Almost DYNASTY

[Snarky Oracle!]

Producers first approached Cary Grant to play Blake, knowing that the dapper icon had firmly retired from the screen 15 years earlier with no intention to return. He declined the offer and ABC pressured the creators of DYNASTY to hire George Peppard, a good actor and a bit younger than John Forsythe, but apparently difficult to work with.

The first actress approached to play Krystle was Angie Dickinson, and only when she, too, rejected the offer (which she later called the biggest mistake of her career) was Linda Evans hired.

Elizabeth Taylor and Raquel Welch were both invited to join DYNASTY as Alexis but declined, and Sophia Loren almost took the role but the new show could only afford her 6-figure guest star salary for six episodes (the only amount of time Alexis was originally supposed to be there). Once Loren was out, ABC and Esther Shapiro wanted Jessica Walter for the role, but Aaron Spelling insisted on Joan Collins whom he predicted "will be a bitch made in heaven" --- and network executives sneered at the idea of the hack actress until they saw a rough cut of her introductory court room scene and then they decided Spelling was right in his choice after all.

 

[tommie]

Actually their initial choice of Angie shows how misguided nuDYNASTY is - Dynasty was never about an old man marrying a drastically younger woman....

 

[Willie Oleson]

marrying a drastically younger woman....

She was younger, but not a young woman.

I'm glad we got Forsythe, Evans and Collins, and not the ones mentioned above.
Although I could imagine Ava Gardner or Faye Dunaway as Alexis.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Actually their initial choice of Angie shows how misguided nuDYNASTY is - Dynasty was never about an old man marrying a drastically younger woman....

Well, Angie was nearly 30 years younger than Cary Grant.

Plus, Cary dated both Sophia and Angie in real life. So maybe that could have added some friction to the triangle on screen?

I'm glad we got Forsythe, Evans and Collins, and not the ones mentioned above.

Me, too. There was an alchemy of sorts between the trio, and that's hard to buy. (Although it can be ruined by goofballs behind the camera).

 

[Alexis]

Although I could imagine Ava Gardner or Faye Dunaway as Alexis.

Blasphemer!

 

[Willie Oleson]

Catch me if you can

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

One of the things I thought at the time about Alexis was that it was highly unusual to have such a genuinely beautiful woman like Collins (harsh make-up and lighting notwithstanding) playing such a good dragon lady bitch.

Crawford and Dunaway and Bette Davis were usually what we saw as cinematic bitches: bitches who were ugly and bitches in real life.

Now Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner, both of whom I like a lot, were genuinely beautiful and could play a decent bitch, but neither would have taken a long-term contract, plus Collins was better kept together than they.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

@Richard Channing has already done a Cary Grant title card which actually moves -- perhaps he could grace us with one for Angie and Sophia??

 

[Richard Channing]

@Richard Channing has already done a Cary Grant title card which actually moves -- perhaps he could grace us with one for Angie and Sophia??

Sure, I'll give it a go. I'll have a look and see what footage I can come up with. It can be tricky finding a clip that's suitably glamorous, where they're not moving much (although I'm quite partial to an opening credit head turn or full turn), not speaking, plus loads of other little criteria that makes it suitable for an opening credit. But I'll see what I can do.

 

[Richard Channing]

@Richard Channing has already done a Cary Grant title card which actually moves -- perhaps he could grace us with one for Angie and Sophia??

I haven't got very far with this @Snarky's Ghost, I've made this one for Angie that I'm not that happy with. The thing is I pretty much ran out of title card background ideas with the Dynasty 69' ones, and when in doubt I tend to just go with snowy mountains. I did have a look for some private jets taking off like Krystle's early title cards, and even thought of nicking Jonathan and Jennifer Hart's jet from their opening credits, but in the end didn't find anything suitable. Anyway, I might try and find something better for a background for Angie.

Sophia Loren is proving very difficult to work with! She wasn't doing much at the time and I have had a look through what she did do and havent come up with much. So far the only usable thing I could find would be from the start of this but I don't like her outfit much, and she doesn't look very Alexis-y. Plus the setting is not really right. But if I don't come up with anything else I might try one with this.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Fabulous, @Richard Channing !!

 

[Willie Oleson]

Sophia Loren is proving very difficult to work with!

European divas!

I like 0:58 and 4:25 and 4:31 (big hat!)

 

[Richard Channing]

European divas!

I like 0:58 and 4:25 and 4:31 (big hat!)

Yes, I looked at this and actually was very tempted to go with the 0.58 one, even though I think it's from the early 70's and I was looking for something around when Dynasty started. And what she is wearing is slutty even by Alexis' standards! But still it is one of my favorites of the clips I've seen and actually I did look for other scenes from that movie but couldn't find much apart from what's here. So, I may do one with that. Shame she grabs that phone though, it would be better if she just kept walking.

4.25 would be ideal if it wasn't so close up. I'd end up chopping her hair off on both sides.

4.31 is the most Alexis looking of the lot for sure. But it is from 1994 so she's kind of too old, although it's not that close up so could maybe get away with it. And I guess the hat would just about fit into the frame!

 

[Willie Oleson]

And I guess the hat would just about fit into the frame!

You could always use it as the background!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]