- RIchard “Skeets” Gallagher, Merrily We Go To Hell (UK: Merrily We Go To —-.), 1931. The UK title give some idea how pre-Production Code this film was, so futuristic in sexual boldness that 30s’ people must have considered it science-fiction. The great Dorothy Arzner perfectly directed the open marriage behaviour of Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney. This was Cary Grant’s four film, a role way smaller than that of Gallagher’s drunken reporter. Within a year, just seven years later, Grant was co-starring with March in The Eagle and the Hawk… and soon ruling Paramount.
- Wallace Ford, Three Cornered Moon, 1932. An early script in the Paramount story files at the AMPAS library confirmed that Oakie was in as Kenneth… until Ford was. Made scant difference. This was Claudette Colbert’s show – 150%.
- Harold Lloyd, The Milky Way, 1936. The original cast had a rushed make-over when Jack Oakie was pushed aside for Harold Lloyd in the comedy about a milkman KOing the world middleweight boxing champ in a street brawl. Danny Kaye made a superior version, The Kid From Brooklyn, in 1945.
- Cary Grant, Gunga Din, 1939. Grant was signed as Sergeant Ballantine, then granted Oakie’s Sergeant Cutter -and quickly gave him his own true prenom. Archibald.
- Bob Hope, The Road To Singapore, 1940. Or, Mandalay, when created for Oakie and Fred MacMurray. Jack made Chaplin’s Great Dictator, instead, winning an Oscar nomination for his Mussolini send-up – Benzini Napaloni.
- Milton Berle, Sun Valley Serenade, 1940. Change of the guy named Nifty – would I lie? From “America’s Joyboy” to the stand-up star, soon taking over US TV as Uncle Miltie.
- William Tracy, Cadet Girl, 1940. Seen for the West Point cadet known as The Runt in the less military and more big band musical headed by Carole Landis and George Montgomery.
- Thomas Mitchell, Pocketful Of Miracles, 1960. Burl Ives, Charles Laughton, Fredric March, Edward G Robinson – for what proved his last (and unhappiest) gig, director Frank Capra went through many possibilities for the perfect Judge Henry Blake. And when he found him, Jackie Oakie fell ill and his scenes were re-shot with Mitchell.
- William Tracy, Cadet Girl, 1940. Pittsburg’s Tracy supplied the comedy relief as the West Point cadet known as The Runt – charming! – in the musical propaganda programmer from Fox with George Montgomery falling for Carole Landis as the singer with his brother Shepperd Strudwick’s band. Cue: loud s(w)inging of “It won’t be fun, But it’s got to be done / It’s a fight for the U.S.A., And the U.S. way!”
- Thomas Mitchell, Pocketful of Miracles, 1961. Directing legend Frank Capra never knew this re-make of his 1933 Lady for a Day would be his final film. Or he would have tried harder… and found a better business partner than his star, Glenn Ford… Burl Ives, Charles Laughton, Fredric March and Edward G. Robinson were in the frame for Judge Henry Blake which went to Jack Oakie… who had quit due to “a lingering intestinal virus.” And so, Hizzoner became Thomas Mitchell, a Capra regular.
- John Huston, Myra Breckinridge, 1969. In Hollywood, the in-Brit director Mike Sarne, was hoping to just write the script and back home to delight his bank manager with 75,000 clams! Sarne saw Myra’s antagonist, old cowboy star Buck Loner, as a great comic role for Oakie. Huston thought different and chatted up the Fox folk. “I can’t even describe how threatened I felt,” said the pop singer turned film-maker (Joanna). “He’s fuckin’ John Huston, for Chrissakes!” That was before he called him “a decrepit old hack.” A term also suitable for his other ideas: Oakie and, Mickey Rooney.
Birth year: 1903Death year: 1978Other name: Casting Calls: 11