Review of Casting By

Casting actors and actresses for movies and television shows would seem to be a thankless job, until one realizes that without the proper person in a role, the whole project might seem ill-conceived. East coast casting agent Marion Dougherty and her west coast counterpart, Lynn Stalmaster are the two principles spotlighted here, paving the way for their associates and colleagues to get the recognition they deserve for working with filmmakers in making the best casting choices possible. Despite a terrible early performance on TV's "Naked City", Dougherty took another chance on actor Jon Voight in 1968, sending him to meet with director John Schlesinger for "Midnight Cowboy"; Schlesinger and Jerome Hellman tested Voight but really wanted Michael Sarrazin for the part of Joe Buck, who wasn't available, causing Dougherty to actually push for Voight--as an agent might. This documentary from Tom Donahue includes some surprise commentators and lots of film clips. I would have liked to see more examples of movies in which the casting was off, but Donahue and his subjects are too polite to embarrass anyone. The intention is to shed light on an unsung profession and how it affects the show business world, and this is accomplished with great style. *** from ****