SEPARATED AT BIRTH

by Rob Lopresti

So, it’s your first day at the studio as a casting director. Congratulations!

The Producer’s secretary invites you into the great man’s office. He smiles vaguely at you, waiting for the secretary to whisper in his ear some hint of who you are and why he has sent for you. She does.

Ah! With enthusiasm he tells you about his plans to create a movie based on one of the great characters in mystery fiction. He tells you who he has in mind and you are champing at the bit. “Who are you thinking of for the starring role?” you ask.

“Don’t know yet. Give me some ideas. You know the type I’m looking for. Someone like George C. Scott, but younger of course.”

“George C. Scott, got it.” You rack your brains for a current actor with Scott’s chops.

“Or Martin Lawrence,” the producer burbles.

“Martin—” While he burbles you boggle, trying to picture those two as a type.

“Or — Get this! — Robert Redford. Or Paul Le Mat!”

You aren’t even sure you know who Paul Le Mat is. “Now, wait just a—”

“Or — I’ve got it!” He leans forward, ready to reveal his secret. “Christopher Lambert!”

You are sweating now, hoping this is a first—day hoax. Or maybe a nightmare. How could all these actors be the type to play the same character?

Good question

And yet all of them starred in movies based on Donald E.Westlake’s novels about luckless thief Joh Archibald Dortmunder. (And most of those flicks could have been served on Thanksgiving with cornbread stuffing if you know what I mean.)

This brings us to today’s quiz. Below you will find ten pairs of actors. Each pair played the same mystery—related character in movies, television, or radio, although the character’s name may have changed. I’ll start with easy ones (I think) and get harder. Answers at the bottom. Good luck!

1. Warner Oland and Peter Ustinov.

2. William Conrad and Sydney Greenstreet.

3. Margaret Rutherford and Helen Hayes

4. Albert Finney and Tony Randall

5. Humphrey Bogart and Elliot Gould.

6. Paul Newman and Brian Keith

7. Charlton Heston and Peter Cook

8. Lee Marvin and Anna Karina

9. Frank Sinatra and Bruce Willis

10. Jack Lemmon and Rosalind Russell

Here are the answers… no peeking!

1. Earl Derr Biggers’ Charlie Chan. Warner Oland in many movies, Peter Ustinov in Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen.

2. Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe. William Conrad in the TV series and Sydney Greenstreet on the radio..

3. Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple. Margaret Rutherford in Murder, She Said and three other movies, and Helen Hayes in two TV movies starting with A Caribbean Mystery.

4. Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. Albert Finney in Murder on the Orient Express and Tony Randall in The Alphabet Murders.

5. Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep and Elliott Gould in The Long Goodbye..

6. Ross MacDonald’s Lew Archer. Paul Newman in Harper and Brian Keith in the TV series Archer.

7. Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Charlton Heston in Crucifer of Blood and Peter Cook in The Hound of the Baskervilles

8. Richard Stark’s Parker. Lee Marvin in Point Blank and Anna Karina in Made in USA.

9. Roderick Thorp’s Joe Leland. Frank Sinatra in The Detective and Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

10. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s Hildy Johnson. Jack Lemmon in The Front Page and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday.