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This year’s Oscar awards included a new category:  Academy Award for Achievement in Casting. While casting directors have always been important, they are often overpowered by directors and producers.  Several chapters in my book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed” discuss the production of famous movies. Here are some of my favorite casting stories.  Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid Studio executives wanted Jack Lemmon to play Sundance however Lemmon wasn’t interested. They turned to Steve McQueen but could not meet his non-negotiable demand for top billing. It was Paul Newman’s wife, Joanne Woodward who suggested Robert Redford, a relatively unknown stage actor to play Sundance. The Godfather  Studio executives were adamantly against Director Francis Ford’s Coppola’s first choice, Marlon Brando. The studio considered many actors including Anthony Quinn and Burt Lancaster and eventually tried to force Coppola to cast either Ernest Borgnine or Danny Thomas (Seriously?). Coppola’s choice for Michael was the relatively unknown Al Pacino but producers wanted a star and pushed for Robert Redford or Ryan O’Neal (OMG). Actors who auditioned for the role included Martin Sheen, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Warren Beatty, and Dustin Hoffman. Blazing Saddles Gene Wilder lobbied for the part of The Waco Kid, but Mel Brooks wanted an older actor. Brooks offered the Waco Kid role to John Wayne and then Johnny Carson who both demurred. Brooks settled on Gig Young but unfortunately Young had a serious alcohol problem. On the first day of shooting, Young began violently shaking and then vomited on himself. Brooks placed an emergency call to Wilder. Gene agreed to fill in if Brooks would help him write, “Young Frankenstein”. Brooks wanted Richard Pryor to play Sheriff Bart, but the producers were wary of the mercurial Pryor. Richard served as a co-writer while Broadway actor Cleavon Little played Sherriff Bart. Airplane Robert Hays won the role of pilot Ted Stryker, beating out Fred Willard. Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Barry Manilow, and Bruce Jenner.  Fading dramatic actor Leslie Neilson gladly accepted the role of Dr. Rumack which was his first step in becoming a celebrated comedic star. The Graduate  The role of Benjamin was offered to Burt Ward who was playing Robin on the hit series “Batman”.  When Batman’s producers didn’t cooperate, Robert Redford became the studio’s top choice. Director Mike Nichols correctly surmised that audiences wouldn’t believe Redford as a character who had trouble attracting women., Nichols hired the relatively unknown Dustin Hoffman. Mel Brooks released Hoffman from his commitment to play Nazi playwright, Franz Liebkind in “The Producers”. Brooks had already encouraged his wife Anne Bancroft to play Mrs. Robinson. Producers insisted that Ms. Bancroft at thirty-five was too young to play Mrs. Robinson. They considered many famous actresses including Eva Marie Saint, Ingrid Bergman, and Ava Gardner. Nichols used lighting and makeup to give Bancroft the necessary older look.  Candidates for the role of Elaine included Candice Bergin, Ann-Margret, Jane Fonda and Patty Duke but Katherine Ross prevailed. Have a great weekend.                                                .

