[4] "Burning Daylight", the main character, is partially based upon the life of Oakland entrepreneur "Borax" Smith,[5] but named for Elam Harnish (1866-1941).

[7][8][9][10] Shakespeare uses "burning daylight" in Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor.

[7] The phrase means "spending time uselessly", something that the main character was expressly against, and tried to live his life to the fullest.

The film, set in New York City, shot entirely in and around Toronto,[13] starring Robert Knepper,[14] was produced[15][16] and directed by Kazakhstani-Canadian[17] Sanzhar Sultanov.

This version, based on two short stories and the novel,[18] concentrated on the second half of the book, " in Civilization".