"Pretty in Pink" in the Golden Age

[The Wolf]

I watched Pretty in Pink again recently and thought about the movies of old that dealt with romance between rich and poor. It made me wonder how the story would have been done in the Golden Age?
Would Wallace Beery play the dad?
Who would you cast?
How do you think the story would be different?
Would you have take place in a music conservatory with Duckie being a zoot suit wearing Jazz fan and Blaine being part of the "long hair" classical students that is intrigued by the jazz chick?

I would sincerely like to hear the Lounge's ideas on this.

Sincerely,
THE
_____WOLF

 

[jake_fink]

Premaking a movie seems like a much more amusing exercise than remaking one.

My premake would have Lionel Barryomre as the dad.

Judy Garland as Molly Ringwald.

Mickey Rooney as Ducky.

(Of course I'm making a musical here, the soundtrack was the most improtant feature of PinP afterall.)
And Young Henry Fonda is the other guy.

The James Spader role would be played by Ceasar Roemro. I'm not premaking anything without Ceasar Romero.

 

[carebear]

Premaking a movie seems like a much more amusing exercise than remaking one.

I'm not premaking anything without Cesar Romero.

Taxi Driver? Cesar Romero

Deer Hunter? Cesar Romero

Fried Green Tomatos? Who else.... Cesar Romero

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Jackass Number Two? Cesar Romero

 

[Feraud]

Ocean's Eleven, Cesar Romero. Oh wait, he was in this..

 

[jake_fink]

I take it, from your merciless lampooning, that you are not admirers of Cesar Romero's suave and stylin' ways.

Your loss.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Hail, Cesar

Unfortunate misinterpretation due to the limitations of the Internet. I've loved Cesar Romero ever since I watched Batman as a child. Then when I saw The Thin Man as a teen. He was at a function (for Turner Broadcasting? can't remember) in Georgia and was very nice, sophisticated, funny.

 

[jake_fink]

Unfortunate misinterpretation due to the limitations of the Internet. I've loved Cesar Romero ever since I watched Batman as a child. Then when I saw The Thin Man as a teen. He was at a function (for Turner Broadcasting? can't remember) in Georgia and was very nice, sophisticated, funny.

Then you can join my club. Welcome.

Now precast Pretty in Pink as per request of the wolf.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Sir, yes, sir

Black/white. Rich/poor. Takes place in a roadhouse. Some kids work there, some hang out there. Or something, we'll make it up as we go along.
Paul Robeson - Jack
Dorothy Dandridge - Andie
Tim Holt - Duckie
George Sanders - Blane
Orson Welles - Steff
Judy Holliday - Iona
and Yul Brynner as the Bouncer

 

[jake_fink]

Black/white. Rich/poor. Takes place in a roadhouse. Some kids work there, some hang out there. Or something, we'll make it up as we go along.
Paul Robeson - Jack
Dorothy Dandridge - Andie
Tim Holt - Duckie
George Sanders - Blane
Orson Welles - Steff
Judy Holliday - Iona
and Yul Brynner as the Bouncer

I like the black/white rich/poor, and Dorothy Dandridge is always a welcome sight in any movie. :eusa_clap

 

[carebear]

I take it, from your merciless lampooning, that you are not admirers of Cesar Romero's suave and stylin' ways.

Your loss.

Also misunderstood. I was just riffing on the wide net the "anything" cast, trying to find the least Romero-ish roles I could think of.

 

[The Wolf]

good answers

I agree that Cesar Romero was great. His role in Orchestra Wives is one of my favorites.
I'm still trying answer my own question.
I'm leaning towards Bonita Granville as Andie and Eve Arden as Iona, her boss at the record store. Maybe Roddy McDowell as Duckie.

Sincerely,
Wolfie

 

[jake_fink]

I forgot Molly Ringwald's boss at the record store. For that role I give you...

THELMA TODD

Gosh. I'm spending a lot of time precasting a movie I didn't even like when I was 14. [huh]

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Good ones. Makes me actually want to see the movie Pretty in Pink. Orchestra Wives is on my pile of dvds from the libbrary right now, I'll watch that first.

 

[carebear]

Who would write the title song and who would perform it?

In what style?

 

[Haversack]

I have to say that I don't know _Pretty In Pink_ for beans. However, on the topic of Caesar Romero, I think his best casting was as Hernan Cortez opposite Tyrone Power in _Captain From Castile_.

Haversack.

 

[miss1934]

Now I don't know about making PinP a muscial but I think that Ducky should definitely be played by either William Powell, as he was in both Double Wedding and Libeled Lady or Robert Montgomery in his early supporting roles with Norma Shearer. both men are quirky enough that they can get away with it. I think that it would be interesting to see someone like Gene Tierny as Molly Ringwald, I realize this is the wrong period but she can be shy and delightfuly suspicious and adorable. I also think that while she is believable as an outcast, she is very clearly able to support herself in life. My main reference for this would be The Big Country with Gregory Peck. Wallace Beery could in fact play the father along with the drunk from To Have and Have Not. I'll work on the James Spader role later tonight.....

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Was you ever bit by a dead bee?

I believe you mean Walter Brennan. I have a record album by him

 

[miss1934]

Yes, that's him, thanks so much! what do you think about that?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

He's cute. I love him and his voice. He played Richard Crenna's granddad in the sitcom The Real McCoys which I've seen in reruns