for the role of Princess Aouda, but it was given to MacLaine, who accepted the role after having turned it down twice. Others who pursued the role included Sylvia Lewis, Lisa Davis, and Jaqueline Park. The role of Passepartout was greatly expanded from the novel to accommodate Cantinflas, the most famous Latin-American comedian at the time, and winds up as the focus of the film. While Passepartout describes himself as a Parisian in the novel, this is unclear in the filmhe has a French name, but speaks fluent Spanish when he and his master arrive in Spain by balloon. In the Spanish version, the name of his character was changed from the French Passepartout to the Spanish Juan Picaporte, the name the character has in the early Spanish translations of the novel. There is also a comic bullfighting sequence which was especially created for Cantinflas and is not in the novel. Indeed, when the film was released in some Spanish-speaking nations, Cantinflas was billed as the lead. According to the guidebook, this was done because of an obstacle Todd faced in casting Cantinflas, who had never previously appeared in an American movie and had turned down numerous offers to do so. Todd allowed him to appear in the film as a Latin, "so," the actor said himself, "...to my audience in Latin America, I'll still be Cantinflas." More than 40 famous performers make brief cameo appearances, including Marlene Dietrich, Ronald Colman, Noël Coward, Buster Keaton, George Raft, Cesar Romero, and Frank Sinatra. The film was significant as the first of the so-called Hollywood "make work" films, employing dozens of film personalities. John Wayne turned down Todd's offer for the role of the Colonel leading the Cavalry charge, a role filled by Colonel Tim McCoy. James Cagney, Gary Cooper, and Kirk Douglas—along with Wayne—were considered for the role, but according to Michael Todd, "they all wanted to kid it." Promotional material released at the time quoted a Screen Actors Guild representative looking at the shooting call sheet and crying: "Good heavens Todd, you've made extras out of all the stars in Hollywood!" As of 2022, Shirley MacLaine and Glynis Johns are the last surviving members of the billed cast, as well as the unbilled Marion Ross. Main cast David Niven as Phileas Fogg Cantinflas as Passepartout Shirley MacLaine as Princess Aouda Robert Newton as Inspector Fix Cameo appearances Edward R. Murrow