# Doc Savage (1975): Renny and Long Tom casting

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-1975-renny-and-long-tom-casting/799911>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 26, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-1975-renny-and-long-tom-casting/799911 "2017-10-26T19:30:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-1975-renny-and-long-tom-casting/799911/1 "2017-10-26T19:30:57Z")

</div>

In m opinion, based on the physical descriptions in the books, Paul Gleason (Long Tom) looked how Renny was described, and William Lucking (Renny) looked a little more wimpish, as I would have imagined Long Tom. But that’s now how they were cast. Not that either had a lot of opportunity to show off their construction or electrical prowess, so it didn’t really matter a whole lot.

Anyone else ever get that idea, or was it just me?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-1975-renny-and-long-tom-casting/799911/2 "2017-10-27T16:07:34Z")

</div>

I was a big Doc Savage fan in Jr High, read a bunch of the books, but barely remember the movie. Checking photos on IMDB, yeah Paul Gleason (oh, _that_ guy) does kind of look like how I would imagine Renny, but he’d need to put on a little more weight. Neither one looks anything like how I would imagine Long Tom. He was supposed to be thin and sickly looking, right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-1975-renny-and-long-tom-casting/799911/3 "2017-10-30T14:03:02Z")

</div>

My first encounter with the movie (aside from the previews, which I well remember) was the novelization of the movie. One of my classmates had a copy. One of the pics was a publicity still that showed Doc and his cohorts (along with Don Rubio Gorro, I think). The Renny character (who I thought was Long Tom) looked a little more pasty and pale, as I would have imagined Long Tom. And Paul Gleason was. . . well, Paul Gleason.