Harry Andrews

Posted on by Tony CrawleyCategories:Actors

 

  1. John Gielgud, Murder on the Orient Express, 1974.      Change of Edward Beddoes, once Gielgud’s agent got him the salary he wanted. Same battle for the train’s star-packed cast: Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman (she also won an Oscar), Sean Connery, Albert Finney, Anthony Perkins – and Richard Widmark, who took the job to meet all the others.

  2. Anthony Sharp, House of Mortal Sin (US: The Confessional), 1976.     Peter Cushing passed on being, as Time Out put it, a crazed old Catholic priest terrorising a young girl after confession… Cushing was too busy and not, as rumours insisted, hating the scenario. UK director Pete Walker then offered Father Xavier Meldrum to Andrews, Stewart Granger, plus (said Steve Chinball’s Walker book), Lee J Cobb and Richard Greene.

  3. Peter Cushing, Star Wars: Episode VI – A New Hope, 1976.

  4. Leo McKern, Candleshoe, 1977.   Gielgud was hardly any casting director’s prime thought for a small-time crook by the name of Harry Bundage. McKern was far morle fun opposite David Niven, Helen Hayes and Jodie Foster – in her last of four Disney films, indeed, her last film for three years.

  5. Charles Gray, The Legacy, 1977.  Failing to be Harry Liebnecht, immolated in Jimmy Sangster’s literal horror – with Hollywood leads, of course (Katharine Ross, Sam Elliott) in an English country house, of course – were the obviously much relieved Andrews, Bernard Archard, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough (the future Batman’s man, Alfred), Patrick Troughton (the second Doctor Who, 1966-1969), Peter Vaughan. Plus two Donalds: Houston and Pleasence.  Gray was totally mis-cast. Better German accents would have from the also listed Peter Arne, Anton Diffring, Christopher Lee and Herbert Lom. Elliott (who wed Ross in 1984) warned the Associated Press: “I wouldn’t rush out to see it. It’s about 15 years behind its time.”

  6. Maximilian Schell, The Black Hole,1978.   One Swede, three Germans and six Brits were dsicussed for Dr Hans Reinhardt – heading a mission aboard the US spaceship, Palomino, to find habitable spots in space. Max von Sydow; Anton Diffring, Curd Jürgens, HardyKrüger; plus Harry Andrews, Peter Cushing, Jeremy Kemp, Hardy Kruger Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Donald Pleasence and Patrick Troughton. This was Disney’s first attempt at science fiction – and a PG rating.  Never got it right until buying Lucasfilm and the Star Warsfranchise.  In 2014

  7. Trevor Howard, Meteor, 1979.     In the loop for Sir Michael Hughes in the last of the disaster movies (a $22m bummer) were: Howard, Andrews, Ian Bannen Peter Cushing, Michael Hordern, Gordon Jackson, John Mills, Kenneth More, Anthony Quayle… and four UK knights: Sirs John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, John Mills and Ralph Richardson. (Hordern was knighted in 1983; Quayle in 1985).

  8. John Fraser, Doctor Who #115: Logopolis, TV, 1981.     Age apparently, didn’t matter. The Monitor was 60 but producer John Nathan-Taylor’s usual suspects ranged from Harry Andrews at 77 to Hywel Bennett at…37! Plus Maurice Denham, 72; Marius Goring, 69; Peter Cushing, 68; Bernard Archard, Michael Gough, 65; Nigel  Stock, 62; Geoffrey Bayldon, 57; William Lucas, 56; Frank Finlay, 55; Barry Foster, Frank Windsor, 54; John Fraser, 50; Peter Wyngarde, 48, This was the episode that Brian Epstein would not let The Beatles appear in. But he OKed Top of the Pops footage of Ticket To Ride.

  9. Ian McDiarmid, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, 1982.

  10. Patrick Stewart, Lifeforce, 1984.

  11. Aubrey Morris, Lifeforce, 1984.

  12. Frank Finlay, Lifeforce, 1984.

  13. Terence Alexander, Doctor Who #139: The Mark of the Rani, 1984.     Andrews, Joss Ackland, Bernard Archard, Robin Bailey, George Baker, Ian Bannen, Geoffrey Bayldon, John Carson, Peter Cushing, Allan Cuthbertson, Frank Finlay, Robert Flemyng, Michael Gough, Dinsdale Landen, TP McKenna, Donald Pickering, Peter Sallis, John Standing, Patrick Stewart, Peter Vaughan… and the Z Cars cops James Ellis and Jeremy Kemp – 23 contenders for Lord Ravenworth. Phew! Standing was the most suitable as he was the the fourth baronet in his family’s line

  14. Anton Diffring, Doctor Who #150: Silver Nemesis,roved TV, 1988.  Pinewood’s top Nazi was obviuslyh favourite for the Nazi De Flores in the 25th anniversary episode. Also considered: Bernard Archard, Peter Cushing, Frank Finlay, Robert Flemyng, Michael Gough, Charles Gray, Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Donald Pleasence and Peter Vaughan. Although baffled by the script, and in poor health, Diffring accepted what  proved his final rôle   in order to be in London and able to watch the Wimbledon tennis. He then returned to his French home and was dead within a year.

 Birth year: 1911Death year: 1989Other name: Casting Calls:  14