trivia question. things being a little quiet, I thought I'd stir the pot a bit, To what actor / actress would you give the title, THE VOICE?
Bing Crosby? ...... Ronzld Colman? . Don Ameche? ,,,, Joan Greenwood? .... Marni Nixon? ... Bill Shirley?
or whoever (whomever, is that a word? ) .... mel
I forgot Nelson Eddy and probably a hundred others.
Posted: January 5th, 2009, 9:19 pm
by Lzcutter
There's only one voice (for me), I can recognize it from across a room, in another part of the house, in my dreams and at the movies.
Lee Marvin
Runners-up include:
James Earl Jones
James Mason
Robert Mitchum
Sean Connery
Gregory Peck
Posted: January 5th, 2009, 9:20 pm
by Dewey1960
That's easy! MEL BLANC!!
[youtube][/youtube]
Posted: January 5th, 2009, 9:52 pm
by klondike
THEN: Donald Crisp
YESTERDAY: Robert Shaw
NOW: Brian Blessed
Posted: January 5th, 2009, 10:44 pm
by Garbomaniac
"I can see your career rising in the East like the sun!" Ah, George Sanders.
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 7:08 am
by ChiO
The Voice is Orson Welles.
Or, in his absence, either Lionel Stander or Arnold Stang.
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 9:20 am
by jdb1
In the male singing category, I'd vote for Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza.
For females, I'd cast a vote for Judy Garland, and a probably surprising vote for Martha Raye, who had a very pure, sweet and easy to listen to voice, novelty songs notwithstanding.
As for speaking voices, I'll go with Orson Welles every time as Number One, and Jeff Chandler a close second. Being a New Yorker, I have no objection to listening to the familiar cadences of James Cagney, either. But I also like the sound of the dry, laconic male voice, and I enjoy listening to Victor Jory, Burgess Meredith and Jim Davis, who all had it.
I'm very fond of the sound of Claudette Colbert's voice. I also like the musical way that Lena Horne talks; her speech sounds like singing.
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 9:47 am
by movieman1957
Speaking voices are Orson Welles, Ronald Colman and Gregory Peck.
As Judith mentioned singers I think the male standards singers with the best voices are Andy Williams, a young Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and John Gary.
A have two recordings of Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait." One with Henry Fonda and one with James Earl Jones. I like both but prefer Fonda's as it is somewhat less "big" than Jones'. But it is interesting for comparison.[/i][/u]
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 10:05 am
by srowley75
melwalton wrote: To what actor / actress would you give the title, THE VOICE?
Good question. It's interesting how far a distinctive voice can take you in the entertainment business.
Singing:
Male - Frank Sinatra
Female - either Peggy Lee or Julie Andrews
Speaking:
Male: George Sanders
John Gielgud
Cedric Hardwicke
Claude Rains
James Mason
Orson Welles
Paul Scofield
George Macready
Charles Laughton
Roscoe Lee Browne
Brian Blessed (for years I've wanted to patent a Brian Blessed alarm clock)
Female: Bea Arthur
Judith Anderson
Joan Bennett
Sian Phillips
Patricia Neal
Elizabeth Ashley
Comic: Judy Holliday
William Demarest
Selma Diamond
Peter Lorre
Audrey Meadows
Roseanne Barr
Edith Evans (the role of Lady Bracknell was tailor-made for her) Eugene Pallette
Edie McClurg
Dewey1960 wrote:That's easy! MEL BLANC!!
Very true, Dewey.
I'm also a fan of his female counterparts, Bea Benaderet and June Foray.
-Stephen
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 10:06 am
by MissGoddess
MALE:
Music: Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole and Bing Crosby
Dialogue: Orson Welles, Herbert Marshall, Dana Andrews, William Powell
and about a hundred others from the classic era.
FEMALE:
Music: Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Peggy Lee
Dialogue: Olivia de Havilland, Greer Garson
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 10:12 am
by knitwit45
Music:
Frank Sinatra
Dean Martin
Perry Como
Josh Grobin
Vic Damone
Sting
Rod Stewart
Ella Fitzgerald
Lena Horne
Dialog:
Ronald Colman
George Sanders
Humphrey Bogart (can't help it, I LOVE his voice, sand and all)
Herbert Marshall
Donald Crisp
Greer Garson
Michelle Pfeiffer
Mildred Natwick
Claudette Colbert
Jennifer Jones
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 10:58 am
by stuart.uk
Jack Hawkins. It was a tragedy as he was about to hit his pk he lost his voice to throat cancer. Then about ten yrs later he gambled on a life risking operation, installing a voice box. However, it didn't pay of and he died. Many poeple believe that Hawkins' voice was his great strength as an actor
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 12:02 pm
by movieman1957
I have to find out more of Brian Blessed. I have only knowingly ever seen him in the first season of "Black Adder" and he screamed his way through most of that.
Females
Jean Arthur (sorry Anne)
Claudette Colbert
Maureen O'Hara
Judy Dench
I'll add Anthony Hopkins.
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 5:14 pm
by ChiO
As for singing voices:
Sam Cooke -- He didn't act in any movies, but his voice is on many soundtracks. An incredible instrument, equally adept at Gospel, Pop, Soul and Rock'n'Roll. And, with all due respect to Mr. Zimmerman and Mr. Ochs, the composer of my favorite protest song, A Change Is Gonna Come.
Tony Bennett -- The salon singer, and whatta actor in THE OSCAR.
Roy Orbison -- Not only THE FASTEST GUITAR ALIVE, but who knew a Country Boy could turn every 45 into a 2:30 opera?
Billie Holiday -- Acted in only one movie, but every song she ever sang is a visual, and visceral, experience.
Posted: January 6th, 2009, 7:08 pm
by silentscreen
Ronald Colman. He actually did better in talking pictures because of his great voice. I never get tired of hearing him speak.