Historical casting?

[dhermann1]

I had this idea ages ago, but I just thought I'd share it. I've always wished somebody had made a movie about the American Revolution, with the following cast: James Cagney as John Adams, Henry Fonda as Thomas Jefferson, and maybe John Wayne as George Washington. Maybe Elsa Lanchester as Dolly Madison.
Can anybody else think of any Golden Age (preferably) stars that they'd like to see as historical characters?