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On the morning of February 28, 1844, President John Tyler and 400 guests boarded the U.S. Navy’s most advanced warship, the USS Princeton for a pleasure cruise down the Potomac River. Many people gathered onshore as the Princeton steamed from Alexandria towards George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon. Everyone was entertained by test-firings of the Peacemaker, an enormous 13-ton gun aboard the ship. However, when the gun was fired for a third time it exploded and left carnage in its wake. Six people were killed, including Secretary of State Abel Upshur and Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer. President Tyler was unscathed because he was below deck enjoying some adult beverages with friends. “His Accidency” John Tyler was born in 1790, one year after George Washington became our nation’s first president. Tyler embarked on a successful political career serving as a congressman, senator, and as Virginia’s governor. He ran for Vice President under the famous slogan, “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”. President William Henry Harrison had become famous when as governor of the Indiana Territory, he organized an army that defeated tribal forces led by Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, at the Battle of Tippecanoe. One month after assuming the presidency, Harrison died of pneumonia. Tyler became the first vice president to succeed a president who died in office. Many people questioned the legality of his ascension, leading some to refer to Tyler as “His Accidency.”  Tyler’s presidency was very troubled. In 1842 his wife Letitia became the first presidential spouse to pass away in the White House. Meanwhile, Tyler was expelled by the Whig Party and his entire cabinet resigned except for Secretary of State, Daniel Webster. Attempting to regain his standing, Tyler advocated for the expansion of the U.S. Navy. To promote this effort, Tyler arranged the fateful 1844 cruise down the Potomac. Among those who died that day was David Gardiner, a well-known attorney whose 23-year-old daughter, Julia, was being romantically pursued by the 53-year-old widowed president. She was a prominent socialite known as “The Rose of Long Island” and her portrait was used in advertisements to sell many different products. Julia was understandably distraught after witnessing her father’s ghastly death. The president gathered her into his arms and carried her to a rescue ship. Julia had already turned down several of Tyler’s marriage proposals but his thoughtful support after her father’s tragic death finally won her over. Four months later, Tyler became the first president to elope. What’s Really Crazy After the elopement, John and Julia Tyler had seven children together. Between his two marriages, John fathered the most children of any U.S. president- 15. But to quote John Belushi, “that’s not the crazy part”. What’s really crazy is that two years ago I watched Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of John Tyler on Willie Geist’s Sunday Morning show. How is it that John Tyler, who was born in 1790 could have a grandson -not a great grandson- not a great, great grandson- but a grandson appearing on a 2024 television show. Well, John Tyler was 63 when his 13th child was born in 1853. That child, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. was 75 when Harrison Ruffin Tyler was born in 1928. After leading a full and productive life, Harrison passed away in 2025 at age 96. Mediocre? Maybe. John Tyler is always included in the long list of 19th century mediocre to terrible presidents. He did not run for reelection, instead choosing to return to his Virginia plantation. As the Civil War began, he sided with the rebels and was elected to the Confederate States Congress. He died at the age of 71, on his way to the opening session of congress. Tyler is the only president whose death was not publicly acknowledged by the U.S.  government. His casket was adorned by a confederate flag, making Tyler the only president buried under a flag not of the United States Tyler may have been a typical mediocre 19th century president. Just don’t call him boring.  Have a great weekend. If you would like to buy my book, go to www.tedcurtinstores.com for links to online publishers.                                            .

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Mahatma Ghandi the architect of India’s independence from Great Britian was assassinated on January 30, 1948. Orville Wright, the co-inventor of the airplane, died on the same day. I learned about Ghandi and Wright’s fatal connection in “Mobituaries”, a very clever book written by humorist Mo Rocca. The book contains chapters about the deaths of many famous people including Thomas Paine, Herbert Hoover, Billy Carter, Audrey Hepburn and Lawrence Welk. In addition to human expirations, Mo covers the downfalls of Prussia, Hadrian’s Wall, and the traditional station wagon.  