Kim Novak is best known for her role in the Hitchcock classic "Vertigo"—but few know her darker history. After stumbling through a troubled childhood, Novak thought she'd found a new home in Hollywood. However, she was horribly mistaken.

Hollywood casting history is full of near misses, but these stories are better documented than the usual “almost cast” trivia. In each case, the actress herself, a filmmaker, or a reputable publication confirmed the opportunity. Not every replacement was unknown, but each role became a major signature part for the woman who ultimately took it.

When Glenn Miller gave up a successful music career to serve his country, he had no idea it would cost him his life.

The 70s gave us some of the most memorable wives in television history. Some were sweet. Some were glamorous. Some were funny, fiery, or endlessly patient with the men they married. Looking back now, we were wondering...which one would you have married?

Hollywood has always loved putting famous singers in movies, even when nobody was asking for it. Sometimes the result is little more than an extended cameo with a familiar face, but every so often, a musician steps in front of the camera and reveals a completely different talent. Some became Oscar winners, while others disappeared so convincingly into a character that audiences almost forgot who they were watching. These singers proved that having one spectacular talent did not necessarily mean they had only one.

In 1981, you could turn on the radio and hear Air Supply, Christopher Cross, Neil Diamond, Smokey Robinson, and James Taylor within the same hour. Soft rock had become less a narrow genre than a whole radio mood, with polished ballads and easygoing pop crossing freely onto the Billboard Hot 100. Some of these songs launched careers, others revived them, and several became even bigger than the movies they were written for. More than four decades later, plenty still need only a few notes before the chorus comes flooding back.