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"Hildalgo"
- True Or False?
 "Seabiscuit"
is a great movie. And as we are told in the opening credits, a true story.
"Black Beauty," "Lonesome Dove" and "Open
Range" are all good movies. But they are fiction. How would you feel
if you found out that "Seabiscuit" was not a true story?
That’s not going to happen, because historical evidence proves that
it is true.
At the beginning of many movies, the producers disclose if the movie is a
true story. Today they are more likely to state, “Based on a true
story,” and thus provide themselves with "poetic license" to
create a "more gripping drama.”
In a time when we have fewer icons we can truly trust, I am afraid we have
just lost another. Disney, who we used to trust to bring us quality
wholesome family entertainment, is now telling us the new
movie "Hildalgo" is “based on a true story.”
When John Fusco first pitched his screenplay to Disney, both parties might
have been able to deny knowing the story they were about to tell millions
on the big screen was fiction. That is no longer the case. Those five
words, “based on a true story,” have infuriated academics and
historians asked to research the story of Hildalgo.
Photo of Frank
Hopkins
used by permission of
Paul A. Carnahan,
Librarian, Vermont
Historical Society
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"Hildalgo" is based on the autobiography of Frank T. Hopkins.
His words and claims have yet to be proven or validated by any credible
historical source. Although John Fusco said 15 well-respected historians
could verify the story, he is very tight lipped as to who these
well-respected historians are. Brian Shovers, Research Librarian of the
Montana Historical Society asked, “Who are the 15 historical experts
that have fashioned
this hoax for Disney Pictures?"
Hopkins claims to have accomplished a lot in one lifetime. So many claims,
one would expect a paper trail other than his own writing. In fact, none
of the 80 historians asked to research this man found any proof Hopkins
even rode a horse. Even the publishers of his book said, "The old
west was full of prolific imaginative writers."
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The History Channel (ironically owned by Disney) asked a number of experts
to assist in their research regarding the movie's factual base. Among
those sought out were the founders of The Long Riders Guild, Basha and
CuChullaine O’Reilly. These two began to have huge concerns and enlisted
more horsepower in the search, asking historians, academics and museum
curators to check the stories laid out in the Hopkins book. Eighty
professional, important representatives to the historical events told by
Hopkins were interviewed for the research.
Collected comments of these elite are published on The Long Riders Guild
site at http://www.thelongridersguild.com/accuracy.htm.
Comments like those of Professor David Dary, Emeritus Professor and former
head of what is now the Gaylord College of Journalism at the University of
Oklahoma and a specialist in the history of the American West. Dary
states, “…to misrepresent to the motion picture viewing public that
the upcoming film is a 'true story' is not only misleading but it raises a
serious question about the credibility of the Disney organization. Disney
should simply tell the public Frank Hopkins’ story is just a story and
not the truth.”
Dr. Vine Deloria, Jr. is a leading Native American scholar, whose
research, writings and teachings have encompassed the fields of
history, law, religion and political science. He is a retired Professor
Emeritus of History at the University of Colorado and the author of many
acclaimed books, including "God is Red," "Red Earth, White
Lies," and "Custer Died for Your Sins."
He states, “Hopkins'
claims are so outrageously false that one wonders why the Disney people
were attracted to the material at all - except, of course, the constant
propensity to make the money under any conditions available. . . . At any
rate Hopkins should have been awarded the World’s Greatest Liar
Award.”
Dr. John Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association
asked, “Did this man Hopkins say anything true?’
The National Association of Competitive Mounted Orienteering quoted the
Disney publicist, Nina Heyn as saying, “No one here really cares about
the historical aspects . . . . It has little to do with reality.”
I happen to care about reality, what is and what isn’t. Many viewers who
have seen the recent media hype, including the Super Bowl half-time
commercial and trailers attached to movies everywhere, have been told it
is “based on a true story.” Other magazines and Newspapers like
"USA Today" and "Cowboy Magazine" have been lured into
the media hoopla dispensed by Disney and bit the bait, hook, line and
sinker.
Trying to put the horse back in the barn after the gate has been left
open, Disney changed those five words in the sneak previews and on its
website to “Based on the Frank Hopkins life story.” This may be after
fall-out from the "L.A. Times" exposing the myth to thousands in
Hollywood’s and Disney’s own backyard. What is stated on the actual
film is yet to be seen.
