1. Ronald Reagan: “Submarine D-1" (1938). Warner Bros. film production went out on a limb and hired sports- radio broadcaster Ronald Reagan as an actor. The studio tried to play it safe by casting Reagan as a radio announcer in his first film, “Love is on the Air.” While he seemed natural and at ease in the scenes, Reagan was stiff and amateur in his second movie, the B-effort “Submarine D-1.” The future president was inconsolable in his performance that it resulted in being snipped out of the finished film. After his second film he pulled himself together and worked harder at his skills of being a better entertainer. Within a short time, he made the leap from dumb-dumb B-Movies to classy A-Movies. His level of films were such as, “Dark Victory” and “King’s Row.” In the long run being dropped from “Submarine D-1" was the best thing that could of happened to his acting career.

2. Buster Keaton: “New Moon” (1940). In 1933, MGM fired its top-grossing comedy actor, Buster Keaton because of his expensive habits created by his raging drinking problems. The firing destroyed Keaton’s career and the only on-screen work he could find was cheap short and obscure European productions. MGM rehired Keaton to work as an un-credited gag- writer, which was a major insult to his talent and career. By 1940 though, the studio opted to give him another chance and gave him co-star with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in “New Moon.” Keaton was a savior for several sequences throughout the production. When the film was ready for release, Keaton was cut out completely from the movie. No reason for his cut outs were ever given, all though one could spot Keaton among the extras in several scenes. A sad turnout for a star who only six years earlier was headlining his own MGM productions.

3. W.C. Fields: “Tales of Manhattan” (1942). This episodic drama followed the journey of a top-coat through different levels of the New York social hierarchy, according to Film Threat. The film took a dramatic nature for a comic relief, starring W.C. Fields. W.C. Fields stars as a charlatan health expert who buys a coat from a second-hand clothing shop and wears it during a lecture he is presenting to a high society crowd. The lecture is about the health benefits of coconut milk but in the course of the evening a wicked butler spikes the coconut milk with rum and both Fields and his aristocrat audience get sloshed. The whole sequence of that scene (which included Phil Silvers and Margaret Dumont) was clipped out because the producers of, 20th Century Fox, complained it was too long. Maybe the real reason was W.C. Fields was a tired old man and at one point walked off the set because he had an argument with the directors.

4. Tyrone Power: “Solomon and Sheba” (1959). Tyrone Power’s acting career was far below its stellar heights when he flew to Spain to role in King Vidor’s epic recreation of the Old Testament love story. The casting of Power as the Israelite king may have seemed most unlikely but it made more sense than Vidor’s casting choice of Italian glamour queen Gina Lollobrigida as the Queen of Sheba. The movie was roughly 60% done when Power suffered a fatal heart attack. Production did not stop even though their main character suffered a heart attack. Vidor decided to cash in the $1.2 million insurance policy on Power’s life and shoot the film over with a bewigged Yul Brynner as Solomon, according to Film Threat. Neadless to say the film was a complete flop.

5. Katina Paxinou: “The Trial” (1962). Orson Welles called on his long-time friend, Oscar-winning Greek actress Katina Paxinou, to star in a pivotal role of his adaptation of Franz Kafka’s, “The Trial.” She was to star as the scientist who foretold the inescapable doom facing Joseph K. (played by Anthony Perkins). Director Welles had seen Paxinou in a memorable performance in “Confidential Report” and this made him confident that this role would fit her like a glove. However, as the film’s December 1962 premiere arrived, Welles was behind schedule and was freaking about the flow of the film. Right before opening night, he decided at the last minute that Paxinou’s part slowed down the pace of the film and cut her whole scene. The absence of the scene, however, it made Joseph K.’s shot look altogether wrong, especially when he goes to his death with a sense confidence which he didn't portray earlier in the movie.

6. Alain Delon and Dorothy Dandridge: “Marco the Magnificent” (1965). Two of the prettiest people in the movies, French matinee idol Alain Delon and sultry singer/actress Dorothy Dandridge, were the leads in the biopic of Marco Polo. Filming begun in 1962 but it proceeded in lots of chaos and halted when money ran out. The filming began again a year later but with new stars for the leads: German actor Horst Bucholz was signed as Marco Polo and Italian star Elsa Martinelli played “The Woman with the Whip.” Delon and Dandridge just disappeared there was never any explanations of the change of leading roles. Delon went on to a highly successes but Dandridge’s life went downhill both personally and professionally. She was died from a drug overdose in 1965, the year “Marco the Magnificent” opened.

7. Jayne Mansfield: “The Loved One” (1965). Jayne Mansfield’s career was falling when she got a call from MGM productions to star in a small role, “The Loved One”. Mansfield made the most of her well sultry figure in a leather-clad shot involving Robert Morley (whom we hope, did not shoehorned his own body into S&M play gear). The film ran much longer than the slotted availability allowed (some reports say the director’s cut up to five hours in film) and Mansfield’s never appeared in the movie.

8. Larry Kert: “New York, New York” (1976). Larry Kert was a Broadway actor; he was the original starring role of Tony in the premiere Broadway production, “West Side Story.” Strangely, Hollywood did not see any potential in Kert (non-singing Richard Beymer played the role of Tony in the movie version, with another performer dubbing his musical numbers) – his only post-“West Side Story” film was the forgettable in die exploitation drama “Synanon.” Kert’s career was primarily on Broadway not big screen, with occasional guest appearances on TV. Hollywood finally called in 1976: Martin Scorsese wanted Kert to perform opposite Liza Minnelli in the “Happy Endings” musical number being planned for “New York, New York.” After all the casting and rolling the sequence was never shown in 1976. Scorsese restored the number for the 1981 but Kert never received screen credit. Nor did he ever receive another screen role. He died tragically from AIDS in 1991.

9. Harrison Ford: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982). Steven Spielberg cast Harrison Ford as the school principle. But after Spielberg was editing the film he realized Ford was too much of a major star and it disrupted the sequence of the film. Harrison was cut from the movie.

10. Kevin Costner: “The Big Chill” (1986). Lawrence Kasdan hoped to give young unknown actor Kevin Costner his first major screen role as Alex in,
“The Big Chill.” Alex’s death reunites the characters in the film and Alex himself was supposed to be seen in several flashbacks, according to Film Threat. However, Kasdan changed his mind and removed Alex's flashbacks so, Costner was no longer needed. Costner was only known as dead Alex. Feeling somewhat guilty, Kasdan felt guilty about cutting Costner out. So, in his next film, “Silverado,” he gave Costner his first major role.
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