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John Gavin (1931-2018) |
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- Robert Evans, The Sun Also Rises, 1956. Like Anthony Quinn, Gavin is from Chihuahua - “home of the biggest men and the smallest dogs in Mexico.” Mr Wooden tested as the bullfighter Pedro Romero - finally played by the ex-garment trader and future producer (Chinatown, etc). He was worse than Gavin, enough for cast and crew (including Ava Gardner, Tyrone Power, author Ernest Hemingway) to insist he be sacked. In reply, producer Darryl F Zanuck gave Evans the title of his 1994 show-off autobiography and documentary. “The kid stays in the picture.”
- Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur, 1959. Gavin (ex-John Anthony Golenor) was only US actor to have come close to playing both Judah Ben-Hur and Commander James Bond! (Instead, he played the Italian version: OSS 117… in Niente rose per OSS 117/ OSS 117: double agent or OSS 117 Murder for Sale in 1967).
- Steve Forrest, Heller In Pink Tights, 1959. The first (and last) Western for Sophia Loren and director George Cukor was no kin to the Fox musical never made after Marilyn Monroe refused it in 1954: The Girl in Pink Tights). Paramount wanted Alan Ladd as the gunslinger hiding out in Sophia’s acting troupe touring the Old West. Ladd passed, followed by the TV Maverick cousins, James Garner and Roger Moore, plus John Gavin and Jack Lemmon – a once and only Cowboy in 1957. Sophia told me she had difficulty finding tall leading men which is why she voted for another telly-cowpoke, Clint Walker. But he was busy towering over his Cheyenne series, 1955-1962
- Stuart Whitman, The Comancheros, 1961. When John Wayne replaced the ill Gary Cooper as Texas Ranger Jake Cutter, his co-star was Heston. Not for long. Without any regrets, Chuck , passed Paul Regret to Tom Tyron… who likewise left (or Disney’s Moon Piilot), leaving the role (no longer as important as in the book) to Stuart Whitman. who would take the lead in what came across as a re-make, Rio Conchos, 1963. Steve Forrest, James Garner, John Gavin, Cary Grant and Robert Wagner also had no Regrets……/./also been considered for the gamblin’ man.
- Rod Taylor, A Gathering of Eagles, 1962. Change of Colonel Farr from Gavin to Taylor opposite Colonel Rock Hudson in a Strategic Air Command saga. Not that you’d know this from the Universal poster of… Hudson in bed with Mary Peach.
- Hugh O'Brian, Il segretto de vestito rosso/Assassination in Rome, Italy, 1963. This terrible Cinecitta thriller with Cyd Charisse would have come back to haunt Gavin once he became President Reagan’s ambassador to Mexico in the 80s. The two friends had both also been president of SAG: the Screen Actors Guild.
- Jean Sorel, Vaghe Stelle Dell'orsa, Italy, 1965. Italian maestro Luchino Visconti’s first choice for the pivotal role was “The Stiff” - which is how Hitchcock called him during Psycho, 1960. Gavin’s friend, POTUS Ronald Reagan called him something else - the US Ambassador to Mexico!
- Sean Connery, Diamonds Are Forever, 1971.
- Roger Moore, Live and Let Die, 1973.
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