# Things you know about HISTORY from movies, TV, and bad novels **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686 "2011-02-08T20:37:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/41 "2011-02-09T16:31:33Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > World War II was won by the Allies due to the contributions of Americans, with only cursory assistance from people from other countries. For example, Americans captured every Enigma machine. > [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Of course the English were doing such a great job until then. Kicked out of Norway. Kicked out of Belgium. Kicked out of France. Kicked out of Greece. Kicked out of Libya. But as the Delta House rep told Dear Wormer, they were really expecting their midterms to bring up their grades. World War II, of course, was a war that pitted the Americans and English and the odd picturesque Frenchman against the Germans. Oh yeah, there was that other front. Where the Americans fought the Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/42 "2011-02-09T17:15:00Z")
WW2 began when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/43 "2011-02-09T17:19:18Z")
And then stopped until D-Day, except on Guadalcanal. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/44 "2011-02-09T17:26:52Z")
Military victories or great accomplishments are only gained by disobeying orders, subordinating command, and throwing procedure out the window. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/45 "2011-02-09T19:08:42Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Sounds like the director torpedoed that idea. Heh heh… I see what you did there!😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/46 "2011-02-09T19:11:38Z")
I forgot to mention that the Italian army, during WW II, spent most of their time in picturesque Greek villages romancing the locals. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/47 "2011-02-09T19:21:22Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > As did Romans\* (_british accent_) and everybody in the Middle Ages, regardless of where they were from (or even the nationality of the actors playing them). Unless you’re Robin Hood, in which case you have an American accent. Talking of which, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves taught me that you can land on the beaches of Dover (white cliffs) but reassure your Moorish companion that you can walk to Nottingham by nightfall (c.250 miles). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/48 "2011-02-09T19:45:07Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > WW2 began when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I thought it was the [Germans](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQtU_fYe6gE) who bombed Pearl Harbor. ---
**Author:** ![MovieCriticNextDoor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@MovieCriticNextDoor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieCriticNextDoor)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/49 "2011-02-10T00:42:40Z")
Everyone from any era or place, from the poorest peasant to the wealthiest monarch, can read and write fluently. Unless it’s an important plot point for someone to be illiterate. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/50 "2011-02-10T01:58:41Z")
Most cowboys spent about 80% of their time in town, drinking, gambling, fighting and cheering the dancehall girls as they did the cancan. When they did work, it was on a ranch a half-hour ride from town. The Trojan War, classical Greece and the first century Roman Empire were contemporary. Anyone traveling back in time from the present day would find that the inhabitants of Britain spoke intelligable English with maybe a few thee’s and thou’s. The horse was domesticated at about the same time dogs were, since even neolithic peoples had full-sized mounts. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/51 "2011-02-10T02:38:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > WW2 began when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. In fairness to movies, TV, and bad novels, one could easily come away from an American history _class_ (pre college level) with the same idea. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/52 "2011-02-10T03:29:53Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I thought it was the [Germans](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQtU_fYe6gE) who bombed Pearl Harbor. Germans? Forget it; he’s rolling. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/53 "2011-02-10T03:38:01Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Most cowboys spent about 80% of their time in town, drinking, gambling, fighting and cheering the dancehall girls as they did the cancan. When they did work, it was on a ranch a half-hour ride from town. Though strangely the ranch was bigger than a small county. (The wormholes around The Ponderosa probably had more to do with how Ben Cartwright earned his money than the ranch; he could be in Virginia within an hour and at any number of neighbor’s ranchers even quicker if necessary, yet his ranch was so huge that you could get easily spend two or three days looking for lost cattle.) Walnut Grove, Minnesota, was in the part of Minnesota where it only snowed once every few years (and when it did people died because they didn’t know how to handle it) and there was only one lake in walking distance. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/54 "2011-02-10T03:47:07Z")
