- Ava Gardner, The Killers, 1945. MGM reneged on loaning Totter to Universal, when changing its schedule for Lady in the Lake and giving the ex-radio actor her first star billing – opposite Robert Montgomery as Philip Marlowe and debuting director utilising the subjective camera technique. As Gardner made her name. Finally!
- Angela Lansbury, The Red Danube, 1947. At the start of the year the selected stars were Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter and Charisse. By the time the title had changed five times (from Vespers in Vienna) and George Sidney started shooting the anti-Communist thriller, they had become: Walter Pidgeon, Ethel Barrymore, Peter Lawford, Angela Lansbury and Janet Leigh.
- Lois Wheeler, My Foolish Heart, 1949. Change of Mary Jane in the movie that was so abysmal that it made author JD Salinger refuse the filming of anymore of his work.
- Ann Blyth, Once More, My Darling, 1949. Or Come Be My Love. When Totter was due to co-star with Robert Montgomery in his Neptune company’s first production. Or direction, as he sacked director Michael, Gordon after a week and helmed the comedy, himself.
- Shelley Winters, A Place in the Sun, 1951. The poor Alice Tripp was, said veteran director George Stevens, for Totter. Yet MGM refused to loan her to Paramount. Shelley won the role by obliterating her current sex image, dyng her hair mousey brown, dressing drably, arriving early for her meeting, sitting off in a corner – totally unrecognised by Stevens. Result : her first Oscar nomination.
- Gloria Stuary, Titanic, 1996. Thank you for asking, she told James Cameron. But retired means retired. Besides, playing Old Rose would mean leaving the comfort of the Motion Picture and Television Hospital, in Woodland Hills, California, where she lived from 2004 to her death.
Birth year: 1917Death year: 2013Other name: Casting Calls: 6