Not only is there no record of Frank Hopkins winning one of the 1000
runnings of the “Ocean of Fire” race, there is also not any record of
him ever entering the tightly-controlled borders of Saudi Arabia
with his now-famed horse. Actually, there was never any record of
any running of this incredible race on Arab soil. Ghalib Al-Quaiti, the
last ruling Sultan of Yemen states, “There is absolutely no record of
any horse race in the past staged from Aden!” (as claimed by Hopkins).
Dr. Awad Al-Badi, director of research at the King Faisal Center for
Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is quoted saying,
“There is absolutely no record or reference to Hopkins with or without
this mustang ever having set foot on Arabian soil. The idea of a historic
long distance Arab horse race is pure nonsense and flies against all
reason.”
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations was quoted as saying, “I have seen absolutely
no evidence of any kind that would back up the claim that it's a true
story. Just logic would tell you that you don't take a horse across the
Empty Quarter."
Gordon
Naysmith, an
equestrian explorer and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society who rode
20,000 kilometers from South Africa to Austria on horseback states, “I
never discovered a single oral tradition which would suggest such an
endurance race had been run at any time in Arabian history.”
As for his claim of working in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, Dr. Juti
Winchester, Curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum, clarifies, “I find Frank
Hopkins suspiciously absent from any authentic historical events.”
Hopkins also claimed to win as many as 400 distance endurance races.
James Davidson of the Vermont Historical Society said, “The only
endurance Hopkins ever did was with his pencil.” Katheleen Henkel,
Executive Director of the American Endurance Ride Conference stated, “I
have never heard of Frank Hopkins!”
Jim Dullenty, author of “Harry Tracy, The Last Desperado” and “The
Butch Cassidy Collection” said, "No one named Frank Hokins had any
role in any of these events." So add this to his list of hoaxes.
The author of the book “The Mouse That Roared - Disney and the End of
Innocence,” Professor Henry Giroux stated, “This scandalous behavior
on the part of Disney Corporation does not surprise me at all. Truth
telling is not one of their signature characteristics.”
In 1967, American magazine writer Anthony Ameral tried to sell an article
to "Horseman" magazine promoting Frank Hopkins as having won a
3000-mile race, which had supposedly taken place every year for a thousand
years in Arabia. In a letter dated February 10, 1967, Bob Gray
(Editor-Publisher of "Horseman"), expressed his skepticism about
an Arabian race that no one other than Hopkins had ever heard of. Gray
asked for more proof. “Frankly, a lot of Arabian breeders simply
won’t believe that tale. Not unless you’ve got some sources and some
reliable authority to back it up. . . . You can readily understand
that our magazine would be accused of irresponsible reporting if we
printed a story such as this without knowing the basis of the background
facts.” Amaral did not return with facts, but instead pitched his story
to "Western Horseman," where it was published in December 1969.
Mark Greene, Director of the American Heritage Center of the University of
Wyoming says, “It is a source of constant amazement and discouragement
to all of us in the historical professions how casually many U.S.
businesses treat historical ‘truth.'”
The San Bernadino County Sun on March 5th, quoted Fusco as saying,
"We're saying the film is based on the life of Frank T.
Hopkins," Fusco concludes. "But it's not all that important to
me if it said 'true story' or not. Even though we have decades of
historical information, there is little known about the race itself. I did
need to dramatize, I did need to create characters and situations. In many
ways, it is a hero's-journey template. It is, you know, just a good
story."
“Everything about the
story is complete fiction. There was no Hidalgo," said equine history
buff Linda Merims of Norris, Tennessee, who conducted her own months-long
investigation.
Larry Hewitt, Webmaster,
Washington State NACMO Director says, “I saw 'Seabiscuit.' Even bought
the DVD. I love a great story. As for 'Hidalgo' - I hate deliberate
deception. I say stay home, and save your money. That’s all Disney wants
anyway.”
I ask, how much is integrity worth these days? Disney stands to make
millions and maybe to some, that much is worth losing integrity.
"Outdoor" magazine printed, “Hopkins is the Biggest Liar the
West has ever seen. You wonder why Disney is doing it, and all you see is
dollar signs.”
I would have gone to see this movie, just like I saw "Open
Range" and "Lonesome Dove," if they would have told me the
truth. Now I think I will donate my $7.50 to a historical society and
re-watch "Seabiscuit" on DVD.
References to quotes are
available on request.
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Copyright Garry
Stauber © 2004 All rights reserved.
The above article is the property of the Author and may not be duplicated or
redistributed in any way without permission. Visit Garry on-line at Dream Adventures.
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