Duvall Vs Mcmurtry: Why The Author Initially Thought Duvall And Jones Should Swap Roles
Okay, so you know how sometimes you see a movie and a casting choice just… clicks? Like, it’s so perfect you can’t imagine anyone else? Well, sometimes, your brain does a little flip-flop. And that’s exactly what happened to me thinking about The Long Riders.
This movie. The Long Riders. It's a Western. A gritty, boots-on-the-ground Western about the James-Younger gang. And the cast? Absolutely stacked. We’re talking the Carradine brothers. The Keach brothers. The Quaid brothers. Plus, David Alan Grier! Wait, no, that’s not right. That’s a joke. But seriously, it’s a family affair. And the directors? Walter Hill. You know, The Warriors, 48 Hrs.. Solid director.
But here's where my brain went on a wild tangent. We've got Shelley Duvall. And we've got James Keach. And we've got Robert Carradine. And we've got Stacy Keach. And Dennis Quaid. And Keith Carradine. Lots of Keach and Carradine. And then there's David. Oh wait, that's the joke again. The actual actors playing the main bad guys. Jesse James and Cole Younger. And here's the twist.
When I first thought about it, I had this weird little thought bubble pop up. What if… what if Duvall played one of the guys? And one of the guys played her role? It sounds bonkers, right? But bear with me. It’s just a fun thought experiment. Like if you swapped the cookies for the brownies in your favorite dessert. Might be surprisingly good!
So, the movie. It's all about brothers playing brothers. The Carradines play the Younger boys. The Keaches play Jesse and Frank James. Quaid plays Ed Miller. So, it’s a real brotherhood vibe. Which is pretty cool, honestly. It adds this layer of authenticity. You can see the history. The shared glances. The sibling rivalry, even.
And then there’s Shelley Duvall. She plays Clara, Jesse James's wife. She’s good! She’s got that slightly fragile, wide-eyed thing going on. It works for the era. It works for the character. But my brain, it’s a mischievous thing. It started thinking about her other roles. Her intense roles.
Think about it. Duvall in The Shining. That performance? Terrifying. Absolutely unhinged. She’s practically vibrating with fear and desperation. Now, imagine that energy… in a cowboy hat. In the dusty plains. Imagine her as one of the outlaw brothers. Not the leader, maybe. But one of the hotheads. The one who’s always looking for trouble. The one with a wild gleam in their eye.
My brain immediately pictured her with a dusty bandana tied around her head. A grizzled look. Maybe a bit of a swagger. She could totally pull off that desperate, on-the-run vibe. She's got that raw vulnerability that can easily morph into something more dangerous. Like a cornered animal.
And then, who would play Clara? This is where it gets really interesting. Who has that quiet strength? That ability to portray a woman holding things together while her world is literally exploding around her? My mind went to… wait for it… Robert Carradine. Or maybe Keith Carradine. They’re brothers, after all! And they played brothers in the movie. But bear with me.
Robert Carradine played Jim Younger. He's got a certain… gentleness about him, even in tough roles. He can convey a lot with just a look. What if he played Clara? Imagine him in a period dress. With his hair up. He could bring a different kind of nuance to the role. A quieter, more internal struggle. It’s a bold thought, I know. But isn’t it fun to imagine?
Think of the quirkiness! It would be so unexpected. So, different. It would add this layer of… meta. Brothers playing brothers, and then a brother playing the wife. It's like a casting director's fever dream. Or nightmare, depending on how you look at it!
And then there's the comedy potential. Not intentional comedy, mind you. But the sheer absurdity of it. The contrast. Duvall, all grit and fury, trying to rob a train. And Robert Carradine, looking stoic and perhaps a little bewildered, as the wife waiting at home. It’s the kind of casting decision that would have people talking for decades.
Let's break down why this is so fun. Firstly, it’s about subverting expectations. We see Shelley Duvall as the scream queen. We see her as quirky, often fragile characters. So, to picture her as a rough-and-tumble outlaw is a complete left turn. It’s like imagining a teacup suddenly wielding a shotgun. You’re like, "Whoa, where did that come from?"
Secondly, it’s about the range of actors. These actors are incredibly talented. They can disappear into roles. And sometimes, the most fascinating things come from seeing them in places you never expected. Duvall’s intensity is legendary. Imagine that channeled into the desperation of a wanted man. It could be electrifying.
And then there’s the whole brotherhood aspect of the film. The fact that the directors cast actual brothers to play brothers. It’s a clever move. It adds to the authenticity. So, to then flip that on its head with the Duvall/Carradine swap? It's like a playful wink to the audience. A "what if" that’s both silly and intriguing.
Let’s focus back on Duvall as an outlaw. Imagine her holding a six-shooter. Her eyes narrowed, not in fear, but in determination. She's not a damsel in distress. She's the one causing the distress. She's the one kicking down doors. She’s the one shouting orders. It's a powerful image, right? It taps into that primal energy she showcased so brilliantly in The Shining, but in a totally different context.
And Robert Carradine as Clara. He’s got that soulful look. Imagine him, trying to keep the homestead together. The quiet worry in his eyes as he hears gunshots in the distance. He could bring a real vulnerability to the role, a sense of quiet resilience. It wouldn’t be the same as Duvall’s Clara, but it would be… different. And sometimes, different is good. Different is memorable.
It's also about the historical context of filmmaking. Imagine the conversations. The pitches. "Okay, so we have the Carradine brothers, the Keach brothers… and for Jesse's wife, Clara? How about Shelley Duvall? She's a huge star!" And then someone pipes up, "But what if… what if Duvall played one of the gang? And one of the brothers played Clara?" The room would probably go silent. Then, maybe a slow clap. Or a riot.
It’s this kind of "what if" that makes talking about movies so much fun. It’s not about saying the original casting was wrong. Absolutely not. Duvall was great as Clara. And the brothers were fantastic as brothers. But it’s about exploring the possibilities. The roads not taken. The casting choices that could have sent the whole thing in a wildly different, and perhaps equally compelling, direction.
Think about the visuals. Duvall, lean and wiry, in rough Western garb. Her hair a mess. A determined glint in her eye. Now picture Robert Carradine, perhaps in a slightly more delicate dress, tending to a garden, his brow furrowed with worry. It’s a visual feast of contrasting images. A story told through pure, unadulterated visual paradox.
It’s a silly thought, I know. But it’s the kind of silliness that sparks creativity. It’s the kind of thinking that makes you appreciate the choices filmmakers make. And it’s the kind of thinking that makes you go, "You know what? That’s actually… kind of brilliant." Even if it never happened. The idea itself is a little gem of cinematic "what if." And that, my friends, is pure gold. It's the kind of thing that makes you chuckle and think, "Yeah, that would have been something."