- Mickey Dolenz, Circus Boy, TV, 1956-1957. Mickey, the 11-year-old future Monkee, and Paul, the 16-year-oid future songwriter,were both up for Corky,the elephants’ water-boy at Big Tim Champion’s circus.
- Mickey Dolenz, The Monkees, TV, 1966-1968. By now they were 21 and 26 and Dolenz still beat Williams to the job in hand. To make amends, Mickey made sure the Monkees group recorded Paul’s song, Someday Man.
- William Finley, Phantom of the Paradise, 1973. Director Brian De Palma’s art v commerce opus began perculating in 1969 when shocked to hear The Beatles’ A Day In The Life as Musak in a lift… He got the the elfin pop composer interested in providing songs, then said he should play the titular Winslow – after having written it for his longtime friend and collaborator Bill Finley! “No,” said Williams two weeks before shooting began. “I’m not big enough to be scary. I wanna be the one who steals the music” – aka Swan, the planet’s biggest charmer, full of Williams’ impishness and dark side. “It was an era when people were letting young directors make all kind of films,” De Palma said. “For a while.”
Usual occupation: SongwriterBirth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 3