- Jennifer Jones, Since You Went Away, 1943. Many were seen by producer David O Selznick for his war effort film, a US take on MGM’s Mrs Miniver. But he always knew Jane was perfect material for the role – and for his future second wife. Fleming was compensated with her screen debut bit.
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Hedy Lamarr, Samson and Delilah, 1948. Cinemperor Cecil B DeMille’s 1935 plan been Henry Wilcoxon with Joan Crawford, Larraine Day, Dolores Del Rio, Paulette Goddard, Jane Greer or Miriam Hopkins…. Next in line, producer David O Selznick envisaged Kirk Douglas and Marlene Dietrich… By ’48, CB got serious. He sought a mix of Vivien Leigh, Jean Simmons and “a generous touch of Lana Turner” from among … Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Rhonda Fleming (the Queen of Babylon, 1954), Ava Gardner, Greer Garson (Mrs Miniver!!), Susan Hayward (1951’s Bathsheba), Rita Hayworth (the future Salome), , Jennifer Jones (St Bernadette in 1943), Patricia Neal, Maureen O’Hara, Nancy Olson (too demure), Jean Peters, Ruth Roman, Gail Russell, Ann Sheridan, Gene Tierney… even such surprises as comical Lucille Ball (!) and song ‘n’ dancer Betty Hutton. Plus the Dominican Maria Montez (perfect!), Italian Alida Valli and two Swedes: Viveca Lindfors and Marta Toren. But CB had already fancied Lamarr for his unmade epic about the Jewish queen Esther (played by Joan Collins in 1960). Here’s a Samson review signed Groucho Marx: “No picture can hold my interest where the leading man’s bust is larger than the leading lady’s!” (David O Selznick had envisaged Kirk Douglas and Marlene Dietrich in the earlier 40s).
- Janet Leigh, Little Women, 1949. Producer David Selznick saw the future Queen of Techniolor as Meg in 1946, before letting Mervyn LeRoy take it to MGM, where he changed his entire cast – excepting Elizabeth Patterson as Hannah.
- Janet Leigh, Jet Pilot, 1949. Before Howard Hughes – hunting a jet age version of his 1929 Hell’s Angels – got his hands on Robert Hardy’s storyline, producer Paul Short was prepping it as a quickie for Audie Murphy, Rory Calhoun and Fleming. Hughes’ version was anything but quick (or, er, Short!). Shooting began in October 1949 and he then tinkered with it for so long – close to eight years – that the once innovative jets were obsolete when the film was released… in October 1957. No wonder Janet Leigh said she used a four-letter word for the first time on a movie set.
- Yvonne De Carlo, Silver City, 1950. Director Byron Haskin changed his leading lady. Fleming won. De Carlo lost. Co-star was the dullard Edmond O’Brien.
- Maureen O’Hara, Malaga (US: Fire Over Africa), 1953. Ex-OSS operative Joanna Dane, is sent to Tanger to bring down a smuggling ring. She was first set for Indian actress Nimmi, with Errol Flynn for company, then Arlene Dahl (and her lately divorced husband Lex Barker), then Fleming and finally O’Hara – another of the four actresses nicknamed The Queen of Technicolor: Fleming, O’Hara, Yvonne DeCarlo and Maria Montez.
- Anne Baxter, The Ten Commandments, 1954.
- Yvonne De Carlo, The Ten Commandments, 1954.
- Rosanna Podesta, Helen of Troy, 1956. Yvonne De Carlo, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Liz Taylor? No, what better than picking an unknown Italian who did not speak English – the sultry Claudia Cardinale of her day.
- Angie Dickinson, Rio Bravo, 1958.
Birth year: 1923Death year: 2020Other name: Casting Calls: 10