<![CDATA[Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i]]>Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Long, Hot Summer

PrometheusTree64 — 12 years ago(February 03, 2014 07:47 AM)

Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but it's also a
clever
choice because it made you lean in and listen to him more.
It's theatrical manipulation. Plus, it's not unbelievable that a "fat, ugly redneck" like that might slur much of his dialogue.
Tony Franciosa, even for the effeminized '50s, was awful, however.
I didn't buy the reconciliation with Jody at the end either. Too patseems to me Daddy Varner would be more likely to kill him when he came out of that barn.
Yes, the reconciliation was rushed and stupid. It made Papa seem like he respected his whinily disturbed son for trying to murder him - and while that may have been the point (i.e., Daddy's perverse and twisted value system) it comes off instead like a contrivance of the movie.
Non-sequiturs are delicious.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/topic/177779/welles-choice-to-go-with-a-thick-as-molasses-in-january-accent-was-what-made-much-of-what-he-said-unintelligible-but-iRSS for NodeSun, 17 May 2026 02:27:27 GMTTue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:40 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:50 GMT]]>gilper536 — 10 years ago(October 18, 2015 05:54 PM)

Orson Welles, Franciosa and Newman were EXCELLENT! I must concur in that the grey wig was annoying, but it went well with the portraited character.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490746https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490746Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:49 GMT]]>eqxander — 10 years ago(October 16, 2015 11:51 PM)

Not unwatchable, unintelligible. I actually had to turn on closed-captioning just to understand what he was mumbling, huffing, and garbling.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490745https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490745Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:48 GMT]]>dellahicks — 10 years ago(July 26, 2015 02:20 PM)

I am just watching the movie now, and I have to agree Orson Welle's, I would call it spray on tan, but I doubt they had such a product then, fake tan and purple wig ( was that an attempt at grey?) is truly distracting! He is speaking at times like he has just come from a dentist appointment, good thing for 'rewind'! I am enjoying the movie itself though, hopefully it stays intrresting!

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490744https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490744Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:47 GMT]]>robert4770 — 10 years ago(June 02, 2015 12:35 PM)

I think he borrowed his makeup from Joan Crawford in "Torchlight"

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490743https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490743Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:46 GMT]]>jmillerdp — 10 years ago(May 04, 2015 07:21 PM)

He's grating from the second he shows up. I know Martin Ritt is the director. Maybe he didn't have a choice about Welles being in this. And, I am sure that, once in the movie, Welles did whatever he wanted to do.
I. Drink. Your. Milkshake! [slurp!] I DRINK IT UP! - Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490742https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490742Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:45 GMT]]>Blondie600 — 10 years ago(April 04, 2015 04:41 PM)

Omg I'm glad other people agree with me. He was so annoying! I couldn't understand anything he said and actually quit watching the movie.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490741https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490741Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:44 GMT]]>DracTarashV — 11 years ago(March 19, 2015 02:26 PM)

For the first 30 minutes or so, he was unbearable (chewing the scenery and making everyone look insignificant - not in a good way). After that, he was more amusing to me than anything else, and so I slowly started to appreciate his entire performance.
Now while I can't say that he delivered a great performance, in a way, I think he was pretty much perfect in the role (the terrible makeup, however).
Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490740https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490740Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:43 GMT]]>fbm72751 — 11 years ago(January 30, 2015 08:55 PM)

Unwatchable? No I wouldn't go that far but who else was suited to play the part? Welles was 43 when this was filmed in 1957 (which would have made him 18 years younger than Varner) but I've looked at his other films of that time and he looked older than he was.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490739https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490739Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:42 GMT]]>kaskait — 11 years ago(August 03, 2014 05:56 PM)

I don't think he took the movie seriously, he knew it was fluff and decided to have some fun. He also kept highlighting from many angles how fake his nose was as well.
But I can't complain, I thought he was a hoot in the film and he makes me laugh frequently.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490738https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1490738Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Welles' choice to go with a thick-as-molasses-in-January accent was what made much of what he said unintelligible, but i on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:20:41 GMT]]>FranLovesBetteD — 11 years ago(April 13, 2014 08:07 AM)

Curiously, this must have been the only time I kind of could bear him a movie, despite his character wasn't likeable at all. It was much harder for me to stand him in "The Stranger" (absolutely lousy) or "Jane Eyre" (insufferable).
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop

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