- Ted Healy, The Casino Murder Case, 1934. Four films as SS Van Dine’s (actually, Willard Huntington Wright’s) snobbish, cynical, bored, supercilious dilettante detective Philo Vance was enough for William Powell. He refused this one, planned by MGM for him and Myrna Loy (they became The Thin Man and his wife). This news put Metro into a panic. Did they have another Philo? Otto Kruger topped the list, followed by Columbia’s magician-actor Fred Keating, Warren William (he had Vanced the previous year), Ricardo Cortez and, finally, Paul Lukas – with Ted Healy succeeding Brophy who was succeeding Eugene Pallette as Sergeant Heath of the NYPD Homicide Bureau.
- Frank Faylen, It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946.
- Andy Devine, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, 1962.
This one takes a little telling. It’s Broadway Danny Rose, LA style… I’ll pass the mike to Mike Fleming, who told it all at Deadline Hollywood, January 18 2016… exactly the way ICM agent Jack Gilardi told him… About how the late movie superagent Marty Baum had cast Stanley Kramer’s comedy with Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Edie Adams and Buddy Hackett and others when Kramer calls him: “Marty, you did such a great job, but I got one more role open. It’s the sheriff. Can you help me?” Marty says: “Ed Brophy.” Stanley says: “Who?” Marty says: “Oh, he did this, he did that, he has done Broadway, he’s great.” Stanley says: “OK, if you believe in him, let’s get him in the picture.” Marty says: “Well… he’s not cheap, you know, and I’ve got to get some money for him.” Stanley says: “I’ll give him $1,200 a week, six weeks guaranteed. I can’t give him any more than that.” Marty hangs up and tells Jack Gross: “Go get me Ed Brophy on the phone.” About five minutes later, Jack comes in and says: “Mrs Brophy is on the phone.” Marty picks up and says: “Hi, Mrs Brophy, Marty Baum here, head of Motion Pictures for General Artists Corporation. There’s a picture that Stanley Kramer is going to make, and “I have great news… I got a major part in it for Ed Brophy.” She says: “Ed is gone.’ Marty says: “I know. But this is going to bring him back. Spencer Tracy is the star!” She says: “You don’t understand, Mr. Baum. Ed’s gone.” This went on for about two minutes until she finally said: “Mr. Baum, Ed died six weeks ago.” Marty, who was a nice man as well as a good agent, says: “Oh, my God Mrs. Brophy, I am so sorry.” Then, Marty gets Stanley Kramer on the phone and says: “Look Stanley, I can’t deliver Ed Brophy.” “Whaddaya mean?’ “Well, he wants more money.” “More money? I never heard of him.” “Well, he wants $2,500 a week, and that’s a lot of money and I understand this won’t work out.” Stanley says: “Marty, you’ve been so right on the picture that I’m going to give him the $2,500.” Marty says: “Yeah, but what about the billing? ” Stanley says: “What billing? I don’t even know him… alright, I’ll give him co-star billing and he’ll be among Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett and the others.” Marty says: “I still can’t do it.” Stanley says: “C’mon Marty. Let’s get this thing done.” Finally, Marty says: “Stanley, Ed Brophy is dead.” There’s a pause and Stanley says: “You sold me a dead actor?” Marty says: “Yeah. But you bought him!” “True story,”said Gilardi. “I was there.” New York’s Ed (or Edward) Brophy won 146 screen roles during 1920-1960.
Birth year: 1896Death year: 1960Other name: Casting Calls: 3