What I would give for them to redub Bob.

What's wrong with it? That is his natural voice. He didn't put it on at all for the film.

We've just been adding some contemporary reviews to the PaPAS site (http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/44_ACT/Contemporary/index.ht ml) and many of them say how much they like Bob and his gentle manner

Steve

I thought John was perfect for the role. And I adore his accent!










Yes, sir, I'm going to do nothing like she's never been done before!

Oh, his line reading was dreadfully stiff and unemotional. Such a contrast to the other, far more natural performances within the film...and I'm with you on the dubbing. Grated beyond belief.

This must be where pies go when they die.

Bob sounds like and (somewhat) resembles the American actor Robert Walker, except he is taller. Check out "Strangers on a Train" or "See Here, Private Hargrove"

I'm not so much against his accent and I'm certainly not against him as a person, but I also felt his performance was pretty grating and took away from the film. I could tell he was an amateur or at least unexperienced from the credits, where his rank is given, and his awkward line pacing only confirmed it.

Watch him carefully in many scenes: he waits for his cue perceptibly, then as soon as it comes, says his line really fast and loud. Instead of coming off as quick and witty or slower and entirely natural, the dialogue feels forced and awkward. For instance, when the constable tells him (something like), "We're not G-men here, Sergeant, so don't expect us to use Chicago methods," Bob without showing any understanding or waiting a beat, immediately turns to Alison and says loudly, "Say what's the meaning of that, I'm from Oregon!" If this was "His Girl Friday" and he was Cary Grant, it would make sense for every line to bounce back and forth super-fast because the characters are articulate and witty and that's the rhythm of the movie. Here, the film would probably be better served by Bob looking confused and asking the meaning in an aside to Alison. Either way, Bob sounds overloud, awkward, and completely staged and unnatural.

Whenever I focused on him while watching the film he would do something like this and I would immediately be taken out of the film and feel like groaning at his complete lack of acting ability. But when I avoided focusing on him, I found I could ignore his shortcomings for the most part and still enjoy the movie. I wanted to like him, I tried to like him, and by the end I sort of did. Nevertheless, he was extremely distracting and I think he took away from the film significantly. Maybe if it had been his 3rd or 4th film it would have been all right, but his lack of experience was blindingly obvious here.

Jack Webb's demand of the actors he cast in his Dragnet films and radio-plays was "Just say the words; don't ACT!"

It's obvious Bob was an amateur but it's just that rawness that puts me into WWII England with a feel for the humanity being characterized. Burgess Meredith, as much as I love him, would have diminished the result.

The first time I saw the film, I began by feeling rather like the OP. But Sweet's performance grew on me, and by the end I was completely won over. Yes, it's raw ... but he has such an innate sense of decency & sensitivity that comes through that it suits the film. In fact, at this point I feel that his performance doesn't detract from it, but actually enhances it.

I noticed his accent seemed a little 'too' American, but I think that was the point. He was not meant to sound suave and transatlantic. He's an American everyman. He's a lumberman's son, a regular guy. I think his accent was probably emphasized to show he is an American.