Mary Astor - worst casting ever?

For one reason, the director thought Astor was perfect for the role. There was a scandal in which Astor's diary contained her sexual affairs with Hollywood people in unbelivably incredible detail.
The director took advantage of all the scandal and cast her as a woman with no scruples.

Totally agree. I watched the movie for the first time and just couldn't be wowed by it, because Astor was so wooden and no chemistry between them to believe they'd become allies. Wanted to be wowed, but just sorta "meh" over it.

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Weak? you've got to be kidding. It's one of the greatest films ever made, and for my money the greatest detective film. Let's see you do better. By the by, I wasn't impressed with Mary Astor either.

"Her performance was weak and not very believable."

Sure, but NO ONE's performance was "believable."

The Falcon is not a drama, and not a morality tale about the perils of love -- the movie starts in the real world (with corny travelogue scenes of San Francisco, no less) but very soon falls down a rabbit hole. Everyone lies -- Spade, Gutman, even the Falcon itself which is not what it appears. No one is *supposed* to be believable. Even the characters don't believe each other. Recall (spoken by Spade):

"We didn't exactly believe your story. We believed your $ . You mean... You paid us more than if you'd told the truth... ...and enough more to make it all right."

And that is the strength of the movie -- it's spooky and magic and it takes us to a place where we haven't been before, to a world to which NO one has been before.

It's also very bold story telling. Some stories have one liar, or an unreliable narrator -- in the Falcon no one is sincere.

CBK

"Her performance was weak and not very believable."

Sure, but NO ONE's performance was "believable."

The Falcon is not a drama, and not a morality tale about the perils of love -- the movie starts in the real world (with corny travelogue scenes of San Francisco, no less) but very soon falls down a rabbit hole. Everyone lies -- Spade, Gutman, even the Falcon itself which is not what it appears. No one is *supposed* to be believable. Even the characters don't believe each other. Recall (spoken by Spade):

"We didn't exactly believe your story. We believed your $ . You mean... You paid us more than if you'd told the truth... ...and enough more to make it all right."

And that is the strength of the movie -- it's spooky and magic and it takes us to a place where we haven't been before, to a world to which NO one has been before.

It's also very bold story telling. Some stories have one liar, or an unreliable narrator -- in the Falcon no one is sincere.

CBK

Aside from the fact that she couldn't act for beans, Grace Kelly was 12 when "The Maltese Falcon" was made.

What a fool. Try watching the 1931 version.. the version in which the author
of the book actually had a part in making and also the version he liked better!...

yep, my thoughts too...

"I killed your boy, sir"

TOTALLY agree!!! Charlton Heston completely spoiled Touch of Evil for me! Mexican? Are you JOKING? He couldn't even pronounce "hola!"

I love the way she changes from vulnerable "schoolgirl act" to hard-core crim the first time the blatantly gay Cairo walks in the room with her.

And at the end of course, when she's practically begging for her life (well, not to be busted for murder, same thing) and she tries everything she can think of, right up until the last moment... excellent.

Have you seen the 1931 version?
Go see it and then throw your Christian-Conservative
1941 version in the trash

I agree, telegonus - Mary Astor was convincing as one of the 'boys', playing Cairo and Gutman at their own game. And the scene where she attacks Cairo in Spade's apartment, and the detectives intervene, is very well acted - her lunge to give Cairo a kicking shows the true Brigid underneath the shy schoolgirl act! I also like her tired recitation to Spade in an earlier scene, where he visits 'Miss LeBlanc' at her new apartment - casual and deceptive.

Sarah

"Tony, if you talk that rubbish, I shall be forced to punch your head" - Lord Tony's Wife, Orczy

I'm with you. The more I watch this film the better I like Mary Astor in the part. She is not a bombshell, so the idea that men will do anything for her never quite rings true, but she gets across the intelligence and the manipulativeness of Brigid very well.

I think some people are being a little harsh. Mary Astor wasn't really who I pictured for Brigid O'Shaughnessy when I read the book, and I was a little surprised by the casting when I first watched the movie. I think that they could've found someone better for the part, but I don't think her performance is bad by any means. It didn't really distract me or take away anything from the movie. There's been far worse casting in movies.

Must disagree about Marlon Brando. the script called for The Man, and that was Brando, end of story.

It seems to me that you people are mistaking Mary Astor's performance as "bad", when in fact she was a good actress PLAYING a bad actress. The character of Brigid O'Shaughnessy was such a meek and pathetic character that no one really believed anything she said. That is exactly why there is no "chemistry" between Astor and Bogart. There wasn't supposed to be. Sam Spade never actually fell for her, he was only playing along because he wanted to get to the bottom of the case.

rockamorra's list of most miscast actors is way off. In fact every one of those performances worked perfectly, especially Sofia Coppola and Tom Hanks, who were great.

The most miscast roles:

John Wayne as Genghis Khan in "The Conquerer" (1956)
Tom Selleck as King Ferdinand in "Christopher Columbus-The Discovery" (1992)
Mickey Rourke as Francis of Assisi in "Francesco" (1989)
Humphrey Bogart as a Mexican in "Virginia City" (1940)


"Don't pay any attention to the critics; don't even ignore them."

i agree rockamora with most of your choices but i love steve mcqueen in soldier in the rain. what's the problem with him?

Leslie Howard acted exactly as Ashley Wilkes was described in the book. Sometimes good actors can't overcome a poorly-written, poorly-directed part.

4. Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone in “The Godfather: Part III” (1990)
3. Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes in “Gone with the Wind” (1939)


4.Absolutely.Winona Ryder backed out. Too bad.

3.Scarlett O'Hara was obssessed with Leslie Howard? Unbelievable. He was well cast as the foppish Scarlet Pimpernel.

I have always hated Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Several of Hammett's novels are among my favorites and Astor ruined the movie for me. Maureen O'Sullivan or Merle Oberon would have been better choices.

"1. Quentin Tarantino as anyone in anything"

Hahaha, that's very true. He's very hard to watch in Pulp Fiction, Dusk to Dawn and Death Proof.

But, I know this is hard to believe, he was really good in Sukiyaki Western Django. Trust me, I have been quite vocal about how he should stay behind the camera so I wouldn't praise him unless it was absolutely deserving.

hey Kate Hepburn was doing fine for the role she did in guess whos coming to dinner. but she just dont deserve the oscars. well if she miscast in that role, who are u suggesting? bette? audrey? julie christie?

Warner Bros. was apparently of two minds about Astor - she plays the female lead here in FALCON, and the same year played opposite Bette Davis (at Davis's request) in THE GREAT LIE. Warners apparently didn't feel Astor had what it took for the Best Actress Oscar category, so instead of Best Actress they submitted her for Best Supporting Actress for THE GREAT LIE - and she won!
She herself always believed her FALCON work merited the recognition. Thus FALCON was one of Astor's last leading-lady roles - she was soon to sign with MGM who put her in "character" roles (such as Judy Garland's mother in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS).

"...don't let's ask for the moon - we have the stars!"