I had not heard that one. The "Pockets" role as played by Red Buttons was partly a comic foil, partly romantic fixer in the movie. I can't see Gable in either spot, so maybe a different script?
Hawks rarely worked with a set script especially on his Wayne films. That's why I said "remnants" of the role went to Buttons. If you combine the Buttons role with some of the other male supporting characters you might get one full character Gable could have played. Basically Gable's death meant the film went to a "buddy" film with two A-listers to a John Wayne film. In any Wayne film, it always ended up becoming a "Wayne" film. In 1964's "Circus World", David Niven was cast as the second male lead and walked when he realized it was all about Wayne - and was replaced by Lloyd Nolan (of all people). Rod Taylor was also cast as the younger male lead who romances Claudia Cardinale, and walked and was replaced by TV western star, John Smith.
Other casting misses - Ann-Margret turned down the Jane Fonda role in "Cat Ballou" and she tested for "Hello Dolly" (as Irene Molloy), "Ordinary People" (Mary Tyler Moore's role), and was considered for Sharon Tate's role in "Valley of the Dolls". She was also considered for the romantic lead in "The Detective" opposite Sinatra (the one Mia Farrow was fired from and Jackie Bissett got) even though Sinatra was even older than her two "Grumpy Old Men" romantic interests (Matthau/Lemmon).
The female lead in "On the Waterfront" opposite Brando was down to two actresses and Kazan picked Eva Marie Saint (who won the Oscar in her first role). The other contender - Elizabeth Montgomery (a decade before "Bewitched").
Dorothy Dandridge was offered the part of Tuptim in "King and I" and the second female lead in "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts" and refused both on the advice of then lover, Otto Preminger, who thought the roles beneath her after "Carmen Jones". So she was off-screen for years as a result.
Jim Cavaziel was considered for "Superman Returns" (he was also almost Wolverine in "X-Men") and would have made more sense than Brandon Routh. Henry Cavill was also one of the runners-up (he was considered too young at the time). Many actresses were considered for Lois Lane besides Kate Bosworth (who looked like a teenager, not a Pulitzer-prize winning single mom in her 30s who is supposed to be the same character as Margot Kidder) including Kate Beckinsale, Claire Danes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Evangeline Lilly, Jennifer Lopez, Keri Russell, Catherine Zeta-Jones and....Amy Adams (who went on to play Lois).
Julie Andrews being passed over for her iconic stage role as Eliza Higgins in "My Fair Lady" for a dubbed Audrey Hepburn (though if she had done it, we probably wouldn't have gotten her in "Mary Poppins").
Also, famously (and a source of alt-music-history if it had happened) John Wayne after guesting and seeing 18 year old drummer Karen Carpenter
on this show wanted her to be Maddie in "True Grit" and she apparently tested for the part (but didn't get it due to lack of acting experience). She would have had a much different career (and might still be with us) if she had.
