Roman a clef: Huey Long, Earl Long & Russell Long

Roman � clef (pronounced roh-m�¡hn a clay) is French for "novel with a key." It's a novel in which actual events are given a superficial fictional mask; but, with the "key," can be read as a more or less faithful account of true events. They're often used to report scandals while avoiding charges of libel or sedition.

Movies tend to do this quite a lot.

In this thread, I'd like to discuss the real identities of people in famous movies.

First: Charles Foster Kane in "Citizen Kane"

Truism: It's based on William Randolph Hearst.

Why?: Hearst's fortune was based on mining; he had a mistress in the arts; he promoted her career rather beyond her talents; a section of the movie which dealt with the death of Thomas Ince was excised before it was released (Thomas Ince was a director in the silent era--it was reputed that Hearst shot him in a jealous rage and the death was hushed up); Hearst also owned newspapers and had a huge remote estate full of works of art.

Why not? Hearst had five sons, all of whom survived him; he never married his mistress; she was a movie star, not an opera singer (in fact, the opera sequences are probably based on another actual millionaire, Harold McCormick, and his 2nd wife, Ganna Walska).

Conclusion: More Hearst than not; Hearst thought so, too.

 

Next: Edna Mode in "The Incredibles"

The pageboy, the glasses, the height, and the air of entitlement: it's obviously Edith Head, longtime Hollywood designer. Especially as Elastagirl and Mr. Incredible call her "Edie."

Ms. Head won 7 or 8 Oscars, sometimes for nothing: for instance she got one for "Sabrina", though Hepburn's pal Givenchy designed most of the clothes--uncredited, of course.

 

Ebert wrote something about the comparsion in the Answer man I believe

 

Next:

Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" movies.

In turn of phrase and mannerisms, supposedly based on Lorne Michaels, the long-time producer of "Saturday Night Live."

 

Really? I always thought that Dr. Evil was meant to be a spoof of Dr.No.

 

I would say Dr.Evil is based on Ernst Stavro Blofeld, particularly in You Only Live Twice as far as appearance/costume goes. But I do seem to remember something about Lorne Michaels influencing the mannerisms, like Zaz said.

"I'm the boss...need the info" and so on...

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Wasn't Captain Jack Sparrow based largely on Keith Richards?

 

Wasn't Captain Jack Sparrow based largely on Keith Richards?
At least how he looked and mannerisms, according to Johnny Depp.

 

In turn of phrase and mannerisms, supposedly based on Lorne Michaels, the long-time producer of "Saturday Night Live

It would make sense,but I thought he was a spoof of that one Bond villian who looked somewhat like him the name escapes me...

 

It would make sense,but I thought he was a spoof of that one Bond villian who looked somewhat like him the name escapes me...
Ernst Blofeld I believe.

 

A roman a clef involves real people, not fictional ones. Though I get your point.

Next:

Johnny Fontaine and Jack Woltz in "The Godfather."

Aka Frank Sinatra and Harry Cohn (the head and founder of Columbia Pictures--now Sony.) The film they are talking about is "From Here to Eternity."

Mario Puzo once told a story about meeting Sinatra in a restaurant, and Sinatra calling him every name in the book---this is after "The Godfather" was published. He rambled on about how insulted he was because Sinatra was a northern Italian and Puzo was a Silician. Nothing about whether Sinatra had a point, which, of course, he does. The story Michael tells his girlfriend, Kay, also points to Sinatra, since the bandleader story was commonly told about him. The movie eliminated another character, Nino Valenti, which is just as obviously modeled on Dean Martin.

 

Lol I could definatly see that,I know Sinatra protested the movie.

 

Ah yes, Johhny Fontaine and Sinatra...I heard about that. But I wonder how many people actually make the connection, or was Sinatra just overeacting?

*shrug*

 

I've got to say the Sinatra/Fontaine connection always seemed pretty clear to me and was probably more obvious back in 1972, although Puzo denied it. (There's also a rumor that Sinatra wanted to play Vito Corleone in the film.) The Godfather also features Moe Green, labelled off Bugsy Siegel, Part II's Hyman Roth was based on Meyer Lansky, and Par III's Joey Zaza was based on Joe Columbo.

 

I knew Hyman Roth was Meyer Lansky, but not Moe Green/Bugsy Siegel, which should have been obvious, I suppose. The Godfather Saga is full of real people very lightly disguised.

 

Yeah, the Lansky/Siegal/Sinatra figures always sort of amused me. Particularly, the Sinatra riff in the original Godfather. The swooning women always just cracked me up, as well as Brando, telling him to just "be a man."

 

Next: Jeff Cordova, the producer in "The Band Wagon". Played by Jack Buchanan (a British song and dance man) in the movie.

This is a guy who directs, produces, writes the music for, and stars in arty stage plays. He supposedly talks people into crazy ideas: his aide, talking to a reporter on the phone: "If Mr. Cordova tells you he's casting Tallulah (Bankhead)---for Little Eva---believe him." He is a giant ham, who has 159 ideas per second, only one of them any good.

Aka Orson Welles, who starred, produced, directed and designed the sets for a notorious black version of Macbeth on Broadway (set in Haiti.)

 

Next: "Primary Colours" (1998)

Fairly obvious: John Travolta and Emma Thompson as Bill and Hilary Clinton.

 

Didn't Clinton once say that if anyone were to play him in movie, he'd like it to be Tom Hanks? I thought Travolta was good as the charismatic Southern governor who makes you believe in him but ultimately somehow lets everyone down. Thompson was also good as the ball-breaking wife who cares more about power than her husband's philandering. They both seemed to overact a bit but it was all kinda fun.

 

If you read Travolta`s IMDB page,Clinton invited Travolta to a party under one condition he came in chaaracter as Jack Stanton(AKA Clinton)

(ON the Godfather)Also there is a rumor that Sinatra secretly asked to play Don Vito

 

Its been a while since I've seen the film but I don't recall Thompson's portrayal as being power hungry. I thought it was a rather sympathetic portrayal with her having to put up with her husband's consistent philandering.

 

Next:

"The Sweet Smell of Success" This movie features a power-hungry gossip columnist who tries to frame a man who wants to marry his young sister.

Nobody remembers him these days, but the columnist is Walter Winchell. The kid sister is actually his daughter Walda, and Steve Dallas is Bill Cahn, her boyfriend/fiancee. Cahn wasn't the virtuous jazz musician as portrayed in the movie; he was a petty gambler/hustler, but the couple was apparently genuinely in love. Winchell had his daughter committed into a mental institution (she never spoke to him again) and had Cahn convicted of tax evasion through his friendship with J. Edgar Hoover.

 

I always found Winchell to be a fascinating figure. With his daughter, his son's suicide, and his impact on politics, he's quite a character. Although mostly forgotten nowadays, he's pretty much an institution in American culture. Roth used him quite a bit in "Plot Against America," and don't forget, the 1930s movie "Okay, America!" with Lew Ayres as a gossip columnist is another blatant "Walter Winchell Story."

Lancaster is downright ruthless though in the film.

 

Winchell was the first gossip columnist, so he has a lot to answer for.

Next: Buddy Ackermann, the evil movie producer played (wonderfully) by Kevin Spacey in "Swimming With Sharks" (1994)

Reputed to be Joel Silver, the producer of "Die Hard" among others.

 

Next: "All the King's Men"; "Blaze" and "JFK"

The works of the Longs of Louisiana.

"All the King's Men" is the story of Huey Long, governer of that state; "Blaze" is about his younger brother, Earl Long, also governor and his involvement with Blaze Star; and Huey's son Russell Long is a bit player in "JFK".