Shawshank Redemption...True or False?

[Nelli]

I'm sure that someone told me that this film is based on true events. But also that it was orginally a short story by Stephen King, which is it? both?

[LeMarchand]

Definitely based on a King story in the "Different Seasons" collection ("Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption"). This is the first time that I've heard anyone suggest that it's based on a true story - sounds like a bit of a myth to me.

[sft42]

It was originally a short story called "Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption" in a collection of novellas by King called "Different Seasons".........in the book the Morgan Freeman character is a red haired Irishman! King was asked this question before about it being based on a true story and his reply was along the lines that every prison has a story of one prisoner who's spirit couldn't be crushed and he was really innocent though it looked very bad for him.....it's the type of story everyone wants to believe in.