If you’ve ever watched an outrageously outlandish movie with the warning “All characters in this movie are fictitious…” and thought, “Well, duh,” it turns out Hollywood had a very specific (and very expensive) reason for spelling that out. It ties into not only forgotten cinema history, but Russian history as well.

A mystic, a murder, and a very messy memoir

In a video by Andrew Price, known for his deep dives into pop culture via @treehousedetective, we go back to the early 1900s, when Siberian peasant turned mystic power player Grigori Rasputin had already made more than a few enemies with his superstition-fueled cons. 

By 1916, a group of aristocrats led by Felix Yusupov decided enough was enough. What followed, ironically, does sound like something out of a movie script.  Cyanide-laced cakes and beverages didn’t poison him. Multiple bullets, including a headshot, did nothing. The only thing that did finally put Rasputin in his final resting place was getting tied and thrown into an icy river. All of these details came from Yusupov alone, who later published a wildly popular memoir while living in exile. Not exactly an unbiased narrator, but certainly an entertaining one.

That exile, by the way, came courtesy of the Imperial Russian Family as punishment for the assassination. That consequence was a blessing in disguise, because when the Bolsheviks later rose to power and executed members of the aristocracy, the Yusupovs were already safely out of reach. Not the worst trade-off, all things considered.

When Hollywood got a little too inspired

Fast forward to 1932, when MGM released Rasputin and the Empress, dramatizing the infamous killing. The studio took some liberties, like combining the group of assailants into a singular fictional character named Prince Chegodieff. Yusupov, now living in Paris, found out about the movie and tried to sue MGM for defamation of character. Considering he outright confessed to the crime in the source material, that case had no legs. 

However, the film also added a scandalous subplot involving Yusupov’s wife, Princess Irina. In the film, her fictional counterpart is hypnotized and seduced by the titular villain. In reality, however, that never happened. And unlike her husband’s case, Irina’s lawsuit for libel had real teeth. She won a massive settlement, to the tune of what would be around three million dollars today.  

The disclaimer that stuck

The real kicker was MGM’s own prologue, which practically invited trouble by suggesting the characters were, in fact, based on real people. That line helped seal the studio’s fate, which prompted the company to make a change that would ripple across the entire film industry.

From then on, studios started adding that now-familiar disclaimer distancing their stories from real individuals, just in case anything felt a little too familiar.

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So, the next time you see that “purely coincidental” message pop up before a film, remember that’s not just legal fluff. It’s a bona fide Hollywood story in its own right. 

For even more fun tidbits, be sure to give @trehousedetectve a follow. 

A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a  gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing. 

Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold. 

A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen. 

Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing. 

Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to  loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth. 

Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:

Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis 

Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community

Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or  in one of 60   countries where we work around the globe

Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door 

Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore

Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone. 

Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today. 

National anthem fails can be really uncomfortable. Sometimes, a singer just can’t hit the notes, or worse, they forget the words mid-song. The American national anthem, for example, is notoriously difficult to sing due to its unique pacing and wide vocal range. Other times, even when the singer is flawless, technical difficulties involving stadium equipment can cause the whole thing to go awry.

Viewers and fans watching the Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins NHL playoff game the other night were nearly treated to yet another national anthem disaster. Instead, something pretty amazing happened.

Singer’s mic cuts out, fans pick her right up

The Sabres have a tradition. They play the Canadian national anthem—”O Canada”—before each and every game, even when their opponent is not Canadian. It is a noble way of honoring the sport’s large Canadian fan base and a friendly wave to Buffalo’s nearby neighbors in Ontario. Residents of the two regions intermingle constantly, and Southern Ontario is actually visible from Buffalo’s........

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