tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post4382056160019142931..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Switched at birth of pilotBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74280596334080028562017-10-31T00:08:04.826-07:002017-10-31T00:08:04.826-07:00One more Marx Bros legend:
Every now and then, Gr...One more Marx Bros legend:<br /><br />Every now and then, Groucho would get a little testy and dodge a performance.<br />When that happened, Zeppo would don the makeup and costume, and the audience never knew the difference.<br />Everything I've ever read about Zeppo seems to indicate that he was at least as truculent as Groucho in private life (their marital histories are remarkably similar).<br />So there too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42469384646824667682017-10-30T22:57:40.281-07:002017-10-30T22:57:40.281-07:00Almost forgot: The recent Broadway revival of THE ...Almost forgot: The recent Broadway revival of THE LITTLE FOXES had stars Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon alternating the roles of Regina and Birdie...a clever way to get people to see it twice!cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44465097584578379342017-10-30T22:46:09.454-07:002017-10-30T22:46:09.454-07:00There was no conflict with the husband and wife an...There was no conflict with the husband and wife and no real unique POV that the kids were coming from. Just a normal happily married couple with regular kids. To make it worse Kevin had no job so he literally had nothing to do. Premise proved to be unsustainable. The semi hook of the daughter and her boyfriend moving wasn't enough for the whole show. Now, if you watch the 2nd season it's basically a clueless single father simultaneously trying to get his new career off the ground. Way more premises for stories and gives the kids a lot more to do as well. Myleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07139984409445302062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24304071032542060772017-10-30T15:15:05.452-07:002017-10-30T15:15:05.452-07:00I read that in the Christmas time classic movie,&q...I read that in the Christmas time classic movie,"The Bishop's Wife,"Cary Grant was to portray the minister while David Niven was going to play the role of the angel come to Earth to assist the minister.<br />Both actors quickly realized that they should switch roles with one another because they were better suited to those parts. powershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11462146268479327244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84578479911880873422017-10-30T13:07:49.532-07:002017-10-30T13:07:49.532-07:00In his autobiography, Harpo says that as kids Chic...In his autobiography, Harpo says that as kids Chico would run around getting more piano playing jobs than he could do himself and would send Harpo, who always got fired - but paid - the first day.<br /><br />It's my considered opinion that Art Carney, unlike Lemmon and Matthau, could have played Felix OR Oscar equally well.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64034190021927851922017-10-30T07:29:13.149-07:002017-10-30T07:29:13.149-07:00There's also a story that when the Marx Brothe...<i>There's also a story that when the Marx Brothers did a live tour to test scenes for "Night at the Opera" or "Day at the Races", a couple of the brothers traded parts at least once to see if anybody would notice.</i><br /><br />The story is actually better than that - The Marxes were on the "A Day at the Races" tryout tour, and Chico's 20 year old daughter Maxine came to some of the stops watch the boy's shows. So they were in Salt Lake City, and one afternoon, Harpo and Chico decided to switch roles for Maxine - meaning Harpo had to actually speak on the stage, for the first time in 25 years. So they did it. They see Maxine later, and asked her how they were - only Maxine had decided <i>to skip that matinee and go shopping</i>. She always said that it was the one thing in her life she regretted...LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3320393641663286772017-10-30T01:33:47.968-07:002017-10-30T01:33:47.968-07:00Role-switching in stage productions happens quite ...Role-switching in stage productions happens quite a bit when there are two star roles.<br />Tony Randall often told of how, in the original Broadway <i>Inherit The Wind</i>, Paul Muni and Ed Begley Sr. would sometime trade off Drummond and Brady, in order to shake things up.<br /><br />Years later, when Leonard Nimoy was touring with <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, he'd occasionally switch with Alan Sues as Moriarty for a night.<br /><br />In TV, Gavin MacLeod originally came in to read for Lou Grant on MTM.<br />When Ed Asner won Lou, MacLeod took Murray, who was originally supposed to be Mary's antagonist; he subtly steered the character in the other direction.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76689199091364053062017-10-29T19:04:33.425-07:002017-10-29T19:04:33.425-07:00“Charlie’s Angels” was developed for Kate Jackson,...“Charlie’s Angels” was developed for Kate Jackson, who was supposed to play the “streetwise” Kelly, raised as an orphan. The first half hour of the pilot focuses on Kelly. Shortly before they began shooting, Kate decided she wanted to play Sabrina, written as more glamorous. So Kate’s vehicle began with a half hour showcase for Jaclyn Smith, who wound up playing Kelly.