What's new

DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Lucille Ball Film Collection (1 Viewer)

Joe Lugoff

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Messages
2,238
Real Name
Joe

But on HERE'S LUCY, she was often dubbed! In fact, in the very first episode, I remember it like it was yesterday -- she was obviously dubbed, and I thought, "Who do they think they're kidding?"

As for Lisa Kirk -- you can hear her from approximately the same time on the Original Cast Recording of MACK AND MABEL, and she sounds low enough to have done the job. She sang lower than she normally would have when she dubbed Rosalind Russell in GYPSY, and even though dubbing Lucy would have required her to sing bass, I think she could have managed it.
 

CineKarine

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
672
Real Name
Karine Philippot

Thanks - I am very familiar with this list - quite a few inaccuracies in there though, repeated from erroneous sources - but a good beginning and it HAS been corrected (but not on-line) by its fine author since publication.

Finding and identifying voice doubles in all pictures (pre-1970), but especially B pictures - from musicals to noirs to westerns - is one of my all-time passions :) My list is 10 times bigger than the one in that link, if you can imagine. I find it so fascinating!!!
 

JohnMor

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
5,157
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Real Name
John Moreland

Yes, she was frequently dubbed by Carole Cook, a friend of hers who made frequent appearances on HL as well as dubbing.

While I still think Lucy was the wrong personality type for Mame, I think with dubbing it could have worked better. She certainly gave her all in her performance. While it's not a great film, obviously, I do think it gets unfairly maligned. It's not as bad as many people seem to want to make it out to be, IMHO anyway.
 

CineKarine

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
672
Real Name
Karine Philippot

The wrong dubber is listed for Montalban in ON AN ISLAND WITH YOU (a frequently republished mistake from another source) - it was actually Leo Rojo. Montalban was also dubbed for all his big-voiced songs in LATIN LOVERS (53).

As for Ann Sheridan, she sang for herself in almost all her films from the beginning. Her voice was not trained, but she did quite well. She was dubbed in SHINE ON HARVEST MOON (44), as Warner did not trust her to support a major musical with her serviceable but unpolished voice, especially as she was surrounded by real singers in other roles. I have become a great fan of Lynn Martin, the wonderful singer who dubbed her. Without making any effort, she sounded so much like Miss Sheridan, but with much better vocal skills of course - it was no stretch, she sang exactly like this for all the other actresses she dubbed too!
 

MatthewA

BANNED
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2000
Messages
9,727
Location
Salinas, CA
Real Name
Matthew

True, but musicals were about as unhip as they got in the New Hollywood anyway. If Lucy had agreed to have been dubbed, not insisted on so many filtered close-ups, and cast a kid who could stay awake the young Patrick Dennis, the film's reputation might not have suffered so much.
 

AlanP

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
1,189
Real Name
BAP
Love this set, however, all the new WARNERS are slim cases ??
Why not this set. LOVE THOSE SLIM CASES. LESS SPACE !!!
I was disappointed.
 

Ken_McAlinden

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2001
Messages
6,241
Location
Livonia, MI USA
Real Name
Kenneth McAlinden
Slim cases are so two months ago... :)

All of the most recent Warner sets where the DVDs are available individually as well as in the box set (John Wayne Film Collection, World War II Collection Vol. 2, Lucille Ball Film Collection, Cult Camp Classics Vol. 1-4) have been regular Amaray-size cases. From a business standpoint, I can understand why they would not want to develop double packaging for the boxed and unboxed versions of the same titles, but I miss the slimcases. The one recent collection where the discs were not available outside the box is the "Katherine Hepburn 100th Anniversary Collection", which came in a digipack.

Regards,
 

Charles Ellis

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
2,098

I do know that Audrey Totter wasn't too thrilled with having her singing dubbed in The Saxon Charm, and it's interesting to note that Lizabeth Scott released an album in the 50s.

BTW, Ken, Dorothy Arnzer was NOT the only female director of the Golden Age- does the name Ida Lupino ring a bell???
 

JohnMor

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
5,157
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Real Name
John Moreland

Actually, Ken, that is incorrect. The Doris Day Collection Vol 2, The Errol Flynn Signature Collection Vol 2 and The James Cagney Signature Collection were all in slim cases in the box sets, but all titles of each were available separately in amaray-size cases. I fully expected the LB Collection to follow that same pattern. I was surprised as well.
 

CineKarine

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
672
Real Name
Karine Philippot

Yes, quite a few actresses who were always (or nearly always) dubbed in films wound up singing in Broadway musicals or recording albums later on in their careers. Go figure! ;)

Miss Totter always admitted she could not sing, so her singing was dubbed in numerous films although none of them were musicals. That was Martha Mears again, providing her vocals in THE SAXON CHARM.
 

Ken_McAlinden

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2001
Messages
6,241
Location
Livonia, MI USA
Real Name
Kenneth McAlinden
Please read my post more carefully. I was talking about only the most recent Warner titles. Yes. This is a change in policy. That's why I said I miss the slimcases and made the comment about slimcases being "so two months ago".

Regards,
 

Rob_Ray

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2004
Messages
2,141
Location
Southern California
Real Name
Rob Ray

Angela usually did her own singing at MGM but in the case of "The Harvey Girls" she wasn't dubbed because she couldn't sing, but rather at 19 her voice wasn't sultry enough for the character she was playing. Even today, her singing voice is very bright and cheerful, but never sultry or sexy.
 

Charles Ellis

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
2,098
Reminds me of what happened with Ann Blyth playing Helen Morgan- a brilliant soprano dubbed by the alto Gogi Grant! The opposite happened with Carmen Jones- Dorothy Dandridge had a successful nightclub career, but since this was an operatic musical, Marilyn Horne's mezzo-soprano was used.
 

JohnMor

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
5,157
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Real Name
John Moreland

I did it read it carefully. It's just that I didn't realize releases that have been out for only 2-3 months are no longer considered recent. I thought you were making a joke about "two months ago," not passing on a fact of policy change. Perhaps the smilie threw me off.
 

Corey

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
1,412
I hope WB doesn't rever back to standard Amaray cases for boxed sets. Slimlines were saving me soo much more room.
 

Ken_McAlinden

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2001
Messages
6,241
Location
Livonia, MI USA
Real Name
Kenneth McAlinden
Not to belabor the point, but I did not say "All of the recent Warner sets...". I said "All of the most recent Warner sets..." and specifically listed the eight most recent consecutively released WB catalog film box sets, seven of which were for titles available separately and in standard cases and one of which consisted of titles available only in the box set and packaged in a digipack, by way of illustration.

Regards,
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,804
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top