According to their bios, Cooper was 6'-3" tall, while Hayes was 5' even. That's a 15" height difference. Cooper towered
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Elle — 1 year ago(December 27, 2024 12:46 AM)
A rather bizarre movie I liked.
He tried leaning back against walls and things of that nature but it was off putting. Strange actor matching as well. I don’t know what these casting directors have in mind when they make these decisions! -
ZolotoyRetriever — 1 year ago(December 27, 2024 03:12 AM)
It might just be something as simple as availability. I don't know how many times I've read where so-and-so actor or actress was the director's first choice for such-and-such a role, but said actor had a prior commitment to some other film. Sometimes they just have to take whatever second (or third, fourth, etc.) choice they can get.
In the Trivia section for
A Farewell to Arms
, it was noted that Fredric March was originally set to play the lead, but when he discovered that director John Cromwell was being replaced by Frank Borzage, he refused to do the picture. The part was then given to Gary Cooper.
Also: Ruth Chatterton, Claudette Colbert and Eleanor Boardman were announced to play the role of Catherine Barkley before Helen Hayes was cast. Boardman shot some scenes, which were all reshot, but some of her footage did make it into
The House That Shadows Built
(1931). -
Elle — 1 year ago(December 27, 2024 02:47 PM)
I’ve heard where this happens and they settle but they really need to rethink the height thing. My mom used to tell me they would have the shorter actor stand on a box or wear lifts/platforms. Hollywood has plenty of actors. The Vince Vaughn/Reese Witherspoon Christmas movie was terrible but again the height thing was ridiculous. You never realize how tall most actors are until they are next to someone short.
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ZolotoyRetriever — 1 year ago(December 27, 2024 07:18 PM)
True about the standing on boxes or wearing lifts etc. Brings to mind Alan Ladd… found this amusing entry in his IMDb Trivia:
Ladd's height was 5'6". To allow him to appear to be the same height on screen as taller actresses and actors, crew members placed him on boxes or ramps that were strategically out of frame. When he was making
Boy on a Dolphin
(1957) in Greece with the 5'8" Sophia Loren, boxes were not possible on the sand. Consequently, the crew dug a trench for Loren to stand in for scenes in which she and Ladd were standing and walking together.
