Secret Voices of Holywood - BBC4 - 29/09/13 2100

alcockell · 30/09/13 - 02:07

Hi folks,

This one just started...

Secret Voices of Hollywood
Documentary revealing the secret world of the `ghost singers', who provided the vocals that were dubbed for Hollywood screen legends. The programme includes footage of the classic movies in which the songs appeared.

Anyone watching?

[Deleted User] · 30/09/13 - 02:24

yes, didn't realise as per Rita Hayworth that they didn't even bother to use the same person to voice dub the singing in different films. And no one seemed to notice!

alcockell · 30/09/13 - 02:36

Ahh - Todd-AO filter-tastic print... the Flick Colby school of lighting and colouration...

"bright canary yellow" - so put in a sodding yellow gel..

horwichallstars · 30/09/13 - 02:44

I'm really enjoying this programme .... shame that they didn't just cast people that could sing. Loved the Deborah Kerr stories

XIV · 30/09/13 - 18:44

Quite enjoyed the documentary, was interesting how much dubbing went on, Marnie Nixon dubbing the likes of Deborah Kerr and Audrey Hepburn was interesting but you could understand why they did so,

Marnie Nixon was also the voice of the geese in Mary Poppins which didn't feature in the programme but Julie Andrews got the last laugh for not getting My Fair Lady as she won the best actress Oscar over Audrey Hepburn and it was Mary Poppins that helped secure her the role of Maria in the Sound of Music.

Tourista · 30/09/13 - 19:01

What a good programme. I knew that a lot of dubbing went on, but not to the level shown.

ilovewallander · 30/09/13 - 19:13

I'm glad this is repeated on Tues night 10.30pm. I was intrigued to know the stories behind the ghost singers and I was recording two things at once last night so I couldn't do this as well!

sandydune · 30/09/13 - 19:16

I watched it and it was interesting to find out that Marnie Nixon had done the voices for so many actresses in the movies. She had such a lovely singing voice.

peter_charlie20 · 30/09/13 - 19:50

Although they covered Debbie Reynolds in "Singin' in the Rain", they actually missed the best dubbing story from that great movie. Debbie's character was also supposed to dub the Jean Hagen character's speaking voice as well her singing voice. Debbie had some problems with this (she was very young and inexperienced at the time) and so Jean Hagen did the dubbing for this. So it ended up with Jean dubbing Debbie dubbing Jean!!!

peter_charlie20 · 30/09/13 - 20:21

cheshirechesse wrote: »

yes, didn't realise as per Rita Hayworth that they didn't even bother to use the same person to voice dub the singing in different films. And no one seemed to notice!

I guess that the films were released months or even years apart so the average moviegoer would only see the movie once and not remember with any clarity what she sounded like from film to film. Nowadays, with TV and DVD showings the difference would be much more obvious.

XIV · 30/09/13 - 20:32

peter_charlie20 wrote: »

I guess that the films were released months or even years apart so the average moviegoer would only see the movie once and not remember with any clarity what she sounded like from film to film. Nowadays, with TV and DVD showings the difference would be much more obvious.

That's a good point as there was no television showings of films back in the 1940s and 1950s unless you saw a rerelease. It shows how versatile Marnie Nixon was that her performances for King and I differed from My Fair Lady and West Side Story,

Interestingly, in some of the 1990s Disney film, the singing voices for some of the characters like Pocahontas, Jasmine and Esmeralda were done by Broadway singers like Judy Kuhn and Lea Salonga but they were credited unlike in the past.

Having seen Mamma Mia! I think that would have benefited from ghost singing for Pierce Brosnan,

:

maycontainnuts · 30/09/13 - 21:23

thought they might of mentioned Diana Coupland dubbing Ursula Andress for the singing.in Dr No. acually a lot of the actors in speaking roles were dubbed in the early James Bond series

grimtales1 · 30/09/13 - 21:49

peter_charlie20 wrote: »

Although they covered Debbie Reynolds in "Singin' in the Rain", they actually missed the best dubbing story from that great movie. Debbie's character was also supposed to dub the Jean Hagen character's speaking voice as well her singing voice. Debbie had some problems with this (she was very young and inexperienced at the time) and so Jean Hagen did the dubbing for this. So it ended up with Jean dubbing Debbie dubbing Jean!!!

I didnt know that!