Since Ghandi’s assassination occurred just six months after India became independent, the charismatic leader’s death was the lead story in The New York Times. Orville Wright’s invention, though world changing, had occurred 45 years before his death so his obituary was “below the fold”. To avoid any confusion Rocca points out that Orville Wright died in a hospital as opposed to Orville Redenbacher, the popcorn titan, who died in a jacuzzi. Other famous people who died the same day include: Orson Welles/Yul Brynner (October 10,1985) Orson Welles was an iconic director and actor who wound down his career appearing in Paul Masson Wines commercials. His death was overshadowed by Yul Brynner’s who had prerecorded anti-smoking commercials to be aired upon his passing. Brynner’s post-death commercials were very dramatic and effective. Welles received a best actor Oscar nomination for “Citizen Kane”.  Brynner won the best actor Oscar for “The King and I” but as Rocca observes “he had every reason to be great as King Mongkut having performed the role on stage a whopping 4,625 times”.   Dick Sargent/Kim II Sung (July 8, 1994).  Dick Sargent was always known as “the second Darrin”. He followed Dick York in the role of Samantha’s husband on the classic sitcom, ‘Bewitched”.  Sargent never achieved the popularity of the first Dick. Sargent succumbed to prostate cancer at age 64 but his death was overshadowed by Noth Korea’s founder and notorious mass murderer, Kim II Sung. It’s estimated that the dictator killed over three million of his own people. After Sung’s death, his son Kim Jung Il carried on the family’s stunning barbarity while also sporting the worst haircut of any world leader in history. Kim Il’s grandson who the late John McCain labeled “the crazy fat kid” now rules the unfortunate souls inhabiting ‘the hermit kingdom”. William Shakepeere/Miguel de Cervantes (April 23,1616) The greatest English language writer and the greatest writer in the Spanish language died on April 23, 1616, but eleven days apart from each other. The reason for this quirk is that Spain used the Gregorian calendar while England was on the Julien calendar.  Cecil B DeMille/Carl Switzer (January 2,1959) DeMille, a founding father of American cinema was renowned as a director and producer of sweeping epics. Switzer was beloved for portraying Alfalfa in the Little Rascal shorts. Switzer’s career fizzled after the Rascals series ended. He earned money training hunting dogs but did get a bit role as a Hebrew slave in DeMille’s final epic, ‘The Ten Commandments’. Both men died shortly after the film’s release: DeMille suffered a fatal heart attack. Alfalfa was mortally wounded in a dispute over a fifty-dollar reward for a lost dog. John Adams/Thomas Jefferson (July 4, 1826) It is almost incomprehensible that the second and third presidents of the United States died on the same date. What’s even crazier is that date was the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson had defeated the incumbent President Adams in 1800 which exacerbated a rivalry that became so bitter that they didn’t speak to each other for twelve years. The two men mellowed as they aged and began a correspondence between Adam’s Massachusetts home and Jefferson’s Monticello estate. Underscoring their connection, Adam’s last words were “Jefferson lives”. Alas, Jefferson had died a few hours earlier.  As writer Emery Allen once observed” Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.” If you need some interesting reading for these frigid winter nights go to www.tedcurtinstories.com to purchase my book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”.  Have a great weekend.      .

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Soon after I set out to blog about famous people born on January 1, I began questioning the reliability of numerous websites. How could so many warriors including Atilla, William the Conqueror, Sitting Bull, and Joan of Arc all have New Year’s birthdays? What a coincidence that three of Henry VIII” s wives were born on January 1 – not to mention John Smith’s beloved bride, Pocahontas. These people came from tribal background’s where records were non-existent.  My mood brightened when I saw that Johannes Guttenberg, the inventor of the printing press was born on January 1,1400. Ah, if any people maintained good records, it would be those uber-organized Germans. However, further research found that Guttenberg’s birth date was circa 1394-1406. Out goes my meticulous German theory. I submit that none of those individuals were born on January 1.    Less flashy than Joan of Arc or Pocahontas are three Americans who legitimately have New Year’s birthdays: Hank Greenburg, JD Salinger, and J. Edgar Hoover.  Greenberg Hyman Greenberg was born on January 1,1911 in Greenwich Village. The son of Romanian Orthodox Jewish parents, “Hank” would become a prolific home run hitter for the Detroit Tigers. In 1938, “The Hebrew Hammer” led the league with 58 homers, the single season record for a right-handed batter. The record stood for 66 years before it was broken by Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.  In 1940, Greenberg became the first American League player to register for America’s first peacetime draft. In 1942, he became the first player to volunteer for service in the Army Air Forces.  