- Marilyn Monroe, The Asphalt Jungle, 1949. John Huston’s first choice felt Angela Phinlay was a backward step after her Champion breakthrough. Or so it goes… Another tale has Huston forced into giving the unknown Marilyn a second test or his Irish stallions would be sold off to cover his $18,000 stable bill to rancher Lucille Ryman Carroll… who also happened to be MGM’s chief talent exec! Fascinating except for one little truth… Huston already knew Marilyn and her agent-lover Johnny Hyde, and had already tried to feature her in his previous endeavour, We Were Strangers, 1948. “That Asphalt Pavement thing is full of nasty, ugly people doing nasty things,” complained MGM overlord LB Mayer. “I wouldn’t walk across the room to see a thing like that.” Result: fur Oscar nominations and three re-makes!
- Grace Kelly, High Noon, 1951. She came thisclose to playing the wife of Sheriff Will Kane – then set for Kirk Douglas. Legends insist that Grace Kelly had an affair throughout the shooting with Sheriff Cooper. Unlikely. As he was suffering a bleeding ulcer at the bleeding time.
- Laura Devon, Gunn, 1966. Before falling out with creator Blake Edwards over the script, William Friekdin was due to the direct the film version of Edwards’ 1958-1961 hit series, Peter Gunn – a detective dude based 150% on Cary Grant. Edwards kept the same stars, Craig Stevens, and Albright as his nightclub chanteuse lover. The new Paramount owner then insisted that she was too old and he knew exactly who should play Edie. His German girlfriend. “I’m not gonna let a Nazi play Edie,”said Edwards. He didn’t let Lola play her either – booking the (cheaper) Devon.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 3