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View Full Version : Strange reason Carl Reiner was rejected Vicki L. 02-23-2005, 02:47 PM The original pilot to the Dick Van Dyke show starred Carl Reiner as Rob Petrie. He (Carl) was told he was too Jewish looking to be a white bread type. He looks quite a bit like matinee idol Ray Milland. Was Milland too Jewish looking for white bread roles? No Milland got them all the time. SawgrassSteve 02-23-2005, 04:12 PM True, Vickie L. Lot's of Jews played those types of parts in movies, but could Ray Milland have played an ameable comedy writer/family man who lives in the suburbs and been as likeable and as imaginative in the role as Dick? Steve Nora 02-23-2005, 05:06 PM Actually, as I mentioned in another thread, Carl DOES play Rob Petrie in the movie The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! Not really, but he wrote the movie, plays a writer with a precocious little boy and a pretty wife. I think he's always been Rob at heart! Incidentally, if you haven't seen this movie it is VERY, VERY funny! Alan Arkin plays The Russian and he is so wonderful! SawgrassSteve 02-23-2005, 08:08 PM Actually, as I mentioned in another thread, Carl DOES play Rob Petrie in the movie The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! Not really, but he wrote the movie, plays a writer with a precocious little boy and a pretty wife. I think he's always been Rob at heart! Incidentally, if you haven't seen this movie it is VERY, VERY funny! Alan Arkin plays The Russian and he is so wonderful! Nora, Thanks for mentioning it again. I knew there was some movie I was planning on renting, but couldn't remember which one. I wonder how much of the movie reflects long held intentions of Reiner to bring these characters to life? I mean, I've done some checking, and it appears that the wife, played by Eva Marie Saint, is a blonde Laura Petrie type. In those days, blonde would have probably been her expected look. Many starlets were bleaching their hair back then, and the subject sort of came up in "My Blonde-Haired Brunette." Plus, the movie was made the same years as TDVDS ended production, and as you said, the setting and Reiner's character also fit somewhat into TDVDS. If anyone wants to read a little, here's a link, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060921/) Steve Lolac 02-23-2005, 10:44 PM That movie is truly a classic! Lolac :crazy: treky 03-02-2005, 03:24 AM it is! And another one, that Carl also wrote (along with Arron Ruben, from "The Andy Griffith show) is "The comic" which Dick starred in, and Carl has a small role. Whatch it, if you ever get the chance, it's good! |