MovieChat Forums > That Forsyte Woman (1949) Discussion > Let's shuffle that cast around a little

Let's shuffle that cast around a little

posted 12 years ago by Zipper69
5 replies | jump to latest

Much as I respect Mr Flynn I really thought that He and Walter Pigeon should have swapped roles at the first rehearsal.

Pigeon could have made that icy aloofness of Soames believable and Flynn could exude the kind of louche personality of Jolyon.

Someone elsewhere on this board mentions that Peter Lawford would have made ideal casting as Bossiny and I agree. Robert Young was simply too staid and frankly unbelievable to have captured the heart of a radiant Janet Lee.

Ms Garson is always such a lady that it's hard for her to seem believable as a woman tortured by an unrequited love, but at least the costuming shows off her very curvaceous figure!

Come on lads, bags of swank!

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ShooShooFontana 10 years ago

Did you neglect to read the 'trivia' section for this film? It states they deliberately swapped roles in an interest of going against type. I applaud them for doing so.

[–] RobbieCalifornia 9 years ago

I agree with the OP. Swapping those roles was ridiculous. Messed up a decent 40s film. Robert Young was laughable.

But Janet Leigh! OMG she was lovely. Even though she was a big star, she deserved more. A much better actress than someone like Lana Turner and as beautiful as they come.

I spent a couple pleasant hours seeing this one for the first time. Thanks to TCM.

[–] disinterested_spectator 9 years ago

On the other hand, having Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson play husband and wife in a horrible marriage would have been going against type too, considering their previous roles as loving couples in Blossoms in the Dust, Mrs. Miniver and Madame Curie.

Regardless of who played which part, I had already seen the two television miniseries versions of The Forsyte Saga, which were so-so, and I was stunned by the effect that star power can have in a movie when I watched this version.

[–] liscarkat (18897) a year ago

In Miss Garson's lifetime, she would have been "Miss" Garson. "Ms." is a more modern abomination.