The Typical American Girl (1929)

[Elewyn]

wow!!! I actually look a lot like her. My mother says as i get older i look more and more like my grandmother during the 20's and 30's (after she married my grandfather a solider in WWI) i miss my grandmother terribly. I love seeing things like this that remind me of my family and heritage. As genertions go we're not remotely typical, as what is "so long ago" for us is very recent.

[paulj0557]

Often people from back then have a cadence like they are reciting a letter that they just received from someone. I watch a lot of old movies and this girl sounds like Marion Davies did in her first talking pictures, but then again maybe you could say that Marion sounded like this 'all American girl'. The ' hammy' way she is talking near the end is very typical of how many younger women exaggerate. Perhaps that has always gone on. I hope because this is the salt of the earth.

[MPL029]

Her accent is typical standard american.

[bearcub410]

she is American you can be sure of that , a British woman would never say be back real soon . women did sound very different 80 years ago . i do not think it is the audio , people just sounded different then . thanks wonderful clip

[fatsfan70]

Edna is as American as apple pie but I wonder if she would choose that name today? Erich von Stroheim (Austrian) famously wore a monocle.

[BardCoennius]

The "accent" may simply be an artificial way of speaking in which she was trained for the job.

The BBC does this with their newscasters, I understand.

[luvebug21]

Funny how the microfones made people sound back then:p

[smurfswacker]

The voice sounds more Northeastern prep school to me. She has a lot of charm, though, which shows through despite her performing a prepared speech. You know, I have never seen anyone, English or American, wearing a monocle (outside of TV and films of course).

[GenteelPoverty]

I love this! My son asked me once why it seemed that folks in the old movies sounded so different and almost "British" compared to modern people. I think we were watching "It's A Wonderful Life" at the time. Even my grandmother who is 95 and from the same area as myself has a more correct way of speaking.

[sugarloveshow]

Maybe!! But you know the year we are talking!!! Back then people had to try their best to be chic!! I guess it was that!

[bill3murr]

very nice .....thanks. we didn't always sound like we do now...she is from the states. give a listen to president f.d.r. and his wife....that will tickle your ears.

[sugarloveshow]

What a sweet video! Thanks for posting it!

[OS253]

I don't know about you. But she doesn't sound American to me. Her accent is more of a British.

[peacefrog1969]

because people back then talked more properly. and anyway, i think her accent is just southern american.