<br /><br />Later on, Sabrina became more streetwise, and Kelly became more glamorous.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25399108940470598062017-10-29T17:46:21.008-07:002017-10-29T17:46:21.008-07:00The PUBLIC ENEMY switch created a bigger problem: ...The PUBLIC ENEMY switch created a bigger problem: the early scenes depicting the two men as teenagers had already been shot, and so Frankie Darro, who was cast because of his resemblance to Cagney, ended up playing <i>Woods</i> as a teen. It can initially throw you if you don't know the backstory.cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8780424437260321432017-10-29T17:10:18.817-07:002017-10-29T17:10:18.817-07:00Amen to the comment above about CHEERS. The probl...Amen to the comment above about CHEERS. The problem is you're spoiled forever for any show that comes afterward. Thank God for Netflix. Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88795876691709020452017-10-29T16:29:33.834-07:002017-10-29T16:29:33.834-07:00I recall reading that when Walter Matthau original...I recall reading that when Walter Matthau originally said he wanted to play Felix because it was more of an acting challenge, the director told him, "Walter, you're playing Oscar. You can act on your own time." Garynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72068655946034713582017-10-29T15:05:51.707-07:002017-10-29T15:05:51.707-07:00@David Schwartz: Defenders of the Earth - I watche...@David Schwartz: <i>Defenders of the Earth</i> - I watched that here in Blighty. <i>Battle of the Planets</i> was better. The cartoon I really enjoyed was <i>Conan</i>, though. And <i>Planet of the Apes</i>, which was strange. Just one detailed picture, scanned, over & over again.<br /><br />@Ken: What about returning to work the next morning and finding both men in bed together? Why not? Programme could have been a big hit. Nothing to lose.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38442321015114215262017-10-29T13:10:06.793-07:002017-10-29T13:10:06.793-07:00On "Wizard of Oz", Buddy Ebsen was origi...On "Wizard of Oz", Buddy Ebsen was originally cast at the Scarecrow -- a good fit for his gangly farm boy persona -- but was shuffled to the Tin Man when Ray Bolger aggressively sought the Scarecrow part. Then he was nearly killed by the silver-colored makeup and benched, although his voice supposedly remains on a few vocal tracks of Dorothy and friends singing together.<br /><br />Another casting change was Gale Sondergaard. Originally cast as a glamorous Witch of the West, the script began changing and they began to pile on ugly witch makeup. At some point either she or the studio said "enough" and Margaret Hamilton was brought in -- and had her own close call when her makeup caught fire.<br /><br />There's also a story that when the Marx Brothers did a live tour to test scenes for "Night at the Opera" or "Day at the Races", a couple of the brothers traded parts at least once to see if anybody would notice. <br /><br />DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57215391509587736802017-10-29T13:05:45.251-07:002017-10-29T13:05:45.251-07:00To Buttermilk Sky:
You've got everything righ...To Buttermilk Sky:<br /><br />You've got everything right on "The Public Enemy" except the actor's name. It was <i>Edward Woods</i>, not Donald Cook, who swapped with James Cagney.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50802659618569634282017-10-29T13:05:18.395-07:002017-10-29T13:05:18.395-07:00Whoever made the decision to replace the original ...Whoever made the decision to replace the original children in "Married with Children" and hire David Faustino and Christina Applegate should receive an Honorary Lifetime Achievement award.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kdAotCUyw0Edwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03428768957017762182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14864261663942739512017-10-29T12:20:24.746-07:002017-10-29T12:20:24.746-07:00Not really "role switching" but I was wo...Not really "role switching" but I was wondering what you thought about what Kevin James had to say about replacing his wife's character with Leah Remini on Kevin Can Wait. He basically said that when they started breaking stories for the second season, they had run out of ideas and definitely couldn't see making a third with the husband/wife premise. Was this a lack of creativity on the writers' part, the creator's unsustainable premise, or CBS wanting a known commodity that had worked before?Kendallnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22137133842669816722017-10-29T12:16:16.596-07:002017-10-29T12:16:16.596-07:00I am sure that I read some where that Matthau and ...I am sure that I read some where that Matthau and Carney switched roles for one performance. Tried doing a search but couldn't find anything. sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49455976572158831692017-10-29T11:34:53.794-07:002017-10-29T11:34:53.794-07:00I can't find any evidence that Carney and Matt...<i>I can't find any evidence that Carney and Matthau ever swapped roles in The Odd Couple, nor have I ever heard (and I was around back then) that they did it. I don't doubt that there may have been productions of the play in which this happened, especially in a rep situation, but not (as far as I can tell) this one.