378: Nuremberg with Jack El-Hai
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.” 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 […]
377: Feud: Bette and Joan with Scott Eyman
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 […]
375: Donald Rumsfeld in the Movies with William Cooper
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 […]
374: Young Guns II with Josh from The Wild West Extravaganza
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 […]
371: Classic: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story with Matthew Polly
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. Get Matthew’s Book Bruce […]
370: Titanic with Mark B. Perry
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? Get Mark’s Book And Introducing Dexter Gaines Also mentioned in this episode Watch the movie Get the […]
368: Behind the True Story: Not a Real Enemy with Robert Wolf
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 Not a Real Enemy Find Robert on Social robertjwolfmd.com Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a […]
366: Troy with Neil Laird
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? Get Neil’s Latest Book Prime Time Pompeii […]
362: The Pinkertons Part 3 with Rob Hilliard
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 […]
361: The Pinkertons Part 2 with Rob Hilliard
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 361) — We’re continuing our 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 […]
360: The Pinkertons Part 1 with Rob Hilliard
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 […]