MIRAGE was first written as a novel, FALLEN ANGEL, by Howard Fast when he was still a Communist. He used the "Walter Ericson" pseudonym cuz he was already in trouble at that time.
The suicide of Charles Calvin was inspired by the suicide of SecDefense James Forrestal.
I just came to this message board. Has anyone commented on Robert Harris' excellent portrayal of the psychiatrist in the film?
He certainly gave a fine and memorable performance.
shareRobert Harris once appeared on an episode of BEWITCHED. He played a mattress manufacturer who was a client of Darren's ad agency.
In that episode, Aunt Clara accidentally zapped into the future Queen Victoria. Harris gave an amusing performance as a blowhard who humors the Queen, thinking she's a nutcase from the booby hatch. He says to her, "You tell me how you run your Empire and I'll tell you how I run my mattress factory."
In the end Samantha gives him his comeuppance when she sends him back to the past in Queen Victoria's body.
In MIRAGE, he's shown washing his hands after Gregory Peck tells him the blunt truth about himself. That's supposed to suggest Pontius Pilate!
Interesting that Harris emerges AND enters the bathroom in order to wash his hands in two scenes. Beautiful portrayal of an arrogant, brilliant jerk.
shareAmusingly, Fast has a peace foundation compromised by an ex-military industrialist, when it was the Soviet Union which funneled money into just such places. Not for nothing did Alger Hiss fit himself up with the Carnegie Foundation, undoubtedly to give Moscow another channel by exploiting the Foundation.
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