- Jean-François Calvé, Manina, la fille sans voiles (UK: The Lighthouse-Keeper’s Daughter; US: The Girl in the Bikini), France, 1952. The future aptly-named realisateur tested but lost the second film of Brigitte Bardot.
- Paul Bisciglia, Sous le ciel de Paris, France, 1950. Mocky became a one-man New Wave before la nouvelle vague began. As an actor, he was something of pre-Delon Alain Delon. (Visconti took a shine to them both). He directed 68 films between 1958-2014 and acted in 78, including most of his own. Not this one for realisateur Julien Duvivier.
- Jacques Bernard, Caroline chérie (US: Dear Caroline), France, 1950. When realisateur Robert Vernay asked Mocky if he could ride in his Le Comte de Monte Cristo in 1954, Mocky said sure. Then, he could… When his pals Martine Carol and director Richard Potter hired him in 1950, they didn’t ask, he didn’t say – and promptly fell of his horse and broke bones.
- Serge Bento, Journal d’un curé de campagne (US: Diary Of A Country Priest), France, 1950. Auditioned for the Robert Bresson classic and lost “for some good reason.”
- André Cheff, L’Auberge rouge (US: The Red Inn), France, 1951. Auditioned for another classic – Claude Autant-Lara’s this time.
- Gil Vidal, Marianne de ma jeunesse (Marianne Of My Youth), France-West Germany, 1954. A classic director – Julien Duvivier – does not always signify a classic movie. By now, Mocky decided to act for a director he knew exceedingly well. Himself.
- Pierre Brice, Les tricheurs, France-Italy, 1958. Another lost audition – for what is felt by many to be the start of la nouvelle vague, although made by an icon of the old guard, Marcel Carné… at 52! Ironic, considering that with his first short, in 1929, Carné had been called by critic Jean Mitry, “a kind of new wave.” And Mocky took Carné’s lead for his 1958 directing debut, Les dragueurs: Jacques Charrier.
- Alain Delon, Les seins de glace (UK: Someone Is Bleeding), France-Italy, 1974. Talk about the power game… Paris auteur Jean-Pierre Mocky was invited to writer-direct a film of Rjchard Matheson’s 1953 novel, Someone is Bleeding, with a French tile meaning: Icy Breasts! Mocky signed up Delpn, Jon Finch and Mia Farrow as the woman who kills any man getting too close… With four weeks to go, Delon phones. “I’ve been thinking – it’s Mireille Darc and Michel Duchaussoy,” (Delon and Darc were lovers). Mocky replied: “Alain, I love Mireille Darc, but I don’t see her in this role.” Delon snaps: “It’s that or nothing”. And he hung up. Delon switched his services to Les granges brûlées. Mocky decided to take over his role opposite Jane Birkin. She proved unavaiaible. Shooting cancelled. Delon bides his time and pounces on the rjghts when they became available. He hires Georges Lautner to direct in 1974. With Delon, Darc and Michel – er, no Claude Brasseur, all of a sudden.
- Jean-Luc Godard, Premon Carmen (US : First Name: Carmen),,France, 1983. Djrect opposites in every which way, French autuers Jean-Luc and Jean-Pierre Mocky liked each other and Godard asked Mocky to play Isabelle Adjani’s uncle. However after seeing the first rushes, Godard jettissoned Adjani, and while he was searching for a replacement (delicious Dutch actress Marushka Detmers), Mocky moved on to hIs new directing gig : Y a-t-il un Français dans la salle? (Is There a Frenchman in the House?). And so, Godard became Uncle Jeannot.
- Mike Been, The Last Temptation of Christ, 1988. The French film-maker said he refused Martin Scorsese’s request to play St John. Instead, the role went to one of The Call rock band.
- Jean Davy, Eloge de l’amour (In Praise of Love), France-Switzerland, 2000. Change of the old couple selling their WWII French Resistance stories to “Spielberg and Filmmaking Associates” in bilious realisateur Jean-Luc Godard’s most fiercely anti-American/anti-Hollywood film. Mocky was furious with Godard for accepting a 1998 César award for la nouvelle vague – and over-praising production giants Canal Plus and Gaumont in his speech. Planned over five years, the film featured a Mocky find, Cecile Camp (or, mainly, her back). And another much trumpeted “Godard comeback” flopped.
Birth year: 1933Death year: 2019Other name: Casting Calls: 11