Love this, Nancy! Do not, however, know the final answer. Trying to remember films made by RKO and who might have been one of their big actors. I have a thought (who'd a thunk that thinking could be so difficult-OW?), but it is probably wrong.

Cynthia

Hmmmmm....I don't know this one but will hazard a guess. My mom's 2 favorite actors and they were good friends were Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda. Maybe Henry Fonda?

Ginny

I'm leaning toward A.L. :).

Annette

Hmmm....no right answer yet. I may leave you stew a bit!! A.L., Annette? Not sure who that is.....

Nancy.

Ok. Am I out of money yet? Do I get to guess again? My mother always wanted to be in the movies I think. She was a Leo and loved the drama as much as the leading men. Robert Young was also one of her favorites but I don't know how much of a "leading" man he was.......Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, and Erroll Flynn. She also was a big fan of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Hmmmmmm. So 2 guesses would be Gary Cooper and Cary Grant. I was going to say Clark Gable but I think he was too dramatic for the part of George, IMO. ????

Ginny

Nancy, somewhere in my foggy memory this person came forth but can't remember the details, if I'm on the right track this person is also known as .... ..... I think I'm the only person that doesn't like this movie, what's up with that I love Jimmy Stewart, one of my favorite actors.

Annette

Originally purchased in 1940 for $10,000, RKO failed to come up with a workable script for its star. Anxious to unload the project, it sold the rights in 1945 to Capra's production company, Liberty Films, which had a nine-film distribution agreement with RKO, for $10,000. Due to a very confusing paper trail of ownership, this is one of the few RKO films not controlled by Turner Entertainment/Warner Bros. in the USA.

Completely not helpful to the answer, but fun.

The contention that James Stewart is often referred to as Capra's only choice to play George Bailey is disputed by film historian Stephen Cox, who indicates that "Henry Fonda was in the running."

But he wasn't who the rights were purchased for - or should that be for whom the rights were purchased....I hate it when I dangle a participle!! Keep thinking!!

Nancy.

Annette, are you talking about a leading man with a stage name, so to speak? I think a few of the ones I guessed went by other names or THEIR other names. Seems to me only Cary Grant changed his name completely. Am I totally in left field with this?

Ginny

So it could have been Henry Fonda......he certainly had the looks but IMO, not the demeanor.

Ginny

PS I'm with you on the movie Annette. I just don't like Jimmy's voice. ???

I know I have heard this...searching the databank...my original thought was Orson Welles (wasn't he with RKO?...I know it's in there...aarrgghh...memory like a seive...I know it was someone who didn't seem to me to be a good choice...back to cleaning...too bad I can't sweep the cobwebs from my brain. :)

Cynthia

Ok, my guess IS Archibald Leach aka Cary Grant. I wish I could remember the details of why I think he's the one, but without looking it up I can't. I don't want to lead anyone down the wrong road on this, I could be and probably am wrong.

Annette

I think he was a often married man from Nebraska. No idea why he did not do the role or even if it was offered to him.

Ok. Since I have no idea who this was, I will go with you
Annette and say Cary Grant. I knew he changed his name but I had no idea what his name was before. A.L. makes sense now. Duh!:) I think Jimmy played a better George than Grant would have anyway. CG was just too much of a ladies man IMO

Ginny

Hmmm - mnswgal - ? Not sure who you mean. Annette - lol - of course, AL. It didn't click at first. I am very focused on keeping the Christmas tree up, and redecorating it. My kitchen might be declared a health hazard. I just finally had my 'brunch' a half an hour ago. A friend took me out shopping this am, so other than the trivia question, everything else has played out very late today!!

Nancy.

The sun is shining golden over the pond today, first sunny day in over a week. I am referring to an actor who had a couple of famous actor children, one of whom was infamous as well.

Nancy ~ I thought you were gonna use some of those Nuts and Bolts to keep that tree up? Lol! I don't even have mine up yet, any of them, but I have a new fridge!!!! Took us all day to get it in to this little old house! Now I don't even care if Chriastmas just passes me by. Gonna make some popcorn and watch a movie. Lets see, Miracle on 34th street or It's A Wonderful Life; they are on 10 channels I think. :)

Ginny

"who indicates that "Henry Fonda was in the running."