Wasnt her singing voice (ie when Debbie is dubbing her singing) done by Betty Noyes? So you have Betty dubbing Debbie dubbing Jean

I feel sorry for Christopher Plummer being dubbed in the Sound of Music, didnt think his singing voice is bad at all

XIV · 30/09/13 - 21:58

grimtales1 wrote: »

I didnt know that!
Wasnt her singing voice (ie when Debbie is dubbing her singing) done by Betty Noyes? So you have Betty dubbing Debbie dubbing Jean
I feel sorry for Christopher Plummer being dubbed in the Sound of Music, didnt think his singing voice is bad at all

I think Debbie's high notes were dubbed by Betty Noyes rather than the whole song.

Pity there wasn't more about Camelot, by all accounts, it was a grim experience for all involved.

Muggsy · 30/09/13 - 21:59

I loved this programme and learned some new things. I knew Marnie Nixon dubbed Deborah Kerr, Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood, but I didn't know she provided Marilyn Monroe's top notes for Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.

And, by the way, doesn't Rita Moreno look great (and her segments were very entertaining too). That woman was in Singin' In The Rain!

grimtales1 · 01/10/13 - 00:45

I always thought Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River was actually her

The gentle crooning suits the scene perfectly and seems so sweet

La Rhumba · 01/10/13 - 01:40

The critic who described Oliver as an "American/British Musical" really got on my nerves! :rolleyes:

Apart from presumably putting up the money, what did Americans contribute to it?

British story (Dickens) British score (Lionel Bart) British Director (Carol Reed) Filmed at Shepperton Studios.

And so the girl who really sang Oliver's song "Where is Love?" talked about her Father, the Musical Director, winning the Oscar for Best Score.....huh?

No mention whatsoever of Lionel Bart! Disgraceful! :mad:

anyonefortennis · 01/10/13 - 01:45

grimtales1 wrote: »

I always thought Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River was actually her The gentle crooning suits the scene perfectly and seems so sweet

She did sing Moon River. She was dubbed for My Fair Lady.

grimtales1 · 01/10/13 - 03:23

My mistake, sorry

shanders · 01/10/13 - 03:39

grimtales1 wrote: »

I feel sorry for Christopher Plummer being dubbed in the Sound of Music, didnt think his singing voice is bad at all

Yes - he didn't sound that different to the guy who dubbed him!
I love Edelweiss in the film. It's sung with such emotion.

shanders · 01/10/13 - 03:42

I never knew Marilyn Monroe had help with the top notes on Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend.
Knew about a girl dubbing Mark Lester in Oliver! but great to hear it from the horse's mouth!

Trudi Monk · 01/10/13 - 05:25

peter_charlie20 wrote: »

Although they covered Debbie Reynolds in "Singin' in the Rain", they actually missed the best dubbing story from that great movie. Debbie's character was also supposed to dub the Jean Hagen character's speaking voice as well her singing voice. Debbie had some problems with this (she was very young and inexperienced at the time) and so Jean Hagen did the dubbing for this. So it ended up with Jean dubbing Debbie dubbing Jean!!!

You didn't find that out from a lecture by Helen McGregor did you? That's where I first heard it and was so intrigued that I googled it. Either it is an urban myth or Helen McGregor got her facts completely wrong as it was Betty Noyes who dubbed Debbie Reynolds:( so disappointed it's not true.

Layzeegoat · 01/10/13 - 05:59

shanders wrote: »

I never knew Marilyn Monroe had help with the top notes on Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend.

I never knew that either. Would be interesting to hear what her original top notes were like if a recording of them still exists. My understanding was that she did all her own singing on her films - something she was proud of.

I missed the first showing of this programme so I'll try to catch the repeat.

Trudi Monk · 01/10/13 - 06:04

Trudi Monk wrote: »

You didn't find that out from a lecture by Helen McGregor did you? That's where I first heard it and was so intrigued that I googled it. Either it is an urban myth or Helen McGregor got her facts completely wrong as it was Betty Noyes who dubbed Debbie Reynolds:( so disappointed it's not true.

Ooh unless you are Helen McGregor!

towers · 01/10/13 - 12:33

grimtales1 wrote: »

I didnt know that!
Wasnt her singing voice (ie when Debbie is dubbing her singing) done by Betty Noyes? So you have Betty dubbing Debbie dubbing Jean
I feel sorry for Christopher Plummer being dubbed in the Sound of Music, didnt think his singing voice is bad at all

Christopher Plummer had a decent singing voice for The Sound of Music but it did sound a bit quiet and weak in the footage shown, so I can understand why they used a ghost singer.

Good documentary, I really enjoyed it.

grimtales1 · 01/10/13 - 12:49

I think singing quietly and a bit nervously suits the part in a way, especially as the Captain mentions that he hasnt sung in years

Hey there!

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Secret Voices of Holywood - BBC4 - 29/09/13 2100

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