That's pretty funny. The two films were probably shooting around the same time so the much-in-demand Channing-Gleason duo could have done one or the other but not both, although perhaps either Preminger or Fox would have been willing to wait. :)
Hello, Dolly! was shooting in the spring of 1968, perhaps going into early summer. I'd guess that's around when Skidoo was shot given its release date. Hello, Dolly! sat in the can for a while until 20th Century Fox paid Merrick to allow it to be released before June 1971, which I guess was specified in the contract (that it could be releaed either after the Broadway production closed or, if the show was still running in June 1971, they could release it nonetheless). When Fox planned to start shooting, it looked like the show was not likely to run all that much longer, but then Bailey and company gave it a jolt at the box office.
Channing and Gleason probably would have made a good Dolly-Horace pair in the movie. |
