Was Mrs. Howell Telling the truth?

[The Flying Dutchmans]

Hollywood was making the Ginger Grant story and Ginger said if she were there she could be in the movie but Mrs. Howell said. "Oh don't be silly, if you were in Hollywood they would tell you you're not right for the part"

I wonder if that has ever happened in truth.I mean usually movies are done about famous people posthumously, but if one were made about a living star, and they could play the part of them self, do you think they would tell them they are not right for the part?

[TV_on_the_Porch]

1) Expressing an opinion, particularly the kind of uninformed one Mrs. Howell expressed, really isn't a matter of "telling the truth"; she can certainly be wrong about what she said without being accused of lying.

2) It's a laugh line. Just laugh. The only reason she said it is to make you laugh. Analyzing her statement surely won't make it any funnier.

[caladon]

It's happened in real life.

When The Jolson Story was being filmed, Al Jolson desparetly wanted to play himself, but he was told he was too old for the part, so it went to Larry Parks. However, Jolson did work with Parks to make sure he got it right.

Harry Cohn: “Al, we got the best damned make-up department in Hollywood. They can work wonders but they can’t make you look twenty-one years old.”

Perhaps, that story inspired the dialog between Ginger and Mrs. Howell.

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by The Flying Dutchmans

Hollywood was making the Ginger Grant story and Ginger said if she were there she could be in the movie but Mrs. Howell said. "Oh don't be silly, if you were in Hollywood they would tell you you're not right for the part"

I wonder if that has ever happened in truth.I mean usually movies are done about famous people posthumously, but if one were made about a living star, and they could play the part pf them self, do you think they would tell them they are not right for the part?

Oh, I think it was [and is] definitely true re casting! There used to be an old joke re a performer's career that went something like this:
1. Who is Rita Hayworth?
2. Get me Rita Hayworth!
3. Get me a young Rita Hayworth!
4. Who is Rita Hayworth?

And Lucy told a story about how she thought she'd become a 'star' when she saw a casting call for a 'Lucille Ball type' in the late 1930's so she eagerly went to that studio and told them she was free to do the part- only to be told she was wrong for it!

[The Flying Dutchmans]

Originally Posted by TV_on_the_Porch

1) Expressing an opinion, particularly the kind of uninformed one Mrs. Howell expressed, really isn't a matter of "telling the truth"; she can certainly be wrong about what she said without being accused of lying.

2) It's a laugh line. Just laugh. The only reason she said it is to make you laugh. Analyzing her statement surely won't make it any funnier.

Normally when I open a thread and read the comments, the good and the bad, I take it with a grain of salt. But I am going to say something about your's. I only asked a simple question out of curiosity of course you couldn't answer like the other 2. No your comment had to be a snide one. What Natalie said, only brought up the question in my mind of it really being true, and not just for laughs. Of course I know it was said for laughs. But it's still a valid question.

[TV_on_the_Porch]

Uh huh. Well here's a promise you can take to the bank: you won't have to worry about any further replies from me. Toodle-oo.

[The Flying Dutchmans]

Now that's good news for me.

[Teebs]

Originally Posted by The Flying Dutchmans

Hollywood was making the Ginger Grant story and Ginger said if she were there she could be in the movie but Mrs. Howell said. "Oh don't be silly, if you were in Hollywood they would tell you you're not right for the part"

I wonder if that has ever happened in truth.I mean usually movies are done about famous people posthumously, but if one were made about a living star, and they could play the part of them self, do you think they would tell them they are not right for the part?

I think it would happen. It almost sounds as if that line was written because it had already happened. Didn't Charlie Chaplin once enter a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest and come second or something? Or maybe that's just an urban myth. Anyway, it sounded like a satirical comment to me