 Orson Welles (qv) suspected that author Booth Tarkington (qv)  based the lead character George on Welles himself for a variety of  reasons: Tarkington was a friend of the Welles family, Welles had a  reputation for being a spoiled, difficult child and Welless full  name was George Orson Welles, so he was called George or Georgie  while growing up.