If you could...

Bella, I've pondered this for days, and still can't whittle down my long list.

First, let's just say, I believe Michael could successfully tackle any role. Does that mean he should wander off the well-worn path into the wilderness of poor quality writing just to say he tried something different?

I disagree about "It Happened One Night." I can't see anyone but Gable in that role. How about in place of Cary Grant in "The Philadelphia Story?"

Of course anyone who knows me, will guess that my number one on that long list is... wait for it... Charlie Allnut in "African Queen." OR, a re-telling of the tale set in a different place and time...
(Yes, I've already written Orinoco Queen. Just resurrect Mr. Huston, give us 50 million and an old boat and we can have a film...)

Laura, webmistress, www.michaelwincott.org

Well, Gable IS rather in a class by himself and I might rather be rethinking that selection. I think my blunder came from wanting to find a good romatic comedy to put him in. It's hard when there's so much damn crap out there.

And I would never want Mr. Wincott to do anything beneath his level of talent. I'm not going to mention any films by names but there are some I just despise despite Mr. Wincott's presence in them.

And I still would love to see him tackle something different (like a romantic comedy) if the script was decent and he thought he was capable of being believeable in such a role. You and I both know he has the talent to do just about anything he sets his mind to. =)

I couldn't whittle down my list either!

I do know that I often watch films, with mediocre actors in what could be interesting parts, and think "Michael Wincott could have done that WAYYY better...."

I don't think he could replace Gable (or even Grant) but that's simply because he has a different style and presence; not that he doesn't have the talent.

And I think you are 100% on the money about "African Queen". He has a real resemblance to Humphrey Bogart -- I'm surprised nobody else has ever noted it! Especially in the jaw and mouth. And he's EXACTLY the right age to play Charlie Allnut. (I'm not as sure about the Katherine Hepburn role, though. Any thoughts?)

I didn't know Orinoco Queen was finished! I'd love to read it, if you've gotten it into good enough shape for that! I've loved your first book, Blood Visions.


(Yes, PLEASE give us $50 million.....though I think the original film cost about a tenth of that.)

Laura, do you remember a pretty good Clint Eastwood film, about 20 years back, "White Hunter, Black Heart"? Someone played Bogart playing Charlie in that, and wasn't too bad! and I think Marisa Berenson played Hepburn! They had fictionalized names, but it was very obvious who was what. (Eastwood himself played director John Huston.)

It's one I'd like to see again, though it hasn't been on TV in eons....

I agree somewhat with the Pirates of the Carribean thing except not as Barbosa...I think he would have been a great Davy Jones or as Blackbeard.