The legendary Barbra Streisand headlined the 1978 version of A Star Is Born, and then committed to a horror movie written by iconic director John Carpenter. However, the Oscar-winning actress pulled out of the project after reading the script. Here's why Streisand refused to star in Eyes of Laura Mars but still lended her vocal talents for the soundtrack.

Two years before Irvin Kershner directed The Empire Strikes Back, he collaborated with the aforementioned Carpenter for Eyes of Laura Mars. The narrative centers on a female fashion photographer named Laura Mars, whose edgy and violent aesthetic makes her controversial within the industry. Laura eventually experiences visions of real-life murders that are eerily similar to her work, so life imitates art, and the photographer must deal with the consequences. Produced for $7 million, Eyes of Laura Mars earned $20 million at the box office, making it somewhat of a surprise hit.

Related: Halloween: John Carpenter's "Fear Meter" Explained

In Tom Weaver's book, Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers, producer Jack H. Harris reveals that Streisand left Eyes of Laura Mars at the "crucial moment." She initially learned about the project from boyfriend/A Star Is Born producer Jon Peters. According to Harris (via Cheat Sheet), Streisand "ducked out" after learning about the full storyline: "She’s really frightened of ‘fright’ movies, and when she saw the way the script was going, she changed her mind.” Now in need of a lead actress, Columbia Pictures enlisted Faye Dunaway to co-star opposite Tommy Lee Jones. Dunaway was anything but a convenient replacement, as she had previously delivered Academy Award-nominated performances in Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown, and had just won a Best Actress Oscar for portraying Diana Christensen in Network. As for Jones, he'd only appeared in six feature films before Eyes of Laura Mars, but had recently headlined The Betsy alongside the great Laurence Olivier.

Faye Dunaway in Eyes of Laura Mars

Even though Streisand didn't star in Eyes of Laura Mars, she did record a song for the soundtrack. "Prisoner (Love Theme from Eyes of Laura Mars)" ultimately reached #21 on the U.S. charts, and directly preceded the release of the #1 hit "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Neil Diamond. For Eyes of Laura Mars, Brad Dourif received third billing as the prime suspect Tommy Ludlow. This came after the actor earned an Oscar nomination for his debut feature performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. By the late '80s, Dourif would famously portray Charles Lee Ray, aka Chucky, in the horror classic, Child's Play.

In retrospect, Eyes of Laura Mars may have been the role that Streisand needed after A Star Is Born. Widely regarded as a late '70s indie gem, the horror movie would've diversified Streisand's resume while surrounding her with two strong male actors in supporting roles. The actress seemingly took the safe route by reuniting with her What's Up, Doc? c0-star Ryan O'Neal for The Main Event, a 1979 sports film that didn't go over well with critics. Streisand's follow-up film, All Night Long, similarly didn't make a splash, though the actress herself did receive praise for her performance. As for Dunaway, she also starred in a sports movie called The Champ after Eyes of Laura Mars, and then delivered an iconic performance as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest.

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