Editing Chariots of Fire (section)

== Historical accuracy ==
''Chariots of Fire'' is a film about achieving victory through self sacrifice and moral courage. While the producers' intent was to make a cinematic work that was historically authentic, the film was not intended to be historically accurate. Numerous liberties were taken with the actual historical chronology, the inclusion and exclusion of notable people, and the creation of fictional scenes for dramatic purpose, plot pacing and [[Exposition (narrative)|exposition]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jul/19/chariots-fire-reel-history|title=Chariots of Fire: history gets the runaround|date= 19 July 2012|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17460263.2013.850270?src=recsys&journalCode=rsih20|journal=Sport in History|volume= 33|year= 2013|issue= 4|title= Sporting Icons: Past and Present|pages=445–464 |doi=10.1080/17460263.2013.850270|s2cid=159478372}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.historytoday.com/reviews/chariots-fire|title=Chariots of Fire|journal=History Today|volume= 62|issue= 8 |date=August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/chariots-fire|magazine=The Outlook|title=Chariots of Fire |year= 1982}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a21566047/in-chariots-of-fire-they-ran/|title=In Chariots They Ran|magazine=[[Runners World]]|date=	20 June 2018 }}</ref>

=== Characters ===
The film depicts Abrahams as attending [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]], with three other Olympic athletes: [[H. B. Stallard|Henry Stallard]], [[Aubrey Montague]], and Lord Andrew Lindsay. However, whereas Abrahams and Stallard were indeed students there, Montague attended Oxford and not Cambridge.<ref name=aubrey>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035510/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mo/evelyn-montague-1.html Aubrey Montague biography] at SportsReference.com</ref> Aubrey Montague sent daily letters to his mother about his time at Oxford and the Olympics; these letters were the basis of Montague's narration in the film.

The character of Lindsay was based partially on [[David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter|David Cecil (Lord Burghley)]], a significant figure in the history of British athletics. Although Burghley did attend Cambridge, he was not a contemporary of Harold Abrahams, as Abrahams was an undergraduate from 1919 to 1923 and Burghley was at Cambridge from 1923 to 1927. One scene in the film depicts the Burghley-based "Lindsay" as practising hurdles on his estate with full champagne glasses placed on each hurdle – this was something the wealthy Burghley did, although he used matchboxes instead of champagne glasses.<ref name=rw /> Burghley was not willing to be involved in the film and the fictional character of Lindsay was created when [[Douglas Lowe (athlete)|Douglas Lowe]], who was Britain's third athletics gold medallist in the 1924 Olympics, also declined.{{sfn|Chapman|2005| pp= 275, 295}}

[[File:Cross and Havers.jpg|thumb|right|[[Harold Abrahams|Abrahams]] (left) and the [[David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter|Burghley]]-based Lindsay (right) attempt the [[Trinity Great Court#The Great Court Run|Great Court Run]].]]
Another scene in the film recreates the [[Trinity Great Court#The Great Court Run|Great Court Run]], in which the runners attempt to run around the perimeter of the [[Trinity Great Court|Great Court]] at [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] in the time it takes the clock to strike 12 at midday. The film shows Abrahams performing the feat for the first time in history. In fact, Abrahams never attempted this race, and at the time of filming the only person on record known to have succeeded was [[David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter|Lord Burghley]], in 1927. In ''Chariots of Fire'', Lindsay, who is based on Lord Burghley, runs the Great Court Run with Abrahams in order to spur him on, and crosses the finish line just a moment too late. Since the film's release, the Great Court Run has also been successfully run by Trinity undergraduate Sam Dobin, in October 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-record-idUKL276510720071027|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501204815/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-record-idUKL276510720071027|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 May 2019|title=Student runs away with "Chariots of Fire" record|date=27 October 2007|work=Reuters|access-date=1 May 2019|language=en}}</ref>

