The Origin of That Old-Timey Accent in Classic Movies

In the 1920s and into the 1950s, Hollywood had a particular way of talking. It was called the Midatlantic or the Transatlantic accent. But we don't speak like that anymore. The accent was acquired, so there's no line tracing it back through history — but we gave it a try.

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[weirdosclub]

Well, I just thought everybody back then spoke like that.

[vaughendustries]

- Drop R's
- Emphasize T
- Soften Vowels
- Speak with Distinction by Edith Skinner

[jnn_d]

I think there were still traces of the accent during the late 60s early 70s. I watched a movie with Kurt Russell from that era and everyone was using a lighter version of it. It's very interesting to me that it was essentially a trend. So funny!

[elsakristina]

Thumbs up if you want this accent to make a comeback

[weesalikesmilktea]

When she said "hybrid" I half expected her to shove the burger into the mug

[Jinaria]

I know it sounds fake but I think it sounds so classy like I always thought the Mid Atlantic accent was so suitable for like rich characters and such

[lylecosmopolite]

All of my life, I have noticed this peculiar accent in classic Hollywood films, and in a few other places. This video does not mention two economic explanations for it:

1. It made Hollywood more welcoming to actors from the Commonwealth (eg, Cary Grant).
2. It made classic Hollywood films easier to market throughout the Commonwealth. (Something like an American accent is spoken only in Canada, the far south of New Zealand, southwest England, and among some Irish.) It did not put Americans off, because to them it sounded posh. V S Naipaul, writing of his 1940s boyhood in Trinidad, said that Hollywood films were the primary cultural product, one that nearly all poor Trinidadians could enjoy. The mid-Atlantic accent was easier than the American accent for Trinidadians to take in stride.

I do not not agree that no one spoke like that in real life. This accent was American patrician. Some of my mother's women friends talked that way in the lower midwest in the 1950s and 60s. I have met older women IRL who talked like Blanche DuBois in A Street Car Named Desire.

[animalnstinct]

I honestly love this accent, its so classy

[Ilikewoodash]

I have a transatlantic accent! With an American Mother, an English father and being raised in Wales, my accent was a mish-mash of all of it. When I was a teenager, I got tired of everyone I met saying "is that an american accent?" so I learned how to speak "more british, " and with practice I could do that, but it shifted my default accent into a transatlantic one.

[damitzdesign]

I always tried to figure out Frazier’s accent.... Wasn’t sure if it was British or American... Now I know 👍🏼

[ryangoslinginthes]

I'm reading everything in a Transatlantic accent after watching this. Lol.

[andreab]

Cool video...BUT at the beginning, when you refer to the principles of the accent, you chose to use the word "tenants", where I think you may have meant "tenets".  Tenants inhabit a living space, and tenets are principles or characteristics of a concept or idea.

[demilovatofaith]

I am a theater major and I had to write papers about a play for three classes. Two of my professors did not know what a transatlantic accent was. The subtext of their comments were "are you crazy" and " Wtf is that".... I love these people but omg i wanted to bang my head against the wall.

[jeffnovak]

"three tenants"

So this accent has three people who occupy a residence?

[richardmcmahon]

If you want to hear plenty of this accent, listen to vintage records. Old Edison wax tube records especially. I was baffled by the accents by the artists and speakers on these, but this explains them nicely. Thanks!

[asoapboxopera]

This is precisely what I was looking for! It's short but to the point and detailed enough to understand it! Thank you so much!!!

[pureeurotrash]

I actually have this accent, I've gotten many comments from peers about it as well. I sound english to americans but american to brits.

[Variegatedmoonbeams]

The world doesn't deserve this accent, its not sophisticated enough anymore!

[jonko]

I think William Shatner used some variation of this accent in his role as Captain Kirk on the original Star Trek TV show. In the later films his voice is quite different and the same as the one he uses off-screen.

[leebrowwski]

On the topic of Frasier, Bebe, Frasier's agent was a great example of the mid atlantic accent. Julia Childs was another.