Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HOLLYWOOD, Calf, February Is
(N.AN.A) .-Denaturing the British &C.
cent is now the leading pastime In
colony circles.
With the coming of talkies English
actors and actresses were imported ga
lore to bring their trained voices and
generally good diction to play upon the
microphones.
But it seems some of the British &C
cent didn't please the public. And an
other thing-it limited those actors TO
British-type roles. Since their voices
are excellently pitched and they have
had the best of schooling for the stage.
they are valuable to the studios for all
types Of general screen use.
If you think it's funny Of Lon Chaney
to be running about with text book
of Spanish. a French verb primer and
German at-a-glance, remember he is
learning something brand-new. which,
after all, isn't so bad But when you
are out to break the established habits
of lifetime, that's another story.
Americanization experts, as the new
teachers are called, have two ways OF
teaching their pupils to speak United
States. They read Western stories
aloud. In these they acquire the vocab-
to the United States, and which gets
them away from the Just fancy"
Readily, now" and Il say!" of their
London days.
Another step in Americanization work
is attendance at collegiate evenings
with popular dance orchestras. Some
of the pupils are very apt. Others have
much difficulty in flattening out their
broad AS. A London actor was asked
4 H. yNl1 Ia
sWered, well, rawther, rahther, ratherP'
Claude Allister is one of the British
contingent who has no worries OF this
sort His accent is his priceless asset for
movie comedy Characterization And no
more delicious type of EngliShman-in-a-
mist can be found than this actor who
made his screen debut with Ronald
G Imam in that popular comedy Bull
| dog Drummond."
successful characterization after an
other. His goofy portrayal in Three
Live Ghosts" is one of the best things
talkies have given us.
/ Lawford Davidson, on the other hand,
has one of the most sought-after Brit
4 ish-type voices in the colony. He talked
/ for Paul IukaS in an early all-dialogue
picture, THE Wolf OF Wall Street" In
those days voice doubles were quite the
/
a diStaste for substitution of this sort
and every effort is made to have the
original speak.
Since Lawford Davidson is an ex-
cellent actor and his years of expert
ence with silent movies have given him
a splendid knowledge of camera make
up, he is in demand for roles aside from
those with an English slant. He looks
like an American banker. Or he might
be famous surgeon, an American
Army captain, any one of hundred
characterizations none Of which need
"a" as in "ah." The studio has gently
suggested that he would be more val
liable If he could drop the Britishisms
from his speech. He Is doing it slowly,
but finds it naddening.
Basil Rathbone's diction is delight.
It makes for some of the best tallkie dia-
logue one could wish to hear. It is cul-
tured, poised, beautifully rhythmed-
has everything good voice work should
have. But it also has a very broad
British accent included, which makes
him liability when American types are
being cast. He is among those suffering
the AmericaniSation process.
| When Anthony BUSHNELL played the
role Of Charles in "DiSraeli," that lovely