# Oi, Hollywood! Americans did NOT win the Battle of Britain **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 1, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111 "2006-09-01T19:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/61 "2006-09-03T03:22:34Z")
You Brits have nothing to be ashamed of. James Bond saves the world just about every year. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/62 "2006-09-03T03:32:17Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] You Brits have nothing to be ashamed of. James Bond saves the world just about every year. [/QUOTE] From Countless Cuntz. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/63 "2006-09-03T06:29:28Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] :rolleyes: There is nothing worse than someone that doesn’t know their history. John Wayne had the busted leg. Robert Mitchum chewed on the cigar on the beach and said Jeez get it straight will you? [/QUOTE] Well if Bob had a busted leg he would have said that :dubious: But you’re right :smack: ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/64 "2006-09-03T06:31:13Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] You Brits have nothing to be ashamed of. James Bond saves the world just about every year. [/QUOTE] Yeah but Dr. Who saves it every _week_ ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/65 "2006-09-03T06:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] … Maybe the Brits could make a movie about saving the poor Americans at the Battle of the Bulge, or pulling our butts out of Operation Market Garden after MacArthur started shooting keeshonds and hippies. As an American, I apologize to the British for yet another Hollywood POS. [/QUOTE] Of course, although the main honours must rightly go to the US forces in the Battle of the Bulge, the Brits were there as well. It has been reckoned that the action of UK forces (supported by US tanks) in stopping the Germans at the River Meuse played a vital part in halting the German advance towards Antwerp. More details [here](http://www.qohldrs.co.uk/html/bulge_1944.htm) . During a trip to the Ardennes a few years I visited both the US Bastogne memorial, and the British war cemetery at Hotton. Both very moving. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/66 "2006-09-03T06:51:27Z")
I’d pay to see Superman fight Hitler armed with the the Spear of Destiny, and win the Battle of Britain for for those poor RAF boys. And in the end that’s all that matters. Whether my discretionary American moolah will leap out of my wallet for infotainment eye candy. Hmmm… need a script outline for this compelling historical tale. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/67 "2006-09-03T08:23:45Z")
Hey! Its not like Hollywood is inaccurate historically wrt America. Anyone every seen Braveheart? 😛 In addition, anyone ever read some of the older history books from England? At least we all know Hollywood is full of shit…we don’t actually attempt to teach it as the gospel (well, not all of us do anyway :smack: ). I think this is much ado about nothing here. I think the Japanese have more to get worked up about over Tom’s great portrayal in Dances with Samurai, which, IIRC the US didn’t have anything to do with at all. At least in the Battle of Britian there were a few US volunteers (again, IIRC). Not that they made a hell of a lot of difference, but afaik there were NO drunk former US cavalry officers who had seen one too many indian slaughters and who was subsequently captured by fierce Japanese warriors, who instead of killing him on the spot, recognized his great value and taught him how to wield a sword just like the guys who had been handling one since they were in the Japanese equivelent to a cradle, but who eventually would save the chief warlords life several time, making them bosem buddies, and would eventually come over to the side of the savages to show them how to fight, because they didn’t know how of course being warriors from birth, and then lead a last desparate charge into the teeth of machine gun fire only to survive in order to help the brave leader commit suicide. Now THAT, besides being a mouthful, is a bit more insulting to the Japanese than some American’s saving the day (again 😛 ) for our British bretheren in their hour of need…using F-14’s’ with lasers and a 1920 style death ray mounted in the nose. I think I remember reading about this in fact, though I suppose its been surpressed by the British government. Jealous buggers the lot of them… :eek: -XT ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/68 "2006-09-03T10:45:39Z")
[QUOTE=cerberus] Well, it’s good to see that the Tom Cruise projects are maintaining the same “high” “quality” of historical accuracy. [/QUOTE] Instead of the Battle Of Britain, maybe Mr. Cruise should ask to be in Peter Jackson’s remake of the [Dam Busters](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5301998.stm). He’d be perfect playing the part of a tail gunner. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/69 "2006-09-03T12:34:27Z")
Naw, I’d see him in a part truly worthy of his acting talent. I’d see him as Nigger. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/70 "2006-09-03T13:55:03Z")
