A Classic Era LOTR Movie

[Mister Underhill]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Clark Gable does not seem too Aragornish to me. Too much of a smart-aleck and doesn't have a regal look (more like a knave bedding the court wenches ).

All true. Gable is best when he's being a rascal, so even if he could play it straight, he'd be mostly wasted as Aragorn. Still, he'd have great chemistry with a Spencer Tracy Frodo.

Originally Posted by Morthoron

John Wayne? That is funny.

I'd pay good money to hear his low and slow line-reading of Aragorn's, "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and if by life... or death... I can save you, I will."

Originally Posted by Morthoron

And let's not forget one of the greatest of character actors, Basil Rathbone!

I thought of Basil Rathbone, but he's a little too cold and remote for Aragorn for me.

Henry Fonda or Gary Cooper are interesting to think about, but they're both so quintessentially American somehow that neither seems right.

Then again, you could do the John Ford version with his company of players:

Aragorn -- Wayne, natch.
Faramir -- Henry Fonda
Boromir -- Ward Bond
Saruman -- Victor McGlaglen
Gandalf -- John Carradine
Galadriel -- Claudette Colbert
Arwen -- Maureen O'Hara
Merry -- Ben Johnson
Pippin -- William Holden
Sam -- Andy Devine
Frodo -- Richard Widmark
Wormtongue -- John Qualen

But now we're getting really specialized...