Old Hollywood & DC, an unrealistic casting, part I
(More details at the end, cool movies from the actors mentioned in parentheses)
Hal Jordan: Richard Arlen (Wings, Beggar's of Life) – the puppy charm and the overwhelming confidence... it's all there, Arlen is also one of the guys in the first gay kiss in film history in Wings, in which he interprets a pilot, I don't think I need to say more
Lois Lane: Rosalind Russell (My Girl Friday, The Women) – I mean... it's impossible not to see the resemblance after watching My Girl Friday in which Russell interprets a brilliant journalist going into increasingly insane situations... it's one of the best comedies ever made and very Lois Lane coded
John Stewart: Sidney Poitier (Edge of the City, The Defiant Ones) – Neal Adams used Poitier as an inspiration to model John so this is technically cheating, but look at him! Poitier would not only be perfect for the role in looks but in talent too
Green Arrow: Errol Flynn (Gentleman Jim) – I admit I'm not a Flynn fan and I'm also not very big on Ollie either, but I do think these two match, Flynn also interpreted Robin Hood and his dramatic role in Gentleman Jim would fit the more drastic moments of Ollie's life
Sinestro: Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Hands of Orlac, Different from the Others and anything else you can find with him in it) – Veidt is actually more known for inspiring the creation of the Joker for his film The Man Who Laughs, but he's way more than that, a talented artist, a true queer ally and a babe who would make an outstanding, overdramatic and cunty Sinestro
Zatanna: Louise Brooks (both her G.W. Pabst films are great, and Beggar's Life - with my Hal Jordan from this list) – Brooks made only a handful of films and while they're great, her strong personality in real life is what fascinates me the most, her mysterious beauty, expressive looks and dramatic range would make her an ideal Zatanna, even though her career was very short in real life
This list was inspired by this post (thanks for the idea @forthegothicheroine), it's a very anachronistic imaginary scenario, but I still followed some rules to come up with it, a) to include actors who were mostly active from the 1920s to 1970s b) who not only match the DC characters for their looks, but would also have the range to interpret them in their pre-crisis versions, so the feeling is as important as the aesthetic here c) to only include characters and actors I already had some contact with, by watching the films and reading the comics. This is only part I because there are still so many cool characters and actors I like left, but for now I'm happy with this