No, no, no, no! Don’t you people know anything? _EVERYONE_ knows that WWII ended when Chuck Norris single-handedly wiped out the entire Wermacht and Waffen-SS on his lunch break, and then roundhouse kicked Hitler into orbit. Twice. Then he roundhouse kicked every single Japanese soldier to pieces, and then breathed Atomic fire upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war once and for all. Sure, the historians try and claim there were “Armies” and “Other Countries” involved in World War II (or International Civil War Part III, according to the state of Kansas), but we know it was really Chuck Norris. All of it. 😉 Seriously though, if I ever win Lotto, I’m going to make the following films: - An Aussie WWI/WWII film with no pretentious bullshit about “Mateship” or “Adversity”- just 120 minutes of people shooting at each other and things blowing up (with historically accurate weapons, equipment, vehicles, aircraft, and filmed in Bullet Time.) - An “Alternate History” film in which Britain wins the War of Independence and everyone in British North America apologises profusely for the misunderstanding and the inconvenience of the war. At the end of the film, everyone in British North America realises that they _LIKE_ being part of the British Empire, and all those revolutionary troublemakers can bugger off to Spanish America and stop wasting valuable tea. - The British 8th Army point and laugh at the Americans as they get their asses handed to them by the Afrika Korps at Kasserine Pass (Short film) - _Sitzkrieg: The Movie_, in which the BEF and the Wermacht sit around, drink tea/coffee, and discuss the weather in late 1939. - Lots of explicit, hardcore, fetish lesbian porn films. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/71 "2006-09-03T14:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=detop] You forgot to mention John Wayne defeating the Japaneses, invading France and protecting South Vietnam. [/QUOTE] If I remember right, John Wayne and the Flying Tigers defeated the Japanese even before we were at war with them, which was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/72 "2006-09-03T14:07:36Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] If I remember right, John Wayne and the Flying Tigers defeated the Japanese even before we were at war with them, which was pretty cool. [/QUOTE] They left a few behind so his Marine buddies could take them out in _Flying Leathernecks_. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/73 "2006-09-03T14:31:53Z")
Flying Leathernecks? I thought that was the Rat Pack on holiday. ---
**Author:** ![giddyaunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/67e7ee/32.png) [@giddyaunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/giddyaunt)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/74 "2006-09-04T10:10:11Z")
superman is from america? I DONT THINK SO…hes from space somewhere isnt he? I SAY HOW AMERICA WON THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN just isnt the same is it? dont mess with the 2nd world war heros …its just not on…HOLLYWOOD…who is going to be in the movie…not tom bloodi cruise or similar i hope ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/75 "2006-09-04T13:54:59Z")
[QUOTE=giddyaunt] superman is from america? I DONT THINK SO..hes from space somewhere isnt he? I SAY HOW AMERICA WON THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN just isnt the same is it? dont mess with the 2nd world war heros …its just not on…HOLLYWOOD…who is going to be in the movie…not tom bloodi cruise or similar i hope [/QUOTE] HEY, BOZO, Superman chose to BECOME an American, and support the American Way! That makes him MORE American than ANY American, except possibly Captain America. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/76 "2006-09-04T14:16:28Z")
Well, everyone knows that it was our lend-lease program that sent you all of those Sherman tanks that was the sole reason the Krauts lost the Battle of Britain. ---
**Author:** ![BooBoo316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@BooBoo316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BooBoo316)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/77 "2006-09-04T14:34:31Z")
[QUOTE=FinnAgain] I bet that next you’re going to try to tell us that Jesus wasn’t born here either. [/QUOTE] I also heard he was a jew, but he got better. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/78 "2006-09-04T15:06:47Z")
[QUOTE=BooBoo316] I also heard he was a jew, but he got better. [/QUOTE] No, he converted to Christianity. It helped that he already spoke English… Thise Arabic speakers today just do it to spite us. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/79 "2006-09-04T15:28:45Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] HEY, BOZO, Superman chose to BECOME an American, and support the American Way! That makes him MORE American than ANY American, except possibly Captain America. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah…what about Wonder Woman…huh? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111/80 "2006-09-04T15:44:31Z")
When [Gary Cooper](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034167/) saved France… was that before or after the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? (It used to be one of three movies that got routinely pulled out every time there was nothing on TV. That one, “Los últimos de Filipinas” and “The Philadelphia Story”, which may or may not be a war movie) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oi-hollywood-americans-did-not-win-the-battle-of-britain/371111.md?page=5)