Sometimes, a different star in a role has the power to change not only the film itself, but the careers of the stars involved. (We all know that Humphrey Bogart had a much more successful career than George Raft, in large part because Mr. Raft turned down some all-important roles, which then went to Bogey, launching him to mega-star status.)
John Garfield has his own list of films he might have been in. Can you imagine him in any of these roles...roles which might have given his career the boost that would launch him to mega-star status.
Mad Dog Earle in High Sierra
It is pretty common knowledge that George Raft turned down the role of Mad Dog Earle, a role which then went to Humphrey Bogart, virtually rocketing him to fame and fortune. Before Bogart, though, John Garfield was offered that role. "After East of the River, they (Warner Bros.) offered him High Sierra and he rejected it because George Raft had already turned it down, and because he didn't want to play a man named Mad Dog Earle. It became the picture that finally secured Humphrey Bogart's claim to stardom, but once again Julie went on salary suspension."
While Bogart was terrific in the role, I can easily imagine John Garfield doing great justice to it as well. And with the on-screen chemistry he had with Ida Lupino, as well as his regard for her professionally (In the early 40's, he called her "the best actress he'd worked with in pictures."), they would have been dynamite in High Sierra.
Frank Ross in Each Dawn I Die
An elaboration of the Blackwell's Island theme, Each Dawn I Die brought to life the story of an innocent reporter being sent to prison. Originally, Garfield was to co-star with James Cagney in the film, a prospect which pleased Julie, due to the Group Theatre's opinion that Cagney was the best screen actor. However, then Warners signed George Raft, giving him the part of the hood and switching Cagney to the reporter role---the role which was to have been John Garfield's.
Now, I adore James Cagney. He is right up there with Garfield as one of my great loves. I think he gave a completely brilliant performance in nearly every role he ever took on, including in Each Dawn I Die. I do like George Raft, and I thought he was perfect in his role as the mobster; however, I have no doubt that James Cagney would have been equally successful in the mobster role and that John Garfield would have portrayed Frank Ross the same sensational way James Cagney did.
Joe Bonaparte in Golden Boy
Clifford Odets wrote Golden Boy with John Garfield in mind for the Joe Bonaparte character. However, before the play ever opened (in 1937), the producers made a casting change, and the longed-for Joe Bonaparte role went to Luther Adler. While Garfield would get an opportunity to take on the role when the play was revived in 1952, for the film adaption (1939), the part was given to William Holden, in his first credited screen role. Though Columbia---who was doing the film---wanted Garfield for the role which had been written for him, they were unable to reach a deal with Warners, so Garfield lost out on the coveted role for the second time.
As a huge William Holden fan, Golden Boy is a film I've seen a few times, and I think he does a terrific job in it. However, catching this little snippet of Mr. Garfield's 1952 Broadway portrayal, I have no doubt, he would have been amazing in the screen adaption as well.
Frankie Machine in The Man with the Golden Arm
Mr. Garfield had already passed away by the time The Man with the Golden Arm was made, so his being in the film was never possible; however, "throughout the writing of The Man with the Golden Arm, the specter of John Garfield hovered over the novel's author, Nelson Algren. Algren said if anyone was going to play Frankie Machine, it would have to be John Garfield. . . Eventually, Otto Preminger obtained movie rights to the story...the picture made money and was deemed an artistic success as well. Frank Sinatra was much admired in the role of Frankie Machine, but Nelson Algren said he had conceived the character in John Garfield's image and that only Garfield should have played it."
I absolutely love The Man with the Golden Arm, and I think it was Frank Sinatra's finest hour. He gave a completely magnificent performance, and although he didn't receive the Oscar for his work, I think he ought to have won. However, I can totally see John Garfield doing a brilliant job as well. Learning that the story's author had really wanted Garfield was news to me. It was only because the production code did not allow for narcotics addiction to be depicted on screen that a film adaption of the story was not pursued while Mr. Garfield was alive.
It's always interesting to find out the behind-the-scenes casting possibilities of our beloved films. What are some of the casting possibilities you wish had been different? Or how about some that you're glad didn't work out because the film is perfect as-is and might have been a dud with someone else starring in it?
NOTE: All information and direct quotes obtained from Body and Soul: The Story of John Garfield, by Larry Swindell, William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1975)
