MovieChat Forums > The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) Discussion > Calling all Scots

Calling all Scots

posted 14 years ago by ccoutroulos
15 replies | jump to latest

I wonder how you would rate the various attempts at Scottish accents by the non-Scottish performers. (Gordon Jackson, Rona Anderson, Margo Cunningham, Isla Cameron and Mollie Weir, at least, were genuine Scots.)

(One of the reviewers said they were terrible, as did a Scottish lady I asked. When I asked her about Maggie Smith, she said, "She was all right," though perhaps she just didn't want to disillusion me. (I wouldn't have lost any sleep over it if she had.))

I'm a non-Scot, but I could sometimes tell when Pamela Franklin's and Celia Johnson's native English accents came through. (They both dropped a few r's, for example, though so did Gordon Jackson, at least.) I thought some of Ms. Johnson's a's sounded more American than Scottish (in the words "fantasies" and "demanding," for example). None of this mattered to me. I still thought they were both fantastic (the actresses, not the a's).

Curious to hear your opinions. Thanks.

[–] phelpsg1 14 years ago

My partner, who is Scottish, said that Maggie Smith's accent is "the accent of an Edinburgh woman who is trying to sound more genteel. She lapses back into typical Scottish accent under times of stress." She handles the accent very well (no doubt the director can take some credit for this).

[–] Hammerfanatic46 13 years ago

As a Scot from Edinburgh in my view Maggie Smith's accent is just right for Miss Brodie's social class in this period . The dialect is known as "Morningside" locally from an affluent neighbourhood in the City.Most of the actors are Scottish of course,but those of the English actors are of variable accuracy.

Gordon P. Clarkson

[–] ccoutroulos 13 years ago

You say the accents of the English actors are of variable accuracy. Could you (or someone else) elaborate on that? Thanks!

[–] Hammerfanatic46 13 years ago

Certainly.Celia Johnson's is very poor,on the other hand,I would say that of Dianne Grayson's is a pretty good effort.Of course,it has to be remembered that all of the Edinburgh accents heard in the film are Middle-Class accents (of the time,as opposed to Middle-Class in the modern sense of,"average people".)They would not be typical of the Edinburgh accent spoken by most people then.

Gordon P. Clarkson

[–] Beck_Mill_00 13 years ago

I have a good ear for accents, but like anyone not native to an area, I'm not going to be able to discern the authenticity of the Scottish accents as well as someone who's lived their all their lives.

I do think most of the cast made decent efforts at it. I thought Maggie Smith did a very good job, and I'm glad a real Scott like the poster above confirmed how well she did. The young girls I thought did admirably, although you could hear the English accents slipping through every now and again. I thought Gordon Jackson did very well too.

Was the Teddy Lloyd character not supposed to be Scottish at all? Because, IMO, Robert Stephens didn't even make any attempt at all to sound Scottish. He just seemed to keep his posh and stuffy English accent throughout the entire film.

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"Shut your mouth when you talk to me!"

[–] rrb 13 years ago

Considering Gordon Jackson was Scottish...yes, I'd say his Scottish accent was pretty good.

[–] ccoutroulos 13 years ago

Robert Stephens' character is not supposed to be Scottish. (If I remember correctly, in the book he was Welsh.)

He does use a couple of Scottish pronunciations as "special effects," much as you or I might imitate someone else's accent. (When Miss Brodie asks by whom she is considered dangerous, he says, "it is the consaynsus." Also, when scolding Mary MacGregor in his studio, he pronounces her name in the Scots manner (including the final "r").

[–] shumwayfrommelmac 13 years ago

Too bad they couldn't use the Vikings with Scottish accents from "How to Train Your Dragon".

[–] EllisFowler 13 years ago

Considering Gordon Jackson was Scottish...yes, I'd say his Scottish accent was pretty good.

LOL
This reminds me of a post somewhere that claimed that Rod Taylor's attempt at an Australian accent in The V.I.P.s was awful which I found hysterical considering that the Australian-born Taylor lived in his homeland until he was in his 20s.

[–] rrb 13 years ago

I'm a New Yorker, & I remember being shocked when I found out Rod Taylor wasn't American. His accent was pitch-perfect.

[–] ronfirv 13 years ago

I was born and mostly brought up in Edinburgh,and let me say, Maggie Smith's accent was spot-on. (As her mother was from Glasgow, am sure that had some effect!)
As a very good example of a middle class Edinburgh accent, listen to the former Labour Chancellor, Alistair Darling.
As Dame Muriel said, Edinburgh is a state of mind.
Or as the splendid Miss Brodie told her set, remember girls you are citizens of Edinburgh......., hold your heads up, up.
No quibbles at all with any of the actors' accents - the entire film remains a triumph!

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] hodie 12 years ago

I am a NYer who is clueless about accents. But I do love this film.

[–] marilynnewman 11 years ago

Since most of the people are Scottish, they should have the accents, and Maggie Smith's ex husband should know a Scottish accent, as she was from Scotland.

[–] ronfirv 11 years ago

Well, am all but sure Dame Maggie regards herself as Scottish but she was born in England of a Scottish mother. She has retained the middle class Scottish accent all the same.