Accents galore.

[TNickey2003]

A rather unusual poll. I could have chosen Carolyn (Nancy Barrett) as a subject, but being that Nancy is from the deep south, and played a character with a lower class British accent ( Charity possessed by Pansy Faye), there wouldn't be as much left to the imagination. Now Vicki might be an interesting subject for this sort of poll, or Liz.   GH of course played Magda Rakosi, who had a  mix of Russian (?) accent and lower class English (e.g., "I don't know naaaaaaaaaathing"), so not as much left to the imagination there.

At some point I will do another more thought provoking DS poll ( I actually have one in progress 'Dark Shadows' Central Character'  re: Barnabas Collins), and have some ideas for such.

[retzev]

a down-east accent

[BuzzH]

a down-east accent

I concur w/Retzev.  I hate that no one on the show had a 'down-east' MAINE accent!  It's really quite annoying actually.  There were a couple exceptions of course--Bill Malloy, the original Sam Evans, Innkeeper Mr. Wells (pre-Barnabas at least, not sure he still had it during the 1968/werewolf storyline) and one of the constables (pre-Sheriff Patterson).

According to KLS, several actors affected the 'down-east' accent early on and were told to stop by the producers (??) don't know why they'd make them stop, but anyway, I digress.  For me, it would make the show more realistic (a STRETCH for a show about the supernatural I realize) if they all actually SOUNDED like they were FROM Maine!

And don't get me started on Barnabas NOT sounding like a Brit!  I realize he wasn't a Brit, and therefore it's not really that strange that he DOESN'T sound like one.  But then why didn't anyone say, "You know, Barnabas sounds American, not British!"  DUH!   

[petofi]

I choose Russian - but only because I just played Anton Chekhov in a play I wrote for my MFA project at UCF in Orlando Fl.  It was fun playing a guy from my favorite era - the turn of the 19th- 20th century. In reality, I would have liked to see more Down- East types on the show, including Maggie and her dad, but from what I understand the accent wasn't done well by most of the actors.  The one who did a great job (He was from Medford, Mass.) was Thayer David as Matthew Morgan(the second coming).  How do I know? I grew up and lived in Maine until about 3 years ago.  Bangor, Ayuh.

PS: Dig the cheap watch I'm wearing as Chekhov - like a DS blooper- fortunately, these shots were taken AFTER one of the shows; I had put my watch on then!  And, yes, I used a Russian accent in the play.
Petofi

[BuzzH]

The one who did a great job (He was from Medford, Mass.) was Thayer David as Matthew Morgan(the second coming).

Oh yeah!  I forgot about Thayer doing a down-east accent when he was Matthew Morgan!  I kind of forget he was Matthew 'cause I've only seen that plotline once and mostly identify w/him as the various Stokes', Petofi and Sandor.

[onyx_treasure]

     A downeast accent might work but it might be laughable if they all sounded like the pepperidge farm guy.  I  meet people here in Maine with an accent I think is called Quebecois(sp).  It comes from people who came from Canada to work in the mills and factories around the turn of the century.  The descendants speak with a slight accent.  My hairstylist said people her age(50) and younger have lost the ability to speak the style of french that was once spoken by their parents and grandparents.  Her husband went to New Orleans when he was in the service and found the Quebec french he spoke sounded odd to the locals.  He said they sounded odd to him but they were able to communicate in french.

[CyrusL]

I have to admit, accents can be quite sexy. French, Italian, and Russian and for that matter Australian can be quite affecting. Not to be a broken record, but Julianka had the best accent on the show, and I don't care how fake it was. It worked for me, lol. 
Michael

[Janet the Wicked]

Man. You ought to hear the jibes I get from my Worcester, Massachusetts "accent" since I moved to the south.
Many - and you know who you are - taunted me unmercilessly about my accent. I told John Karlen this and he said, "What accent?" But you all know he has a similar east coast twang, eh?

