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ā—„ 22 Short Films About Springfield
Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"
Much Apu About Nothing ā–ŗ

Trivia[]

Cultural References[]

  • German electronic band Kraftwerk have been referenced by Baron von Herzenberger as he played the electronic music parody of, We Are the Robots.
  • The plot of the episode is based on the theft of artwork by the Nazis during the Second World War in Europe. One of painting shown in the episode was the Portrait of a Young Man by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino that was stolen along with a collection of artworks hidden by Polish noble, Prince Augustyn JĆ³zef Czartoryski at the outbreak of the Second World War, during the Invasion of Poland between the 1st September and the 6th October 1939.
    • It is believed that the painting was sent to Germany by the German Governor-General of Nazi-Occupied region of Poland, Hans Frank. To this day, Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man is one of the 30,000 artworks that are still missing.
      • During the final years of Second World War in Europe on the 23rd June 1943, the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armed forces had set up the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archive program (MFAA), consisting of 345 men and women from 13 countries, including civilian art scholars and military personnel to head into war-torn Europe to locate and recover the artworks for their restitution to their rightful owners.
        • In the episode, Grandpa's unit is depicted removing the paintings and placing into the strongbox for the unit's tontine. While the artworks were recovered by the MFAA were returned to their rightful owners, there were cases of artworks recovered by the Allies that were stolen by members of Allied armed forces. One case of such case of theft by members of the Allied forces was the theft of the box of jewels belonging to Princess Sophia von Hessen that was taken from the von Hessen home at Kronberg Castle in Kassel, 380km southwest of Berlin by US Colonel Jack Durant, Durant's wife, US Army Womenā€™s Army Corps Captain Kathleen Nash, and US Army Major David Watson.
          • Like in Grandpa's story, in the final days of the Second World War in Europe, Colonel Durant was sent to Germany as part of General Patton's 3rd Army where they secured Kronberg Castle (later turned into a retreat for US officers) where Captain Nash was left in charge of safeguarding artworks found in the castle. After the Second World War ended, in November 1945, Captain Nash, hearing rumors of buried treasure had located the box of jewels buried in the floor in the basement of the castle. The jewels were then passed onto Colonel Durant and Major Watson who were assigned to Berlin as part of the American Occupying forces. With the jewels in their possession, Nash, Durant, and Watson began selling the jewels throughout Europe. In April 1946, Princess Sophia suspecting the jewels were stolen, reported the theft to the US Army Criminal Investigation Department (CID), by which, Durant and Nash had returned to the US on leave and begun to sell more of the jewels. As Major Watson was still in Germany, CID investigators were able to locate him and placed him under surveillance, while Durant was on the East Coast where he was sold some of the larger jewels using false names. In March 1946, Nash and Durant met up in Chicago where they attempted to sell more jewels, but since the jewels didn't have the required custom documents, the jeweller refused to purchase them and called the police. While in Chicago, Durant was contacted by a custom agent who forced Durant to surrender 102 loose diamonds that he failed to declare upon his return to the US. After forging paperwork, Durant was able to pick up more stolen items. On the 24th May, Nash received a telegram stating that her terminal leave was cancelled, four days later, both Nash and Durant were married. The following day, Nash received a second telegram to report to Fort Sheridan, Illinois. A few days later, Durant received a telegram that his leave was cancelled, and he was to report to the Fort Sheridan as well. Instead, both Durant and Nash travelled to Wisconsin where they visited Nash's sister, before returning to Chicago, and checking into the La Salle Hotel where on the 3rd June 1946, they were arrested by the CID. The remaining jewels were later recovered from a locker at an Illinois railway station. Durant and Nash were extradited to Germany where they put on trial with Watson who was arrested at the same time in Germany. In a trial lasting from August 1946 to April 1947, Durant, Nash and Watson were convicted for the theft. Watson was sentenced to three years imprisonment but was later released after serving eight months. In 1957, he received a presidential pardon and died in 1984. Nash was sentenced to five years imprisonment but was released after serving two years on the 8th July 1949. At his trial, it was determined that Durant was the mastermind behind the theft and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. He was released after serving five years on the 12th February 1952. After their release, Durant and Nash got back together and spent their lives together, they both died sometime in the mid-1980s.

Goofs[]

  • Buttono

    Grandpa Van Houten's two top buttons are missing.

    When Milhouse's grandfather announces that he has driven his house to the school, the topmost two buttons on his shirt disappear.
  • During Grandparents' Day, as Mrs. Krabappel invites Grampa to speak, he is holding his oatmeal spoon in his left hand. Before and after, he's holding it in his right. When Grampa starts to sit at Mrs. Krabappel's desk, and during his nonsensical stories, the spoon has vanished.
  • Although Grampa's military unit was understood as the "Flying Hellfish", both the elaborate headstone and stationery letterhead read "Fighting Hellfish."
  • Mr. Burns is shown to have the strength to kick Bart halfway across his boat and Grampa's boat. This is inconsistent with his appearances in other episodes, where he is extremely weak and tires easily, although he could have summed up all his energy just to do that.
  • If the box Bart was in is closed then the water couldn't possibly get inside. If it could all the pictures inside would get wet and even ruined. It could be that the box wasn't closed in an airtight manner like it clearly had been for the paintings.
  • Lisa is shown with meat at the dinner table with the rest of the family, despite her claiming to be a vegetarian in the Season 7 episode "Lisa the Vegetarian". In the shot that focuses on Homer talking, the meat is not on the plate, which means that Lisa ate it. This episode could be taking place before she became a vegetarian. Also, it's possible that her "meat" is actually a vegetarian substitute.

Production Notes[]

  • The final draft for this episode was published on October 5, 1995.[1]

Citations[]


ā—„ Season 6 Season 7 References/Trivia Season 8 ā–ŗ
Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two) ā€¢ Radioactive Man ā€¢ Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily ā€¢ Bart Sells His Soul ā€¢ Lisa the Vegetarian ā€¢ Treehouse of Horror VI ā€¢ King-Size Homer ā€¢ Mother Simpson ā€¢ Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming ā€¢ The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular ā€¢ Marge Be Not Proud ā€¢ Team Homer ā€¢ Two Bad Neighbors ā€¢ Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield ā€¢ Bart the Fink ā€¢ Lisa the Iconoclast ā€¢ Homer the Smithers ā€¢ The Day the Violence Died ā€¢ A Fish Called Selma ā€¢ Bart on the Road ā€¢ 22 Short Films About Springfield ā€¢ Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish" ā€¢ Much Apu About Nothing ā€¢ Homerpalooza ā€¢ Summer of 4 Ft. 2
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