The Bridges of Madison County earlier about "the dreams of a woman named Francesca," gave him the idea for the novella, which was completed in eleven days. After he had written "Bridges", Waller came to believe that he had based the character of Francesca Johnson on his wife, Georgia, whom Francesca physically resembles. According to Marc Eliot, Waller's novella is a modernization of the Noël Coward play "Still Life" (1934), which was adapted into David Lean's film "Brief Encounter" (1945). "Still Life" is about 'the desperation, guilt, and temptations of two married people who meet, fall in love, commit adultery, and then separate forever." In
Still Life (play) productions of parts of the cycle included Broadway revivals in 1948 (not including "Still Life") and 1967 (including "Still Life" ) and in 1981 at the Lyric Theatre in London (not including "Still Life"). The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles revived all ten plays in October 2007. In 2009, the Shaw Festival revived the full cycle. "Still Life" was given a television production in 1951. In 1991, BBC television mounted productions of the individual plays starring Joan Collins. In most of the plays she took the Lawrence roles, but in "Still Life" she played Myrtle. In the refreshment room of