MovieChat Forums > Royal Flash (1975) Discussion > who should've played Harry? (back then)

who should've played Harry? (back then)


I think Stanley Baker would have been a good choice. I also think Roger Moore could have pulled it off. And Sean Connery could have done it as well.

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I like Baker as Flashman. That's a neat idea. Moore, yes. Connery, not so sure.

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Now with Conn'ry I'd agree!

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Is there anyone who would make the short list today? I know that MacDonald Fraser himself warmed to the idea of Daniel Day-Lewis playing Flashy and I guess he'd be ok but there has got to be someone I'm not thinking of...Liam Neeson? Clive Owen? Hell, Russell Crowe? Who? Ah!, Wait: Pierce Brosnan! He would be pretty good. He has that ability to play the laughs underneath the adventure. Anybody else got any suggestions?

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In the 30's I'd say Douglas Fairbanks Jr. or Robert Donat

In the 40's I'd say David Niven or Errol Flynn, or maybe even Basil Rathbone

In the 50's I'd say David Niven again, and maybe Alec Guinness

In the 60's I'd say Michael Cain, or Stanley Baker, or Ron Moody, or Richard Burton.

In the 70's I'd say Malcolm McDowell, Edward Fox, Michael Cain, Brian Blessed

In the 80's I'd say Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne, Nigel Terry, Alan Rickman

In the 90's I'd say Russell Crowe, Gary Oldman,

In the 00's I'd say Colin Firth, Heath Ledger, Ioan Gruffudd, Nick Frost

That's about all I can think of. Any others?

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Nick Frost? Really?

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No, not really. I like putting things in like that to see if people are actually reading them.

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Mostly good choices, but I'll disagree strongly on Alec Guinness, Russell Crowe and Colin Firth. All are fine actors but none are/were remotely the Flashman type IMO.

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Oliver Reed should have been cast as Flashy in my opinion.

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I agree! Oliver Reed would have been great! They don't make men or actors like him anymore!

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While the accent might have been an insurmountable hurdle, James Garner's various anti-heroes suggest he MIGHT have been able to do the part.

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While the accent might have been an insurmountable hurdle, James Garner's various anti-heroes suggest he MIGHT have been able to do the part.

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Thought of Simon Williams in the 70s.

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I rewatched this film last night and I couldn't help wondering why Alan Bates wasn't Flashman. He seemed much closer to Flashy than McDowell - not as physically big perhaps, but definitely the right mixture of charm and seediness - yet he's stuck in a secondary role.

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Wow!I had the same impression when I watched it. Alan bates could have knocked it out of the park.

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As a secondary choice, how about Dirk Bogarde? Definitely has the right mixture of charm and tawdriness, and in Damn the Defiant! showed some swashbuckling skills. I grant you, he would have been a bit long in the tooth circa 1975.

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I think Stanley Baker would have been a good choice. I also think Roger Moore could have pulled it off. And Sean Connery could have done it as well.

Roger Moore could've been amazing in the role.

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