Scottish voices in Hollywood
BILL CROUCH reports
The role of Scottish expats in the golden age of Hollywood intrigued me, as did the ’Scottish voice’ they brought to films. I thought, as a Glaswegian, it might be fun to learn more about four of them, especially as Glasgow in the 1930s was ‘cinema city’, home to more than 110 picture houses - more than any other UK city, and a seating capacity in excess of 175,000. The four are:
Robert Watson - Glasgow born, who devised a Scots Dialogue Test which stumped Hollywood.
Mary Gordon - Glasgow girl who sang with Harry Lauder and was given her Hollywood big break thanks to Katharine Hepburn.
David Torrence - Edinburgh born, who became a cow-puncher in the mid west before joining Hollywood.
Alfred Olaf Hytten - Glasgow born, son of a Norwegian ship broker who saw action in WW1 before emigrating to the USA.
Let’s look first at Robert Watson’s contribution. CLICK HERE