But he wasn't who the rights were purchased for - ".

And I am looking for the actor for whom RKO initially bought the rights to the story "The Greatest Gift". Why am I struggling with the English language today?? This is not a clue, btw. I just seem only to be able to dangle participles. Yikes - I sound like the uneducated ejit that I am!! lol.

Nancy.

Ginny, aside from being a ladies man thing I think Cary Grant was a very accomplished actor, I think he could have carried it off. Two of his movies I really liked, a bit on the heart wrenching side tho, were, 'Penny Serenade' with Irene Dunn and 'Room For One More' with Betsy Drake who he was married to for awhile.

Annette

Oh, I was wondering about Alan Ladd-haha. Okay, now I get it, too. Of course, I am only playing follow the leader here. I wouldn't have thought of it myself!

Ginny, re: Sat. trivia-well darn.
re: reirement-too many years. Can't collect Social Security until 67 and will probably need it since our governor in VA raided the retirement fund for state employees to balance his budget-all smoke and mirrors and we poor schmucks have to pay. I wouldn't get much anyway, but bet it will be less now. :(

No clues here - just had to share the link I just put on my Facebook page. Look at me - aren't I all 21st century!! I'm on Facebook!! lol. View it as a slideshow - you'll see the cure captions I put on some of the pics - and yes, I am this needy!!

Nancy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cats & Christmas

I obviously forgot the details of the question after reading through everyone's posts. I was going with Henry Fonda. Thanks, Nancy, for re-posting the details that it wasn't Fonda. I'd like to blame this nagging sinus headache but more likely it is my aging memory.

I will go with Annette's suggestion of AL.

I also think Crant was an accomplished actor and preferred the suave Grant to the more everyman Stewart. Who can forget Grant in North by Northwest running from the diving plane and scrambling around Mt. Rushmore? I was a Hitchcock fan and Grant was in several of Hitch's films.
Also a big fan of Katherine Hepburn and The Philadelphia Story was the film in which I first saw Grant.

Temps in the 40s here today so I finished a few garden chores, fencing in a couple of shrubs to keep deer and rabbits from eating them to nubbins this winter.

Bobbie

Your room looks very Christmasy with the tree decorated. Do you have problems with the cats crawling up the tree?

Cute cats, I miss having cats around.

{{gwi:617625}}
Ah well - I think we all have it, and with a minimum of clues from me!!

The story came to the attention of RKO producer David Hempstead, who showed it to Cary Grant's Hollywood agent and, in April 1944, RKO Pictures bought the rights to the story for $10,000 hoping to turn the story into a vehicle for Grant. RKO created three unsatisfactory scripts before shelving the planned movie with Grant going on to make another Christmas picture, The Bishop's Wife.

Grant arrived in Hollywood in 1931. When told to change his name, he proposed "Cary Lockwood," the name of the character he had played in the Broadway show Nikki, based upon the recent film The Last Flight. He signed with Paramount Pictures, where studio bosses decided that the name "Cary" was acceptable, but that "Lockwood" was too similar to another actor's surname. Paramount gave their new actor a list of surnames to choose from, and he selected "Grant" because the initials C and G had already proved lucky for Clark Gable and Gary Cooper, two of Hollywood's biggest movie stars. The Awful Truth (1937) was a pivotal film in Grant's career, establishing for him a screen persona as a sophisticated light comedy leading man. As Grant later wrote, "I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be and I finally became that person. Or he became me. Or we met at some point." As writer/director Peter Bogdanovich notes, "After The Awful Truth, when it came to light comedy, there was Cary Grant and then everyone else was an also-ran."

So, there you go!! Ginger Rogers and Olivia de Havilland both turned down Donna Reeds role - in her autobiography, Ginger said,"Foolish, you say?". de Havilland thought the role too bland - what is it they say about small parts? No OW link that I could find.

