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.

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.

Hal Erickson
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 411
Bibliographic Info: 62 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6605-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2930-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments vi

Introduction 1

The Real Persons 7

Bibliography 375

Index 381

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