MovieChat Forums > War and Remembrance (1988) Discussion > Idea for who could have been cast as Pug

Idea for who could have been cast as Pug

posted 16 years ago by jamma_man69
14 replies | jump to latest

If you have read both books--you know that Pug Henry is about 46-48 years old about 5 foot 6 or 7---Rhoda was 5-9 or so

I was trolling around different actors who were acting then that were around that age

For Pug Henry I was trying to figure out what actor was about that age when they shot winds of war==don't get me wrong--Mitchum is pug but he was in his late 60's when they start filming--nearly 20 years older then his charicter.

Here is a name to consider---Martin Sheen.... he was 43 when they started filming--of course--looking at his roles during that time--he was just starting his run of supporting roles that started to give him some cred---Ghandi, Firestarter to name two

[–] Scab16 16 years ago

Martin Sheen!? No way! He has the totally wrong personality and demeanor! Not to mention he is a raging Lib!

[–] jamma_man69 16 years ago

Sheen played some conservative roles over the years

[–] Scab16 16 years ago

Still, he is totally wrong for Victor Henry. He was much more suited for his role as Warren Lasky. He lacks the "slaty" persona of a "gunnery man."

[–] TorontoJediMaster 16 years ago

Martin Sheen is a great actor, but he lacked the gruffness that Pug had in the novel. Mitchum had the gruffness but was twenty years older than the role was described...and looked it.

I think Martin Sheen could have pulled it off. He would have been much more convincing in the scenes with Pamela than Mitchum was. As well, he's done fine in playing some military figures over the years. (His depiction of Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg was a masterpiece; especially in comparison with Robert Duvall's portrayal from Gods and Generals.)

James Garner might have been good. He was more age appropriate, and still looked young enough.

Cliff Robertson might have been a choice.

If they wanted a film star with as much (or more) star power than Mitchum, how about Paul Newman? He had the charisma. He was still in his 50's (at the time of the first miniseries, at least), and he could be convincing both as an authority figure and in the romantic scenes.

[–] Scab16 16 years ago

I will grant you that Martin Sheen acted well as Robert E Lee. However, he did not play an accurate Robert E Lee. Lee was not a dottering old man in July of '63. He had a broken wrist and may have suffered a minor stroke, but he was not 80 -- as Sheen played him.

Cliff Roberston.... now there is an actor I can picture as Pug. Did a great job as Kennedy in PT-109, and has the physical characteristics Wouk used to create Pug.

[–] tabari 13 years ago

He was too old at the time to play Pug, but I visualized the young James Cagney for the part at the time I read the books. He had the size, the demeanor, and could obviously play authority. But alas, not possible. One of my friends, who also read both books, saw Robert Conrad as Pug. I think that he could have been good in the role. Again, he was the right age, right build. As much as I enjoy Robert Mitchum in the role and just always enjoyed watching him.....I keep seeing his eyelids and remembering Johnny Carson when W of W was showing and he commented on Mitchum's eyelids being at half mast.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 13 years ago

Not to mention the fact that Cagney -sadly- passed away between the filming of WoW and WaR. They would have had to recast the part.

I wonder if Gregory Peck might have been an option. He was Mitchum's age, but IMO looked a lot better.

I think Cliff Robertson would have been ideal.

Also, speaking of actors being too old for the part, what about Ralph Bellamy as Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was 79 at the time the first series aired, and 84 when the second one aired.

[–] apriceaboverubies29 12 years ago

James Whitmore

"Peggy, this isn't China. There's no money in virginity."

[–] labrat8355 12 years ago

Robert Conrad is an interesting idea. I thought Ed Flanders (Dr. Westphall of St. Elsewhere) could have nailed Pug Henry.

[–] manage-932-700755 12 years ago

Actually, Pug was a little older than that in WAR. In the beginning of Winds of War, in 1939, in the book Pug is said to have been 49. Therefore at the bginning of WAR, in late 1941, Pug would have been 51, and at the end in 1945, Pug would have been 55. 5'6" or 5'7" sounds about right, although in the book I'd say 5'6" was more likely. Remember that in the early 40s, the average male adult height was about 5'8", and Pug is described numerous times as short and stocky, though trim in the waist, in the book. I recall that Rhoda was 4 years younger.

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 11 years ago

Brian Keith would have made a good Pug, IMHO. Height-wise he was closer to the mark, and he was a few years younger than Mitchum. Not that I am complaining about Robert Mitchum in the role, I thought he was fantastic.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

[–] connorarroyo-1 9 years ago

I think Brian Dennehy could have pulled it off, and he would have been age perfect at the time.

[–] manage-932-700755 8 years ago

It's hard to find a n actor who at the time combined the personality, height, trim build and age of Victor Henry. Brian Dennehy would have been too heavy(although Pug was described in the book to be both stocky and trim).

Paul Newman? About 8 years younger than Mitchum, on the short side- 5'8"-5'9". And a trim, athletic build, althouhg Pug was said in the book to have been stocky. Newman would have had to color his hair, maybe even wear a hairpiece. But he might have looked more the part than Mitchum.

[–] w-kingseed 8 years ago

Love Mitchum but not for this role. Way too old, like by twenty years. The entire cast in the first series is bad.