Incredible Movie Plots That Are Based On Real Life To Hell And Back
The Movie
Audie Murphy (playing himself) was determined to serve in World War II, and lied about his age to get himself into the War in 1942, despite being only 16 years old. Once over in Europe, he distinguished himself repeatedly and became the most decorated US soldier in the War.
Audie Murphy
The Amazing True Story!
Audie Murphy was short, kinda puny lookin' and had quit school at an early age to help support his 11 brothers and sisters (he was 6th of 12 children). When he joined the Army, he was 16 and had to overcome the attempts of his superior officers to keep such a pipsqueak out of actual combat, where he'd surely trip over his own feet. Their names now appear in the dictionary next to the words "so wrong".
Murphy first killed two escaping enemy officers in Sicily, getting himself promoted to Sergeant. Then, despite contracting the malaria that occasionally put him out of action for the rest of the War, he managed to get himself steadily promoted through the ranks to a battlefield commission to second Lieutenant, while winning every medal for valour that the US awards - 33 in total, including 5 that he received more than once. And six more for good measure from France and Belgium.
He took home the Medal of Honor towards the end of the War when, at the Battle of Holtzwihr, his unit had been reduced from a normal strength of 128 men to a mere 19. Murphy ordered his men back, took pot-shots at the Germans with his sharp-shooting skills learned during a boyhood in Texas, and when his ammunition ran out boarded an abandoned - and aflame - tank destroyer to use its gun to mow down the enemy. And yes, the vehicle could have exploded at any moment. He kept that up for over an hour, and then led his men against the remaining Germans, driving them from the field. All this, incidentally, in -10°C weather with over 60cm of snow on the ground.
The Differences
Practically none, except that Murphy was anxious not to appear self-aggrandizing and tried to get the filmmakers to tone it down a bit. He also wanted Tony Curtis (who he'd worked with in a number of Westerns) to play his role, again to avoid seeming egotistical.
Have Your Say
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Your Comments
1
Aye.
Posted on Saturday December 5, 2009, 02:06 by captainamazing
It's about time someone mentioned it was the Spartans who were reknowned boy-lovers, not the Persians. And fighting in your keks? What's that about?? Read More
2
ahem!
Posted on Monday November 9, 2009, 18:13 by mdogg81
L: Kefka of Clubs
While there are hundreds more inaccurate things you could say about 300, something always ignored about the Battle of Thermopylae is the arguably more important naval battle going on at the same time at Artemisium at the same time, led by the Athenian general Themistocles. While it wasn't a victory, exactly, it did damage the Persian fleet enough that Salamis (where the war was really won) was a much easier victory for the Greek armies. Also, as Herodotus claims there were 2,500,000 soldiers, cutting off their supply train (their navy) was a much more important tactic than killing a few soldiers or holding them up for a bit.
Sorry for the rant, but I really feel Sparta gets far too much credit for winning the Persian Wars. Remember when you guys were too busy to fight at Marathon, eh? Who had to do the heavy lifting there?!
sp;
That're very interesting, however it would make for a godawful, dull piece of entertainment journalism, which is why Read More
4
RE: AYE!
Posted on Monday November 9, 2009, 10:21 by Helen OHara
NZ, I didn't forget it, but I was looking for incidences where the real story was more interesting than the movie, and in that one I felt they were about on a par.
Kefka, there's no doubt that Artemisium was important, or Salamis, but neither has quite as great a cool factor as Thermopylae.
Read More
5
AYE!
Posted on Saturday November 7, 2009, 09:39 by nz_louise
you forgot heavenly creatures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read More
6
300
Posted on Friday November 6, 2009, 15:16 by Kefka of Clubs
While there are hundreds more inaccurate things you could say about 300, something always ignored about the Battle of Thermopylae is the arguably more important naval battle going on at the same time at Artemisium at the same time, led by the Athenian general Themistocles. While it wasn't a victory, exactly, it did damage the Persian fleet enough that Salamis (where the war was really won) was a much easier victory for the Greek armies. Also, as Herodotus claims there were 2,500,000 soldiers, cutting off their supply train (their navy) was a much more important tactic than killing a few soldiers or holding them up for a bit.
Sorry for the rant, but I really feel Sparta gets far too much credit for winning the Persian Wars. Remember when you guys were too busy to fight at Marathon, eh? Who had to do the heavy lifting there?! Read More
7
Dead Ringers
Posted on Friday November 6, 2009, 12:21 by sonofjor-el
Where's Dead Ringers?! I don't think any writer could have come up with identical twin Gynaecologists, manipulating their patients. Class. Read More
