'Something's Got to Give' was only partially complete at the time of her death. Filming was behind schedule, partly due to Monroe's erratic behavior in the weeks prior. In the end, they chose not to finish the movie rather than try to replace her.
The directors decided not to use any footage of the child actors, who had in fact been hired illegally, and rewrote the ending. Morrow's footage was still used.
Kinnear's scenes in the movie were completed using stand-ins and dubbing from voice actors. His widow, Carmel Cryan, received a settlement of £650,000 (approx. US$800,000) from the production company for his death.
Sources: (BuzzFeed) (Eighties Kids)
Oliver Reed appeared in dozens of films in the 1950s and was a well-respected actor, although he was known for his heavy drinking. Sadly, Reed died of a heart attack in 1999, three days before filming wrapped for 'Gladiator' (2000). He was 61 years old.
His fellow cast and crew members on set were given shorter days to allow for mourning. His absence was covered up with subtle editing and the reuse of existing footage of Hoffman.
Heather O'Rourke was the star of the 'Poltergeist' horror movie franchise and was filming 'Poltergeist III' when she suddenly passed away in 1988. O'Rourke was rushed to the hospital one day and was discovered to have a congenital bowel obstruction. Sadly, the condition was complicated by septic shock, and she died at the incredibly young age of 12.
James Dean was working on the movie 'Giant' when he died in a car accident in 1955. The 24-year-old star and racing enthusiast was driving his famous Porsche sports car when he collided with another car head-on.
Some of O'Rourke's 'Poltergeist' co-stars felt that it would be disrespectful to finish shooting the movie after the tragic loss. However, MGM executives insisted they complete the movie and cited their contractual obligations. A body double was cast for O'Rourke, who had already completed her major scenes.
Wood's key scenes in 'Brainstorm' had already been filmed, but her sister stepped in to complete various "long shots and shaded profiles."
The producers of 'Wagons East' determinedly tried every trick to finish the movie after Candy's death. They used stand-ins, rewrote scenes, and even hashed together new scenes by reusing some of Candy's footage. Unfortunately, it didn't come together all that well and was panned by critics.
Reed played the character Proximo in the epic feature. A stand-in and special effects were used to film two final scenes that rounded off his story.
The makers of 'Saratoga' wanted to reshoot with a new actress, but changed their minds due to public objection. They instead finished the movie by rewriting some of the scenes to remove her, and used lookalikes for the rest.
If you were directing a film and the star suddenly died before filming was over, what would you do? Many directors have found themselves in this exact situation when a key member of their cast suddenly died. From Marilyn Monroe to Heath Ledger, some of the biggest stars in film history have met tragic premature deaths while working on major motion pictures. Their colleagues had to try and find creative ways to finish their movies in a way that made sense while paying tribute to the fallen star.
Click through this gallery for a list of beloved actors who left us before they could finish their final work, and how their movies were completed (or not) without them.