The actress Bette Davis even put an ad in the press asking for a job.
Captain Wade Hunnicutt and his wife Hannah find themselves trapped in a dead-end marriage. He is the richest and most powerful man in a Texas town: he owns a huge portion of land, is a great hunter, and has an indelible reputation as a seducer. Everyone respects him except his wife, who maintains this marriage solely to keep up appearances. To portray this couple's bedroom secrets, director Vicente Minnelli cast two actors at the height of their careers, Robert Mitchum and Eleanor Parker. Both fit perfectly, but few know that the protagonists of this outrageous melodrama were going to be two established stars.
With Clark Gable and Bette Davis
The film, a direct adaptation of the novel by William Humphrey, was originally conceived as a vehicle for the showcasing of two actors of the stature of Bette Davis and Clark Gable. Both Oscar winners were present in the initial version, but the production company's plans fell apart when Gable, who was 59, refused to work with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a company with which he had just parted ways due to the mistreatment he had received. Then there is the case of Bette Davis, who was 52 years old, and the producers considered her too old for the role (Eleonor Parker was 14 years younger). This was a great setback for the interpreter who, despite having already achieved her mythical status in the film industry, had been watching her career decline for years.
In the movie Mecca, roles were not written for women her age and Davis decided to denounce it in 1962 when she published a parody ad in the Hollywood Reporter offering her services. She read something like "divorced mother of three children, she offers herself for stable work in Hollywood" and it was made public when the actress had just finished filming What Happened to Baby Jane? Little did Davis imagine that this film was going to be to blame that same year for his renewed success. Despite the little hope placed by the actress, this film in which Betty agreed to share the lead with her archenemy Joan Crawford, became one of her biggest successes. The actress was lifted for the last time to the first position at the box office and she showed that she can never end a star's career.
George Hamilton, the last 'playboy' of golden Hollywood
The cast changes did not affect the character of Theron, the only common child of Captain Hunnicutt and his wife. The role fell from the beginning to an almost unknown George Hamilton, who would eventually grab numerous headlines as Hollywood's official 'playboy'. The tan that he still retains at 83 years of age made seduction his way of life. For years, the actor was a regular at night in Marbella. Few know that Hamilton was Elizabeth Taylor's partner in 1986 and shared a suite with her when the famous topless photos of her were taken on the terrace of the exclusive Marbella Club. An event that the actor was in charge of recounting in his memories Doesn't mind if I do, like other anecdotes involving celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy, or the daughter of another former president of the United States, Lynda Johnson.
The aforementioned film was the definitive springboard for Hamilton, whose romances always stood out more than his acting career. In this tape, he manages to stand out thanks to the brilliant direction of Vicente Minnelli. The man who was the husband of Judy Garland and father of the legendary Liza Minnelli, achieved a new success after the triumph of his previous projects, Gigi and Como un torrenteTorrente, released in 1958 and 1959, respectively. In With Him Came S--ndal, Minnelli displays the mastery that made him King of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for more than 25 years.
