Robert Blake and Scott Wilson were not the first choices to play the cold-blooded murderers in Truman Capote's film adaptation of In Cold Blood (1967). Studio heads at Columbia Pictures originally wanted Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in the lead roles. Newman chose instead to star in the film hits Cool Hand Luke and Hombre that year; McQueen worked on The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt. Blake, a former child actor best known for his work in the "Little Rascals" film shorts in the 1930s, earned critical attention for his chilling performance, and his floundering film career got a boost. Eight years later, he starred in the Emmy-winning series Baretta. Wilson was not so fortunate, and never became the household name that Blake did.
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"The cordial quality of pear or plum
Rises as gladly in the single tree
As in the whole orchards resonant with bees."
- Emerson