After a long career with Detroit, Greenberg played his final season (1947) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. That year he became one of the few players to publicly welcome Jackie Robinson to the majors. Robinson credited Greenberg with helping him through a very challenging first season. Greenberg later became a successful baseball front office executive and then an investment banker. Salinger Jerome David Salinger was born on January 1, 1919, in Manhattan. J.D. struggled to fit in at several high schools and his experiences became the basis for what has been called “the classic novel of adolescent rebellion”. After dropping out of Ursinus College and Columbia, he enlisted in the Army. He landed at Utah Beach on D-Day and saw action during the Battle of The Bulge. He became a very proficient interrogator of German prisoners due to his considerable foreign language skills.  Salinger’s masterwork “The Catcher in the Rye” was published in 1951 and still captivates readers worldwide. The story of young Holden Caufield has sold an estimated 50M copies. A 1979 study proclaimed that the book not only was the most censored book in America but simultaneously was the second most widely taught novel in public high schools (only topped by Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”). In the 1960s. Salinger moved to New Hampshire and lived a reclusive life until his 2010 death at the age of 91. There is speculation that he left voluminous unreleased material, but his estate has no comment thus far.  Hoover John Edgar Hoover was born on January 1, 1895. After graduating from George Washington University Law School, he was recruited by the Justice Department and served in the department’s Alien Enemy Bureau. In 1924, he was appointed Director of The Bureau of Investigation which would add the appellation “Federal” in 1935.  Hoover is credited with continually upgrading the FBI’s fingerprinting system and building essential partnerships with law enforcement agencies across America. He actively participated in the Bureau’s pursuit of notorious criminals such as John Dillinger and Al Capone.  Hoover frequently bragged about his dalliance with actress Dorothy Lamour, and he also had a romantic relationship with Ginger Roger’s mother. But there was always speculation about his relationship with FBI Associate Director, Clyde Tolson. The pair lunched together daily., vacationed together and even wore matching suits. Their relationship did not go unnoticed by the Mafia and that may be why Hoover mysteriously refused to recognize the existence of organized crime. Meanwhile, Hoover compiled dossiers on over 430,000 Americans including Marylin Monroe, Hellen Keller, The Grateful Dead, and Colonel Sanders.  Colonel Sanders?   Hope you have a great New Year.          .

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On December 19, 1999, Desmond Llewelyn was driving to a book signing in East Sussex, England when he swung out to the opposite lane to pass another car. The world famous “Q” from the James Bond movie franchise collided with an oncoming vehicle and died shortly after the crash. I remember the news story and thought “why would an 85-year-old man drive so recklessly”. We still don’t have an answer but luckily, we can always turn on a James Bond movie and see Q, the eccentric gadget man. The longest-recurring actor in the 007 franchise was born in South Wales In 1914. Llewelyn’s dreams of a law enforcement career were dashed when he failed the police exam. After considering a life in the clergy, he decided to try acting and was accepted to the Royal Academy for the Dramatic Arts. With the outbreak of World War II, he was commissioned as an officer in the British army and sent to France.  After a particularly savage battle, Llewelyn was captured by the Germans. He spent five years as a prisoner of war. After the war, Llewelyn returned to London and revived his career, eventually being cast as Q in 1963’s “From Russia with Love”. He performed in every Bond movie until 1973’s “Live and Let Die”. The producers wanted to get away from the franchise’s gadget orientation, however the public made such a fuss that Q was brought back for 1974’s “The Man with The Golden Gun”. In real life, Llewlyn was no Q, claiming: “I am hopeless with gadgets.  I can’t even get a ticket to work in one of those confounded machines on the London Underground. And I can hardly put on a kettle, let alone set a video”. Moneypenny Lois Maxwell’s brilliant portrayal as Miss Moneypenny made her a Bond fixture throughout the Sean Connery and Roger Moore eras. When she was fourteen, Lois left her home In Kitchener, Ontario and moved to England with the Canadian Army’s Entertainment Corps. She enrolled in The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she began a lifelong friendship with Roger Moore. Maxwell is second only to Llewelyn for the number of Bond appearances. She appeared in fourteen of the films, although her total combined screen time is roughly only seventeen minutes. Llewelyn appeared in 17 Bond films, yet his on-screen time is just over 30 minutes. And who does Lois think is the better Bond? “I always said I’d have Roger for a husband but Sean for a weekend lover”. Odd Job.   