Happy St. Patty’s Day! Screenhead has a decent but disappointingly short list of the Best and Worst Irish Accents in Cinema. I can’t really disagree with any of the three choices on either side of the fence (despite my devotion to Samantha Morton’s acting talents, bad accent or not), but I must gang up with the commenters in addressing some major exclusions in the worst category. Certainly Tom Cruise in Far and Away, yes Richard Gere in The Jackal, definitely the unmentioned Brad Pitt in The Devil’s Own.
But I most agree with comment #7 that Orson Welles in The Lady from Shanghai, which I just saw for the first time a few weeks ago, has given us the worst fake Irish accent of all time. Maybe it’s not the most inaccurate, though it is surely the most annoying. It’s so awful it’s driving me to drink just thinking about it. Take a listen to the narration in the video above to hear it for yourself. By the way, it might go down a bit easier with the clip I’ve chosen, as it features some really bad colorization that mutes Charles Lawton’s otherwise stunning cinematography. Watched as the film should be watched, though, Welles’ voice is more distinct, intrusive and offensive. It really makes a should-be-great film unwatchable save for in an academic setting.
Anyway, now that I’ve possibly ruined your holiday, let me ask this: are Irish accents the most faked in cinema? I figure a general British accent is actually more faked. So what is it about the Irish accent that gets more attention when faked? Is it more difficult? Is it more obvious to the ear when done badly? Is it just so notable because every March 17 we have to suffer some co-worker or friend attempting one for laughs?
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