Great Voices

[Hemingway Jones]

Who were the great voices of film?

I was thinking of James Mason for that sophisticated cool diction.

Katherine Hepburn for that regal Yankee speech that, as Fitzgerald would say, sounded like "money."

-Cary Grant for his self-created accent; transforming his thick cockney into an urbane speech that set a new standard for a cultured gentleman.



I have many others, but I am more curious what you think...

So, who were the great voices of film?

 

[jake_fink]

Orson Welles.

Jean Arthur had peculiar diction - I don't know if that counts. Carol Lombard too.

I always liked Kathleen Turner's voice.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I agree, Katherine Hepburn, definitely.

James Earl Jones also has a great, regal voice.

 

[scotrace]

Great topic Sir! And a good list you have.

If you're talking speech patterns and enunciation, inflection, etc., there are many who were quite distinctive. Sir John Gielgud comes to mind. Someone who has also worked hard to successfully master what his mouth and throat are able to accomplish is Michael Caine.

For voices, think Michael York of Logan's Run. Charlton Heston is masterful in his ability to command spectacle, and his voice is a large part of that, though it is not in itself distinctive. What about Rex Harrison? Any list of this kind has to include Robert Preston, who had it all: voice, diction, perfect enuciation, Big Projection, exquisite vocal control. For distinctive, Burl Ives had that in spades, as did Sterling Holloway, who gave us the voice of Winnie the Pooh and lots of other characters in film and radio.

And of COURSE, William Powell goes to near the top of the list for great voice and charming speech!

Among modern actors, Russell Crowe has pretty phenomenal control. Jack Nicholson does also; and makes it seem effortless. George Clooney - again, great control. They are bringing their sound from the 'sweet spot' in their throats. Kelsey Grammer as well.

I always thought Myrna Loy had a fine voice and knew what to do with it. Kathleen Turner gives us a breathy, intimate voice and delivery that make every word sound sexy. But Katharine Hepburn would be my top pick for female voice.

Then there were the poor devils whose careers were halted by talkies. John Gilbert was a major leading man of the silent era. When his early efforts in talking pictures revealed a less-than-manly voice, (and Louis B. Mayer made sure he got awful dialog), his career tanked.

For me, the greatest voice of all time was undoubtedly Orson Welles'.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Great topic Sir! And a good list you have.



Among modern actors, Russell Crowe has pretty phenomenal control. Jack Nicholson does also; and makes it seem effortless. George Clooney - again, great control. They are bringing their sound from the 'sweet spot' in their throats. Kelsey Grammer as well.

As George Clooney said, and quite well I think " You Fascinate Me"

I agree with all that you wrote , Scotrace. Nice additions.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Orson Welles.

Jean Arthur had peculiar diction - I don't know if that counts. Carol Lombard too.

I always liked Kathleen Turner's voice.

Orson Welles has an amazing voice and an amazing way of speaking with that one eyebrow raised and that look of utter confidence.

Kathleen Turner HAD an excellent voice, but she has become a caricature of herself, intoxicated with her self-importance. But back in the "Body Heat" days...

Daisy, James Earl Jones, what more needs to be said? Darth Vader and At&T (Verizon)!

Scott,

Kelsey Grammar has an amazing voice. And Charleton Heston... is Moses!

I would add Roger Moore. I have always loved his debonair demeanor and speech.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

David Niven. He's one of those, like Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks (Sr. & Jr.), William Powell, and a select few others, who you never saw NOT dressed to the nines, who were always well-spoken, and well-spoken of.

 

[czack]

Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Peter O'Toole. I would also say Richard Harris, especially his younger days but even in his later years still had the sounds of authority.

 

[czack]

I almost forgot....

Patrick Stewart. I'm not a trekkie but man he's got it!

 

[czack]

Man they keep popping in my head!

Lee Marvin.

 

[Hondo]

Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Peter O'Toole. I would also say Richard Harris, especially his younger days but even in his later years still had the sounds of authority.

Not being picky about voices, I do like Katherine Hepburn's, for a male, there are so many, but off hand I'd to say Richard Burton, James Mason and Gregory Peck.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I love Lauren Bacall's smokey voice- it makes you see why Bogie fell in love with her. Then again, Bogie had a very distinctive voice, too.

 

[Sefton]

Great choices! I'd like to add a few more non-American ones; Boris Karloff-his voice could go from soothing to absolutely evil in a heartbeat. Naturally I'd follow with the other master of cool badness,Bela Lugosi. Despite the heavy accent a truely wonderful voice that's unforgettable. Toshiro Mifune. A terrific actor with a big and powerful sounding voice suitable for giving the commands of an Emperor or a mumbling bodyguard (Yojimbo).

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Without a doubt...

Peter Coyote

also, consider Robert Mitchum's 'Beef' spots on T.V.;..."it's what's for dinner."

-dixon cannon

 

[jazzzbaby]

Vincent Price....Need I say more. I LOVE his voice...adore it!

Bette Davis....Very precise with lots of that New England flair.

Ethel Barrymore.... had a diction that came from theatre.
I really enjoy listening to her in films.

Another great "smokey voice" was Lizabeth Scott!

 

[Dixon's Dame]

Dana Andrews (smoothest baritone I can think of), Richard Burton, James Mason, and Vic Morrow - the last not necessarily for the voice itself, but for the things he could do with his voice and his lines.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

A woman's voice?...

Barbara Feldon

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Edward G. Robinson could be a tough guy or very urbane depending on the role.

Sterling Hayden always brought great gravitas to his roles, from Gen Jack D. Ripper to "Suddenly" and even "Zero Hour!" "Guess I picked the wrong week to quit smokin'"

And behind the scenes (mostly,) the great Paul Frees. Wonderful whether he was Boris Badenov, UN inspector Hans Blix or Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto or a hundred others in between.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Vincent Price....Need I say more. I LOVE his voice...adore it!

A great choice! One of the best spoken word performances is him reading "The Raven." He used to read "The Raven" aloud each Halloween at Poe's House in Philadelphia and I always missed getting tickets.

Patrick McGoohan had an amazing voice, so full of authority and righteous indignation.

And how could we forget the great, but scary, Christopher Walken!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Golly, two pages of posts already, and nobody's once mentioned Ronald Colman? Check out "Bulldog Drummond" (1929), and try to imagine the impact his voice had on the picturergoers of his time....