History in Film

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Covering world history in 100 (or so) movies. From creation and cavemen to Facebook and modern culture--I'll talk about what they got right, what they got wrong, and just about the movies themselves. www.tracknerds.com

History in Film


    • May 20, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 44m AVG DURATION
    • 257 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from History in Film

    A060: Malcolm X (1992)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 69:12


    Spike Lee’s biopic of Malcolm X attempts to include Malcolm entire life, short as it was. The post A060: Malcolm X (1992) appeared first on .

    A059: Capote (2005)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 84:17


    A wonderful form of biopic that chooses one event to focus in Truman Capote’s life as opposed to giving us his full biography. That event is the murder of the [ … ] The post A059: Capote (2005) appeared first on .

    A058: October Sky (1999)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 79:45


    A few Hollywood changes, but based on the true story of Homer Hickam and his friends who built their own rockets as teenagers in the late 1950s in West Virginia. The post A058: October Sky (1999) appeared first on .

    A057: L.A. Confidential (1997)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 56:05


    Mostly fictional, but Bloody Christmas is very much based on a real event. And it’s just a great movie! The post A057: L.A. Confidential (1997) appeared first on .

    A056: Devotion (2022)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 72:36


    This Korean War movie features two real-life pilots on a mission in the early days of the conflict. The post A056: Devotion (2022) appeared first on .

    A055: Trumbo (2015)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 81:37


    Interesting look at one of the primary writers affected by the Blacklist in Hollywood during the second Red Scare. The post A055: Trumbo (2015) appeared first on .

    A054: 42 (2013)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 77:56


    Not the strongest version of this story we could have gotten, but Chadwick Boseman does a great job as Jackie Robinson. The post A054: 42 (2013) appeared first on .

    A053: The Godfather (1972)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 77:10


    This all-time cinema classic isn’t a true story, but still gives us plenty to talk about. The post A053: The Godfather (1972) appeared first on .

    A052: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 92:51


    Best picture winner about three soldiers returning home from the war and struggling to rejoin society. The post A052: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) appeared first on .

    A051b: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 65:46


    Continuing our discussion of It’s a Wonderful Life! The post A051b: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), pt. 2 appeared first on .

    A051a: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), pt. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 69:42


    This Christmas classic is obviously fictional, but there’s plenty of history and early-20th century Americana to discuss. We went long so this is part 1 of 2. The post A051a: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), pt. 1 appeared first on .

    W045b: The Last Samurai (2003)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024 52:07


    Set at the end of the samurai era in Japan, this movie oversimplifies and outright distorts the actual history. The post W045b: The Last Samurai (2003) appeared first on .

    W033b: Shogun (2024)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 91:53


    An instant classic that very closely parallels actual events from Japanese history. The post W033b: Shogun (2024) appeared first on .

    W012b: The Green Knight (2021)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 71:28


    A tale from Arthurian legend, so nothing historic. But it gives us a chance to talk about the history of Arthurian legend itself. The post W012b: The Green Knight (2021) appeared first on .

    Robert’s Rebellion, pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 69:32


    We continue our discussion of Robert’s Rebellion and how it set up the events of the Game of Thrones series. The post Robert’s Rebellion, pt. 2 appeared first on .

    Robert’s Rebellion, pt. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 59:03


    We previously discussed the history of House Targaryen. Now we take a closer look at the events leading to Robert’s Rebellion which, in turn, sets up the original Game of [ … ] The post Robert’s Rebellion, pt. 1 appeared first on .

    W047b: The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 82:48


    Based on the Rudyard Kipling story, there are still several real life inspirations for aspects of the tale. The post W047b: The Man Who Would Be King (1975) appeared first on .

    A050c: Notorious (1946)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 77:36


    Happy Halloween! Not the scariest movie from Alfred Hitchcock, but definitely in the thriller category. It also fits right in our timeline at the end of World War II. The post A050c: Notorious (1946) appeared first on .

    C06: The Crown, season 6

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 89:07


    Arguably the weakest season of the series, but there’s still a lot to like. We talk about what they got right and wrong historically, and how the series ultimately stuck [ … ] The post C06: The Crown, season 6 appeared first on .

    1st half recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 65:03


    As we hit the halfway point in our American history timeline, we pause to reflect on our progress so far and talk about what’s coming up as we plan to [ … ] The post 1st half recap appeared first on .

    A050b: Oppenheimer (2023) pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 94:03


    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 .

    oppenheimer lewis strauss
    A050a: Oppenheimer (2023) pt. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 108:15


    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 .

    A049: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 77:09


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

    A048: Saving Private Ryan (1998)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 95:50


    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 .

    A047: Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 72:15


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

    A046: Patton (1970)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 84:54


    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 .

    A045: A League of Their Own (1992)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2024 70:01


    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 .

    A044: Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2024 74:21


    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 .

    A043: The Aviator (2004)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2024 91:58


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

    A042: Chaplin (1992)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2024 85:40


    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 .

    A041: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 78:38


    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 .

    A040: Cinderella Man (2005)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2024 70:27


    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 .

    A039: The Untouchables (1987)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 74:14


    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 .

    A038: The Artist (2011) & Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2024 72:06


    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 .

    A037: Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2024 75:34


    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 .

    A036: Eight Men Out (1988)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2024 83:34


    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 .

    A035: Reds (1981)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2024 85:00


    A 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)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2024 58:19


    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 .

    A033: Jim Thorpe — All-American (1951)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 72:26


    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 .

    A032: Ragtime (1981)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2024 73:13


    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 .

    A031: The Wind and the Lion (1975)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2024 93:41


    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 .

    A030: The Winds of Kitty Hawk (1978)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 69:29


    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 .

    A029: There Will Be Blood (2007)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 65:17


    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 .

    A028: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 58:36


    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 .

    A027: The Gold Rush (1925)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023 62:24


    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 .

    A026b: The Lighthouse (2019)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 51:05


    Happy 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)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2023 53:02


    We 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)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2023 71:23


    This 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)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 69:46


    This 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)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2023 55:32


    As 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)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2023 46:53


    A 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 .

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