Why did they talk like that in old movies?

A video from BrainStuff explains why the people in old movies might have an accent or dialect you just can’t seem to place. BrainStuff explains that the plummy, upper-crust accent is reminiscent of British aristocracy and was actually the style of speaking taught to students in New England boarding schools.

Why did Americans talk different in the 50s?

As microphone and broadcast technology improved, it became less crucial to speak distinctly. If you spoke like a 40s or 50s newscaster in ordinary conversation today, people would think you were being overly formal or precise. Also remember that many movie and television stars of that era got their start in theater.

Why did everyone sound the same in old movies?

In the early years of sound, virtually all the talking actors had performed on the stage because there was no other audiovisual medium. The theatre required clear diction and voice projection. That style of dialogue delivery was carried into early sound films with their crude sound recording devices.

Where did the transatlantic accent go?

The Trans-Atlantic Accent (or the Mid-Atlantic Accent) was a style of speech taught in affluent schools along the East Coast and in Hollywood Film Studios from the late nineteen tens until the mid-forties.

Why did old Hollywood actors have accents?

Throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood, stars including Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, and Orson Welles employed what’s known as a “Mid-Atlantic accent,” a sort of American-British hybrid of speaking that relies on tricks like dropping “R” sounds and softening vowels, in order to convey wealth and …

What accent did Grace Kelly have?

At the acting school, she was advised to work on her voice and delivery. Grace used her tape recorder and soon her accent was close to the British accent. Her new accent was termed as being well measured and well rounded.

Why did people speak differently in the 60s?

People were interested in “Expanding their consciousness”, or at least break free from some of the more restrictive gender roles, etc. We spoke differently because we thought a bit differently then, and language reflects that.

Why did the American accent change?

The American accent was influenced by immigrants and British colonizers. American English is the set of varieties of English language spoken by Americans. The American accent thus developed into new dialects due to the influence of the British colonizers and immigrants from Germany, Africa, and Dutch.

Why do old people talk differently?

Evidence confirms that voices do change with age. Weakened and dry vocal chords become stringy, which prevent normal vibration, causing higher pitched voices that sound thin. And the transformations in the respiratory system and chest mean we have less power behind our voices.

Why does Princess Leia accent change?

According to Fisher, the cause for the accent was a combination of nerves, frustration and confusion over the dialogue written by director George Lucas. The actress didn’t think the dialogue sounded like English. “Who could say those lines?” Fisher explained in a 2015 interview.

Where did Julia Child get her accent?

I believe she came from New England/Boston, but she had what was called a “Mid Atlantic” accent which often heard in American films of the 1940/1950s. You don’t hear many people speak that way now, I guess it might be like our British Public School accent, an artificial accent you develop in elite schools.

Why does Katharine Hepburn talk like that?

Why do so many American actors have a mid-Atlantic accent?

In early movies, TV and radio, much content was produced for a mixed American/British audience, and hence, those involved consciously adopted a mid-Atlantic accent, sort of half-way between Received Pronunciation and General American (yes, accents have names).

How did American culture change in the 1920s?

The 1920s were a period of dramatic changes. More than half of all Americans now lived in cities and the growing affordability of the automobile made people more mobile than ever. Although the decade was known as the era of the Charleston dance craze, jazz, and flapper fashions, in many respects it was also quite conservative.

Why was entertainment so popular in the 1920s?

This new wealth coincided with and fueled technological innovations, resulting in the booming popularity of entertainments like movies, sports, and radio programs. The increased financial prosperity of the 1920s gave many Americans more disposable income to spend on entertaining themselves.

How did the radio change American life in the 1920s?

After being introduced during World War I, radios became a common feature in American homes of the 1920s. Hundreds of radio stations popped up over the course of the decade. These stations developed and broadcasted news, serial stories, and political speeches.