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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
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Was Laurence Olivier English?
I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of his time. I'm Italian, and he almost sounds as an Italian man with a very good English accent (1). He had a sort of machine-gun prosody, the words bumped into each other, in a way, rather than merge, which is usually a factor for identifying a non-native English speaker. Why is that? I'm pretty much used to old British actors, but Olivier doesn't sound, in my opinion, like others. The vowels, too, resemble Italian vowels; they sound less foreign to me.
(1) Not because of flaps. By the way, many actors of his time used them, but Olivier's flaps sometimes sound d's to me.
Bye, FB
"Che cos'è un fallo da tergo? E non stiamo parlando della tua vita privata."
(Intervista della Gialappa's Band a Elisabetta Canalis)
(1) Not because of flaps. By the way, many actors of his time used them, but Olivier's flaps sometimes sound d's to me.
Bye, FB
"Che cos'è un fallo da tergo? E non stiamo parlando della tua vita privata."
(Intervista della Gialappa's Band a Elisabetta Canalis)
Top answer
[nq:1]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of ... Olivier doesn't sound, in my opinion, like others.
- [nq:1]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently.
- I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of ...
- Olivier doesn't sound, in my opinion, like others.
- [/nq] Born in Dorking, Surrey.
- He had a distinctive, mannered way of speaking.
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59 Answers
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[nq:1]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of ... Olivier doesn't sound, in my opinion, like others. The vowels, too, resemble Italian vowels; they sound less foreign to me.[/nq]
Born in Dorking, Surrey. He had a distinctive, mannered way of speaking.
John Dean
Oxford
Born in Dorking, Surrey. He had a distinctive, mannered way of speaking.
John Dean
Oxford
00
[nq:2]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. ... too, resemble Italian vowels; they sound less foreign to me.[/nq]
[nq:1]Born in Dorking, Surrey. He had a distinctive, mannered way of speaking.[/nq]
Now; is the winter; of, our dis-content; made glorious summer, by, this son, of York.
Or maybe not, But he was well recognisable in parody.
Paul
In bocca al Lupo!
[nq:1]Born in Dorking, Surrey. He had a distinctive, mannered way of speaking.[/nq]
Now; is the winter; of, our dis-content; made glorious summer, by, this son, of York.
Or maybe not, But he was well recognisable in parody.
Paul
In bocca al Lupo!
00
[nq:1]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of ... Olivier doesn't sound, in my opinion, like others. The vowels, too, resemble Italian vowels; they sound less foreign to me.[/nq]
There are some who consider Olivier to be an utter and complete ham. (At least, that's my seventy-billion lira's worth.)
Rudolf
There are some who consider Olivier to be an utter and complete ham. (At least, that's my seventy-billion lira's worth.)
Rudolf
00
[nq:1]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of ... By the way, many actors of his time used them, but Olivier's flaps sometimes sound d's to me. Bye, FB[/nq]
Born English, in England, son of an English clergyman. Spoke TURP when he wanted to.
Born English, in England, son of an English clergyman. Spoke TURP when he wanted to.
00
[nq:2]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. ... vowels, too, resembleItalian vowels; they sound less foreign to me.[/nq]
[nq:1]There are some who consider Olivier to be an utter and completeham. (At least, that's my seventy-billion lira's worth.)[/nq]
As John and Paul say, his speech was artificially constructed for a particular verse-speaking purpose. Thrilling in live
[nq:1]There are some who consider Olivier to be an utter and completeham. (At least, that's my seventy-billion lira's worth.)[/nq]
As John and Paul say, his speech was artificially constructed for a particular verse-speaking purpose. Thrilling in live
00
[nq:2]Born in Dorking, Surrey.[/nq]
Do you think this affected his accent?
[nq:1]Now; is the winter; of, our dis-content; made glorious summer, by, this son, of York.[/nq]
I only remember Ian McKellen (great actor)'s version at the moment.
[nq:1]Or maybe not, But he was well recognisable in parody.[/nq]
Padody?
[nq:1]In bocca al Lupo![/nq]
Is a "Lupo" more important tha
Do you think this affected his accent?
[nq:1]Now; is the winter; of, our dis-content; made glorious summer, by, this son, of York.[/nq]
I only remember Ian McKellen (great actor)'s version at the moment.
[nq:1]Or maybe not, But he was well recognisable in parody.[/nq]
Padody?
[nq:1]In bocca al Lupo![/nq]
Is a "Lupo" more important tha
00
[nq:1]I saw some films with Laurence Olivier in them recently. I noticed that he sounds different from other actors of his time.[/nq]
As Mike Lyle posted, LO's voice was designed for the "live theatre," thus nowadays seems old-fashioned in many movie performances. But this is less significant. than that he was an old-fashioned actor i.e. trained early in the 20th century when it was desirable
As Mike Lyle posted, LO's voice was designed for the "live theatre," thus nowadays seems old-fashioned in many movie performances. But this is less significant. than that he was an old-fashioned actor i.e. trained early in the 20th century when it was desirable
00
[nq:2]In bocca al Lupo![/nq]
[nq:1]Is a "Lupo" more important than a "lupo"?[/nq]
It's just my little joke.
Paul Wolff
In bocca al Lupo!
[nq:1]Is a "Lupo" more important than a "lupo"?[/nq]
It's just my little joke.
Paul Wolff
In bocca al Lupo!
00
[nq:1]There are some who consider Olivier to be an utter and complete ham. (At least, that's my seventy-billion lira's worth.)[/nq]
That'll be prosciutto then!
Ida Goode-Johnson
That'll be prosciutto then!
Ida Goode-Johnson
00
[nq:1]Do you think this affected his accent?[/nq]
Dorking is notorious. Everyone in Dorking talks like Larry
John Dean
Oxford
Dorking is notorious. Everyone in Dorking talks like Larry
John Dean
Oxford
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