Stone Of Destiny

[Jack Daw]

Don't ever expect a Hollywood, or any other theatrically released, movie to be historically accurate (unless it's a documentary). It's for entertainment; not education. I haven't seen it, yet.

[Zardoz]

That sounds like something the wife and I would enjoy, I'll have to seek it out.

[macwilkin]

Don't ever expect a Hollywood, or any other theatrically released, movie to be historically accurate (unless it's a documentary). It's for entertainment; not education. I haven't seen it, yet.

There are exceptions to this rule; Tora, Tora, Tora, The Sand Pebbles, Matwean and the 2004 The Alamo all come to mind. Not 100% accurate, but they at least tried.

Yes, they are not education, but that doesn't stop a lot of folks from using them that way.

T.

[Jack Daw]

There are exceptions to this rule; Tora, Tora, Tora, The Sand Pebbles, Matwean and the 2004 The Alamo all come to mind. Not 100% accurate, but they at least tried.

Yes, they are not education, but that doesn't stop a lot of folks from using them that way.

T.

Oh yes, there are exceptions - Patton is another example. I'm just saying not to expect it.

[macwilkin]

Oh yes, there are exceptions - Patton is another example. I'm just saying not to expect it.

Actually, Patton would be pretty low on my list.

T.

[Jack Daw]

Actually, Patton would be pretty low on my list.

T.

It matched up very well with Carlo D'Este's bio.

[macwilkin]

It matched up very well with Carlo D'Este's bio.

But from a military historians POV, it had some issues -- all of those post-WWII tanks, which is somewhat unavoidable, plus Patton's voice was nothing like Scott's. And, being a Teddy Roosevelt Jr. fan, I'm just not that big of a fan of "Old Blood & Guts".

One story that D'Este tells that was left out of the movie was when Patton visited TR Jr. and "Terrible" Terry Allen and the latter's HQ for the 1st Division in North Africa. After Patton (who hated Allen) inquired about slit trenches in front of Allen's HQ, he urniated in one and dared Allen to use them. Allen and TR's bodyguards then took the safetys off of their Thompson sub-machine guns, and D'Este speculates that Patton might have gotten "fragged". Patton made a quick retreat, and Bradley cited the incident as one of the reasons why he disliked like Patton personally. (p.466)

T.

[Jack Daw]

But from a military historians POV, it had some issues -- all of those post-WWII tanks, which is somewhat unavoidable, plus Patton's voice was nothing like Scott's. And, being a Teddy Roosevelt Jr. fan, I'm just not that big of a fan of "Old Blood & Guts".

T.

Jiminy, those are small points. I do remember hearing Patton's oddly high pitched voice, which surprised me, in the old newsreels. I guess Geo C. Scott could have spoke in falsetto, but that would have been too distracting.

[Zardoz]

Well, and this is strictly from a film history perspective , Patton was a complex guy, all of his biographers labor with this. Many of Patton's contemporaries that knew him personally or served with him applauded Scott's portrayal as being extremely accurate in capturing the essence of the man.

[macwilkin]

Well, and this is strictly from a film history perspective , Patton was a complex guy, all of his biographers labor with this. Many of Patton's contemporaries that knew him personally or served with him applauded Scott's portrayal as being extremely accurate in capturing the essence of the man.

Well, it certainly caused my great-uncle, who served in the 3rd Army in a Combat Engineer Battalion, to reaffirm his hatred for Patton.

Don't get me wrong; I don't necessarily think Scott's portrayal was bad; I think his work in the sequal, "The Last Days of Patton", was actually a bit better. Again, being a military historian, I tend to look at films from a different perspective (which drives the wife nuts).

Apologies for going waaay OT. doh:

T.