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AIBU?

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Original poster

To quite enjoy Dick Van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins?

71 replies

HermioneWeasley · 30/12/2013 16:53

It makes the film distinctive, no?

Also, are we the only family to refer to him as "Penis van Lesbian"?

OP posts:
TheLostPelvicFloorOfPoosh · 02/01/2014 21:13

Penis Van Lesbian! Grin Grin Grin

I love Dick.

NameoftheRose · 02/01/2014 21:14

YWBVVVU not to love Dick Van Dyke's accent.

This year OH and I stayed in Whitechapel for a couple of weeks while DS2 had major surgery at the Royal London Hospital. Our accommodation looked out on rooftops where we expected to see Dick Van Dyke and mates capering about. Sadly it didn't happen.

In fact the cockney accent is not often heard in the East End these days and we only heard it spoken by one other family who also had a relative in HDU. We tried really, really hard to imitate it and were surprised how difficult it was. We thought anyone could talk cockney, but no...

We'd practise and practise but never got it right. Gave us a whole new understanding for Dick Van Dyke.

We couldn't dance across the rooftops either.

(BTW I have a Norfolk accent and OH a Manx one.)

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 21:15

Yes, DD was only 12 a month ago, so I know the pulling away is yet to come, although she keeps reassuring me that she'll be a lovely teenager!

I can highly recommend Frozen to everyone - the songs/singing are fabulous - even DS1 (almost 9, so far too cool for all this girly nonsense) was very impressed.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 21:16

A Manx accent? As in the cat?

Your husband is a cat?

JaneEyresHeir · 02/01/2014 21:17

'E's on the rooftop raight now wiv all 'is palsh.

ExitPursuedByAChristmasGrinch · 02/01/2014 21:17

I have cried with laughter trying to tell DH about Penis van Lesbian. Grin

CiderBomb · 02/01/2014 21:31

Have you ever seen My Fair Lady? Audrey Hepburn's cockney accent in that is as bad as Dick Van Dyke's in Mary Poppins IMO, but she never gets any stick for it. I've always wondered why that is?

JaneEyresHeir · 02/01/2014 21:38

Haha Cider "C'mon, Dover - move yer blooming' arse!'
Can't imagine the fabulous Audrey getting stick for anything tbh - she was such an icon! I caught a bit of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's yesterday - she was just gorgeous. I love her singing 'Moon river' in it. And 'Roman Holiday' is one of my favourite films.....
Maybe Sean Connery had the right idea - never changed his accent, regardless of the part!

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 21:39

I was looking forward to Breakfast at Tiffany's - have never seen that or My Fair Lady Shock - but it's repeated over the weekend, so will record it then and watch it (peacefully) when the dc are asleep. Bliss!

Original poster
HermioneWeasley · 02/01/2014 21:47

I don't like Audrey Hepburn and she positively ruins My Fair Lady.

You're right her accent is just as bad, she's not much if an actress, couldn't sing and barely dances, but poor old Penis Van Lesbian gets the hard time!

OP posts:
CiderBomb · 02/01/2014 21:50

Julie Andrews created the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway and desperately wanted to play her in the movie, but the film makers didn't think she was known well enough and gave the part to Audrey instead. Julie then took the part of Mary Poppins because Walt Disney was prepared to gamble on someone who wasn't well known (at that time).

She won an Oscar for it, beating Audrey Hepburn who was also nominated for My Fair Lady. Funny how things work out isn't it?

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 21:52

And Audrey had her singing dubbed in in My Fair Lady, by the same woman who did Maria in West Side Story!

I'm amazed that they passed over JA for that - delighted she won her Oscar though.

CiderBomb · 02/01/2014 21:58

The woman who dubbed for Audrey was Marni Nixon, she also played one of the nuns in the Sound of Music.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 22:01

That's her! I can never remember her name (and couldn't be arsed to Google). I always think it's Tippi Hedren, but I know she's the one from The Birds, that Hitchcock was utterly obsessed with.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 22:02

Wish I'd called my dc Marni and Tippi. DS1 may have objected, but never mind...

JaneEyresHeir · 02/01/2014 22:02

Funnily enough there's a programme on BBC4 about musical theatre just now and they've just shown a clip of Julie Andrews from the stage production of 'My Fair Lady' and talked about Marnie Nixon dubbing Audrey Hepburn's voice. Interestingly in clips of other stage productions the actresses playing Eliza have very stylised and exaggerated Cockney accents.

JaneEyresHeir · 02/01/2014 22:08

Marni (not Marnie, sorry). She also dubbed Deborah Kerr's singing voice in The King and I and An Affair to Remember.

revivingsnowshower · 02/01/2014 22:18

I can't imagine JA doing a cockney accent either, although her singing voice is amazing. Have you seen her in princess diaries, she makes a very good Queen, but sadly she can't really sing much any more, she had a problem with her throat.

Original poster
HermioneWeasley · 02/01/2014 22:33

Marni Nixon also does the voice of one of the geese in the "jolly holiday" bit of Mary Poppins.

See how we've come full circle?

OP posts:
JaneEyresHeir · 02/01/2014 22:48

Gotta love Mumsnet Grin

CiderBomb · 02/01/2014 22:56

The two little children were also in the Three Lives of Thomasina and The Gnome Mobile. They were so cute, especially the little girl.

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