- Sid Silvers, The Broadway Melody of 1936, 1935. And indeed the working title was Broadway Melody of 1935… ie after The Broadway Melody, 1928, and before Broadway melodies of 1937 and 1939. A fifth project – of 1943 – never happened. Silvers was a Runyonesque character actor from Broadway, used one-liners in his oddly pitch-changing voice in Union Pacific, Roxie Hart, Reap the Wild Wind.
- Charles Butterworth, Swing High, Swing Low, 1936. This was Paramount’s version of the 1927-1928 Broadway hit, Burlesque. In April 1936, Oscar Hammerstein II completed a musical treatment called Hot Trumpet, with roles aimed at Merkel, Lynne Overman and Rita Rio (aka Dona Draker). But not for long…
- Roscoe Karns, Border Flight, 1936. Overman was all fixed up to be Calico Smith (opposite Frances Farmer and John Howard), when he had to move to Pop[[y, starring WC Fields as his famous Eustace McGargle. PS smuggler’s plane was played s by Amelia Earhart’s monoplane!
- Pierre Watkin, Illegal Traffic, 1937. Change of Jigger(y pokery!) in the latest Paramount crime programmer. Based on “actual gleanings from insurance company records.” Gleanings!
- James Barton, The Shepherd of the Hills, 1940. Change of Old Man Matthews in John Wayne’s first colour Western. “A lachrymose bore,” said the New York Times.
- Stanley Ridges, The Story of Dr Wassell, 1943. The ex-jockey turned CB De Mille regular was selected for the wheelchair-bound Commander Bill Goggins, but died from a heart attack before shooting started.
Birth year: 1887Death year: 1943Other name: Casting Calls: 6