Voice Acting: What Makes A Beautiful Voice? Examine Lauren Bacall’s Sexy Purr And Sterling Holloway’s Comforting, Soft Sweetness – Part 2, By Hannah Melbourn
See Part 1: What Makes A Beautiful Voice That Gets You Hired? Most Often, It’s Not The ‘Perfect’ Voice
By Hannah Melbourn
Voice Actor
I
want to touch on a couple of well known beautiful voices and think about what
makes them so.
want to touch on a couple of well known beautiful voices and think about what
makes them so.
It was pretty hard to settle on just two, of course, because there
are so many, and I could literally talk about this subject all day, but it
seemed like a good place to start by going back to the golden age of Hollywood.
are so many, and I could literally talk about this subject all day, but it
seemed like a good place to start by going back to the golden age of Hollywood.
So lets take a look at one of the icons of 1940’s glamour …
SEXY LAUREN BACALL
When
statuesque actress Lauren Bacall was first discovered by Hollywood producer
Howard Hawks, the producer famously sent her to elocution lessons to train her to speak
in a much lower register.
statuesque actress Lauren Bacall was first discovered by Hollywood producer
Howard Hawks, the producer famously sent her to elocution lessons to train her to speak
in a much lower register.
The loss of Bacall’s natural, apparently quite high and
nasal voice, was a move that would kick start a glittering film career.
nasal voice, was a move that would kick start a glittering film career.
Years later,
Bacall is remembered foremost for her voice: a sexy throaty growl, sometimes
described as a purr.
Bacall is remembered foremost for her voice: a sexy throaty growl, sometimes
described as a purr.
In this clip from The Big Sleep (1946), in which Bacall starred alongside her future
husband Humphrey Bogart, listen for her gorgeous velvety voice and see her move
with such self confidence on screen.
husband Humphrey Bogart, listen for her gorgeous velvety voice and see her move
with such self confidence on screen.
It’s
hard to believe she is only 22 years old.
hard to believe she is only 22 years old.
What
strikes me in this scene is how similar their voices actually sound.
strikes me in this scene is how similar their voices actually sound.
Bogart, too, reportedly underwent vocal
training to lower the register of his voice for his Hollywood roles.
training to lower the register of his voice for his Hollywood roles.
Clearly, deep voices were a Thing in
Hollywood.
Hollywood.
WHICH RANGE IS ‘SEXIER’?
I found a scientific
study on “vocal and physiological changes in response to the physical
attractiveness of conversational partners” by Susan Hughes at the University of
Baltimore, where she and her colleagues were looking for evidence to prove that higher pitched (more feminine) voices
would be perceived as sexier.
study on “vocal and physiological changes in response to the physical
attractiveness of conversational partners” by Susan Hughes at the University of
Baltimore, where she and her colleagues were looking for evidence to prove that higher pitched (more feminine) voices
would be perceived as sexier.
However, they ultimately concluded that contrary to their
predictions, females actually lowered the pitch of their voices when talking to
attractive partners.
predictions, females actually lowered the pitch of their voices when talking to
attractive partners.
This would be a
point of interest in itself as it goes against what evolutionary science would
presume to be the case, however the conclusion of the study states that “there
appears to be a common stereotype in our culture that deems a sexy female voice
as one that sounds husky, breathy, and lower-pitched.”
point of interest in itself as it goes against what evolutionary science would
presume to be the case, however the conclusion of the study states that “there
appears to be a common stereotype in our culture that deems a sexy female voice
as one that sounds husky, breathy, and lower-pitched.”
I couldn’t help wondering then, if perhaps
Lauren Bacall has had more of an effect on human evolution than she realised!
Lauren Bacall has had more of an effect on human evolution than she realised!
Interestingly,
there is actually a vocal disorder known as BBS (Bogart Bacall Syndrome) – a form
of vocal strain caused by forcing the voice to sound lower. The syndrome causes
hoarseness, soreness and frequent breaking of the voice.
there is actually a vocal disorder known as BBS (Bogart Bacall Syndrome) – a form
of vocal strain caused by forcing the voice to sound lower. The syndrome causes
hoarseness, soreness and frequent breaking of the voice.
So for anyone who is thinking of
trying to replicate a little bit of that Bacall vocal magic, proceed with
caution!
trying to replicate a little bit of that Bacall vocal magic, proceed with
caution!
