I recently finished Hollywood by Charles Bukowski, which he wrote about his experience making Barfly. All of his characters are based on real people, and I'm trying to put it all together. I was hoping someone could help me fill out this list, especially what Firepower was and the people there.
Jack Bledsoe = Mickey Rourke
Francine Bowers = Faye Dunaway
Tom Pell = Sean Penn
Ramona = Madonna
Victor Norman = Norman Mailer
Jon Pinchot = Barbet Schroeder
Brad,
It's been awhile since I read the book but I'm pretty sure the director Tom Pell wants to use is supposed to be Dennis Hopper. Also, if my memory is correct, Francis Ford Coppola is presented as one of the producers. I never got the Norman Mailer connection, but the rest of yours are correct I believe.
I also just re-read Bukowski's "Hollywood". Here is what I can add:
Firepower = The Cannon Group
Freidman Ex Prod = Yorman Globus
Fischman Ex Prod = Menahem Golan
Tim Ruddy Prod = Tom Luddy
Lance Edwards Prod = Fred Ross
Kay Bronstein Editor = Eva Gardos
Rick Talbot Film Critic = Roger Ebert
Bukowski has hit the nail on the head. His fearless aproach to writing and story telling (and life) was a perfect fit to tell his time of "living the dream" here in LALA land. After 25 years I'm still am amazed how the mix of Evy League MBAs that now run the biz and the many film makers that work for them, the ones who are truly talented, actuallly get the rare good film made. "Barfly " is one and the novel Hollywood a realistic discription of what it takes to produce an indie.
Yes, 'Mack Austin' = Dennis Hopper (thank god he didn't get it, I can't stand the man)
'Francois Racine' = Eric Rohmer (I believe)
'Karl Vossner' = Carl Weissner (Buk's German translator)
'Hector Blackford' = Taylor Hackford (he owns the rights to Post Office and did that PBS doc on Bukowski and some other LA poets. Reportedly he still wants to do Post Office and with Sean Penn)
Someone asked about Coppola, he's 'altered' to Francis Ford Loppala.
Other obvious ones:
'Jean Luc Modard' = Jean Luc Godard
'Werner Zergog' = Werner Herzog
'Jim Serry' = Timothy Leary (who's mentioned by name earlier in the book, oddly enough)
Mack Derouac and Tab Jones are...well, hardly worth mentioning.
Intellectual passion drives out sensuality
Ones I am not clear on...just off the top of my head:
'Jean Paul Sanrah' ("whom 'Loppala' thinks is a genius") & 'Henri Leon Sanrah' (who has a daughter named 'Reena')
'Richard Pheasant' (potential producer that Buk miffs)
'Danny Server' (the young dir/prod with the studio in Venice where they watch "The Laughing Beast")
'Edelman' & 'Sorenson' (the potential producers that fall through)
'Johnny Fidelo' (Mickey Rourke's friend & fellow actor)
(I'm re-reading the book is why these posts are episodic)
Rick Talbot's review from 1987: http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1987/12/269356.html ...I like that Ebert indeed mentions the Black & Decker indcident (which Buk alludes to in "Hollywood").
So, 'Kirby Hudson' = Gene Siskel (Ebert didn't like it when he pointed his finger...I love it)
I'm guessing that 'Sesteenov' = Errol Morris (Ebert mentions that 'he did that great movie about Pet Semetaries'...which HAS to be "Gates of Heaven")
'Manz Loeb' = David Lynch ('the Rat Man' and 'Pencilhead' are obviously "the Elephant Man" and "Eraserhead") and 'Rosalind Bonelli' = Isabella Rossellini
'Corbell Veeker' = Helmet Newton
But who is 'Illianovitch'??? Anyone know? I mean, these people are hardly disguised...and that makes it quite frustrating when you can't figure out some.
'Illianovitch' made "crazy dark movies" and was "very tall/had a crooked neck and crazy eyes"...and he matched Buk drink for drink. I feel I know who he talking about but I can't place it.
Intellectual passion drives out sensuality
Roman Polanski?
shareI thought it was funny that HC mentions the film "PencilHead" when he spots Manz Loeb/David Lynch on the set, then later in the book, during an interview, he says that Eraserhead is his favorite film .
That's all
It does't really say he's a director, so I'm guessing John Malkovich.
shareJean-Paul Sartre, I think.
And "Reena" is Buk's <i>own</i> daughter, Marina.
Always thought of Klaus Kinski as Francois Racine... speacially with Bukowski description of the char...
shareThanks to your advice I bought the book this weekend.
Finished in 4, 30 hours...
Great behind the scene...
Anyway fot the characters check this out :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_%28novel%29
Lenny (not Johnny) Fidelo might be Pruitt Taylor Vince. Lenny was Jack's friend who acted bit parts. Both Pruitt and Mickey appeared in Angel Heart. HOllywood describes him as "a big guy, wide, a little too heavy. He was marked by life, he'd been rubbed in it...Big sad eyes. Large hands. Looked tired, lonely..."
shareLMAO
speaking of mack derouac.
"A guy that doesn't know how to write but makes it because he looks like a rodeo rider."
kind of true for me.
ive never been a huge kerouac fan.