- Marilyn Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1952. At first, Marilyn refused to be Lorelei Lee. “It’s Carol’s rôle. No otherj actress should play it.” She was told that she did not cast Fox movies, Broadway stars rarely filmed their best roles – and finally accepted the film on her 26th birthday (June 1, 1952) while making the steamy Niagara. Gwen Verdon taught the co-stas how to dance and even walk. As if Marilyn needed tips on walking! Or singing… so Marni Nixon (singing voice of numerous stars: Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Natalie Wood, etc) refused to sing Lorelei’s songs as they perfectly matched the breathy Monroe voice.
- Kaye Ballard, The Girl Most Likely, 1957. After not showing for make-up/wardrobe tests, “she waltzed in… and demanded the starring role,” recalled director Mitchell Leisen. Carol had not minded supporting Ginger Rogers in The First Travelling Saleslady – but Jane Powell was small fry. Producer William Dozier fired Carol on the spot.
- Barbra Streisand, Hello, Dolly!, 1969. Carol beat La Barb to the Broadway Tony awardduring Dolly v Funny Girl and was then Oscar-nominated for Thoroughly Modern Millie . And yet Fox never even considered her for the movie version of the triumph of her life! And turned to Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Doris Day, Shirley Mac Laine, Debbie Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Doris Day, Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds and (gulp!) Elizabeth Taylor! All she knew about singing was having wed (Debbie’s) Eddie Fisher. La Barb later agreed she should never have accepted the film. “I was totally miscast. I tried to get out of it. I think it’s so silly… so old-time musical.” Well, of course… because director Gene Kelly was stuck in the 40s/50s aspic. And La Barb and co-star Walter Matthau hated each other. She had, he said, “no more talent than a butterfly’s fart.”
- Elaine May, A New Leaf, 1970. “Henry & Henrietta… the love couple of the 70s and the laugh riot of the yea” Not… quite. Elaine May lacked the magic of her ex-comedy partner, Mike Nichols, when directing movies. This was her first film; she only made four (and none since the worst flop – Beatty and Hoffman in Ishtar, 1986. She only played the rich target of a penniless Walter Matthau target when Paramount kept insisting on Carol Channing. Dollydd Levi as a botanist… yeah, right! Channing die in 2019… at age 97.
Birth year: 1921Death year: 2019Other name: Casting Calls: 4