Olivia de Havilland replaces Joan 3 times. Inc: Airport 77'
what a fool Joan was to decline because she said there would be time for her make-up ,rehearsal, and wear her own clothes, etc.
shareNot so sure about Airport 77, even though I have heard it mentioned before it was Airport 75 that Joan was approached to do. Joan died in 1977 and was out of the public eye for a while, Airport 75 was being shot during 1974 so it makes more sense that this was the movie Joan was approached to do not 77.
This is was on the IMDB trivia page for Airport 75
Joan Crawford was approached to play the role of an "aging alcoholic actress". However, she refused and the character was played by Myrna Loy
Hmmm interesting, this was on the trivia page for Airport 77
Joan Crawford was approached to play the role of Emily Livingston but declined, later saying, "I wanted Joel McCrea to play opposite me, and anyway, they actually asked me to fly out there with only one week's notice! Why, that is hardly enough time for makeup tests or rehearsals... and when I asked about costume fittings, they said they wanted me to wear my own clothes!"
Hmm interesting if Joan was approached to do both airport 75 and 77.
The real reason was likely because she wouldn't be the star or-co-star (you know, like the great "Trog"). But it did occur to me that Joan must have been ill by this point, since she died not long after
shareJoan Crawford would never have accepted the part Myrna Loy eventually played in Airport 1975. The script would have her sitting in the plane's coach section. Gloria Swanson, meanwhile, gets to travel First Class. Crawford would have had none of that!!!
From what I've read about her, she'd probably want to play Mrs. Joe Patroni (played in the film by Susan Clark). This is a classic Joan Crawford role; a working class woman, a flight attendant in this case, gets to marry airline vice president Joe Patroni (George Kennedy). She'd get to board the plane in style, wearing furs. Yes, Crawford at this point was too old for this role -- Mrs Patroni had a 9 year old son in tow -- but that wouldn't have stopped her from coveting the part.
Back to reality: My bet is Crawford was offered the part Swanson played. The producer's first choice was Greta Garbo. When he failed to snag Garbo he went for Swanson who at first refused to play it as it was originally written because it was a Norma Desmond clone. To get her to play it, the producers made major changes in the role. Thus what was originally an aging, alcoholic actress was turned into an aging actress turned health guru called Gloria Swanson. Swanson was perfectly cast.
Another thing that puts doubt about Crawford being offered the role in Airport 77 was the comment about Crawford having to wear her own clothes, Edith Head designed Lee Grants clothes in the movie and I'm sure she probably designed others in the movie also so why would Crawford have to wear her own clothing?
shareI believe Carl Johnes mentions in his book "Crawford: The Last Years" that Crawford told him she had been offered the role in Airport '77.
shareCrawford would have no problem wearing her own designer clothes. Since that is exactly what she absurdly tried to pull on From Here to Eternity along with demanding her own cameraman which resulted in her being replaced by Deborah Kerr.
shareProducer Robert Frye wanted Irene Dunne to play Emily Livingston. He offered her a hefty salary and a brand new Rolls Royce. Dunne declined and said she didn't like Rolls Royces. Olivia de Havilland eventually played the part and the one dress she wore throughout the film was designed by Edith Head, who received her final Oscar nomination for her work.
What Crawford said implies the film had a low budget, which is false. She was probably pretending she was still very much in demand in the film industry.
Joans agent at this time was Stan Kamen and he said there were jobs for her during this period but that she had lost her self-confidence with regards to her looks. Kamen also said that Joan called one day and told him not to bother submitting her name for parts anymore.
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