Scourge of Ages Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Hello everyone! First post, I'm excited to be here! So, my question is regarding the "Trojan prisoner" trope: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TrojanPrisoner (examples on this page are naturally incomplete) Are there any examples from film or books that would be common knowledge in America in the mid to late 1930s? Basically, any pop culture media that a young soldier in WW2 would be familiar with? It's for a story I'm writing. And unfortunately, I'm completely ignorant and films from that era. Link to post Share on other sites
DougieB Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 You're looking for late 1930's only, right? My favorite, though maybe silly, would be in The Wizard of Oz when the Cowardly Lion and The Tin Man tackle the two guards to get their uniforms and then join the formation of guards going into the Wicked Witch's castle, with the Lion's tail notably poking out the back. Another example might be the scene in Gone With The Wind when Rhett Butler and Dr. Meade bring a wounded Ashley Wilkes back to the house in front of the soldiers, pretending he's drunk and had to be helped home, though they've really been at a meeting forbidden by the military. Melanie picks up on the charade and chastises Ashley, causing the soldiers to excuse themselves from what seems to be a domestic quarrel. I'm not sure whether The Prince and The Pauper meets the requirement, where swapping identities allows a prince and a commoner to freely enter and circulate within each other's worlds. The "dual identity" was also common in comic books, with super heroes passing as regular guys to avoid detection, but then a quick change of identity allowed them to go about their real business. Slightly later, but something a WW II soldier might be familiar with, is Casablanca, featuring the use of the "letters of transit", stolen documents which allow their holders to get through a German blockade. These are the ones which came quickly to mind; I'm sure others will have more examples. Good luck with your story and welcome to the Message Boards. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Scourge of Ages Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 Thanks, Dougie! Appreciates the suggestions, and I'm surprised that I'm actually familiar with then, Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now