Cinema's Secret History

EP 2 How Richard Burton got his Voice

Film presenter Antonia Quirke reports from Pontrhydyfen a small village in the Afan Valley, in Neath Port Talbot Port Talbot in South Wales which is the birthplace of one of her favourite movie actors; Richard Burton. Here she uncovers the development of his cinematic voice.

In this programme Antonia uses Burton's voice to illustrate how cinematic voices have changed and she meets with leading dialect coach Penny Dyer to deconstruct it along with examining the new methods deployed in today's films
Richard Burton had a strong Welsh accent and a weak voice as a child. However when his adoptive father saw how talented he was at remembering Shakespeare and other poetry, he ironed out the Welsh accent and took him outside to the valleys to project loudly across them. For months and years the young Richard did this - literally yelling King Lear across the mountains - until he arrived at the incomparably strong almost-Welsh voice we know and love.

Burton's voice was idiosyncratic, often strange and powerful with unusual speech patterns. His public and private voice was one and the same.

Sian Phillips discusses her film roles alongside Burton, and in a new study, cultural historian Peter Stead tells how Burton's Welshness shaped his character and career.

We also hear from actor and voice over artist Simon Greenall and impressionist Jon Culshaw who dissect Burton's voice and reveal how they create their own vocal sounds and adapt their mimicry. .

Producer: Stephen Garner.

Antonia Quirke uses Richard Burton's voice to illustrate how cinematic voices have changed

Antonia Quirke uses her knowledge and contacts to reveal secrets of the movie industry.

EP 2 How Richard Burton got his Voice

Film presenter Antonia Quirke reports from Pontrhydyfen a small village in the Afan Valley, in Neath Port Talbot Port Talbot in South Wales which is the birthplace of one of her favourite movie actors; Richard Burton. Here she uncovers the development of his cinematic voice.

In this programme Antonia uses Burton's voice to illustrate how cinematic voices have changed and she meets with leading dialect coach Penny Dyer to deconstruct it along with examining the new methods deployed in today's films
Richard Burton had a strong Welsh accent and a weak voice as a child. However when his adoptive father saw how talented he was at remembering Shakespeare and other poetry, he ironed out the Welsh accent and took him outside to the valleys to project loudly across them. For months and years the young Richard did this - literally yelling King Lear across the mountains - until he arrived at the incomparably strong almost-Welsh voice we know and love.

Burton's voice was idiosyncratic, often strange and powerful with unusual speech patterns. His public and private voice was one and the same.

Sian Phillips discusses her film roles alongside Burton, and in a new study, cultural historian Peter Stead tells how Burton's Welshness shaped his character and career.

We also hear from actor and voice over artist Simon Greenall and impressionist Jon Culshaw who dissect Burton's voice and reveal how they create their own vocal sounds and adapt their mimicry. .

Producer: Stephen Garner.

Antonia Quirke uses Richard Burton's voice to illustrate how cinematic voices have changed

Antonia Quirke uses her knowledge and contacts to reveal secrets of the movie industry.

Episode 1: The Script Supervisor

Film presenter Antonia Quirke reports from the set of the new Richard Eyre film The Children Act to examine the essential and often undervalued role of script supervisor. She talks with Susanna Lenton about her work and responsibilities in managing continuity for this movie including the movements of actors, props and set dressing during a scene.

Another modern day script supervisor Karen Jones whose film credits include Stage Beauty and Rush explains to Antonia some of the bizarre tasks and unique skills required to work in this area of film, along with her relationship with actors and directors and how the demands of the job envelope her life.

In the early days of Cinema the script supervisor was usually called the script girl as the role was mainly associated with women. Antonia meets with Britain's most famous script girl Angela Allen whose credits boast major films such as The African Queen and The Third Man and working with Marilyn Monroe and Clarke Gable.

Antonia also travels to Paris to meet with Allen's French equivalent Sylvette Baudrot whose career started in 1950 on the Jean Cocteau film Orpheus and is still working, providing continuity assistance for the latest Roman Polanski movie.

In film work today a director will rewind his material very quickly to take a look digitally in the camera at who was standing where and who was doing what. In the old days of actual film, this was impossible. It was all in the script girl's head. As Antonia discovers they were, in their own way very powerful and over the years many of the leading directors have come to rely heavily on them.

Producer: Stephen Garner.

Antonia Quirke explores the pivotal role of the script supervisor.

Antonia Quirke uses her knowledge and contacts to reveal secrets of the movie industry.

Episode 1: The Script Supervisor

Film presenter Antonia Quirke reports from the set of the new Richard Eyre film The Children Act to examine the essential and often undervalued role of script supervisor. She talks with Susanna Lenton about her work and responsibilities in managing continuity for this movie including the movements of actors, props and set dressing during a scene.

Another modern day script supervisor Karen Jones whose film credits include Stage Beauty and Rush explains to Antonia some of the bizarre tasks and unique skills required to work in this area of film, along with her relationship with actors and directors and how the demands of the job envelope her life.

In the early days of Cinema the script supervisor was usually called the script girl as the role was mainly associated with women. Antonia meets with Britain's most famous script girl Angela Allen whose credits boast major films such as The African Queen and The Third Man and working with Marilyn Monroe and Clarke Gable.

Antonia also travels to Paris to meet with Allen's French equivalent Sylvette Baudrot whose career started in 1950 on the Jean Cocteau film Orpheus and is still working, providing continuity assistance for the latest Roman Polanski movie.

In film work today a director will rewind his material very quickly to take a look digitally in the camera at who was standing where and who was doing what. In the old days of actual film, this was impossible. It was all in the script girl's head. As Antonia discovers they were, in their own way very powerful and over the years many of the leading directors have come to rely heavily on them.

Producer: Stephen Garner.

Antonia Quirke explores the pivotal role of the script supervisor.

Antonia Quirke uses her knowledge and contacts to reveal secrets of the movie industry.