Did That Really Happen?

May 20 2024 6
Did That Really Happen? Podcast artwork

The movie podcast for history nerds. In every episode, historians Jamie and Sofia talk about a different historical film and take a deep dive into the parts that did and didn’t really happen. In each episode, we try to answer the big questions: Is this good history? Is this a good movie? And are those the same thing? To get in touch, send us an email at [email protected], or follow us on Twitter @ReallyHappenPod. You can also support the show by visiting Patreon.com/DidThatReallyHappen Our theme music is “Allon Gay Gay”, performed by Jon Sayles.

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If Beale Street Could Talk

May 20 2024 54 mins  
This week we're going back to the 1970s with If Beale Street Could Talk! Join us as we learn about the Rockefeller Drug Laws, New York jails, the term "Holy Roller", and more! Source Brian Mann, "The Drug Laws That Changed How We Punished," NPR, available at https://www.npr.org/2013/02/14/171822608/the-drug-laws-that-changed-how-we-punish Fodei Batty, "How to Understand the Complic

Amsterdam

May 06 2024 58 mins  
This week we're traveling back to the 1930s with Amsterdam! Join us as we learn about Smedley Butler, birding, the Harlem Hellfighters, that story about Mussolini running a kid over with a car, and more! Sources: The Press: Vanderbilt Truth (1931) available at https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,930365,00.html Pete Vack, "A Mussolini Alfa Romeo Mystery," availa

Society of the Snow

Apr 22 2024 68 mins  
*NOTE: Due to a technical mishap, we had some problems with Jamie's audio on this one. We apologize for the sound quality issues. Content Warning: This episode features discussion of cannibalism and other disturbing content. This week we're traveling back to 1970s Uruguay with Society of the Snow! Join us as we learn about Numa Turcatti, the photos taken on the mountain, student pr

El Conde

Mar 10 2024 48 mins  
Today we're traveling to early 2000s Chile (but also 18th century France, and some other times, too) with vampire-themed political satire El Conde! Join us as we learn about Lucia Hiriart, Augusto Pinochet's shady money dealings, that time he got arrested in London, and more! Sources: John Bartlett, "Widow of Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet Dies at 99," The Guardian, available at

Killers of the Flower Moon

Feb 26 2024 75 mins  
This week we're traveling back to the 1920s with Killers of the Flower Moon! Join us as we learn about William "King" Hale, Mollie Burkhardt, FBI Agent Tom White, and more! Sources: David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Doubleday, 2017 https://ualr.edu/sequoyah/thisday/hale-given-life-sentence-february-1-1929/ FBI Vault: https://vault

Rustin

Feb 12 2024 73 mins  
We're back with 2024's first episode on Rustin! Join us as we learn about the speeches delivered at the March on Washington, Strom Thurmond's attacks on Bayard Rustin, Dr. Anna Hedgeman, the Bonus Army, and more! Sources: Emma Rothberg, "Anna Arnold Hedgeman," National Women's History Museum, available at https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/anna-arnold-he

Escape from New York

Dec 30 2023 49 mins  
For our final episode of the year, we're changing things up with Escape from New York! Join us as we explore how well this 1981 film predicted the year 1997, with discussions of island prisons, crime rates, Telex technology, and more! Sources: Tim Wadsworth, "Is Immigration Responsible for the Crime Drop? An Assessment on the Influence of Immigration on Changes in Violent Crime Bet

Love and Friendship

Dec 11 2023 45 mins  
This week we're going back to the 1790s with Love and Friendship! Join us as we learn about marriage practices, loyalists in Britain, "bad air", influenza, and more! Sources: RB Outhwaite, "Age at Marriage in England From the Late Seventeenth to the Nineteenth Century," Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 1972. Maya Jasanoff, Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Re

Dance of the 41

Nov 27 2023 55 mins  
This week we're traveling to turn-of-the-century Mexico with the Dance of the 41! Join us as we learn about opinion polling, Amada Diaz, euphemisms for homosexuality, and more! Sources: Tom W. Smith, "The First Straw? A Study of the Origins of Election Polls," Public Opinion Quarterly 54 (1990) Campbell Rhodes, "A Brief History of Opinion Polls," Available at https://www.moadoph.go

The Man From UNCLE

Nov 06 2023 47 mins  
This week we're going back to 1960s Europe with The Man From UNCLE! Join us as we learn about black market weapons, kidnapped scientists, amphibious cars, CIA recruitment, and more! Sources: "Nazis and Axis Collaborators Were Used to Further US Anti-Communist Objectives in Europe; Some Immigrated to the United States," Report by the Comptroller of the United States, 1985. Available