- Eva Marie Saint, On The Waterfront, 1954. Too well bred! Suave star Robert Montgomery’s daughter gave good audition. However, director Elia Kazan felt her too much “finishing-chool dame” for a girl from the Hoboken docklands. Brando didn’t bother to attend many of the auditions. He was, claimed his biographer Darwin Porter, stretched enough bedding a civilian called Anne Ford and a kid called James Dean.. Eva Marie got the Oscar. Elizabeth got Bewitched. For 105 TV hours during 1964-1971.
- Fran Bennett, Giant, 1955.
- Diane Baker, Marnie, 1963. Alfred Hitchcock first offered the role of Lil Mainwaring to Elizabeth Montgomery. Impossible due to her Bewitched TV schedule. Baker was a Universal contractee, so cheaper. She was never allowed to see the script, simply told it was a Hitchcock film with Tippi Hedren. In early drafts, Lily was a guy, a pal of Sean Connery’s Mark, and also in love with Marnie.
- Katharine Ross, The Stepford Wives, 1975. Among UK writer-director Bryan Forbes’ magnificent seven choices. Being the Bewitched wife must have counted against her. He needed a robot, not a witch.
- Elizabeth Taylor, The Flintstones, 1994. Fred Flintstopne suddenly had a mother-in-law – calling for a starry cameo. Liz made bigger headlines than Montgomery or Audrey Meadows. and, said director Brian Levant, “might even get people who wouldn’t normally have come.”
Birth year: 1933Death year: 1995Other name: Casting Calls: 5