Cap's Casting Convertible
 

It's something of a pet pastime for me to cast fantasy movies that could have been, but never were (particularly if Hollywood had made comic book movies the way they do now, but in the heyday of comic books' various ages).

So tonight, I'll begin with:
What if they'd produced The TEEN TITANS around 1968?
https://78.media.tumblr.com/f4d8147a...lv8di_1280.jpghttps://essentialshowcase.files.word...s_volume_2.jpg
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20160628012446



Robin (Richard “Dick” Grayson): Burt Ward (the original 1960's TV Robin! Despite his minimal acting experience, most felt his casting was perfect!)
https://media.comicbook.com/wp-conte....jpg?auto=webp

Aqualad (Garth): Frankie Avalon (he spent a lot of time in & around the water in his beach movies, and his hair was a dead ringer for the original Aqualad's!)
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ITtf0I2vTwY/hqdefault.jpg

Kid Flash (Wally West): Fabian (real name: Fabiano Anthony Forte - I can just see that hair billowing above Kid Flash's yellow face mask!)
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/pho...28-323-432.jpg

Wonder Girl (Donna Troy): Annette Funnicello (black hair, great figure, what more needs to be said?)
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d5/b4...368fa1b096.jpg

Speedy (Roy Harper): Tommy Kirk (we know Tommy shot his dog in Ol' Yeller - so he was a pretty good aim with a gun, we'll have to see what he can do with a bow and arrows!)
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/phot...35-500-375.png


Beast Boy (Gar Logan): Billy Mumy (had the hair style, look and spunk of a young Beast Boy - just a little green coloring and he's good to go!)
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/33/fa/4c/3...b7c42c6111.jpg




Hawk and Dove (first appearing in 1968: the polar opposites of war and peace with powers granted by the Lords of Chaos and Order, would have been played by...)

Hawk (Hank Hall): Tim Matheson
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8883/2...1267342b_b.jpg

Dove (Don Hall): Nicholas Hammond
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/99/e1...30269a1b83.jpg




Lilith (Lilith Clay): Carol Lynley (although Lilith and Mal didn't show up until 1970, I'm including them here for potential sequels, with Carol Lynley as the choice for the teen telepath flower child due to her performance in the Poseidon Adventure.)
https://cdn10.bigcommerce.com/s-o6vy...00.500.jpg?c=2

Mal (Malcolm “Mal” Duncan): Clarence Williams III
https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/imag...12661213_1.jpg



Guest Villains:

Mr. Twister: Hans Conreid (perfect as the Teen Titans very first villain!)
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20150717143505

Ding-Dong-Daddy: Victor Buono (pretty much a dead ringer for the hefty hot-rod bad guy!)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGtQ27PetH...+silencers.jpg

The Mad Mod: Peter Cook (since he was British as was the Mad Mod).
https://images.immediate.co.uk/produ...resize=620,413

Working backwards: here are some past fantasy castings (previously posted elsewhere, now collected and posted here)...

The Justice League of America
Release date: 1966
Directed by John Sturges
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d8/08...c22c9b6fc1.jpg


Superman (Clark Kent): Rock Hudson (Hudson was the person that artist Curt Swan based his Superman drawings on.)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HWfuHUU_3K...s1600/rock.jpg


Batman (Bruce Wayne): Guy Williams (he played Zorro, which was one of the influences for Batman. He had a perfect look for Bruce Wayne, an athletic build and a certain intensity that would have fit the Dark Knight!)
http://p8.storage.canalblog.com/86/9...29914503_p.jpg


Wonder Woman (Dianna Prince): Linda Harrison (she appeared briefly as Wonder Woman's more perfect reflection in a mirror in an unrealized TV pilot.)
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/...20130222002624


Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): Paul Newman (he was the model on which Silver Age Green Lantern's look was based.)
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-...5&dpr=1&s=none

Flash (Barry Allen): Steve McQueen
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/...89_468x318.jpg

Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz): Yul Brynner (exotic looking with bald head)
https://skalp.com/wp-content/uploads...in-300x300.png