[Janet the Wicked]

I choose Russian - but only because I just played Anton Chekhov in a play I wrote for my MFA project at UCF in Orlando Fl.  It was fun playing a guy from my favorite era - the turn of the 19th- 20th century. In reality, I would have liked to see more Down- East types on the show, including Maggie and her dad, but from what I understand the accent wasn't done well by most of the actors.  The one who did a great job (He was from Medford, Mass.) was Thayer David as Matthew Morgan(the second coming).  How do I know? I grew up and lived in Maine until about 3 years ago.  Bangor, Ayuh.

PS: Dig the cheap watch I'm wearing as Chekhov - like a DS blooper- fortunately, these shots were taken AFTER one of the shows; I had put my watch on then!  And, yes, I used a Russian accent in the play.

Hey, Petofi, nice - and I mean NICE - photo!

[Raineypark]

Man. You ought to hear the jibes I get from my Worcester, Massachusetts "accent" since I moved to the south.
Many - and you know who you are - taunted me unmercilessly about my accent. I told John Karlen this and he said, "What accent?" But you all know he has a similar east coast twang, eh?

We Noo Yawkas don't have twangs......

[Janet the Wicked]

We Noo Yawkas don't have twangs......

Not twangs mebbe, definately not drawls. What shall we call it then? I definately don't go around sayimg, "I don't understand".
The thing that pisses me off the most is that everbody in southland thinks I am from Boston. And THAT is a whole other accent.
Anyhow, as Willie is polishing the chandelier in the Old House and announces to Barn that he has seen a girl "out the windah:", that is my accent. And I am enjoying, as my southern neighbors are, enjoying every minute of it.

[MsCriseyde]

The thing that pisses me off the most is that everbody in southland thinks I am from Boston. And THAT is a whole other accent.

Rest assured it is no different for someone from the south who moves a little further north and has to hear that her accent sounds like she is from Texas or Austrailia. 

[TNickey2003]

Impressive jpeg of you as A.C.  Supposedly A.Chekhov was the author of the short story "A Drop of Water", one of three segments in the horror trilogy "Black Sabbath".  To me the creepiest of the segments, a nurse called on to prepare the body of an elderly medium ( a hideous looking thing!) for burial steals her ring, an act the dead medium's spirit doesn't take kindly to.

I choose Russian - but only because I just played Anton Chekhov in a play I wrote for my MFA project at UCF in Orlando Fl.  It was fun playing a guy from my favorite era - the turn of the 19th- 20th century. In reality, I would have liked to see more Down- East types on the show, including Maggie and her dad, but from what I understand the accent wasn't done well by most of the actors.  The one who did a great job (He was from Medford, Mass.) was Thayer David as Matthew Morgan(the second coming).  How do I know? I grew up and lived in Maine until about 3 years ago.  Bangor, Ayuh.

PS: Dig the cheap watch I'm wearing as Chekhov - like a DS blooper- fortunately, these shots were taken AFTER one of the shows; I had put my watch on then!  And, yes, I used a Russian accent in the play.

[Josette]

And don't get me started on Barnabas NOT sounding like a Brit!  I realize he wasn't a Brit, and therefore it's not really that strange that he DOESN'T sound like one.  But then why didn't anyone say, "You know, Barnabas sounds American, not British!"  DUH!   

That part was really ridiculous.  A couple of people, notably Burke in present time and Quentin in 1897 were very suspicious of him.  Quentin had been to England recently and said there was no Collins family there.  Burke had a PI checking up on him in England.  Yet, with all that, no one ever thought to say, "You don't sound British!"

[BuzzH]

That part was really ridiculous.  A couple of people, notably Burke in present time and Quentin in 1897 were very suspicious of him.  Quentin had been to England recently and said there was no Collins family there.  Burke had a PI checking up on him in England.  Yet, with all that, no one ever thought to say, "You don't sound British!"

Okay??  Now you see what I'm talkin' about!    That's the one (and it was the ONLY one IMHO) thing that Ben Cross had over Jonathan as Barnabas, at least he sounded British, albeit because Cross is, but still...Frid did an interview once that they showed at one of my first Fest's in the '90's, and at one point, I can't remember why, but he affected a Scottish burr, and it sounded alright.  Why couldn't he fake the Brit accent?  I mean, he LIVED in England a couple years while he was at RADA right?