Coincidence or what?

[Pulpmeister]

I am reading a crime novel called "Love has No Alibi" by Octavus Roy Cohen, first published by MacMillan US in January 1945. The hero's name is Kirk Douglas.

Issur Danielovitch Demsky legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas when he joined the Navy in 1941, according to Prof. Wikipedia, but he didn't become known as an actor until 1946.

If they were to re-issue the book today, would they rename the hero?

[cromag]

I've run into a few cases where a significant character in a book has the same name as a celebrity. Coincidence or not, I find it very distracting. But I don't know if that's enough to do a significant edit on a published book.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Pulpmeister

I am reading a crime novel called "Love has No Alibi" by Octavus Roy Cohen, first published by MacMillan US in January 1945. The hero's name is Kirk Douglas.

Issur Danielovitch Demsky legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas when he joined the Navy in 1941, according to Prof. Wikipedia, but he didn't become known as an actor until 1946.

If they were to re-issue the book today, would they rename the hero?

More than likely not.
Why should they? Since Douglas is a common last name, I am sure there is more than 1 Kirk.

The other day I ran across a book that had a boy named Trilby. Trilby is either a hat or a book by George Du Maurier in which Trilby is very much a girl.

[Pulpmeister]

I've read the book by du Maurier. Oddly, the hat style was named after the character Trilby, because in the hugely successful stage run of the story, Trilby wore a trilby...

er...

anyway, you know what I mean. Before Trilby the book, and Trilby the play, there was no trilby hat. The hat style she wore on stage became known as a trilby later.

I don't know why I remember these useless items.

[ZodWallop]

In a reverse of the situation, there was a popular comics writer/editor named Archie Goodwin, which is also the name of Nero Wolfe's right hand man. In his early days, some comics readers assumed Archie Goodwin was a pen name inspired by the character.

[barryem]

For those of you old enough to remember him I once saw an interview with Stewart Granger, the actor, probably on Johnny Carson or some show like that. He explained that he first became a successful actor in England under his real name, James Stewart, but when he came to the USA he wasn't able to use that name since it was already taken so he changed it to Stewart Granger.

Barry

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Pulpmeister

I am reading a crime novel called "Love has No Alibi" by Octavus Roy Cohen, first published by MacMillan US in January 1945. The hero's name is Kirk Douglas.

Issur Danielovitch Demsky legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas when he joined the Navy in 1941, according to Prof. Wikipedia, but he didn't become known as an actor until 1946.

If they were to re-issue the book today, would they rename the hero?

That's nothing. There is another celebrity whose name at birth was Michael Douglas. We know him now as Michael Keaton. lol.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by barryem

For those of you old enough to remember him I once saw an interview with Stewart Granger, the actor, probably on Johnny Carson or some show like that. He explained that he first became a successful actor in England under his real name, James Stewart, but when he came to the USA he wasn't able to use that name since it was already taken so he changed it to Stewart Granger.

Barry

My name used to be Brad Pitt. I changed it because I got tired of the disappointment on women's faces :/