Wait... THAT’S His Voice?!

Before movies had sound, actors achieved fame without their fans ever hearing their voices.

So when the talkies arrived and audiences first heard them speaking, there were a few surprises.

Here's what the best known silent movie stars actually sounded like.

[marknelson-ihsq]

Garbo & Fairbanks sounded exactly as we'd expect them to, Pickford & Arbuckle not at all, fascinating THX so much

[lisastone]

Fascinating! Thanks for an outstanding compilation of sound clips from true entertainment Greats from yesteryear. Since no person can live forever (on earth), it is a true gift to be able to see -- and hear -- these artists who came before.

[lutherwallingford]

Thank you for this. My son is in a drama class.

[kali]

I remember a gag someone did, though I can't remember where I saw it. Set at the start of the talkies, there was this great giant muscled movie-star type (modeled on Rudolph Valentino), and a studio boss sees him and said, "Boy, I think I can make you in motion pictures!" The man replied -- in the highest possible pitch a man can do -- "That sounds swell to me! I want to be a star!"

Never mind. Of course, from the one audio record I have heard of Valentino's voice, he sounded fine and might have made it in the talkies had he lived.

Everyone was so terrified at how Garbo would come across in the talkies that the studio kept her making silents for a few more years. And when she did her first talkie, she sounded exactly as we thought she would - she was perfect, making her probably the only star who was equally as popular in silents as in talkies.

[jetsons]

Out of all these, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin are the only ones I have heard of. They are both still great to watch today. What ever happened to the Keystone Kops???

[markiliff]

Someone should use that as the basis of a fi… Ah, yes. Singing in the rain. Of course. Carry on.

[Delaecress]

With the Mary Pickford clip, she was playing a character with a Southern accent. Just giving context to this video. 😁

[eblackadder]

I never knew that Fatty Arbuckle ever made a sound film. I thought he never stepped in front of a camera again after his career was ruined.

[garymazzeo]

We know what they sounded like, many did make talking pictures or recordings

[redder]

Wasn't Louise Brooks' voice dubbed by another actress that time?

[hahalol]

Buster's voice does not match his character at all its so funny

[tarahutton]

All the examples shown are of those that made the transition to talking pictures. No surprises here.