Controversial casting in movies

Don’t forget Brando in Teahouse of the August Moon.

 

Whereas as Genghis Khan, he was perfect.

 

Unwatchable? I understand preferring to have Julie Andrews but it’s still considered a great film and I love the entire cast. No doubt that the movie would have been great with Julie Andrews but Hepburn’s my lady. And we still got Julie (over original Broadway star Mary Martin) in The Sound of Music not to mention Mary Poppins.

But I rest my case. Controversial casting for sure.

 

That would not have been an easy casting call.

 

Edwards could have made him American. Or perhaps cast Toshiro Mifune or Burt Kwouk.

I never saw the movie until I was living in Germany. When Rooney came out, it caught me by complete surprise. I was kind of shocked by the character, but everyone else in the audience was rolling on the floor laughing.

In any case, it's not Birth of a Nation level stuff. Just kind of inane.

 

Speaking of Brando, what idiot cast the male leads in Guys and Dolls? They give the non-singing part to Sinatra - and the singing part to Brando. Admittedly they Frank a little more to sing than Sam Levene in the stage version, but still . . .

 

Are you saying he was reaching?

 

Just out of curiosity, who would you have cast?

 

Jagger was fine. He’s English, has a criminal record, raised by a toothless bearded hag, shoots rats to feed his geese, and clearly has enough jam. Honorary Aussie material.

 

Hmmm, a compelling argument.

 

Keith Richards

 

Howzabout when they hired Andy Garcia (a Cuban!) to play Vincent Corleone while than hiring Al Pacino (an Italian!) To play Tony Montana!

 

Yes - unwatchable; AH just doesn't make sense to me. Different Cokes! Sounds good. Martin was too old when she played Maria on Broadway, and could not have credibly made the film, but JA was great wasn't she?

 

Possible thread win...

 

Never seen Keith with a beard, so probably wouldn't pass the audition.

 

If you haven't seen it already, check out The Death of Superman Lives for a serious deep dive on the ill-fated film. Speaking only for myself, I wasn't wild about either Nicolas Cage playing Superman or Tim Burton directing. They just didn't seem a right fit for the character or the material...

...and speaking of superheroes, I remember the hooplah when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman, but I thought it was inspired. No disrespect to the other Batmans/Bruce Waynes, but Keaton's the only actor who brought the right about of crazy. He looked just nuts enough to spend his fortune on all that Batgear, then go out into Gotham to fight crime...

 

I lived in fear of the Cage Superman movie. I liked Cage movies but there was no way he would have made a good Superman. I’m sad that the movie didn’t get made with someone else in the role but glad a Cage Superman movie doesn’t exist. There were other superhero roles that would have been a better fit for him. He might have made an interesting Green Arrow.
Keaton was great. He’s my favorite Batman. Shame they didn’t continue with him. Glad he’s coming back in The Flash movie.

 

I'm not sure, but surely there must have been more than one competent local actor available?

I did not see the film, but I di know that it got quite poor reviews,and it wasn't just because Jagger was not a local, though that probably had a lot to do with it. I think the feeling was not so much resentment over using an Englishman, or that Jagger was necessarily a bad actor, but the fact that he was seemingly parachuted into the role because of his celebrity status, to provide a recognisable name among the cast for the English aurdience.

 

Yes, I only went to see the film because Jagger was in it. Performance was a much better acting fit for him.

 

Certainly far more bankable than any Japanese actress.

 

Sam Goldwyn. Marlon Brando was the biggest film star in the world at the time

 

Psychic Jeanne Dixon consulted producer Sun Myung Moon and told him MacArthur was pleased with the choice of Olivier, along with helping Moon pick director Terrence Young.

 

Disagree. Tom Cruise rarely is pushed as an actor.

Born On The 4th Of July and *maybe* Magnolia are the only 2 examples I think demonstrate that he can be successfully pushed when motivated by something else than a large paycheck.

 

Godfather.

Al Pacino; the studio didn't want him. Francis Ford Coppola managed to get him cast in spite of this and when the studio was unimpressed with the scenes they saw from the beginning, FFC decided to shoot the restaurant shooting scene and sent this over. The studio execs were impressed and stopped trying to get Pacino removed from the cast.

Brando; the studio head was dead-set against him. Only when FFC filmed an audition at Brando's house who put black shoe polish in his hair, and delivered a few lines as Don Corleone was he impressed enough to the point of greenlighting the unpredictable actor.

 

Lucille Ball in Mame.