A Year From Today (1929)

From the early talkie New York Nights starring Norma Talmadge and Gilbert Roland. Also seen in the clip are John Wray, Lilyan Tashman and Roscoe Karns

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• 1929
• talkie
• norma
• talmadge

[donnycarrin3d]

I have read in several books that Ms.Talmadge had a terrible accent and a bad voice.Here she sounds just fine! Does anyone know whats up with that?

[stjn00]

As shown here, Talmadge did certainly not have a voice problem. I'd say she firstly was victim to the generation shift taking place in Hollywood at this point. Talmadge was 36 in 1929. A couple of less fortunate scripts and bad directing also helped end her career.

[TxSpeech]

Norma did have a thick Brooklyn accent, but she worked with a voice coach before attempting a talkie. A Time article from 1930 pointed out that ‘her diction is improving, but that she talks like an elocution teacher’. In other words, she did not have a very natural sounding vocal delivery (code for bad acting). As you can tell from this clip what really did her in was not her voice, but her inability to act. Plenty of actresses made the transition to sound. Myrna Loy and Joan Crawford, etc.

[Peacekeeper88]

Omg, pausing at 3:44, Lilyan looks so similar to Natalie Dormer!

[Pie2]

Man! I used to have this movie but I lost it, but I agree with most. Not a thing wrong with her voice. It was simply a change the public wanted. They wanted fresh blood with their sound. She was still talented.

[mikemcgee]

She has a good voice as Clara Bows

[panamintjoe]

Looks and sounds an awful lot like Earl Burtnett's Biltmore Trio @ 3:29. Could it be.......? Thanks for the video.

[MarkEdwardSpeer]

This is the first I am hearing Norma's voice (I am ashamed to say). I was also laboring under a misconception about her voice. Her voice was fine! Many of those early talkie vehicles were very weak--perhaps due to their uncertainty about the new medium. Thanks for the info in your note above and your post, stjn00!

[creamofcardstv]

Norma appeared in films as early as 1909. Great clip! 5 stars

[Rouben19]

I saw this whole film, Norma was great actually better than the other NOrma - Shearer her voice was the one that sounded high and shrill.. Remember these ladies had been around for many years and moved on with there lives including the Great Clara Bow

[genatzvalee]

Yeah, it's a myth that Norma (and Clara Bow and many other silent actors) didn't survive in the sound cinema because of goofy accents. Someone started the rumor that Lina Lamont from 'Singin' in the Rain' was based on Norma! I remember how after reading about it I found a video with her talking and was perplexed 'cos she sounded just alright. People would rather believe some silly myths than the truth which is a lot more complicated...