July 11, 1924: The True Story Behind "Chariots of Fire"

Eric Liddell

July 11, 1924, 100 years ago: Eric Liddell, a 22-year-old Scotsman, wins the Gold Medal in the 400 meters at the Olympic Games in Paris.

It was not originally his intention to compete in the 400. He had wanted to compete in the 100 meters. But he found out that the heats for them were going to be held on a Sunday. As a devout Christian -- perhaps excessively so -- he refused to compete on a Sunday, and chose to compete in the 400 instead.

Great Britain did win the 100, through Harold Abrahams, who was Jewish. Among the runners he defeated was Jackson Scholz, an American who also competed in the 200 meters, and won that.

Liddell had been born in China to Scottish missionaries. In 1925, he returned to China and went into the family business. He was captured by the Japanese during World War II, and died in an internment camp in 1945. He is often considered a martyr to his faith.

Abrahams became a lawyer, and a reporter on track and field events, both for print media and BBC Radio. He was present at Oxford University in 1954 when Roger Bannister became the 1st man to break the 4-minute mile. He also became President of the Jewish Athletic Association, and lived until 1978.

In 1981, the film Chariots of Fire was released, and would win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It is best remembered for its opening sequence, showing British runners on a beach, to the theme song written by Greek composer Vangelis. Despite being an instrumental, the song would hit Number 1 on the American charts the following year.

Ian Charleson played Liddell. Like Liddell, he was a Scot and a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. However, the film gets the facts wrong, saying that Liddell didn't find out that the heats for the 100 meters would be on a Sunday until he was about to board the boat that would take the British Olympic team across the English Channel, giving him very little time to prepare for the 400 instead. In reality, he found out months in advance, and was able to properly prepare for the 400.

The film also shows the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII and the Duke of Windsor, played by David Yelland, personally intervening to try to get Liddell to change his mind and race on Sunday. There is no evidence that this occurred. The film's portrayal of the religious struggles of Liddell and Abrahams were accurate, however, including Scholz handing Liddle a slip of paper with an encouraging verse of Scripture written on it.

Jackson Scholz

Abrahams was played by Ben Cross, and Scholz by Brad Davis. In 1984, in preparation for the Olympics in Los Angeles, Cross did an American Express "Do you know me?" commercial with the real Scholz, who lived another 2 years.

July 11, 1924 was a Friday -- not a Sunday. Actress Brett Somers, best known as a panelist on the TV show Match Game, was born.