On November 4th, 2011, the release of a new film based on Marilyn Monroe's time in England (while filming The Price and the Showgirl) will be released. My Week With Marilyn will be just another motion picture based on the life of the stars of years gone by. This film gave me the idea to compare characters portrayed on screen by some of my favorite Classic Hollywood stars to the actual people they are based around. Not a very in depth post, but fun to see...
In the 1931 film Mata Hari, Greta Garbo plays a character loosely based on accused spy/exotic dancer Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle. The film caused a stir in Pre-code Hollywood and became one of Garbo's most successful films... as well as popularizing the legend of Mata Hari.
In the 1939 film The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, we see Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their only biographical musical/comedy. The film was based on stories of Irene Castle titled My Husband and My Memories of Vernon Castle. Castle even acted as adviser on the film and often had issues with the liberties the film was taking with her life.
