Tex Ritter almost played Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show. Director Peter Bogdanovich really wanted Ben Johnson for the role, but Johnson turned him down repeatedly because he objected to the "dirty words" in Sam's dialogue. Bogdanovich in desperation began thinking of who else could play Sam and decided Tex Ritter was the only other person who would be right. Ritter was that close to getting the part when Bogdanovich decided on one last ploy. He called up John Ford, whom he'd become friendly with after interviewing him, and asked Ford to call up Johnson and ask him to take the role. Ford did just that and Johnson could not refuse him, though he told Bogdanovich he'd only do it if he could rewrite the dialogue and take out all the dirty words. Bogdanovich agreed, the bad language was removed, Ben was perfect as Sam and won an Oscar for his performance. In fact, Bogdanovich told him even before they shot the movie he'd get the Oscar -- or at the very least a nomination.
Wonder what Tex Ritter would have been like as Sam, though. 
