[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

Kirk Douglas was hired for the role of Col. Trautman. Douglas quit the role over his belief that the movie should end like the book did, and Richard Crenna eventually got the part.

Exactly...

How Kirk Douglas Almost Ruined First Blood

The day before filming began, at the 11th hour. Douglas, in a bout of extreme chutzpah, showed up with a revised script. He had the ending completely changed. Said Sylvester Stallone earlier this year: “The plan to include Kirk Douglas snowballed into something I never expected. He said to me: ‘Here’s what I want. At the very end of the movie I should kill you. The audience sees a cop car driving away and as it disappears into the fog a hand reaches up to the rear view mirror. The camera turns up and we see me. It turns up a bit higher and I’m wearing your headband'”.

When Douglas was advised in no uncertain terms that his suggestion was not going to happen, he abandoned the shoot, leaving them in the lurch with one day to go. And with one day to go, Richard Crenna was drafted in.