My daughter told me she saw a documentary on FOX (really, a documentary on FOX) where Sherwood Schwartz, the producer of the Brady Bunch, originally wanted to cast Gene Hackman, yes Gene Hackman, in the role of Mike Brady. Wouldn’t that have been a hoot to beat all?
“Shut the fuck up Peter and finish raking the back carpet…er…lawn” or “Get upstairs Carol, put on that leather thing I like.”
If Mr Schwartz had been successful, how funny could that have been? Please feel free to speculate.
Hey, Hackman would have put a delicious, sly edge on the goopy mess…
Hey, he’s a hell of a sneaky comedic actor. Consider the flawless, sneaky, hilarious bit he did as the blind hermit in “Young Frankenstein”.
He BEAMED goodness, he RADIATED good will, and you just wanted to punch him out for being such a nice, well-intentioned menace.
The mind reels; what the man could have done with the role! He would be a pop culture icon now, subversive and intentionally funny.
What if…if only…you’ve created a monster. I’m brain dead. In the ideal world, who would have been Mrs. Partridge? Robert DeNiro as Pa Walton? Harrsion Ford as Mork?
I’m humiliated beyond belief to tell you your daughter saw that on E!, not Fox–I saw it, too.
Who would have made a good Mrs. Brady? Louise Fletcher? Faye Dunaway? Ohh, I know–Karen Black! “Look Carol, I bought you a real Zuni Warrior Doll–oops, Cindy knocked its necklace off . . .”