Few would argue that “Odd Job” is the greatest henchman of the Bond series. Born in Hawaii of Japanese descent, Toshiyuki Sakata won a Silver Medal in weightlifting at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Sakata become a professional wrestler, appearing under the name “Tosh Togo”. He came to the attention of Bond producers when they were casting for the key role of the mute Asian villain. Despite having no acting experience, Sakata’s steely gaze and powerful physique made him perfect for the role.  Favorite Bond Girls Urrsula Andress, the original “Bond Girl” left her home in Switzerland at age 17 and became a model in Rome. She began an affair with actor/director John Derek who left his family to marry the young beauty. He would eventually leave her for Linda Evens and then go on to marry Mary Cathleen Collins better known as Bo Derek. Andress’ only child was Dimitri, fathered by her longtime lover, Harry Hamlin. Dimitri’s godfather is Sean Connery. When “Goldfinger” producers cast Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore at age 39, she became the oldest actress to play the main Bond girl. Honor had been an original star of “The Avengers” and honed her martial arts skills on that classic show. Her judo expertise helped Blackman land the iconic role.  After flipping Connery in “Goldfinger” she authored a self-defense guide for women.   Oh, in case you were wondering, ‘Q” is short for quartermaster.    Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year. If you need a great gift for your favorite trivia buff, you’ll find direct links to buy my book “Get Smarter- Be Amazed” at www.tedcurtinstories.com

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December 6 is not only the birthday of my twin sisters Jan and Jody but is also the 70th birthday of the extremely unique comedian, Steven Wright. Although Jody and Jan can be very funny, I’m going to focus today on Monsieur Wright.  Steven got his start along with some other great comedians in the early 1980s at the Ding Ho Chinese Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Ding was an unlikely venue for comedy to thrive, but it became a hot spot for people who wanted a few laughs. Within just a few years the Ding launched the careers of Lenny Clarke, Jimmy Tingle, Bobcat Goldthwait, Denis Leary, Paula Poundstone and Steve Sweeney. In 1982, a producer for the Johhny Carson discovered Steven Wright at The Ding and booked him for the Tonight Show. Carson was absolutely floored by Wright’s nonsensical one-liners delivered in his classic deadpan style. Steven had many reengagements on the Tonight Show before he moved on to acting gigs, production ventures and God knows what else. Here are some of Steven’s classic observations: I intend to live forever – so far, so good. Change is inevitable except from vending machines. If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving isn’t for you.  The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.  Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.  I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time. So, I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance. A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn’t park anywhere near the place. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks. I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder. I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met. Drugs may lead to nowhere, but at least it’s the scenic route. How do you tell when you’re out of invisible ink? The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it. If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong? Since light travels faster than sound, isn’t that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak? Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks? When I was in school the teachers told me practice makes perfect; then they told me nobody’s perfect, so I stopped practicing. What happens if you get scared half to death twice? There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” Whose cruel idea was it for the word “lisp” to have an “s” in it? If it’s zero degrees outside today and it’s supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be? What’s another word for Thesaurus?” I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums. I saw a subliminal advertising executive, but only for a second. OK, so what’s the speed of dark. A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I’m afraid of widths. I got on this chairlift with this guy I didn’t know. We went halfway up the mountain without saying a word. Then he turned to me and said, “You know, this is the first time I’ve gone skiing in ten years.” I said, “Why did you take such a long time off?” He said, “I was in prison. Want to know why?” I said, “Not really.” He said, “I pushed a total stranger off a Ferris wheel.”    Have a great weekend. My book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed” includes more words of wisdom from Steven Wright as well as George Carlin, Henny Youngman, Yogi Berra, Mark Twain, Groucho Marx and others. Go to www.tedcurtinstories.com to read reviews and connect to online booksellers. It’s a wonderful gift that will be embraced by its recipients.

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