Editing Chariots of Fire (section)

=== 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.