"There are countless horrible things happening all over the world and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible." -Auberon Waugh
Indeed. It was directed by John Huston, who had been trying to make the film for decades, but always had trouble getting the actors he wanted for it (I believe he originally wanted to get Gary Cooper and Clark Gable). The ultimate selection of Connery and Caine would be hard to top.
TMWWBK had a long and interesting history. Per IMDB:
John Huston tried to launch the film version of "The Man Who Would Be King" many times before completing it. It was originally conceived as a vehicle for Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart in the fifties, and later as a vehicle for Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. When it was considered as a vehicle for Robert Redford and Paul Newman, Newman suggested Sean Connery and Michael Caine.
I met Paul Newman twice, once my dad was in SCCA racing school with him in the early 70s (another student in that class was then-drag racer Danny Ongias - the instructor was my dad's friend Lee Mueller, who Newman later beat for his National Championship title), and then again much later at a CART race in Fontana, CA. His politics may have been "Hollywood Liberal", but he was really down-to-earth among racing people.
Just a couple of "Hi, glad to meet you" things. My dad talked to him a bit more at Fontana (I'm not entirely sure he remembered my dad from racing school, but he did remember my dad's friend Lee). Roger Penske is a pretty cool guy, too. We were guests of his (well, guests of one of his business managers who's a close friend of my dad's) at the Fontana CART race.
One more thing: even though Connery and Caine are have been very close friends for more than 40 years, I believe TMWWBK is the only film where they appeared together.
Great minds think alike: I just bought the DVD of that movie on Friday.
ReplyDeleteCertainly one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteDamned good movie, what?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. It was directed by John Huston, who had been trying to make the film for decades, but always had trouble getting the actors he wanted for it (I believe he originally wanted to get Gary Cooper and Clark Gable). The ultimate selection of Connery and Caine would be hard to top.
ReplyDeleteHuston's original choices were Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, actually. The project was shelved when Bogart died.
ReplyDeleteTMWWBK had a long and interesting history. Per IMDB:
ReplyDeleteJohn Huston tried to launch the film version of "The Man Who Would Be King" many times before completing it. It was originally conceived as a vehicle for Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart in the fifties, and later as a vehicle for Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. When it was considered as a vehicle for Robert Redford and Paul Newman, Newman suggested Sean Connery and Michael Caine.
I met Paul Newman twice, once my dad was in SCCA racing school with him in the early 70s (another student in that class was then-drag racer Danny Ongias - the instructor was my dad's friend Lee Mueller, who Newman later beat for his National Championship title), and then again much later at a CART race in Fontana, CA. His politics may have been "Hollywood Liberal", but he was really down-to-earth among racing people.
Spiny, you actually met Paul Newman? Sweet!
ReplyDeleteJust a couple of "Hi, glad to meet you" things. My dad talked to him a bit more at Fontana (I'm not entirely sure he remembered my dad from racing school, but he did remember my dad's friend Lee). Roger Penske is a pretty cool guy, too. We were guests of his (well, guests of one of his business managers who's a close friend of my dad's) at the Fontana CART race.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing: even though Connery and Caine are have been very close friends for more than 40 years, I believe TMWWBK is the only film where they appeared together.
ReplyDeleteOne where he actually played a Scotsman. Which was a good thing, because he always does.
ReplyDelete