it soon goes… off the rails, [ … ] The post A014: The General (1926) appeared first on .
A013: The Gangs of New York (2002)
April 25, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBA fictionalized story, but set in the very real world of the Five Points slum of New York City. Some real-life figures also play important roles. The post A013: The Gangs of New York (2002) appeared first on .
A012: Santa Fe Trail (1940)
April 11, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBBleeding Kansas and the radical abolitionist John Brown seen through the eyes of J.E.B. Stuart and pals. The post A012: Santa Fe Trail (1940) appeared first on .
A011: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
March 28, 2023 11:00 - 46 minutes - 37.4 MBThe harrowing true story of Solomon Northup, a free man who was captured in 1841 and sold into slavery. The post A011: 12 Years a Slave (2013) appeared first on .
W059b: RRR (2022)
March 21, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 41 MBDespite the absolute craziness that is RRR, two very real men were the inspiration for it. The post W059b: RRR (2022) appeared first on .
A010: The Revenant (2015)
March 14, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 41.2 MBThe harrowing story of Hugh Glass as told by Oscar-winning director Alejandro Iñárritu. Many details in the film are invented, but Glass did indeed survive a bear attack much to [ … ] The post A010: The Revenant (2015) appeared first on .
A009: The Mark of Zorro (1940) & The Mask of Zorro (1998)
February 28, 2023 12:00 - 53 minutes - 43.1 MBZorro is fictional, but there’s plenty to talk about in the true story of California in the early 1800s. The post A009: The Mark of Zorro (1940) & The Mask of Zorro (1998) appeared first on .
A008: Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955)
February 14, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBA surprisingly thorough look at the life of Davy Crockett told in three vignettes. The post A008: Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955) appeared first on .
A007b: First Cow (2020)
February 07, 2023 12:00 - 37 minutes - 29.9 MBSet in the early days of European settlement in the Oregon territory, First Cow offers an interesting perspective on the basics we take for granted. The post A007b: First Cow (2020) appeared first on .
A007: The Buccaneer (1958)
January 31, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBThe crazy story of Jean Lafitte, the pirate who helped the United States win the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The post A007: The Buccaneer (1958) appeared first on .
A006: Hamilton (2020)
January 17, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBThe hit musical offers a unique glimpse into the lives of the Founding Fathers. The post A006: Hamilton (2020) appeared first on .
A005b: The Patriot (2000) & Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
January 10, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBWe depart from the politics of the situation and look at the fighting of the Revolutionary War itself. The post A005b: The Patriot (2000) & Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) appeared first on .
A005: 1776 (1972)
January 03, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBHappy New Year! This week we’re looking at the Second Continental Congress and the debate over the Declaration of Independence. The post A005: 1776 (1972) appeared first on .
House Targaryen
December 27, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBWe deviate from our usual routine to nerd out about dragons! The post House Targaryen appeared first on .
A004: Northwest Passage (1940)
December 20, 2022 12:00 - 52 minutes - 42.3 MBWhile it has nothing to do with the actual Northwest Passage, this film does introduce the real-life figure of Robert Rogers. The post A004: Northwest Passage (1940) appeared first on .
A003b: Chingachgook: The Great Snake (1967)
December 13, 2022 12:00 - 47 minutes - 37.8 MBThis German production of James Fenimore Cooper’s The Deerslayer isn’t great, but does serve as a prequel to The Last of the Mohicans. The post A003b: Chingachgook: The Great Snake (1967) appeared first on .
A003: The Crucible (1996)
December 06, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBThe Crucible was a poignant allegory for McCarthyism when first released as a play. The film adaptation may ham it up a bit with the performances, but still highlights an [ … ] The post A003: The Crucible (1996) appeared first on .
A002b: The Witch (2015)
November 29, 2022 12:00 - 57 minutes - 46.1 MBObviously a fictional story, but we discuss this time period in New England and the history of witchcraft. The post A002b: The Witch (2015) appeared first on .
A002: Mayflower: The Pilgrims’ Adventure (1979)
November 22, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBA group religious outcasts hires a ship to take them to the New World. We talk about what this film starring Anthony Hopkins got right and wrong. The post A002: Mayflower: The Pilgrims’ Adventure (1979) appeared first on .
A001: Pocahontas (1995) & The New World (2005)
November 08, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 60 MBWe discuss both of these films as we explore the full stories of John Smith and Pocahontas. The post A001: Pocahontas (1995) & The New World (2005) appeared first on .
A000: Valhalla Rising (2009)
October 31, 2022 11:00 - 31 minutes - 24.9 MBHappy Halloween! We preview our American history series with a look at this bizarre film by Nicolas Winding Refn. The post A000: Valhalla Rising (2009) appeared first on .
V06b: Vikings, season 6, part 2
October 18, 2022 11:00 - 37 minutes - 30.2 MBWe conclude our discussion of the series Vikings. Many journeys come to an end and Ubbe and company find themselves in North America. The post V06b: Vikings, season 6, part 2 appeared first on .
V06a: Vikings, season 6, part 1
October 04, 2022 11:00 - 31 minutes - 25.3 MBWe follow Ivar the Boneless to the world of the Kievan Rus’. The post V06a: Vikings, season 6, part 1 appeared first on .