Any Resemblance to Actual Persons

The Real People Behind 400+ Fictional Movie Characters

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by Hal Erickson

Type

Studies

Subject

On Films > Characters

Keywords

characters, adaptation, reality

Publishing date

2017

Publisher

McFarland & Co

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 411 pages
7 x 10 inches (18 x 25.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-4766-6605-1

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Book Presentation:
Most film buffs know that Citizen Kane was based on the life of publisher William Randolph Hearst. But few are aware that key characters in films like Double Indemnity, Cool Hand Luke, Jaws, Rain Man, A Few Good Men and Zero Dark Thirty were inspired by actual persons. This survey of à clef characters covers a selection of fictionalized personalities, beginning with the Silent Era. The landmark lawsuit surrounding Rasputin and the Empress (1932) introduced disclaimers in film credits, assuring audiences that characters were not based on real people—even when they were. Entries cover screen incarnations of Wyatt Earp, Al Capone, Bing Crosby, Amelia Earhart, Buster Keaton, Howard Hughes, Janis Joplin and Richard Nixon, along with the inspirations behind perennial favorites like Charlie Chan and Indiana Jones.

About the Author:
Hal Erickson is the author of numerous media-related books and was for many years a primary editor of the All-Movie Guide website. He lives and works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Press Reviews:
"Learn about the origins of characters from Jaws, Cool Hand Luke, Zero Dark Thirty, Double Indemnity, and many other iconic movies."—Library Journal.

See the publisher website: McFarland & Co