Mystery Guest Voice?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
johcafra — 16 years ago(May 29, 2009 09:36 PM)
An odd hobby, perhaps, but I like to "plot" character voices to their respective voice artists. It's more of a challenge if the voice artist isn't a name actor in his or her own right, and if I hear the same voice and spot the artist in a movie that's as much fun. I'd long enjoyed the Century 21 Supermarionation series for their attention to sound as well other details.
Much is made of some of the Captain Scarlet series puppets' heads skilfully carved to resemble famous actors, among them Cary Grant, Patrick McGoohan, Robert Mitchum and Ursula Andress. (I'd not known of Francis Matthews before viewing this series, so you can bet his voice surprised me.) If you happen upon pictures of the corresponding voice actors you may think differently. And thought was reportedly given to cast McGoohan as the voice of the World President in the pilot episode as a "guest star." I suppose the expense posed the ultimate obstacle
In the episode "Winged Assassin" listen to the pilot of Delta Tango One Nine ("Level off") and the London airport chief ("I'm impressed by your efficiency"). Then, in "Big Ben Strikes Again," the driver of the second police car chasing the hijacked truck ("He's going too fast") It's the same voice, at least to me, and I don't hear it in any other character or episode.
The Fanderson Web site identifies the voice artists for these characters as, respectively, Paul Maxwell, Martin King, and the recently departed and much-missed Charles "Bud" Tingwell.
To my ears each of those voice artists had a very distinctive voice, not readily altered if at all, very readily spotted among other characters, and certainly not as flexible as those of Jeremy Wilkin and (further on) Keith Alexander. I am convinced none of them voiced the above characters.
Instead I hear Richard Todd. And the DT19 pilot and policeman LOOK like Richard Todd. Put another way, The Dam Busters comes too quickly to mind!
(UPDATE: A book by Chris Bentley confirms they're all voiced by an uncredited actor, Neil McCallum. And now that I know who he is, his voice pops up in two other episodes, "Expo 2068" and "Codename Europa". I need find some of his movies listed on IMDb. Sure fooled me. Then again, in earlier Supermarionation shows I hear Walter Brennan, James Cagney and Peter Lorre. Voice acting is fun!)
If nothing else it's further proof that exceptionally talented people were involved at all levels of this production. -
LiamABC — 13 years ago(May 11, 2012 04:10 AM)
I enjoy identifying voices too. I suppose it comes from listening to lots of radio comedies, and watching a lot of animation. I can point to most of the Thunderbirds guest characters and say, "that's David Graham/Ray Barrett/whoever it is", but having only watched Captain Scarlet once through as an adult, I'm not so well up on it. (Partly because I've got it as a present for my friend, and will be parting with it in a couple of weeks!)
But it's amazing how some voices get around. Francis Matthews has done a lot of audiobooks - I've got three Alistair MacLean titles narrated by him, and know he's done at least another three. He was also the voice of Charles Paris in the original 1980s radio adaptations. But the first memory I have of him is as a guest star on Morecambe & Wise. Odd, but true. -
gojohnniegogo — 13 years ago(June 07, 2012 06:41 PM)
I remember thinking along similar lines with Thunderbirds, trying to find out who the voice of the Ocean Pioneer Captain was in "Danger at Ocean Deep". Fanderson's production index credits John Tate.
I enjoy figuring out the guest casts too, or generally in animated shows I either haven't seen before or seen in a long time and being able to say "hey that's Rob Paulsen" or "hey that's Jim Cummings" etc.
"Do I get a coconut?"
"If we get out of this, I'll buy you all the coconuts you can eat!"