Aquaman (Arthur Curry): Robert Redford
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...3192f985b6.jpg


Snapper Carr (Lucas Carr): Bobby Rydell
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...81883b0d4d.jpg


Green Arrow (Oliver Queen): Kirk Douglas
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y37nOdLdVa...t+for+Life.png


The Atom (Ray Palmer): David Hedison (he had a history playing scientists who ventured into the unknown!)
http://www.david-hedison.com/gallery...-fingers-3.jpg


Hawkman (Katar Hol): Charleton Heston (he seemed to enjoy appearing with his shirt off in his films, so he'd be perfect for the shirtless Hawkman!)
https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/4790770.jpg


Hawkwoman (Shayera Hol): Raquel Welch
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEvhHQ9bKT...quel-welch.jpg


Black Canary (Dinah Lance): Stella Stevens
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5f/26/cf/5...27dee95e41.jpg


Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny): Dick Van Dyke (Painter Alex Ross obviously used Van Dyke as the model for his rendition of Elongated Man.)
http://timvp.com/tv/dickvandykeshow/dvdg11.jpg


Red Tornado (John Smith): Michael Rennie
http://40.media.tumblr.com/b7f620a40...gpyfo1_540.jpg


Zatanna (Zatanna Zatara): Dalia Lavi
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...d42dc0c5a0.jpg

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

These are a lot of fun. I can't imagine all of them appearing in one film together - too expensive - but it would be fun to see one superhero film with one of them. Who would you cast as Lois Lane with Rock 's Superman or as Sue Dibney with Dick Van Dyke?

Well, the obvious choices would be:

Susan Saint James as Lois:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kxV79jTVt9...1969-pic-1.png

and Mary Tyler Moore as Ralph's wife, Sue Dibney:
https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/...r-moore-17.jpg
They were already hand-picked as partners and both were perfect look-a-likes for the characters! ;)

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

Love these things, did one for Justice League myself a while back. Think I did one for a Predator remake and Street Fighter as well.

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

Is this your car, Cap?

Actually, it was in reference to a convertible sofa since I didn't want to use the term "casting couch" (and all that it infers!) ;)

An oldie, but a goodie...

My fantasy Justice Society of America movie: release date 1944
Directed by Frank Capra
https://comicstoryhub.files.wordpres...rica.jpg?w=816


Superman (Clark Kent): Cary Grant
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iWuWzAfc-S...2B-%2BCopy.jpg

Batman (Bruce Wayne): Gregory Peck
http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Pe...y_NRFPT_01.jpg

Wonder Woman (Dianna Prince): Gene Tierney
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...ac6f84ea05.jpg

The Flash (Jay Garrick): James Stewart
https://cdn.britannica.com/53/9253-0...erful-Life.jpg

The Atom (Al Pratt): James Cagney
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...e=image%2Fjpeg

Hawkman (Carter Hall): Victor Mature
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....14,317_AL_.jpg

Hawkgirl (Shiera Hall): Maureen O'Hara
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/phot...-1230-1600.jpg

Dr. Fate (Kent Nelson): Vincent Price
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/028...a872f.jpg?1830

The Spetre (Jim Corrigan): Basil Rathbone
http://www.basilrathbone.net/gallery/brathbone31.jpg

Green Lantern (Alan Scott): Alan Ladd
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xO_hYku0mP.../AlanLadd5.jpg

Wildcat (Ted Grant): Robert Mitchum
http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Mi...0Robert_02.jpg

Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloane): Henry Fonda
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...SQ6Bg&usqp=CAU

Mr. America (Tex Thompson): Clark Gable
http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Ga...20Clark_26.jpg


Johnny Thunder (John L. Thunder): Jackie Cooper
https://lcgsignatures.com/image/cach...ie-900x900.jpg

And as Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt ("Yz"): Rex Harrison

Black Canary (Dinah Drake): Betty Grable
https://images.fineartamerica.com/im...g-bettmann.jpg

The Sandman (Wesley Dodds): William Powell
https://images.entertainment.ie/pers...wFkI7PwqZY.jpg



(And direct from More Fun Comics #73!)


