Nutty Casting Ideas

Sippican Cottage notes the passing of Omar Sharif and the seriously nutty considerations for various parts in Lawrence of Arabia. An excerpt:

You heard that right. The part of Major Lawrence was offered to, get this: Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Anthony Perkins. Those are insanely bad choices. Albert Finney was Lean's first choice, and could have done it without making a hash of it, I guess, but he turned it down flat because he thought Lawrence of Arabia was going to be a flop. He made Night Must Fall instead, playing a guy that cuts off people's heads with an ax and then talks to said heads in his room.  Actors sure are perceptive people.