10 Amazing Movies With Weirdly Distracting Castings

by Ewan Paterson

1. Ronald Reagan - The Killers (1964)

The Killers 1964 Ronald Reagan
Universal Pictures

Don Siegel's 1964 remake of The Killers is amazing for several reasons.

First of all, it stars Lee Marvin as a cold-blooded hitman on the search for truth, backed up by a despicably good Clu Gulager. Secondly, it has a banging, pizazz-filled score from an early-career John Williams. Third, it looks great. And fourth, it has a scene where John Cassavetes punches HUAC collaborator and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the face, plus a later bit where he knocks him out with a pistol and throws him out a moving car.

A true "get wrecked, bozo!" moment we should all take a moment to appreciate.

Watching Ronald Reagan in The Killers is a bit of a wild experience, because it was his final film before he retired from acting and became Governor of California. Compared to his earlier B-movies where he looks like a typical young 40s guy, the version of Reagan that shows up in The Killers is only a fraction away from the one who would become President in the 80s.

The wax-slicked haircut and wrinkled face of the then 53-year-old Reagan looks just like his presidential persona, and while The Killers is a great, great film, seeing the would-be President trading barbs with Cassavetes and Marvin will never not be weird.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.