Special appearance by Golden Age Aquaman (Arthur Curry): Buster Crabbe
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4110/...fe4c70d1_z.jpg

And...
Golden Age Green Arrow (Oliver Queen): Burt Lancaster
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...4f3be46df4.jpg

Captain Marvel (Billy Batson): Fred MacMurray (Direct from Fawcett Comics. Artist C.C. Beck was said to have based the Captain on actor Fred MacMurray. The illustration below is by Alex Ross.)
https://alemdatorredeobservacao.file...lex-ross-3.jpg


Unfilled spots:
Hourman (Rex Tyler)
Dr. Mid-Nite (Charles McNider)
Starman (Ted Knight)

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

You've made some great choices, especially Crabbe, an Olympic swimmer, as Aquaman and Lancaster as Green Arrow.
Stewart, known for his slower mannerisms, is an unusual choice for The Flash, but I could see it working because Jay was known for his sense of humor.
But I prefer Peck as Superman, especially after seeing the photo you posted, which reminds me of Joe Shuster's early Superman. And Price should be a villain. Perhaps Wotan. Any ideas about actors for other villains?

I mean, if you want to stick closely to the original comic strips then you’d need to set the cast back some 20 years and cast Harold Lloyd as Supes.

Peck was the model used for Batman: Year One and Kingdom Come so there’s a precedent.

I think the only reason Jimmy Stewart came to mind is he was tall, thin and had dark hair. Plus, as one of my favorite actors of the period, I felt I had to include him somewhere.

Speaking of him having slow mannerisms, it was actually the Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) who had the somewhat counter-intuitive qualities of always being late (despite being the fasted man on Earth) which I guess was supposed to help support his secret identity (the last person you'd suspect of being the Flash would be the guy who's always late).

Lots of ideas about villains (they should be even easier)... just have to find the right actors to fit the right era. (Who'd make a better "Vandal Savage": Boris Karloff of Johnny Weissmuller?) ;)

This early pic of Peck got me thinking of a 1940’s Avengers cast with him as Cap:

https://image.ibb.co/kGrWHT/2_D2_CA8..._AE4134_DE.jpg

https://image.ibb.co/cRx5cT/AB66_C85...AEEA93_CEC.jpg

I was thinking Gable as Iron Man, Rita Hayworth as Black Widow and Errol Flynn as Hawkeye but then it just felt like treading the same ground Steel did with his JSA line-up (Vincent Price as Dr. Strange.)

Maybe a 60’s Spider-Man then?

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

Saunch, I love your casting choices for the Avengers. Cap, I'd definitely choose Karloff as Vandal Savage. Weissmuller could be one of the other heroes you mentioned. After giving it some thought, I suggest William "The Thin Man" Powell as Sandman and perhaps the young Jackie Cooper as Johnny Thunder. Lon Chaney Jr. could be Solomon Grundy and Claude Rains the Gentleman Ghost.

Thread Bump: only because I inserted @average joe's suggestion of Jackie Cooper as Johnny Thunder... with a "bolt" of inspiration (excuse the pun) of Rex Harrison as Johnny's Thunderbolt... in my fantasy JSA movie! :D
https://www.movieforums.com/communit...56#post1921256

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

I've been updating this since so many of the original photos became unavailable & had to be replaced.
I also had to switch actors when I came to learn that "The Mad Mod" (from the Teen Titans) was British... Peter Cook fit the character and time period perfectly! He even looks something like the character with the same type of sarcastic attitude.

Re: Cap's Casting Convertible
 

These are fun, nice work. :up:
Years ago some friends and I were having a similar discussion which led me to imagine a 1960s Hulk movie by Ray Harryhausen and that idea has haunted me ever since. (He could've done a cool Fantastic Four too, come to think of it) So one of my "time machine" fantasies is to travel to 1962 and introduce Harryhausen to Lee & Kirby.:)

Hi Capt. You must be a genius! Cool site! Thank you! Lane