Unexpected Movie Teams

Some movie teams seem absolutely inevitable… Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn… John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara… Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon… The Marx Brothers… Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. But some teams come off as completely unexpected and totally charming. I am not talking about stunt casting, like the wretched “Twins” starring Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m referring to movies whose cast members would not, at first blush, seem like a natural fit and yet somehow create movie magic.

Here is a list of five unexpected movie teams that I particularly enjoy.

Please add your suggestions and reactions in the comments section!

Fred Astaire and Burns and Allen
(A Damsel in Distress, 1937)

Our list of unexpected movie teams begins with a real oddity! Of course Fred Astaire is best known for his partnership with the sublime Ginger Rogers. however, he had a knack for making any costar look terrific. Part of that was due to his magnetic personality and easy-going charm; a lot of it was due to his incredible talent and work ethic. In this delightful Gershwin musical, he shares screen time with the unlikely combination of George Burns and Gracie Allen. Amazingly, daffy Gracie works beautifully in comic scenes with the bemused Fred Astaire. The greater revelation, however is what a terrific dancer Gracie Allen was! The broom number, pictured above is delightful, charming and marvelously choreographed.

Gregory Peck and Danny DeVito
(Other People’s Money, 1991)

At first glance this unlikely movie team may seem like stunt casting. The preternaturally serious, dapper, and stolid Gregory Peck and the often cartoonish, flamboyant Danny DeVito are cast as businessmen fighting a major corporate battle. Yet the casting is  perfect as Danny DeVito’s character, an unscrupulous Wall Street raider, attempts to take over the family owned business of New England patriarch Gregory Peck. Click here to read more about the film. Although “Other People’s Money” was not a box office hit, it is a film well worth watching. Although the technology is dated, the fundamental questions it raises in a crackling good trauma are as relevant today as ever. How does the American economy handle the transition from manufacturing to technology, how does a changing corporate structure affect communities and workers? Like “Wall Street” and “The Wolf Of Wall Street” this drama, based on a Broadway play, is riveting.

Bob Hope and Roy Rogers
(Son Of Paleface, 1952)

You know what to expect when you watch a Bob Hope movie. And you know what to expect when you watch a Roy Rogers movie. So what happens when you put these tow titans in a movie together? In this particular case, you get an uproarious comedy that manages to showcase what each does best! Give a lot of credit to the writer/director Frank Tashlin, an underrated talent whose films often contain hilarious sight gags that reflect his time working in cartoons! Part if the success of the film is in Tashlin’s decision to let Hope do what he did best and Rogers do what he did best. This is one of those unexpected movie teams that just works! Hope overplays wildly which creates a humorous counterpoint to Rogers’s square, understated persona. Forget the nonsensical plot and enjoy the laughs!

Sidney Poitier And Dan Aykroyd

(Sneakers, 1992)

Sidney Poitier is the epitome of elegance and dignity; Dan Aykroyd is…not! So how do Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE and the “Wild and Crazy Guy” work together as one of our unexpected move teams? Fabulously! They are the supporting players to Robert Redofrd in a fascinating and clever caper film. Similar to the teaming of Rogers and Hope, the contrasting acting style of Poitier and Aykroyd is unexpectedly funny. They develop a unique chemistry and play off each other perfectly. I suspect that they both enjoyed the teaming; there seems to be a genuine respect between them that probably carried over off screen.

Danny Kaye and Gene Tiereny
(On The Riviera, 1951)

On The Riviera is a typical Danny Kaye movie, filled with Kaye’s wild antics playing two characters, doing crazy accents and performing great musical numbers. The oddity of this film was the casting of the preternaturally beautiful Gene Tiereny as the leading lady. Tiereny was a gifted and often underrated dramatic actress. However, she had rarely had a chance to show off her ability as a comic actress, so this teaming seemed unlikely at best, even at the time. The revelation is that Tiereney was very funny! The more frantic Kaye gets, the more centered her performance becomes. She delivers her lines cooly and crisply, making Kaye seem all the funnier. While “On The Riviera” may not be a classic film for either star, it is an enjoyable and unique one!