Contrary to what was seen on _Deadwood_, STDs weren’t an important concern for Old West saloon girls. Can anybody really imagine Doc from _Gunsmoke_ looking inside Miss Kitty’s girls for clap? Nope, because it didn’t happen. In fact really all they did was dance and then go upstairs to sleep, because Miss Kitty certainly wasn’t in the business of peddling pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/55 "2011-02-10T03:52:53Z")
Armor is heavy, clunky, and constantly makes metal-clanking sounds. Bad guys usually wore black armor, and also usually had their faces obscured by visors. Kettle helms (13th century), bascinets (14th century,) sallets (15th century) and armets (16th century) were all worn at the same time. All warhorses are enormous. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/56 "2011-02-10T06:18:52Z")
Germans usually speak to each other in English with a German accent. Despite this the most common words spoken by Germans are \*\*Achtung! \*\* and \*\*Schnell!, \*\*closely followed by \*\*Gott in Himmel! \*\*Apparently the German language is almost exclusively composed of exclamations. > [@SanVito](#): > > Unless you’re Robin Hood, in which case you have an American accent. Talking of which, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves taught me that you can land on the beaches of Dover (white cliffs) but reassure your Moorish companion that you can walk to Nottingham by nightfall (c.250 miles). … crossing \*\*Hadrian’s Wall \*\*_en route_, adding several hundred more miles to their remarkable sojourn. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/57 "2011-02-10T08:48:41Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] All warhorses are enormous. [/QUOTE] One of my favorite scenes in both the novel and the miniseries _Pillars of the Earth_ is when the character of Aliena, a just raped teenaged girl, and her adolescent brother mount and steal her rapist’s warhorse. For perspective, that would be roughly as realistic as saying “nice puppy” and walking away with a cop’s trained attack dog. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/58 "2011-02-10T10:23:44Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > > [@Sampiro](#): > > > > > [@KneadToKnow](#): > > > > > > Nazis had, by and large, British accents. > > > > As did Romans\* and everybody in the Middle Ages, regardless of where they were from (or even the nationality of the actors playing them). > > > > - Actually Russell Crowe supposedly had screaming fits during the filming of _Gladiator_ because he wanted to do a Spanish accent as his family is in Lusitania. He was told this was wrong for several reasons- there was no Spanish accent at the time and the fact he owned estates in Lusitania doesn’t mean his character was culturally Spanish- but only gave up after a struggle. > > Uh… I figure the accents of Hispania would be different from current ones, but I’d also bet my computer that there were such things as “provincial” accents. People from The Capital have been making fun of country bumpkins since the concept of “capital” got invented. Right, and depicting that in a film with an accent that distinguishes his character from the others makes good sense. It doesn’t matter if the actual people in the actual time and place didn’t sound quite like that–they weren’t even speaking the same language! If we can accept _English_ as representing Latin, I don’t see why we shouldn’t accept Spanish-accented English as representing Lusitanian-accented Latin. And maybe the British-accented English of those other films is similar; it’s not that the characters actually speak with British accents, it’s that the actors’ British accents (among which even Americans can usually distinguish upper- from lower-class) are _standing for_ the accents and dialects of the characters. I would think German-accented English should work for actors depicting Nazis, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/59 "2011-02-10T14:31:27Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Germans usually speak to each other in English with a German accent. Despite this the most common words spoken by Germans are \*\*Achtung! \*\* and \*\*Schnell!, \*\*closely followed by \*\*Gott in Himmel! \*\* Also, foreigners are always incapable of learning the English words “Yes” and “No.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686/60 "2011-02-10T14:38:24Z")
> [@](#): > > And maybe the British-accented English of those other films is similar; it’s not that the characters actually speak with British accents, it’s that the actors’ British accents (among which even Americans can usually distinguish upper- from lower-class) are standing for the accents and dialects of the characters. I believe that in **Spartacus** they made a deliberate decision to give the Romans british accents and the slaves mostly american accents (Varinia (Jean Simmons), the slave exception, was explained as a tutor to her owner’s children). Somehow or other John Dall (Glabrus) and John Gavin (Julius Caesar) got in without the requisite british accents, but it seems to hold true for the rest of the leading characters Although i notice that the soldiers seem an awful american-accented lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-know-about-history-from-movies-tv-and-bad-novels/570686.md?page=4)