Trivia / Friendly Persuasion

• Foiler Footage: Even during filming, William Wyler wasn't sure how far Jess' involvement in the Civil War should go, so he filmed two scenes. In one he picks up a gun, in the other he doesn't. After listening to arguments from colleagues over which version to use, Wyler decided to have him pick up the gun, prolonging the suspense over whether or not he would shoot the Confederate soldier who had just killed his best friend.
• Never Work with Children or Animals: Getting Samantha the Goose (played by three different geese) to bite Richard Eyer's posterior on cue was a major challenge. To protect the child, the costumers sewed extra padding into the seat of his pants, but nothing they tried, including a lettuce leaf hidden between his legs, got the goose to approach when required. Finally, the goose was attached to a wire pulley and given mild electric shocks to get him to go after the child.
• The Other Marty: According to her 2004 autobiography, 'Tis Herself, Maureen O'Hara was cast as Eliza Birdwell and was due to start filming the following day, when she happened to mention it to John Ford, with whom she had a strained working relationship (referring to him in her book as "that mean old son of a bitch"), when visiting his office. Ford apparently then called William Wyler and had her removed from the cast, resulting in the last minute casting of Dorothy McGuire in the role.
• Playing Against Type: Gary Cooper as a devout Quaker father.
• What Could Have Been:
  • The role of Jess Birdwell was originally intended for Bing Crosby, who turned it down and recommended his close friend Gary Cooper for the part. Montgomery Clift was also offered the role.
  • Cooper wanted Ingrid Bergman to play Eliza Birdwell, but she turned the part down. Katharine Hepburn was also offered the role. Jane Wyman turned it down to focus on her television series. Jean Arthur, Vivien Leigh, Maureen O'Hara, Eleanor Parker and Teresa Wright were also considered.
  • William Wyler wanted James Dean to play Josh Birdwell, but his agent said that he wouldn't take on any supporting roles.

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