The novel is a
roman à clef, in which Bukowski is named Henry Chinaski, and his wife Linda is named Sarah. His friend, the poet John Thomas Idlet, is named John Galt. His German translator Carl Weissner is named Karl Vossner. Photographer Michael Montfort is named Michael Huntington. The film
Barfly is named
The Dance of Jim Beam. Film company Cannon is named Firepower. Bukowski uses the following names as pseudonyms for the people with whom he worked on the movie. •
Mickey Rourke, the lead actor in the film, is named Jack Bledsoe •
Faye Dunaway, the lead actress, is named Francine Bowers •
Barbet Schroeder, the director, is named Jon Pinchot. •
Idi Amin, the subject of Schroeder's earlier documentary film, is named Lido Mamin •
Menahem Golan, co-producer, is named Harry Friedman •
Yoram Globus, co-producer, is named Nate Fischman •
Robby Müller, cameraman, is named Hyans •
Éva Gárdos, the editor, is named Kay Bronstein •
Frank Stallone is named Lenny Fidelo He also references people he met in Hollywood during his time working on the movie: •
Tom Jones is named Tab Jones •
Edward R. Pressman is named Harold Pheasant •
Dennis Hopper is named Mack Austin •
Sean Penn is named Tom Pell •
Madonna is named Ramona •
Norman Mailer is named Victor Norman •
David Lynch is named Manz Loeb •
Isabella Rossellini is named Rosalind Bonelli •
Werner Herzog is named Wenner Zergog •
Taylor Hackford is named Hector Blackford •
Roger Ebert is named Rick Talbot •
Jean-Luc Godard is named Jon-Luc Modard •
Timothy Leary is named Jim Serry •
Anton Corbijn is named Corbell Veeker • Steve Baës is named Francois Racine •
Francis Ford Coppola is named Frances Ford Lopalla ==Filming==