</i><br /><br /><br /><br />At this post on his blog, Mark Evanier touches on that:<br /><br />https://www.newsfromme.com/2003/11/12/more-on-art-carney/<br /><br />According to Evanier, Matthau himself was the one who claimed to an interviewer that he and Art Carney would occasionally switch roles during the Broadway run of THE ODD COUPLE, but Evanier notes that the story is apparently untrue.Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59025487497844979832017-10-29T11:13:15.203-07:002017-10-29T11:13:15.203-07:00https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_(2011_p...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_(2011_play)<br /><br />Frankenstein is a stage adaptation by Nick Dear of the novel of the same name.<br /><br />Its world premiere was at the Royal National Theatre on 5 February 2011, where it officially opened on 22 February. This production was directed by Danny Boyle[1] with a cast including Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, with the two lead actors alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. Frankenstein ended its run on 2 May 2011Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14705408455380402571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88366639886168338092017-10-29T11:11:18.285-07:002017-10-29T11:11:18.285-07:00Courtney Cox was originally cast as Rachel. She d...Courtney Cox was originally cast as Rachel. She decided Monica was the better fit.<br /><br />MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57699705481672890472017-10-29T10:54:28.909-07:002017-10-29T10:54:28.909-07:00I worked on a cartoon series in the mid 80's c...I worked on a cartoon series in the mid 80's called, "Defenders of the Earth." It was a show about Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and the Phantom. The show also focused on the children of these characters (who I believe were teenagers). Anyway, I wrote an episode of the series and turned in my first draft. A few weeks go by and I don't hear anything from the story editors. Eventually, I call to find out how the script was received, or if they need a rewrite, etc.<br /><br />I get one of the story editors on the phone and he sounds frazzled. He tells me that the entire show is being switched around. One of the characters who had a son is how going to have a daughter. The other character's daughter is now going to be his son, etc. He tells me that they have to go back and rework about 20 scripts before they can get to mine. I should just sit tight and he'll have notes for me once they get the other scripts rewritten. I should be prepared for a significant rewrite.<br /><br />I forget how long it was before I heard from him, but when I finally did, apparently everything that was changed was switched back to how it originally was, and no reworking was needed. I imagine they figured out it didn't work the way they were switching it around, so they changed everything back. And by the time they got around to my script, there were no major changes needed because everything was back as it was! David Schwartzhttp://www.davidschwartzmft.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2199988137476575342017-10-29T10:46:53.115-07:002017-10-29T10:46:53.115-07:00The most significant switch in movie history must ...The most significant switch in movie history must have been THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931). Donald Cook was originally cast in the lead, but after a couple of days William Wellman decided he should change roles with the newcomer playing his sidekick, named Cagney. And the rest, as they say...Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64169754766911729092017-10-29T10:28:14.731-07:002017-10-29T10:28:14.731-07:00I can't find any evidence that Carney and Matt...I can't find any evidence that Carney and Matthau ever swapped roles in <i>The Odd Couple</i>, nor have I ever heard (and I was around back then) that they did it. I don't doubt that there may have been productions of the play in which this happened, especially in a rep situation, but not (as far as I can tell) this one.<br /><br />Similar things have indeed happened onstage with other plays though. A famous <i>Richard II</i> by the RSC in which the king and the rebel aiming to dethrone him swapped roles at every performance. More than one production of Shepard's <i>True West</i> had the brothers switching roles at some point during the run. And just last season on Broadway, Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon alternated as Regina and Birdie in a production of <i>The Little Foxes</i>.Rinaldonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25734970604796460402017-10-29T10:26:59.430-07:002017-10-29T10:26:59.430-07:00Off topic but still.
I haven't seen the first ...Off topic but still.<br />I haven't seen the first episode of Cheers since the 80's and even then it was probably on VHS on a shitty tube TV.<br />I decided to see it on Netflix last night and WOW! There was a level of production that is absolutely a lost art. There is nothing on like that today: the film quality, the writing, the story telling, the plot development. the character introductions. <br />I saw every episode when it aired but never saw it like I did last night in full resolution.<br />Wow...just wow!blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28431080595535274482017-10-29T10:12:07.378-07:002017-10-29T10:12:07.378-07:00Sounds like that pilot had incompetent writers who...Sounds like that pilot had incompetent writers who couldn't keep up. Two characters...complicated stuff. Carrollnoreply@blogger.com