Countless films have been based on fictional characters and their lives and experiences, but many have also been based on real people and events in their lives. Six hundred forty non-fictional characters of historical or social importance who have been portrayed in at least two feature films can be found in this comprehensive reference book. It lists 569 real people arranged alphabetically (from George Adamson to Emile Zola), provides a brief biography of each, and lists each film in which he or she has been portrayed. The actor portraying the real person is listed first, followed by such details as the film's title, country, year of release, running time, color or black & white, director(s), source (novel, play, etc.), awards, alternate titles (if any), and cast credits. The appendices list 71 additional real people who have been portrayed in feature films, including American presidents, British, French, Russian and German monarchs, and Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hickock.