In the film, Eric Liddell is tripped up by a Frenchman in the 400-metre event of a Scotland–France international athletic meeting. He recovers, makes up a 20-metre deficit, and wins. This was based on fact; the actual race was the 440 yards at a Triangular Contest meet between Scotland, England, and Ireland at [[Stoke-on-Trent]] in England in July 1923. His achievement was remarkable as he had already won the 100- and 220-yard events that day.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ramsey|first=Russell W.|title=God's Joyful Runner|publisher=Bridge Publishing, Inc|year=1987|page=[https://archive.org/details/godsjoyfulrunner0000rams/page/54 54]|isbn=0-88270-624-1|url=https://archive.org/details/godsjoyfulrunner0000rams/page/54}}</ref> Also unmentioned with regard to Liddell is that it was he who introduced Abrahams to [[Sam Mussabini]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0019/ |title=A Sporting Nation: Eric Liddell |work=BBC.co.uk|access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref> This is alluded to: in the film, Abrahams first encounters Mussabini while he is watching Liddell race.

Abrahams and Liddell did race against each other twice, but not as depicted in the film, which shows Liddell winning the final of the 100 yards against a shattered Abrahams at the 1923 AAA Championship at Stamford Bridge. In fact, they raced only in a heat of the 220 yards, which Liddell won, five yards ahead of Abrahams, who did not progress to the final. In the 100 yards, Abrahams was eliminated in the heats and did not race against Liddell, who won the finals of both races the next day. They also raced against each other in the 200 m final at the 1924 Olympics, and this was also not shown in the film.<ref>{{cite book|last=McCasland|first=David|title=Pure Gold: A New Biography of the Olympic Champion Who Inspired Chariots of Fire|publisher=Discovery House|year=2001|isbn=1572931302}}</ref>

Abrahams' fiancée is misidentified as [[Sybil Gordon]], a soprano with the [[D'Oyly Carte Opera Company]]. In fact, in 1936, Abrahams married [[Sybil Evers]], who also performed with D'Oyly Carte, but they did not meet until 1934.{{sfn|Ryan|2012|p= 188}} Also, in the film, Sybil is depicted as singing the role of Yum-Yum in ''[[The Mikado]]'', but neither Gordon nor Evers ever sang that role with D'Oyly Carte,<ref>Stone, David. [https://gsarchive.net/whowaswho/G/GordonSybil.htm Sybil Gordon] at the ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'' website, 23 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2022</ref><ref>Stone, David. [https://gsarchive.net/whowaswho/E/EversSybil.htm Sybil Evers] at the ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'' website, 28 January 2002. Retrieved 25 October 2022</ref> although Evers was known for her charm in singing Peep-Bo, one of the two other "little maids from school".{{sfn|Ryan|2012|p= 188}} Harold Abrahams' love of and heavy involvement with [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], as depicted in the film, is factual.<ref name=hudson>Hugh Hudson's commentary to the 2005 ''Chariots of Fire'' DVD</ref>

Liddell's sister was several years younger than she was portrayed in the film. Her disapproval of Liddell's track career was creative licence; she actually fully supported his sporting work. Jenny Liddell Somerville cooperated fully with the making of the film and has a brief cameo in the Paris [[Church of Scotland]] during Liddell's sermon.<ref>Ramsey, Russell W. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=2AGEFpEByIoC&pg=PP4&num=100&cd=4 A Lady – A Peacemaker]''. Boston: Branden Publishing Company, 1988.</ref>

At the memorial service for Harold Abrahams, which opens the film, Lord Lindsay mentions that he and [[Aubrey Montague]] are the only members of the 1924 Olympic team still alive. However, Montague died in 1948, 30 years before Abrahams' death.

=== Paris Olympics 1924 ===
{{see also|Great Britain at the 1924 Summer Olympics}}
In the film, the 100m bronze medallist is a character called "Tom Watson"; the real medallist was [[Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt|Arthur Porritt]] of New Zealand, who refused permission for his name to be used in the film, allegedly out of modesty, and his wish was accepted by the film's producers, even though his permission was not necessary.<ref>{{cite web |author=Arthur Espie Porritt 1900–1994 |url=http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/rhodes_scholars/arthur_espie_porritt.html |title=Reference to Porritt's modesty |publisher=Library.otago.ac.nz |access-date=28 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030185734/http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/rhodes_scholars/arthur_espie_porritt.html |archive-date=30 October 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the brief back-story given for Watson, who is called up to the New Zealand team from the [[University of Oxford]], substantially matches Porritt's history. With the exception of Porritt, all the runners in the 100m final are identified correctly when they line up for inspection by the Prince of Wales.

