MovieChat Forums > Annie Get Your Gun (1950) Discussion > Why was Geraldine Wall replaced?

Why was Geraldine Wall replaced?

posted 17 years ago by bayview-1
7 replies | jump to latest

Of the major recastments made for the film, the one of Dolly Tate is not exactly clear. Judy Garland was replaced due to poor health and Frank Morgan because of his death, but nowhere have I read an exact reason for the recasting of Dolly. Was it because George Sidney did not think her as suitable for the role as Bubsy Berkley did or did Ms. Wall move onto other projects during the hiatus? Does anyone know the reason? Also, what about Annie's younger siblings, why were they recast.

[–] MarrG 17 years ago

She couldn't sing! I don't know anything about her, but that's how it appears on the DVD. And my guess is the kids were made blonde to match their new "sister."

[–] sm_sauer 17 years ago

I'm not sure about why Dolly was recast but I heard the kids were recast because they got too old for the roles during the hiatus.

[–] sophieoscarcat 17 years ago

The actress who replaced Ms. Wall was Betty Hutton's best friend and was probably brought in at Betty's request. I believe she was godmother to one of her children. Cannot remembeer her name but she was pretty big on broadway and a well known talent. As to the kiddies, by the time filming started with Betty a couple of the other kids hit puberty and the tits were protruding. So, they just got a whole new group of prepubes. Simple. Obviously Ms. Wall did not move on to other parts because she was never heard from again.

[–] tms1983 17 years ago

Benay Venuta was her name. She also played this role in the 1966 Lincoln Center revival and its now-lost 1967 television adaptation. She can be heard on the cast album of the revival.

"Snozberries? Who ever heard of a snozberry?"

[–] Harold_Robbins 17 years ago

Benay Venuta was also one of Ethel Merman's best showbiz pals - most of the time.

"I don't use a pen: I write with a goose quill dipped in venom!"---W. Lydecker

[–] HarlowMGM 16 years ago

Watch the extra footage on the ANNIE GET YOUR GUN DVD and I think you can see three reasons why Ms. Wall may have been replaced:

3 - As stated before, she wasn't that good of a singer (but then she could have been dubbed)

2 - She seems vaguely uncomfortable in her part and too reserved - compared her to Benay Venuta in the same number in the film

but I think the main reason is:

1 - Geraldine Wall had a startlingly resemblence to Betty Hutton albeit a slightly older, slightly plumper Betty Hutton. I was shocked when I first saw this footage at it's beginning, I thought maybe they cut it because "Betty" might have had some extra weight from a recent pregnancy or wasn't up to snuff vocally at the time but as the scene progressed it was obvious it wasn't Betty even though the resemblence is startling. Obviously when Betty Hutton came on board they couldn't have the second largest female role played by someone who looked a lot like her.

For the record Ms. Wall did many things after AGYG but mostly minor roles, this is true as well of Benay Venuta which is kind of shocking given Benay's moderate fame on the stage yet she had an unbilled part just a few years later.

[–] 16 years ago

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