Voice Over Questions

[Patti Feinberg]

Now, I'm sure I've heard that of all the actors on DS, Vicki's was the most used for opening voice overs.

I'm watching from the beginning; it ALWAYS starts, "My name is V.W. The XXXX of the XXX....".

When will she stop saying "My name is Victoria Winters"?

(It's already gotten on my nerves...)

Patti

[Josette]

I think the story was supposed to be told from Vicki's point of view and she would start the narration and it would go on into what was happening, so this continues for a long time.  I don't remember when it switched to various people doing it.  I know it was only Vicki for a while during what we would consider the "regular" story starting with the arrival of Barnabas, so obviously it would be all of the early episodes plus a lot of those later ones.

[michael c]

alexandra speaks her signature line for the last time in episode 274. i believe nancy barrett is the first actress to speak the narration after that.

for a long time after the voiceover is rotated between the actresses and, at some time around 1969, the men  finally speak it all well.

alexandra tops out at 387 readings. jonathan only did 12. for some reason the producers didn't want "barnabas" doing the opening. 

[Uncle Roger]

In one of the KLS books, she stated that (after the narration duties went to others besides Alexandra) they didn't want the narration to be delivered by an actor who would appear in the opening scene. This is not always true and sometimes the identity of the narrator spoiled a surprise return of an actor to the program.
The My name is Victoria Winters apparently came to an end after the union told DC that Alexandra would have to paid for delivering the narration even if she didn't appear in the episode otherwise. 💰 💰 💰

[michael c]

i always thought it was interesting that when KLS did the opening she spoke in her "real" voice but for "Maggie" she used a slightly higher, more girlish pitch.

at first i didn't even recognize who was speaking when she started doing them.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

The late David Ford possessed a very deep, resonant speaking voice.  And, in addition to appearing on DS as both Sam Evans and Andre DuPre, Mr. Ford did voice-overs on many radio and television commercials.

Yet, I don't believe that Mr. Ford did all that many of the opening voice-overs on DS (perhaps 10 or so).  I'm surprised that he did not do more on the show.

Then again, I'm disappointed that actor Bob O'Connell did not get to do any opening voice-overs on DS.  (Although having an actor with such a pronounced NYC accent do an opening voice-over for a New England-based television show might have been "unique," to say the least!)

[michael c]

Ford did not do any voiceovers on DS...

he left the series in 68 before the actors began reciting them.

[Uncle Roger]

I think that Thayer David used his normal voice when he did the narration, as opposed to the somewhat more refined voice that he used as Professor Stokes. In any event, during an extended flashback, it was a treat to hear the familiar voice of Thayer or Grayson or Nancy instead of the character voices they had adopted.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

KLS had a list of all of the DS actors who had done voice-overs on the show in one of her books.  I thought that David Ford had done a couple of them.  Oops!  My mistake.

Didn't David Henesy do a couple of voice-overs during the latter part of DS?  Imagine if Dan Curtis had gotten Vincent Price or John Carradine to do some "guest" voice-over openings on DS?

[Uncle Roger]

Young Master Henesy did indeed do a few voice overs in 1970. Even the Fridster got to do the occasional one.

[michael c]

according to The Almanac Henesey did only 3. it doesn't say when but, as you suggest, i would imagine it was towards the end when he no longer had a "child like" voice...

as can be expected Alexandra, Grayson, Nancy, Joan, KLS and Lara did by far the most. With Clarice clocking in at a respectable 23 voiceovers.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

KLS had a list of all of the DS actors who had done voice-overs on the show in one of her books.  I thought that David Ford had done a couple of them.  Oops!  My mistake.

We all have occasional lapses when it comes to faulty memories, so no biggie, Bob.    In this case Ford isn't on that list and he shouldn't be - but by no means does that mean that the PomPress books are always accurate. Far from it! In fact, there are way too many huge gaffs in too many of them!! 

And speaking of the voiceovers, I was just looking at the list and I was surprised to see (well, IF all the counts are accurate) that of the actors who would be considered major characters in their storylines, Chris Bernau did the fewest, only one. Some of the day players actually did more.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

MB,

Yes, in one of the books, Thayer David's home state is listed as Maryland.  And, yet, on the IMDB site, Mr. David's home state is listed as Massachusetts.

Bob

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine - aren't all the "Ma" states interchangeable? No? Oh. Well, PomPress' bad!! 

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Did you read "Return to Collinwood"?  And, if so, did you enjoy it?