Also rans

[Actor]

Imagine your favorite movie with a different star. Here are some also rans in no particular order.

• Superman - the title role was actually offered to Robert Redford before newcomer Christopher Reeve was cast. Sylvester Stallone wanted the part. Keenan Wynn was cast as Perry White but had to be replaced due to failing health. Stockard Channing was among many actresses who tested for Lois Lane.
• Lonesome Dove - James Stewart and John Wayne were the first choices (Stewart to play Gus). This may seem an anachronism since the miniseries was made after the two legendary stars had died. However, pre-production dates back at least the early 70s when both stars were still working. Stewart was willing but the Duke wanted no part of it. Stewart would not do it without Wayne.
• The Godfather - the only stars ever considered for the lead were Brando and Lawrence Olivier. Olivier was not available. Orson Welles wanted the part but was never seriously considered. Robert De Niro was screen tested for the part of Sonny.
• Adventures of Robin Hood - shooting actually began with James Cagney but he quit and was replaced by Errol Flynn.
• Gone With the Wind - top choice was always Clark Gable but he was under contract with another studio. If negotiations for Gable's services were unsuccessful Gary Cooper was second choice, with Errol Flynn third. Selznick always intended to cast Paulette Goddard as Scarlett but after conducting a nation wide "search for Scarlett" as a publicity stunt his lawyers told him he could not then cast a woman who lived next door to him.
• Lolita - Kubrick considered Tuesday Weld tor the title role. HIs original choice for Humbert Humbert was Lawrence Olivier.
• Lawrence of Arabia - Marlon Brando was the first choice. An extensive screen test was done with Albert Finney, who opted out in favor of Tom Jones. O'Toole was never screen tested but got the part after a reading. Ali was to have been played by Horst Bucholtz but David Lean replaced him with Omar Sharif. I have heard that the studio did not find out that Bucholtz had been replaced until they saw the director's cut.
• Doctor Zhivago - Peter O'Toole was first choice for the title role but he felt exhausted after months of filming Lawrence of Arabia and did not want to get involved in another epic.
• The Shootist - Paul Newman was first choice. John Wayne campaigned for the part and got it.
• First Blood - Robert De Niro was in a long list of actors considered for the part of Rambo. Col. Trautman was to have been played by Kirk Douglas but he insisted that the movie have the "suicide ending," and the producers were unwilling to grant him that. BTW in the book Rambo does not commit suicide. He is killed by Trautman.
• The Terminator - Lance Henriksen was cast as the Terminator and Schwarzenegger was to play Reese. Arnie decided he wanted to play the cyborg. Cameron agreed. Lance was apparently not considered handsome enough to play Reese and was given a minor part.
• The Lord of the Rings - Sean Connery was first choice for Gandalf but he did not want to shoot in New Zealand.
• Spartacus - Yul Brynner had a production company that was actually in production on a film to be titled Spartacus with Brynner to play the lead. Brynner had his title registered so Douglas's film had the working title The Gladiators. Douglas was advised to abandoned his project because Brynner's company had such a big head start, which would make Douglas's film look like an opportunistic imitation. As it turned out Brynner's production folded and he agreed to let Douglas use the title.
• Dr. No - they wanted Cary Grant to play James Bond but could not afford him, so the part went to Sean Connery.
• The Shining - Harrison Ford was considered for the part of Jack Torrence.
• True Grit - Elvis Presley was first choice to play the Texas Ranger but his manager insisted that he get top billing over John Wayne. No deal!
• Bonnie and Clyde - the part of Bonnie Parker was offered to Tuesday Weld who had worked with Warren Beatty on the TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

[Charlie Blackfield]

One of Ronald Reagan's most sensible decisions ever taken was the one not to appear in Casablanca.

[Actor]

One of Ronald Reagan's most sensible decisions ever taken was the one not to appear in Casablanca.

Bogart was the only one ever cast for the lead in Casasblanca, although there are stories that he did not want the part and only did it because of contractual obligations. Reagan being cast in Casasblanca is a myth which cannot be proven or dis-proven.

[Charlie Blackfield]

My source for the Reagan comment was Wolfgang Fuchs's Bogart biography - judging from your comment, probably not the best point of reference. Is there any reading on Casablanca you could recommend?

Back to the list, here's another one (hopefully not a myth this time):
'10' - the male lead was originally offered to Peter Sellers

[Actor]

Some pure speculation.

In the "Beach Party" movies of the 1960s Frankie Avalon's character is named Frankie. Annette Funicello's character is Dee Dee.

In the Annette biopic A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Eva LaRue (playing Annette) shows up on the Beach Party set and quips "Sandra Dee wasn't available."

Putting these two together, is it possible the producers really wanted Sandra Dee to play Frankie's love interest? It would make sense, after all Sandra Dee was Gidget.

[Actor]

Two more

• The Magnificent Seven - Sterling Hayden was first choice to play the knife thrower, a part that went to James Coburn.
• Jaws - Sterling Hayden was first choice to play Quint, a part that went to Robert Shaw.

[CHAS]

Imagine your favorite movie with a different star. Here are some also rans in no particular order.

• Superman - the title role was actually offered to Robert Redford before newcomer Christopher Reeve was cast. Sylvester Stallone wanted the part. Keenan Wynn was cast as Perry White but had to be replaced due to failing health. Stockard Channing was among many actresses who tested for Lois Lane.

And according to some sources Charles Bronson was actually considered for the Superman role. Why a short, craggy-faced man in his late fifties would be considered for this I do not know...

[Actor]

And according to some sources Charles Bronson was actually considered for the Superman role. Why a short, craggy-faced man in his late fifties would be considered for this I do not know...

The version of this story that I've heard is that Bronson was considered for the role in the 1950s television series, not the 1978 movie. I've been unable to confirm the story. Bronson would have been about 30 years old at the time, younger than George Reeves who got the part.

Bronson was 5'10", just a tad above average height for a North American in 1950. The tallest Superman was Christopher Reeve at 6'4", followed by Brandon Routh at 6'3", George Reeves and Kirk Alyn tied at 6'1". Dean Cain was shortest at 6' even.

[CHAS]

And according to some sources Charles Bronson was actually considered for the Superman role.

That would make more sense. I haven't heard that story til now. I can't imagine studios seriously considering a man in his late fifties (when the first Superman movie came out) and as craggy faced as he became as the lead in that movie. Maybe as a villain...

[Actor]

Technically the 1978 Superman with Christopher Reeve was not the first Superman movie. An edited version of the two episode Adventures of Superman pilot, "Superman and the Mole Men", received limited theatrical release in the early 1950s.

[Actor]

A few more:

• Lolita - Kubrick offered the title role to Hayley Mills, who turned it down (possibly influenced by her association with Disney). Mills has since stated she regrets not taking the role
• Star Trek - The original choice for the part of Spock was Martin Landau
• Patton - Burt Lancaster and Robert Mitchum were considered for the title role. John Wayne also wanted the part.

[Actor]

Another one I just learned about this evening while watching the DVD with the commentary track on.

• The War of the Worlds(1953) - Lee Marvin was first choice for the lead. The part went to Gene Barry.

[Actor]

• Shane - The original cast was Montgomery Clift as Shane, Katherine Hepburn as Marion, and William Holden as Starret. For reasons that are not quite clear the studio informed director George Stevens that these A list players would not be available and told him to pick a cast from a list of actors already under contract. Stevens asked to see the list and within a few minutes chose Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin.
  
  IMHO Monty Clift would have been a terrible Shane. Of course it's Alan Ladd's signature role.

[Actor]

Clint Eastwood has recently claimed that he was offered the roles of Superman and of James Bond.