Gypsy

Ok so they wore dresses, but puffing fags on camera to be passively inhaled by your unfortunately lumpish daughter isn't so great is it? Oh look now I'm slagging off Phyllis Calvert AND her poor daughter.

Flossie 1

Yes but at least they had the excuse that they didn't know that cigarettes were so dangerous in those days.

Brief Encounter

Joenoir is that the interview that's an extra on the Baby Jane DVD? I think I recall it was extremely formal.

The thing is, the Gainsborough girls, ie. Phyl, Pat and Margaret appealed to ordinary girls supposedly - but they don't sound ordinary at all. I've read that Margaret appealed to girls of the suburbs. She sounds extremely well spoken to me, but in a pleasant way, not like Phyllis Calvert or Celia Johnson!

Gypsy

Dame Celia Molestrangler!

CaptainWaggett

Patricia Roc isn't posh in Millions Like Us - and, unlike Dame Celia in This Happy Breed, does sound completely natural.

Ray

Jessie Matthews came from Berwick Market, but her voice was so cut glass affected that she made Phyllis sound almost common. Actresses did sound more refined 50 years ago, one of the most beautifully spoken actresses was, and is the lovely Jean Kent.

Steve Crook

It's interesting when you listen to some of those old actresses nowadays and compare them to what they sounded like in the 40s and 50s.

Sheila Sim is another case in point. She's well spoken but sounds quite normal - now. Back in the 1940s she was distorting vowels along with the rest of them

Steve

stevie boy

I will never forget Phyllis Calvert in that advert that mentioned Luton Airport.

Brief Encounter

Wasn't Jean Kent meant to be common in most of her films?

Fellwanderer

I'd back Jenny and Joanna Lumley against absolutely anyone, any time - pure, natural class.

Ray

She was common in several films, in Trottie True she played a Music Hall girl who marries into the aristocracy and becomes a Lady. In The Browning Version
she was the ruthless, ambitious wife of headmaster, Michael Redgrave, probably from humble background. In real life she was born in Brixton, speaks beautifully, but not at all affected.

stuart.scot

Just thinking. Honor Blackman speaks with a posh accent, but that didn't stop her from donning the black leather and becoming one of tvs first action heroines

Joenoir

That's the one, it appeared to be very forced.

Apparently also from humble beginnings and with benefit of elocution lessons.

cornershop15

In the early '70s, Phyllis Calvert starred in her own TV series, called 'Kate', where she played an agony aunt. I can't remember seeing this when I was a child, unlike her contemporary Margaret Lockwood in 'Justice', but have found out about in old TV Times issues. Does anybody recall this ITV drama - which also included Penelope Keith - or know if the episodes still exist? Thank you in advance.

Marius

Brief Encounter

I would dearly love to see 'Kate'. I wonder if it's even been repeated on cable?