Lindsay, incidentally, is fictional but based on Lord David Bughley, who won gold in the hurdles at the 1924 Games.Īcademy Award honors: The film was a nominee for seven Academy Awards. Additionally, in the movie, Lindsay offered his spot in the race to Liddell right before the race, but Liddell had plenty of time to train for the 400 because of the released schedule. According to Time, the schedule of events had been published months in advance, and Liddell let his decision be known early on. The real story: While it’s true Liddell refused to run on the Sabbath, it wasn’t a last-minute decision. Later, teammate Lord Andrew Lindsay offers Liddell his spot in the 400, and he goes on to win a gold medal. When the religious Liddell learns his 100-meter dash heat is scheduled for a Sunday as he boards a ship to travel to the Games, he refuses to run the race. Hollywood's spin: The Academy Award-winning story centers on sprinters Harold Abrahams, an English Jew, and Eric Liddell, a Scottish Christian, who make headlines competing for Britain at the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

Chariots of Fire | 1981Įric Liddell, the Scottish missionary who won a gold medal in the 400 meters at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Robert De Niro, who played the lead character, won an Oscar for best actor in a leading role. It was reported in 1980 that Joey La Motta was planning to sue for defamation, but no suit was filed.Īcademy Award honors: The film was a nominee for eight awards. According to ESPN, most of the scenes with Joey La Motta, who was a boxer himself, really took place between La Motta and Savage, including their split and eventual reconciliation. The real story: The character of Joey is actually a composite, mostly based on Pete Savage (born Petrella), La Motta’s friend and autobiography co-author. He appears as La Motta's fast-talking manager, trusted adviser and training partner. Hollywood's spin: In the film, based on the autobiography of former middleweight boxing champ Jake La Motta, the Bronx Bull’s younger brother, Joey, is a central character. Here are seven famous sports movies and the real stories behind each. But movie makers often spin a story for their benefit at the box office.

Sometimes Hollywood gets portrayals of real-life characters and events right.

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