Factual error: In the scene where Bill Murray is listening to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" the newer, revised lyrics rewritten in 1957 were used. The original lyrics from the original song written in 1944 were deemed too depressing by Frank Sinatra. The lyrics we hear in the movie set during the winter of 1944 were not published until about 13 years later.
The Monuments Men (2014)
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Directed by: George Clooney
Starring: Matt Damon, George Clooney, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett
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More mistakes in The Monuments Men
Frank Stokes: You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they'll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it's as if they never existed. That's what Hitler wants and that's exactly what we are fighting for.
Question: Why was Preston a private and not an officer like the rest?
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Answer: Preston was loosely based on the real-life Lincoln Kirstein. Prior to WWII, he was a noted writer and an influential person in the cultural arts in America. When the war broke out, he enlisted in the army with the rank of private. He eventually joined the Army's Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives unit, later known as the Monuments Men. He was selected for his abilities, regardless of his military rank. The movie reflected that.
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