http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/29911/Lonesome-Dove/overview

When Larry McMurtry wrote the script for Lonesome Dove in 1971, he intended...


....Henry Fonda as Jake Spoon,



....Jimmy Stewart as Augustus McRae,


...John Wayne as Capt. Woodrow Call.


Peter Bogdonovich was going to direct it, as well....but it never happened, because John Wayne didn't think it would be any good.

After the resulting novel won the Pulitzer Prize, McMurtry brought the script back, and originally cast Robert Duvall as Capt. Call, eventually changing him to the role of Gus McRae. James Garner was the original choice for Capt. Call, but couldn't play him for health reasons. They then went to Jon Voight, who turned down the role. That's when they went with Tommy Lee Jones.I can't imagine that the movie would have been near as good if it had the original intended cast.

I dunno....I just thought this was pretty interesting. Carry on with your lives.

I think the movie is great the way it is...although I'd be curious to see those guys work together.

Jerry Maguire was written with Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan in mind.

as much as i like those actors, i'm glad it happened that way

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Peter Bogdonovich was going to direct it, as well

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WTF? Talk about a GREAT director, but not a good fit for Lonesome Dove

Wouldn't have it any other way.

Voight played Call in the half-assed sequel, didn't he?

Which half-assed sequel?

Yeah he did.

I guess he figgered the role of Capt. Call wasn't so bad after all after Tommy Lee Jones played it to perfection.

Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett) was the original Tin Man, but had to leave due to a reaction to the makeup.

McMurtrey had nothing to do with the sequel. It was totally network driven. There were some good actors in it, but it never should have been made. Just a complete ripoff of the original material.

This truly is one of the worst movies I have ever seen and that is something I rarely say.

James Garner played Capt Call in another half-assed sequel.

The way it worked out was perfect, IMO. Fantastic cast all-around.

However, McMurty had absolutely nothing to do with the movie, and in fact as last as 2003 or 2004 he said he has never even seen it! I went to a talk he gave, which was his first "public" appearance in something like 10 years. It was quite interesting.

Sylvester Stallone was supposed to play Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop.

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Sylvester Stallone was supposed to play Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop.

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That would be one sure-fire way to make sure there's not a sequel

"Derrr, uh huh...'I'm not falling for da banana in da tailpipe'" /Rambo

Warren Beatty turned down the Burt Reynolds part in Boogie Nights, James Caan's role in Misery, Michael Douglas' role in Wall Street, and Robert Redford's role in The Sting. I think he would have been pretty good in Boogie Nights. The others I'm not so sure.

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Robert Redford's role in The Sting

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Beatty would've been horrible in that role.
I can't think of someone better than Redford in that place.

they should do a remake of lonesome dove with all those actors

Julia Roberts turned down the Sharon Stone role in Basic Intinct, the Meg Ryan Role in Sleepless in Seattle, the Gwyneth Paltrow
role in Shakespeare in Love, and the Sandra Bullock role in While You Were Sleeping.

Woodrow Call: ...and if that ain't bad enough you got all them Greek words on there, too.

Gus McCrae: I told you, Woodrow, a long time ago it ain't Greek, it's Latin.

Woodrow Call: Well what does it say in Latin?

[Gus blusters some gibberish]

Woodrow Call: For all you know it invites people to rob us.

Gus McCrae: Well the first man comes along that can read Latin is welcome to rob us, far as I'm concerned. I'd like a chance t' shoot at a educated man once in my life.


One of the best movies ever made. Wouldn't have been the same with The Duke, Stewart, and/or Fonda in it.

I just got Lonesome Dove on blu-ray yesterday.

Jimmy Stewart as Gus McRae would have been HORRIBLE!!!

I've never seen or read Lonesome Doves.

What's so great about this anyway?