Editing Romeo and Juliet (1968 film) (section)

===Casting===
[[Paul McCartney]] has said he was considered by [[Franco Zeffirelli]] for the role of Romeo. Although Zeffirelli does not mention it in his autobiography, McCartney provided details on this account (including meeting with [[Olivia Hussey]] and exchanging telegrams with her) in his co-written autobiography.<ref>Du Noyer, Paul. Conversations with McCartney. New York: The Overlook Press. pg.: 138-139</ref>

Zeffirelli engaged in a worldwide search for unknown teenage actors to play the parts of the two lovers. Musician [[Phil Collins]] was in the running for Romeo, while his then-girlfriend Lavinia Lang (herself a great friend to Hussey) was in the running for Juliet,<ref>Collins, Phil. Not Dead Yet. Century. pg.: 226</ref> as was actress [[Anjelica Huston]], but the latter's father, director [[John Huston]], withdrew her from consideration when he decided to cast her in his film ''[[A Walk with Love and Death]]''.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/b3UntQFFkNY Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200229061504/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3UntQFFkNY Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite video| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3UntQFFkNY| title=Anjelica Huston with Joy Behar: Watch Me| author=92Y Plus| publisher=YouTube.com| date=2014-11-19| access-date=2019-05-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref> When they were cast, Whiting and Hussey were 16 and 15 years old respectively. However, both stars had aged a year by the time filming began in the summer of 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-03 |title=(2) At Zeffirelli's Villa: Rome, May 1967 |url=https://romeo-juliet-1968.com/at-zeffirellis-villa-rome-may-1967/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=The Romeo and Juliet 1968 Movie Database |language=en-US |archive-date=4 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104192752/https://romeo-juliet-1968.com/at-zeffirellis-villa-rome-may-1967/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Zeffirelli adapted the play in such a way as to play to their strengths and hide their weaknesses: for instance, long speeches were trimmed, and he emphasized reaction shots.<ref name=tcmart>{{cite web |last1=Landazuri |first1=Margarita |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/452861/romeo-and-juliet#articles-reviews |title=Romeo and Juliet (1968) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308051454/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/452861/Romeo-and-Juliet/articles.html |archive-date=2016-03-08 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> Zeffirelli  said of the casting: "It's a tremendous risk. We just hope to have the right chemistry – a melancholy Romeo who rebels like all the youth of today and a pure, determined Juliet. If we fail, it will be ridiculous."<ref>{{cite news|title='Romeo and Juliet' Stars Have Little Experience|work=The Salisbury Post|first=Dennis|last=Redmont|page=17|date=July 11, 1967}}</ref>

[[Laurence Olivier]]'s involvement in the production was by happenstance. He was in Rome to film [[The Shoes of the Fisherman (film)|''The Shoes of the Fisherman'']] and visited the studio where ''Romeo and Juliet'' was being shot. He asked Zeffirelli if there was anything he could do, and was given the Prologue to read, then ended up dubbing the voice of Lord Montague as well as other assorted minor roles.<ref name=tcmart />