After Lucille Ball insisted that the producers fire Madeline Kahn, Buzzi tested for the Agnes Gooch role. Still not satisfied, Ball said, "Get me the Gooch I saw at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion!"--referring to Jane Connell, who had done the part on Broadway and for a while on tour.

The renowned director left the project in part due to the long preproduction delays on the movie version of the Broadway musical hit.

Actively pursued the role of witty, biting "Vera Charles," but lost it to the star who had done it on Broadway and who was married to the film's director.

The great star, who gave what people called a "legendary" and "brilliant" audition to replace Angela Lansbury in the Broadway musical, held out hope that she might be cast in the film version.

Hudson was suggested for the part Robert Preston eventually played; Lucille Ball wasn't keen on the idea.

"Creative differences" with star Lucille Ball shoved the great Kahn out of the made-to-order role of "Anges Gooch."

Kahn was fired after the first script reading because of a heated disagreement with Lucille Ball.

Lansbury was bypassed for the role of Mame Dennis in favor of the more box office friendly Lucille Ball. Miscast, the movie was a disaster.

Rumored as one of the front-runners to star as the larger-than-life sophisticate in the movie version of the hit stage musical with songs by Jerry Herman.