# where/when does the "this story is a work of fiction" disclaimer on movies come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261 "2011-01-03T21:11:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/1 "2011-01-03T21:11:57Z")
Did someone see an alien movie in the 50s and assume it was real and ever since then they had to have the disclaimer? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/2 "2011-01-03T21:18:40Z")
It’s not about thinking aliens are real, it’s about some yahoo saying “Hey, I’m also an astrophysicist named Bob who thought he saw a UFO!” and attempting to sue the studio for a cut of the profits, claiming the film was based on him. According to [this article](http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/HistoryWired/Davis/DavisAuthenticity.html), it dates back to 1934. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/3 "2011-01-03T21:31:30Z")
Of course, it’s hilarious when applied to films like **The Greek Tycoon** , about a Greek oil tanker magnate who marries the wife of an assassinated US President. No resemblance to persons living or dead in _that_ film! > **[The Greek Tycoon (1978) ⭐ 5.4 | Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077636/)** > > 1h 47m | R ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/4 "2011-01-03T21:43:19Z")
This makes me think of “Fargo” which did the opposite and opened with “This is a true story”. It was not. Weren’t they opening themselves up to the kind of thing that **Jophiel** is talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/5 "2011-01-04T09:04:56Z")
Tell your friend it’s for legal reasons. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/6 "2011-01-04T09:23:22Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > This makes me think of “Fargo” which did the opposite and opened with “This is a true story”. It was not. > > Weren’t they opening themselves up to the kind of thing that **Jophiel** is talking about? Especially since that Japanese woman froze to death digging for the money. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/7 "2011-01-04T15:46:53Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Especially since that Japanese woman froze to death digging for the money. That’s actually an urban legend. If “urban legend” is even the correct term. She went to Minnesota to commit suicide. The whole supposed “Fargo” connection was due to miscommunication with local police due to the language difference. > **[Death in the snow](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/jun/06/artsfeatures1)** > > A body is found in the frozen North Dakota woods. The cops say the dead Japanese woman was looking for the $1m she saw buried in the film Fargo. But the story didn't end there. By Paul Berczeller. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/8 "2011-01-04T15:59:40Z")
I did not know that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/9 "2011-01-04T18:00:46Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > This makes me think of “Fargo” which did the opposite and opened with “This is a true story”. It was not. > > Weren’t they opening themselves up to the kind of thing that **Jophiel** is talking about? Nah. There are plenty of films that advertise “Based on a True Story,” but have the disclaimer at the end. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/10 "2011-01-04T18:13:04Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Nah. There are plenty of films that advertise “Based on a True Story,” but have the disclaimer at the end. It didn’t say “Based on a True Story”. It said “This is a True Story”. Different things. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-when-does-the-this-story-is-a-work-of-fiction-disclaimer-on-movies-come-from/566261/11 "2011-01-04T18:16:16Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > That’s actually an urban legend. If “urban legend” is even the correct term. > > She went to Minnesota to commit suicide. The whole supposed “Fargo” connection was due to miscommunication with local police due to the language difference. > [Death in the snow | Movies | The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2003/jun/06/artsfeatures1) That fence line wasn’t in Minnesota anyway. It was filmed up north of Grand Forks, ND. My mom was on set when they filmed that scene (she was a newspaper reporter interviewing the Coen brothers).