So, for everybody:

mnswgal - gravity and balance have been the biggest enemies thus far, I think. lol. As you see though, kitten is rather fascinated. We'll see if we make it to Christmas!!

So for bonus points: Billy was quite a character in this film. Previously, he had appeared in the Capra film "You Can't Take it with You", and every subsequent film. Do you remember him?

Nancy.

I always have so much fun with your questions, Nancy, and this week, you even threw in kittens! That slide show with the captions is a hoot ("Can I eat her now?"). SHe is a cutie pie and the oldsters are beautiful, too. I think I need a cat, but the dogs would take it for a chew toy, I'm afraid.

I do remember Uncle Billy. What a great character. Couldn't tell you his name to save my life.

Have a wonderful week everyone and thanks again for the fun, Nancy.

Cynthia

Billy, sounds like a goat to me. Pure speculation as I haven't seen the film for years.

Cynthia ~ So sorry you can't retire early but it is probably just as well as you would be tighter for pay..... Here too. :( I look forward to your trivia questions every Saturday. I hope you keep them coming after Christams! :)

Nancy ~ Are you talking about Tom Mitchell. He played such a good drunk! Another one my mom loved but only for his antics. I don't even know if I have seen "You Can't Take It With You" but I remember him in The Hunchback and Stagecoach (which he also played a drunk in). I think he was in a couple more westerns too. Just a guess.

Great pics BTW! The kitties are just too cute for words.....and mischievious. Hopefully the tree will make it till Christmas.....intact......and the cats too! Love the captions!

Thanks for the trivia Nancy. Hope you enjoy your week and the tree stays up!

Ginny

PS Merry Christmas everyone! Hope all have a safe and happy holiday!

My daughter sent me this pic of her Sparrow ( the kitten I bought her for Christams last year)

{{gwi:617626}}

lol. I screwed that up! Meant to say Jimmy!! And now that I confused everybody, Jimmy was Uncle Billy's pet crow in the movie. The scene where George points an obviously intoxicated Uncle Billy towards home, and then you here a crash?? That was actually an off-camera accident, nothing to do with the actors, but as befits the great actors they were, Mitchell improvised with his, "I'm all right!" off camera. Capra like the bit so much, he actually intensified the crash sound. There are just so many trivia bits in this movie, I could go on forever!! I could. But I won't!!

Pretty Sparrow - such a gorgeous colour.

Not sure whether Cyn will post on Saturday, Christmas Day. I will post on Sunday - maybe something easy for Turkey withdrawal??

So, Happy Week Before Christmas!! I intend to make sure to catch the Alistair Sim version of 'A Christmas Carol', Bill Murray's 'Scrooged' (who cannot laugh at Bobcat Goldthaite hunting Murray?), 'Love Actually', with pretty much every major British star except the Bonds(warning, sexual situations & language)!! I must admit, I do watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' if it is before me. It was never one of my favourites, but it has grown on me over the years. I hope that Santa is good to everyone. Sing lots. Spend time with family and friends, even if they annoy you.

Thanks for playing Trivia. Nancy.

Uh Nancy........ maybe you should put the eggnog down.....ol. Unless I am mistaken Christmas falls on December 25th this year.....no??? That would be Sunday in Canada.....perhaps turkey withdrawl is already underway....hehehehe.... It's been a long year and, for you, what appears to be a few decorating nights repeated. Better put out the milk and cookies on Sunday night just to be safe. Lol :)

Best to you all!!!!

Ginny and the shelties

PS Jack Sparrow is a purebred Ragdoll. :)

Ahh, I just realized my calendar is European - the week begins on Monday. Oh well. Whatever the date, I will see you all on Sunday -thanks for pointing that out, Ginny. Are you sure you don't want to do the trivia?

Nancy.

And I will see you all on Saturday! Never would have gotten Jimmy, Nancy. Didn't even remember there was a crow!

Cheers,
Cynthia

Absolutely sure I don't want to do the trivia. I don't know if I want to answer it either after this weekend.

Ginny

Meant to add that Sparrow is a cutie-love the picture.