Cast Notorious (1946 film)

cast notes

biographer patrick mcgilligan writes hitchcock managed pull dream cast of 1940s films, notorious glorious exception. indeed, story of smuggled uranium backdrop, [t]he romantic pairing of grant , bergman promised box office bang comparable atomic blast.

not saw way, however, notably project s original producer david o. selznick. after sold property rko raise quick cash, selznick lobbied hard grant replaced joseph cotten; united states had dropped atomic bombs on japan , selznick argued first film out atomic weaponry successful—and grant not available 3 months. selznick believed grant difficult manage , make high salary demands, telling of all—selznick owned cotten s contract. hitchcock , rko production executive william dozier invoked clause in project sale contract, blocked selznick s attempts, , grant signed play opposite bergman late august 1945.

hitchcock had wanted clifton webb play alexander sebastian. selznick pressed claude rains in typical selznick memo-heavy style: rains offers opportunity build gross of notorious enormously... .[d]o not lose day trying rains deal nailed down. whether thinking in selznick s box office terms or in more artistic ones, dozier , hitchcock agreed, , rains performance transformed sebastian classic hitchcock villain: sympathetic, nuanced, in ways admirable protagonist.

the final major casting decision mme. sebastian, alex s mother. spidery, tyrannical nazi matron demanded stronger, older presence, , when attempts obtain ethel barrymore , mildred natwick fell through, german actor reinhold schünzel suggested leopoldine konstantin hitchcock , dozier. konstantin had been 1 of pre-war germany s greatest actresses. notorious konstantin s american film appearance , 1 of unforgettable portraits in hitchcock s films.

alfred hitchcock s cameo appearance, signature occurrence in films, takes place @ party in sebastian s mansion. @ 1:04:43 (1:01:50 on european dvds , 64:28 of edited cut) film, hitchcock seen drinking glass of champagne grant , bergman approach. sets glass down , departs.