- Robert Ryan, Clash By Night, 1951. Director Fritz Lang’s first thought for Barbara Stanwyck’s lover. Profession: film projectionist. Not many of them in Hollywood mo vies. Also seen, as critic Jeffrey M Anderson pointed out: “Marilyn Monroe is especially astonishing in an early role as a feisty cannery worker; she’s already a star.”
- Michael Rennie, Les Miserables, 1951. For once, his steel grey hair would have to be dyed… Even so, Chandler was a surprise choice of head Fox Darryl Zanuck for Jean Valjean in the umpteenth screen version of the Victor Hugo classic. (With James Mason as his nemesis, Javert). Instead, Rennie was hunted down by fellow Brit Robert Newton. Other heroic Valjeans have included Harry Bauer, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Gérard Depardieu, Hugh Jackman, Richard Jordan, Fredric March, Liam Neeson, Dominugo Soler, Lino Ventura.
- Sterling Hayden, Take Me To Town, 1952. Three kids decide that Ann Sheridan’s saloon babe on the lam (Vermillion O’Toole, no less) would be a great new wife for their Pa – Hayden, succeeding Chandler. The only surprise here – Douglas Sirk directed! And warmly.
- Errol Flynn, Istanbul, 1953. Change of hero for Universal’s Turkey travelogue. The Singapore re-hash was a warmed-over Casablanca (Nat King Cole was singing at the piano). Lithuanian actress Cornell Borchers fought a dual rôle, both ladies resembling Ingrid Bergman. But Errpol was no Bogie. Well, he was Flynning for a mere $13,500 per week. But paid, every week, thank you very much – as per contract.
- Rock Hudson, The Magnificent Obsession, 1953. Chandler supposedly passed on playing “the soppy” Bob Merrick. Nonsense! You did what you were told at Universal. Anyway, production chief Ed Muhl, had been there (in a lowlier position) in 1935 when Universal’s top tearjerker made a such a superstar of MGM’s Robert Taylor that he was kept home and never loaned again for 24 years! “It would have been stupid of me to have forgotten that,” said Muhl. Which is why he arranged for his re-make to do exactly the same for Rock Hudson. “He was ready!” (Despite often needing up to 40 takes for a scene). Indeed, he film was so successful that MGM offered Rock $1m to play Ben-Hur. No deal! And director Douglas Sirk and Hudson made seven more soaps together
- Yul Brynner, The Ten Commandments, 1954.
- John Derek, The Ten Commandments,1954.
- George Nader, Six Bridges To Cross, 1955. Jeff was always the most rebellious of the Universal boys… Or girls. One of his lovers, Esther Williams, discovered he dressed in women’s clothes.. “Jeff,” she told him, “you’re too big for polka dots!”
- George Nader, Lady Godiva, 1955. Universal may have been bad for him but when he moved away and produced, semi-directed and starred in the Drango Western, the result was just as naff.
- Rock Hudson, Giant, 1955.
- Victor Mature, No Time To Die (UK: Tank Force), 1957. When they ran Warwick Films in London, Cubby Broccoli used his Hollywood contacts to win the stars – Mature (six times), Van Johnson, Alan Ladd (three) , Ray Milland, Jack Palance, Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark – and Irving Allen kept the purse-strings taut for such oldies. A mere $200,000, for example, compared to the $2m offered to the current hot-shot George Peppard for The Long Ships, 1963. (And he refused). Cubby must kept the Warwick titles. This one became the name of the 25th James Bond film in 2019.
- Cary Grant, Operation Petticoat, 1959. How Cary Grant made his most successful movie… Tony Curtis was hot. And Universal asked him what we wanted to do next (anything to keep him at the studio). “A service comedy about submarines,” said Curtis. Fine, nodded the suits, we’ll get Chandler or Robert Taylor for the captain. “No,” said Curtis. “Cary Grant or nobody.” Even if it meant Cary’s latest company producing the farce. Grant, after all, was the #1 box-office star of 1958. (Curtis wasn’t even in the Top Ten). Grant’s Petticoat deal finally earned him $3m – the #1 box-office film of his career.
Birth year: 1918Death year: 1961Other name: Casting Calls: 12