MGM Home Video is about to release a deluxe, widescreen DVD of the 1955 movie of Guys and Dolls, which starred Frank Sinatra in the role of Nathan Detroit, and Marlon Brando in the role that Sinatra should have played.
Hollywood, of course, has a long history of taking hit Broadway shows, bypassing the stars that made them hits on Broadway, and miscasting them. The other day, I caught a few minutes of the 1969 film of Hello, Dolly! and it dawned on me that Barbra Streisand is just now hitting the right age to play the role she played then. It's amazing that often when they did cast the right person, it was only after the filmmakers had tried and failed to get someone else. When they made My Fair Lady, Rex Harrison was the third or fourth choice to play the role made famous on Broadway by…Rex Harrison.
Sam Goldwyn obtained the film rights to Guys and Dolls. When it was suggested to him that he get Sam Levene, who'd created the role of Nathan Detroit on Broadway, Goldwyn reportedly said, "No, I don't want someone Jewish." That was not anti-Semitism. It was his way of saying he wanted a movie star in the role. That's not an unreasonable position but owing to Mr. Levene's inability to sing, Nathan Detroit was a largely non-singing part. So who'd they cast in that non-singing part? Only the top male vocalist of the day, Francis Albert Sinatra. And because they had Sinatra, they suddenly had to find reasons to have Nathan sing…so Frank Loesser wrote this dreadful, unnecessary song for him called "Adelaide." In fact, it's worse than unnecessary. It's against character. Nathan Detroit, until near the end of the story, is trying to avoid marrying Miss Adelaide and here, because they told Loesser to write a love song, Nathan's singing about how wonderful it would be to marry this lady. They also stuck Frank in the "Guys and Dolls" number, which is about how men always fall for the right lady. Nathan shouldn't have been singing about that, either.
So that pretty much destroyed Nathan Detroit's character arc. In the meantime, they put Marlon Brando, who didn't sing, in the role crafted for a strong singer. Brando is so charming and charismatic in the speaking scenes that he almost pulls it off…but I still think Frank would have been better.
You know who they should have gotten for Nathan Detroit? Think about it: A weasely gambler who tries to fast talk his way out of jams, matrimony included. There was a perfect actor available but unfortunately, Phil Silvers was busy making a new TV series in which he played an Army Sergeant. And of course, they also could have hired Sam Levene.
There are a couple of other odd choices in the film. One of the best songs, "A Bushel and a Peck" was replaced with a not-great tune called "Pet Me, Poppa." I don't know why unless Frank Loesser was eager to write something that might qualify for an Oscar. I also don't understand why, after spending so much money to acquire the rights and hire that cast and build those incredible sets, the producers didn't spring for a few bucks to get more extras to people the streets of New York. On stage, you can replicate Manhattan with a handful of people but on screen, it looks barren and uninhabited.
Anyway, it's still a fun movie in many ways. If you want to pre-order the new DVD, here's a link. And let's see if anyone in the supplemental material points out the appearance of a young Jerry Orbach in the chorus of the "Oldest Established" number. A decade or two later, he'd be more qualified to play either male lead than Frank or Marlon.
