Star-studded film Amsterdam is loosely based on an alleged political conspiracy that aimed to overthrow President Franklin D Roosevelt – but how much is a true story?
Director David O Russell managed to gather Hollywood’s A-listers for his latest thriller, hiring the likes of Margot Robbie, John David Washington, and Christian Bale. The comedy focuses on their characters’ friendship, but throwing in a forgotten piece of real history keeps the plot exhilarating as they find themselves entangled in a murder case.
Now the question is: How accurate is Amsterdam relative to the well-known Business Plot from 1933? What are the characters?
*WARNING: Spoilers ahead*
Amsterdam creates the Business Plot
“A lot of this actually happened,” the film claims, but we’re going to have to disagree. Let’s see what happens in Amsterdam.
Best friends Burt Berendsen (Bale) and Harold Woodsman (Washington) are suspects of a murder they didn’t commit. While trying to clear their name with Valerie Voze (Robbie), they discover an even more sinister scheme; to overthrow the American government – and that’s when history jumps in.
After President Franklin D Roosevelt’s April 1933 elimination of the gold standard, wealthy businessmen devised a plan to replace him with a dictator.Washington Post.
Smedley D Butler, a highly decorated Marine Corps general, was the figurehead intended to replace Roosevelt with a fascist veterans’ organization behind him.
He reportedly opposed fascism, but his popularity among veterans made him a suitable candidate to lead a coup if he could summon a force of 500,000 for a march on Washington, D.C.
Butler ultimately testified under oath against the plotters before the United States House of Representatives Special Committee on Un-American Activities. Although none of the businessmen were prosecuted, They also denied their involvement.
According to The GuardianThe final report of the congressional committee found evidence of “an attempt to establish a fascist organization in this country.”It also adds that plans “might have been placed in execution when and if the financial backers deemed it expedient.”
Only one Amsterdam character was inspired by a true figure.
Burt, Harold, and Valerie were loosely inspired by female artists, military officers, and African Americans of the time. Nearly all characters were invented for Amsterdam, as is the murder of General Bill Meekins that kicked off the story.
Meekins wasn’t an actual US senator, nor was he a highly regarded military veteran. Writes: There is no record of Mr. Meekins being murdered in the 1930s. Screen Rant.
Robert De Niro’s Gil Dillenbeck is the only role truly based on a real person: Smedley Butler. The Business Plot was never revealed to the public. Butler made his claims behind closed doors.
Amsterdam never sees Dillenbeck’s testimony in front of Congress but it ends with the same speech Butler presented denouncing fascism.
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