Which role is better played by JW //which role better played jw instead of ...

[j.p.harrah]

I Think of JW in instead of Randolph Scott in Ride the high country
or JW instead of Charlton Heston in Big Country
Otherwise Gene Hackman instead of JW in Brannigen
or Spencer Tracy instead of JW in Wings of an eagle

[chester7777]

j.p. harrah,

I could visualize all but one of your suggestions, and that was Spencer Tracy in Wings of Eagles. I don't think he would have been able to play the role from beginning to the end of the movie, because he looked too old to play the young Spig Wead, and I can't picture the make up that would have made him look young enough. In reality, Duke was too old, but was able to be made to look young enough to carry it off, and then at the end, without his usual hairpiece, looked just right for the character.

Chester

[j.p.harrah]

chester 777
your right - i thougt of Tracy in his younger years - but when the picture was mad he played characters like in The Mountain - and is definitly to old !