Marlon Brando Walked Out After Three Days—and Was Sued by Child's Play Producer David Merrick

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Marlon Brando Walked Out After Three Days—and Was Sued by Child's Play Producer David Merrick

Marlon Brando / Child's Play / 1970s

Marlon Brando was originally signed to play Joseph Dobbs in Sidney Lumet's 1972 psychological thriller Child's Play, a role ultimately taken by Robert Preston. The production unraveled almost immediately: Brando left after only three days of rehearsals, while also pressing for changes to Robert Marasco's screenplay. He further insisted that his friend Wally Cox be cast as Father George Penny, an attempt to reshape the project around his own creative preferences and personal working circle. First-time film producer David Merrick did not simply recast the part and move on; he sued Brando for breach of contract. Brando's departure forced the filmmakers to bring in Preston, while the role of Father Penny ultimately went to David Rounds, the only original Broadway cast member to appear in the film. The episode became one of the production's clearest examples of the collision between a major star's contractual power and a producer's determination to hold him financially accountable.