Wild Hollywood Casting (Arnold Schwarzenegger
Was Not The Original Terminator)
by Stephen Schochet
| | Can you imagine Doris Day
as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967)? That's who producer Joseph
E. Levine wanted before Miss Day turned it down thinking the part in bad
taste, and it went to Anne Bancroft. How about James Cagney as Robin
Hood in 1938? A contract dispute caused Warner Bros. to drop him and use
Errol Flynn instead. Did you know that Margaret Mitchell wanted Groucho
Marx to play Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind (1939)? But
perhaps the wildest casting choice in the history of Hollywood involved
The Terminator (1984).
James Cameron had directed a movie called
Piranha II: The Spawning (1981). Determined to work better
quality pictures, the former truck driver Cameron decided to write his
own script; he would only sell it if he got to direct it. The completed story was
about a cyborg from the future who attacks people in Los Angeles
in the present which allowed for low budget filming on city streets. Cameron received a
phone call from Orion pictures," James, we love your script. It's a
go! We'll let you direct it. We will let you cast whoever you want
within reason-- But we think we found the perfect guy to play the Terminator
-- OJ SIMPSON! Oh and Arnold Schwarzenegger can play the good guy
Reese.
So James Cameron thought about it," OJ Simpson huh.
Hmmm. No I can't see OJ Simpson as a killer."
| | Stephen Schochet is the author of the upcoming book
Hollywood Stories: Short Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and
Legends of the Movies. He is also the author of two acclaimed
audiobooks
Tales of Hollywood: Hear the Origins of Hollywood!
and
Fascinating Walt Disney: Hear How Walt Disney's Dreams Came
True!
These entertaining gift items are available at Amazon,
Barnes and Noble, 1-800-431-1579 or wherever books are sold.
|
|
| |
| |
Notice to webmasters and
publishers:
You have permission to publish these
articles free of charge, as long as the last line and link (if published
online) are included.
A courtesy copy of your
publication would be appreciated.
All articles
and stories copyright ©2010 by Stephen Schochet.
All rights reserved.
| |
|