Trivia / Gangster No. 1

• Ability over Appearance: Paul Bettany is seven inches taller than Malcolm McDowell.
• Creative Differences: Original writers Louis Mellis, David Scinto and director Jonathan Glazer all left the production over a disagreement with the producer over casting. The older Gangster was originally going to be played by Peter Bowles, who had previously played the role on stage. David Scinto stated that:
  An actor was attached to the project who was simply ill-suited. Not that he was a bad actor, he just wasn’t right for the role. In fact very, very wrong for the role. So after much painful deliberation, we extricated ourselves from the deteriorating situation. Taking our names with us. It was a very difficult decision. A very difficult thing to do, not something I enjoyed. As it turned out the actor was removed anyway.
  • When asked about why they had left, Mellis stated:
  Simplest thing to say re the three of us walking away from Gangster No. 1 is "artistic differences". Because it was our first film we were expected to put up with all manner of ridiculousness re casting, tone, themes, etc. These stuck in our throats, and so we left them to it.
• Star-Making Role: For Paul Bettany.
• What Could Have Been: According to director Paul McGuigan, one possible ending had to be abandoned when the original writers left:
  Gangster is waiting for Freddie to get out of jail. Freddie arrives at the house and Gangster invites him in and he’s reconstructed Freddie's car, his Aston Martin, in the living room, and Gangster goes into the car, and he starts revving the car and the smoke’s going everywhere. Freddie leaves and Gangster gets poisoned by the smoke of the car, and then he drives through the windows and drops off the high rise.

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