- Dewey Martin, The Big Sky, 1951. Howard Hawks, paid $30,000 for the rights to AB Guthrie Jr’s Western “love story” of Boone Claudill and the older Jim Deakins. (The RKO suits slashed the Western by 18 minutes which might have made things more clear). The grand old Silver Fox, thought of Brando in either role.– or why not Montgomery Clift or Robert Mitchum. They became Martin and Kirk Douglas.
- Jack Hawkins, Land of the Pharaohs, 1954. Suddenly, it was Hollywood-on-the-Tiber… Even Howard Hawks got the sword ’n’ sandalbug (he was always short of money and, anyway, he fancied building a pyramid). Refusing a top star, he made the British Hawkins into Pharaoh Khufu and Chaplin’s son became Treneh, captain guard of the pyramid treasure – seduced by Joan Collins into making her queen.She seduced him off-set, too.
- James Dean, Giant, 1955.
- – Dean Martin, The Bells Are Ringing, 1959. First, Dewey Martin, now it’s Dino. MGM bought her Broadway show for the Tony-winner Judy Holliday, to star in. With Chaplin, her Tony-winning co-star. And then Dino became available… for, alas, the final film of Judy and of Metro’s hit musical team, producer Arthur Freed and director Vincente Minnelli.
- Omar Sharif, Funny Girl, 1968. If Broadway’s Fannie Brice was making the movie, why not her stage co-star remaining as Nicky Arnstein? Not the way La Streisand was taking over the screen as much as William Wyler would (after Sidney Lumet would not) let her.
Birth year: 1926Death year: 2009Other name: Casting Calls: 5