This is a screen test with a very young Robert Taylor (aka Spangler Arlington Brugh...what a name!) made back in 1933 for Samuel Goldwyn. It wasn't for any specific film, they simply dressed him up in Roman clothes. An unimpressed Goldwyn told Taylor to "Go home and fatten up." Taylor replied something like "I'd like to but I don't have any money to buy a decent meal." This would be a precursor of sorts for his role in QUO VADIS (1951). Who knew back in 1933 that 18 years later Robert would star in that blockbuster. Amazing stuff.
And speaking of QUO VADIS...
Did you know that Audrey Hepburn did a screen test for the Deborah Kerr role in QUO VADIS. Audrey might not have been the correct actress but she would have been more interesting than Elizabeth Taylor who also did a screen test, as seen here. This photo shows how Audrey was made for the PEPLUM genre. She had something regal about her that was perfect for the genre. Unfortunately she only made a few such films, like WAR & PEACE.
young Sophia Loren is somewhere in QUO VADIS too - her first movie,. She must have been one of the slave girls in the crowd scenes.
ReplyDeleteAudrey Hepburn was a great actress and she really stood out in her movies. If she played in PEPS she probably would of played all regal roles. Her presence in a mediocre movie would turn it into a huge hit. Audrey in my opinion would of made a great Cleopatra and the movie would of been a success, and there would of been no off set "goings on" like Taylor & Burton's love affair which helped bring that movie down.
ReplyDeleteYes, Sophia is in QUO VDAIS. It's one of those Film legendary thingy like bigfoot. Elizabeth Taylor is also supposed to appear briefly in it as well but no one has determined exactly where.
ReplyDeleteI know it might be incorrect re the real Cleopatra but I agree with you SR about Audrey as Cleopatra would have been cool. She had the presence of royalty which would have boosted the film's outlook. Can you imagine Audrey in all those costumes? It would have been amazing.
Elizabeth Taylor didn't test for Quo Vadis, she was cast in it, that's a costume test. Elizabeth and Gregory Peck were both originally cast in Quo Vadis under John Huston's direction. That original version was scrapped by MGM and a new version was begun the following year.
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