History Buffs: The Founder

Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well! For this episode, let's see how historically accurate is The Founder! We hope you enjoy!

[Jeffrey_Tyler]

The irony that McDonald's was built by a milkshake machine salesman yet their milkshake machines are always broken is almost poetic.

[johngutierrez]

“It’s better to have one great restaurant than 50 mediocre ones.” It’s so weird to hear that in a story about McDonald’s.

[benvanasdale]

Let's all take a moment to appreciate Keaton's acting. He's such an understated, versatile actor that puts his all into every film. It's unreal.

[todmsn]

The McDonald brother who lived longer was interviewed in a documentary and it was said that the McDonald brothers knew Ray Croc would be successful so they invested in McDonalds and did quite well as a result. So, they felt very warmly toward Ray Croc because their stock really paid off. I recall reading that Ray had to borrow from all kinds of places such as foundations that lent out to pay off the McDonald brothers.

[garconvoute]

When I was in rehab for addiction they played us this movie as an example that no matter where we were in life we could always recover and build great success. The next day they played 'What about Bob?' 🤣

[williamhamilton]

Does anyone else get unreasonably excited whenever there’s another History Buffs video out? 😂

[neskire]

My father, Carl Eriksen, was Ray Kroc's personal assistant from 1966 to 1970. He is briefly mentioned in Kroc's book. I knew Ray Kroc and his wife Jane. (there was a short-lived experiment called "Jane Dobbin's Pie Restaurant") I was around when Ray divorced her for Joan (not Joanne as you say in this video). In 1970, my parents and I went to Hamburger University in Elk Grove, Illinois (west of Chicago). I was the youngest graduate at age 14! I still have the diploma. Kroc was supposed to help my parents start up their own franchise but somehow that deal did not materialize. I can personally vouch for the portrayal of Kroc in the film. He was a ruthless and angry man with a huge ego. When he bought the San Diego Padres baseball team, he got into trouble with the Commissioner of Baseball because he used the PA system to apologize to the fans for his team's poor performance in 1977. He was a control freak and everything had to go his way. He would often visit a McDonald's in his Rolls Royce and if there was trash in the parking lot he would personally pick it up and then berate the manager.

[pokepress]

If there was a third McDonald brother, Ray could have been the quarter founder with cheese.

[LetsGoGetThem]

He actually did a handshake deal like in the movie with an ice cream supplier, who later sued McD and I think settled out of court for millions, so he was known to make deals like that and to break them.

[corysantana]

I find it amazing how In 'N' Out has kept it simple to just hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. It is what Mcdonald's would probably be if it had never changed anything about itself from its first restaurants.

[dodgermaven]

This was such an underrated movie, and I'm surprised it didn't win any awards.

[jctrame]

The McDonald brothers continued to make appearances at annual owner conventions well into their later years. That's a fact rarely mentioned. If they were really upset with the corporation then I doubt they would have done this.

[CrimzinEclipse]

History Buffs understands that it’s better to have one great video than 50 mediocre ones.

[TheOrangex]

My dad disputed with me that McDonalds first restaurant was in Des Plaines Illinois I told him that’s a lie created by Ray Kroc and the real one was in Cali….needless to say he said “That’s a load of Kroc”

[imsomewhatcertain]

For a company that was all about speed and efficiency, it’s kinda weird that they dived into making pizza in the 80’s. Pizza can be made faster today, but back then it took a lot more time.

[gordonmills]

Fun fact: Joan Kroc gave $200 million to National Public Radio in her will. At the time, it was twice the annual NPR budget, and continues to fund the service today.

[OMGmyFACE]

I had to do a paper on this movie once. My favorite part has always been Ray Croc in his car, staring menacingly at a McDonald's from afar like a stalker.

[jessicafournerat]

Ray Kroc also knew Walt Disney the creator of Disney and was close friends with him as they both served in the same ambulance corps as ambulance drivers during ww1 which was when they met.

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

Before they owned a restaurant, the McDonald brothers had a theater and a hot dog stand. In 1930, with whatever money they had scraped together, they purchased a 750-seat movie theater 20 miles outside Los Angeles in Glendora, calling it the Beacon Theatre. But this being the Great Depression, it did poorly. They noticed that kids seemed to always have enough money for food like burgers and soda. So with a $5, 000 loan, the McDonald brothers started the Airdrome hot dog stand in 1937 by an airfield in Monrovia, calling it The Airdome, and they targeted spectators who were watching the planes. This was a success, but they predicted that in the future, they'd need to appeal to cars. So they moved to San Bernardino, changed the name to McDonald's, and the rest is history.

Despite hot dogs being their heritage, Ray Kroc didn't even want to serve hot dogs even if there was demand for them. Why? Because to him, there was no way of knowing what was inside them.

[douglasnieblas]

I worked at a McDonald’s restaurant during high school in the 1980s. I clearly remember that each location had a wall plaque commemorating Ray Kroc. I guess it was a corporate tactic to erase the legacy of the McDonald brothers.