Why was Peter Coffin's Voice Dubbed/
Why was the voice of peter Coffin, the innkeeper, overdubbed with the Director John Ford's voice?
shareThe director is John Huston. Probably poorly recorded, happened alot in those days. Take 2!
shareIt is slightly irritating. Peter Coffin, especially in some of the earliest scenes, is visibly speaking in a soft tone but his voice sounds like he is speaking loudly: The lip sync matches but the tone and inflection don't - to an obvious point.
I'm aware that in this era of film the post production dubbing was done often, and so problems like this occasionally show up. They are more a limitation of the technology at the time rather than the actors.
Still, it does stick out, especially given the fact that you don't see it in modern films.
Post synching dialogue is done all the time these days, too. What's interesting about the Spouter Inn scene in MOBY DICK is that it was shot on a sound stage (I think it was Elstree Studios). When filmmakers shoot on location, many elements can interfere with recording a good dialogue track (a passing plane or boat, a car radio, or even the hubbub of faraway pedestrians). Shooting a film in a studio gives the production team uncompromising environmental control which should allow unfettered live recording of dialogue.
Why Joseph Tomelty's (Peter Coffin) voice was post-dubbed, I can't guess. I often wondered if it wasn't that John Huston wanted to be in the picture in some capacity, and used this opportunity as an inside joke.
My guess is that the actor was Irish and perhaps couldn't handle the regional Nantucket accent, so was dubbed over by Huston.
ryung
Good guess, but does John Huston sound like he's from New England?
shareOK, I just caught A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1958) about the sinking of the Titanic. James Tomelty plays the ship's doctor. He - as I imagine he does in real life - has a heavy Irish brogue. Perhaps when he played Peter Coffin in MOBY DICK, director John Huston thought the accent was inappropriate and re-cast the voice.
shareI doubt if an Irish accent would have been considered a problem. The picture is full of British actors making no effort to sound like Nantucketers. I seem to remember, in the book, a chapter where the crew are all chatting and come across as a veritable United Nations.
It ain't like it used to be. But it'll do.