Brannigan...Must It Be On DVD?

The Good
John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn
Humphrey Bogart instead of Ronald Reagan in Casablanca
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones

According to Entertainment Weekly, here are some other famous close calls that didn't happen. Let's call it The Bad.

— Chris O'Donnell and Claire Danes in Titanic.
— Cher and Melanie Griffith in Thelma & Louise.
— Molly Ringwald in Pretty Woman.

This was in an article about the release onto DVD of the John Wayne movie, "Branigan."

And then, there's The Ugly. Castings that happened that really shouldn't have.

- I still contend that while he did a decent job, Mel Gibson was improperly cast in Hamlet. He was too old.
- Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic. He redeemed himself with The Aviator.
- George Clooney as Batman. Chris O'Donnell as Robin was pretty repulsive too.

There were some great comments online to the story. One of the best was this:

I've read the comments that John Wayne can not "act." I feel that people tend to judge him based on his later-years, off-screen persona, when he himself confused the "man" with the "legend." John Wayne did not become an icon because he could not act! He became an icon because he projected what it meant to be "American" and "heroic" at a time when people needed someone and something to believe in. He was, is, and will forever be a "Movie Star" - an icon of the Silver Screen. Pop "The Searchers," "Red River," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence," or "She Wore a Yellow RIbbon" in your DVD player and watch a world-class actor at the peek of his talents. Sure he made some duds, but name a legend who didn't. As far as his not joining the army, remember that he was in his 40's with a family. Well past the average age of recruits. He "played" heroes even if he was not one himself...and that is okay. Clark Gable did not fight in the Civil War, nor did Bogart ever step foot in Casablanca...

Still, Brannigan was pretty bad. Make your DVD player feel better with The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, El Dorado/Rio Lobo, The Sons of Katie Elder, Sands of Iwo Jima, They Were Expendable, The Wings of Eagles (a personal favorite), Donovan's Reef, North to Alaska, True Grit/Rooster Cogburn, The Shootist (his last film), In Harm's Way, and way too many others.

I've never seen The Quiet Man but I've heard so many people say it was his best role. Hmmm...rental time.