REMEMBERING STERLING HOLLOWAY
Next up I
want to talk about a voice so distinctive that it will transport most of us
straight back to our childhoods.
want to talk about a voice so distinctive that it will transport most of us
straight back to our childhoods.
Perhaps at the sound of this voice you’ll find
yourself back in your living room snuggled up on the sofa on a Sunday morning,
or remember how it felt to have a Disney film on in the background at
Christmas with all the family around.
yourself back in your living room snuggled up on the sofa on a Sunday morning,
or remember how it felt to have a Disney film on in the background at
Christmas with all the family around.
Sterling Holloway (seen here on the right, with William Bendix) was an American actor (1905 – 1992) who voiced many
characters for Disney.
characters for Disney.
His impressive list of credits include: Kaa the snake in
Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, Mr Stork in Dumbo, the Cheshire Cat in Alice in
Wonderland, and Roquefort in The Aristocats.
Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, Mr Stork in Dumbo, the Cheshire Cat in Alice in
Wonderland, and Roquefort in The Aristocats.
Often cast
in comedy roles, Holloway’s voice sits in an unusual place vocally; it feels
neither high nor low.
Ostensibly, the voice sounds like it has a high timbre at
first, but there are also cotton woolish, throaty base tones, that place it firmly
as a male voice.
first, but there are also cotton woolish, throaty base tones, that place it firmly
as a male voice.
Somehow his voice hangs
in the air as almost ageless, and there’s a soft sweetness to it, tipping over easily
into a girlish giggle.
in the air as almost ageless, and there’s a soft sweetness to it, tipping over easily
into a girlish giggle.
Check out this clip
from the movie Burke’s Law (1964) and listen for his character Fisk’s
distinctive nervous little laugh.
from the movie Burke’s Law (1964) and listen for his character Fisk’s
distinctive nervous little laugh.
What’s
lovely about Sterling Holloway’s voice is the combination of familiarity and
ambiguousness – there is something childlike and comforting about it, and it’s
almost genderless. All at once you can hear a kindly grandmother or a humble
mouse or a bumbling hotel clerk.
lovely about Sterling Holloway’s voice is the combination of familiarity and
ambiguousness – there is something childlike and comforting about it, and it’s
almost genderless. All at once you can hear a kindly grandmother or a humble
mouse or a bumbling hotel clerk.
With a
voice so unusual, it’s no wonder he became such a beloved cast member at Disney.
voice so unusual, it’s no wonder he became such a beloved cast member at Disney.
See these magical vocal qualities put to ill
use as Kaa in the Jungle Book here.
use as Kaa in the Jungle Book here.
YOUR VOICE: COMPLEX MACHINERY
So what
makes a beautiful voice?
makes a beautiful voice?
Authenticity is key, but in my opinion there’s really
no ‘right’ answer here.
no ‘right’ answer here.
The complex machinery that makes up the human voice has
no end of variation, and that’s what is so amazing about it – that every one is
unique. Every now and then you come across those voices that have a little bit
of magic in them, and the challenge is really to work out why, and even harder,
to put that into words.
no end of variation, and that’s what is so amazing about it – that every one is
unique. Every now and then you come across those voices that have a little bit
of magic in them, and the challenge is really to work out why, and even harder,
to put that into words.
As Emily
Dickinson famously said, “The heart wants what it wants.”
Dickinson famously said, “The heart wants what it wants.”
There are
so many more examples of beautiful inspiring voices that I might just have to
write another one of these – please do let me know in the comments if you have
any real favourites and why.
so many more examples of beautiful inspiring voices that I might just have to
write another one of these – please do let me know in the comments if you have
any real favourites and why.
TELL YOUR VOICE, ‘THANK YOU’
What do people say
about your voice?
about your voice?
Whatever you are working on in the booth today, just remember there is only one
voice like yours, and that’s why your clients love you!
voice like yours, and that’s why your clients love you!
So don’t force it, be
yourself, and be authentic.
yourself, and be authentic.
However you
sound – high, low, sexy or not – it’s all part of your unique sound. So give
that voice of yours a little honey and lemon tea to say thank you.
sound – high, low, sexy or not – it’s all part of your unique sound. So give
that voice of yours a little honey and lemon tea to say thank you.
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ABOUT HANNAH
Hannah Melbourn is a multi-award winning voice talent working
from her broadcast quality home studio in Ramsgate Kent, England.
from her broadcast quality home studio in Ramsgate Kent, England.