Jackson Scholz is depicted as handing Liddell an inspirational Bible-quotation message before the 400 metres final: "It says in the Old Book, 'He that honors me, I will honor.' Good luck."<ref>The quoted passage is [[Books of Samuel|First Samuel]] [[wikisource:Bible (King James)/1 Samuel#2:30|2:30]].</ref> In reality, the note was from members of the British team, and was handed to Liddell before the race by his attending masseur at the team's Paris hotel.<ref name=reid>Reid, Alasdair. "Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell". ''[[The Times]]''. 1 August 2000.</ref> For dramatic purposes, screenwriter Welland asked Scholz if he could be depicted handing the note, and Scholz readily agreed, saying "Yes, great, as long as it makes me look good."<ref name=hudson /><ref>{{cite journal |title=Britain's 1924 Olympic Champs Live Again in 'Chariots of Fire'—and Run Away with the Oscars |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082112,00.html |journal=[[People (American magazine)|People]] |volume=17 |issue=18 |date=10 May 1982 |access-date=22 August 2009 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213235401/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082112,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The events surrounding Liddell's refusal to race on a Sunday were changed for dramatic purposes. In the film, he does not learn that the 100-metre heat is to be held on the Christian Sabbath until he is boarding the boat to Paris. In fact, the schedule was made public several months in advance; Liddell did, however, face immense pressure to run on that Sunday and to compete in the 100 metres, and was called before a grilling by the British Olympic Committee, the Prince of Wales, and other [[grandee]]s;<ref name=hudson/> his refusal to run made headlines around the world.<ref>Murray, Feg. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120111205135/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/361517352.html?dids=361517352:361517352&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+24%2C+1924&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=DID+YOU+KNOW+THAT--&pqatl=google "DID YOU KNOW THAT ..."]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. 24 June 1924. Full headline reads, "Did You Know That Famous Scotch Sprinter Will Not Run in the Olympic 100 Metres Because The Trials Are Run on Sunday".</ref>

The decision to change races was, even so, made well before embarking to Paris, and Liddell spent the intervening months training for the 400 metres, an event in which his times were modest by international standards. Liddell's success in the Olympic 400m was thus largely unexpected.

The film depicts Lindsay, having already won a medal in the 400-metre hurdles, giving up his place in the 400-metre race for Liddell. In fact, [[David Burghley|Burghley]], on whom Lindsay is loosely based, was eliminated in the heats of the 110 hurdles (he went on to win a gold medal in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1928 Olympics), and was not entered for the 400 metres.

The film reverses the order of Abrahams' 100m and 200m races at the Olympics. In reality, after winning the 100 metres race, Abrahams ran the [[200 metres]] but finished last, [[Jackson Scholz]] taking the gold medal. In the film, before his triumph in the 100m, Abrahams is shown losing the 200m and being scolded by Mussabini. During the following scene in which Abrahams speaks with his friend Montague while receiving a massage from Mussabini, a French newspaper clipping shows Scholz and [[Charley Paddock]] with a headline stating that the 200 metres was a triumph for the United States. In the same conversation, Abrahams laments getting "beaten out of sight" in the 200. The film thus has Abrahams overcoming the disappointment of losing the 200 by going on to win the 100, a reversal of the real order.

Eric Liddell actually also ran in the 200m race, and finished third, behind Paddock and Scholz. This was the only time in reality that Liddell and Abrahams competed in the same finals race. While their meeting in the 1923 [[Amateur Athletic Association|AAA]] Championship in the film was fictitious, Liddell's record win in that race did spur Abrahams to train even harder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.ericliddell.org/ericliddell/recollections/content/arthurmarshall.htm |title=Recollections by Sir Arthur Marshall |publisher=Content.ericliddell.org |access-date=28 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215092135/http://content.ericliddell.org/ericliddell/recollections/content/arthurmarshall.htm |archive-date=15 February 2009 }}</ref>

Abrahams also won a silver medal as an opening runner for the [[4 x 100 metres relay]] team, not shown in the film, and [[Aubrey Montague]] placed sixth in the [[steeplechase (athletics)|steeplechase]], as depicted.<ref name=aubrey />