DAILY DIRT: I think we should be grateful Tom Hanks never got that ‘Edward Scissorhands’ role

And I’m still convinced Tina Turner in “Ghost” would have been legendary  … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 988 of The Daily Dirt.

1. I’ve always thought it must have been incredibly interesting what probably went on behind the scenes of some of our most iconic films.

Here are a handful of examples of casting decisions that likely changed cinematic history:

• Johnny Depp will always be associated with his “Edward Scissorhands” (1990) role, but he was not the first choice for the famous film directed by Tim Burton. It was Tom Hanks. Maybe it’s just me, but … Hanks as Edward Scissorhands???
• I have always loved the late Robin Williams’ performance in “Dead Poets Society” (1989), arguably the finest of his career — but the original choice to play the character of John Keating was Liam Neeson. 
• Remember how scary the film “Carrie” was, especially for its time (1976)? Sissy Spacek will always be tied to her role in that movie, but did you know the original choice to play Carrie was Melanie Griffith?
• Robert DeNiro’s role in “Goodfellas” (1990) was meant for John Malkovich. I could have seen this working. Malkovich has proven time and again just how creepy he can be.
• Speaking of “Goodfellas,” Lorraine Bracco’s role was originally meant for Madonna. That, too, might have worked out nicely.
• At one point, “Ghost” (1990) was going to star Bruce Willis and Tina Turner instead of Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg. I think the Swayze-Turner combination could have have elevated what became a screen classic to even greater heights. (And would we have had Tina on the soundtrack instead of the Righteous Brothers?)

2. Did you know (Part 49)

• That for more than 25 years, the country that consumes the most beer per capita — and by a large margin — is the Czech Republic. The average resident there guzzles 142.6 liters of the golden bubbly beverage annually. By comparison, people in other major beer-drinking countries such as Austria and Germany barely crack 100 liters.
• That Dr. Pepper was once served hot, or at least warm, well into the 1970s. Pockets of loyal fans still consume the beverage that way.
• That 7-Up’s original formula contained mood stabilizers. It wasn’t until 1948 that lithium citrate was deemed potentially harmful and removed from the recipe after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlawed the use of the chemical in sodas.
• That Portugal drinks more hot chocolate per capita than any other country in the world.
• That there is an annual festival in The Netherlands that celebrates redheads.

3. Once again, we did not have any new entries crack the podium on the ongoing Great Plate Debate of 2024, but that doesn’t mean we were shy of creative license plates spotted across West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri.

Here were the best submissions from the past week:

• C YA 64
• RR-WIFE
• KI KI 70
• BEACH
• HOME
• STINGRR
• BACON
• JLLL
• JLLL 3 
• DOCKIE
• PULN EM 2
• SERV HM 8
• KITTY 72
• 2 HI JOS
• PHILLY 2

The best of 2024 remains:

• Gold medal: U DRUNK
• Silver medal: CO XIST
• Bronze medal:  US-MALE

Steve Thought O’ The Day — I know Angela Bassett portrayed Tina Turner in the 1993 film “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” but how about a remake with Halle Berry in the starring role?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Goodfellas is one of the most underrated movies of all time.