I think Harrison Ford's reading with Mark Hamill sounds very similar in this audition video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSjP2GBTr9U&feature=PlayList&p=7CCA806FE63BBB10&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

I think that's more a testament to Lucas's awful writing than his bad acting, actually. There's a reason the lines he's reading aren't the actual ones in the movie. No wonder Sir Alec Guiness always hated "those dreadful lines."

If you gloss over some of the stuff, you could almost believe this was scene out of a mob movie.

"Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."

Anyone who can pull off Jack Burton in "Big Trouble in Little China" can pull off Lucas' stilted dialogue.

Brian De Palma and George Lucas held a joint casting session for Carrie and Star Wars.

So we could have had William Katt as Luke Skywalker and Sissy Spacek as Princess Lea, and Carrie Fisher as Carrie White.

The lines aren't the same and the people don't have the same chemistry. Minus the special effects and the music that helps us along...I'd have to compare directly with Harrison's Ford audition with these same lines with these same people. Loved that he went on to do Stargate.

"When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." "

The performance by the people reading lines with Russell are so horrible! They must have ended up being cast in Episode I instead.

I dunno about bad -- I think that Han Solo would have been an interesting one to watch. Which is not to say that Harrison Ford didn't do a great job -- my childhood was spent imitating his performance! But I don't think Russell would have been a bad choice.

How about Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones?

"You may have seen this already" (on a different sci-fi blog) "but we've rediscovered it" (on that blog), and decided to repost it here, hoping that no one will notice.

This site continues its downward slide. Now it's just ripping off stories (this one and the Joss Whedon fake offer letter) from another (better) science fiction blog, io9.com. Seriously, check out their site; both of these blog entries were posted just hours before on io9.com.

If you're going to make a copy of another blog, at least give them some credit. Slackers.

who's the kid reading for Luke?

I think Kurt Russel would have been perfect as Han Solo!! He is one of the most underrated actors of all time.

Boushh!

I want to have his babies.

@carpe: Matthew Quigley and the Temple of Doom?

@bobanort

It almost happened.

One wonders what direction they were given for the scene. Playing it straight maybe what was asked for. Nuanced seems like it was more of a stretch for him and not exactly what the role eventually became. Russell sure can chew scenery with the best of them when he wants to.

Hey, it could've been Walken, which would have been EPIC!

Fear the Walken!

I dunno, Kurt Russel would've been ok by me, too...different, but ok.

I really really really hate to say this, but, after seeing William Katt's audition, I think he was tons better. Maybe, the only one that I would have kept was Carrie Fisher..she just brought the right charm...Terri Nunn was a close second (she's a really nice girl, too..casual friend)