Casting call

[laughingrat]

Every so often I'll hear someone say, "That movie would have been so much better if X was cast in it instead." I'll admit it, though: I'm terrible at envisioning that sort of thing (although I am pretty happy that George Raft turned down The Maltese Falcon), although it's always interesting to hear others' thoughts about it. Are there any classic films you think would have been better with a different cast?

Comments

[ar]

I'm feeling kind of ill at the moment, so the best I can do is real-life missed chances as opposed to imagined onces:

The choice of Rosalind Russell over Ethel Merman for Gypsy is a tragedy for the ages, and full of stupid Hollywood politics to boot. The fact that we have so few film versions of Merman's greatest stage roles with her actually playing her part never fails to make me sad.

I feel like musicals tend to be good hunting grounds for shoulda-coulda-wouldas. I love Audrey Hepburn, but man, I want to visit the alternate universe where Julie Andrews gets to play Eliza Doolittle. I love Danny Kaye, but ever since I found out Donald O'Connor was supposed to have his part in White Christmas (damn you, Francis the Mule), he looks like a pale shadow of what could have been. You can see O'Connor all over that role if you're looking for it--you just can't see him. I love them both, but I'm willing to give up Danny in White Christmas for Donald to have had a more lasting adult career.

On a more recent note, as much as I love Amadeus as-is, consider that Mozart and Salieri were played onstage for quite a while by Tim Curry and Ian McKellan. Then try not to feel like you missed out on something by casting Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham. The latter two are great, but Curry and McKellan! Or even just Curry. Let's be honest, I'm much more interested in seeing Tim's performance than Ian's.

I'd also be a lot more willing to watch a James Bond film if it starred Cary Grant.

...On the other hand, imagine Marlon Brando as Lawrence of Arabia. While I'd like to visit that world, I'm not sure I want to stay there.

[themis]

I think The Lady from Shanghai, which is sort of a really interesting mess, would have been better if Welles had just directed it. There's something wide-eyed and innocent/gullible about the main character, but there's nothing wide-eyed about Orson Welles.

Granted, I'm not sure who would be a better choice! Maybe Montgomery Clift? It's such a weird movie anyway, I'm not sure the casting question matters that much in the scheme of things, haha.

[klia]

Funny you should mention The Maltese Falcon. I've always wished another actress had been cast as Ruth Wonderly. I just never bought Astor as a femme fatale, especially in TMF. For the life of me, I could never figure out why Sam fell for Astor's Ruth, or her treacly-sweet helplessness.

Not sure who I'd cast instead -- maybe Ida Lupino? She could play very vulnerable with those big, luminous eyes, but she also that tough, brittle edge. Or, I would've loved to have seen someone like Joan Fontaine really stretch beyond her usual sweet, innocent roles.

[franzeska]

All the yellowface ones? :) I've just been watching the Mr. Moto collection, and while I think Peter Lorre was fantastic, they'd still have been better with an Asian actor in the role and especially with better writing for some of the other Asian characters. I loved Charlie Chan as a kid, and those movies are, if anything, much worse. It's a real pity so many interesting movies were ruined by racist casting and fortune cookie dialogue. They've got these hints of promise, but the sum total is... not so great.