Marion's Accent

A

Ajax the Great

New member
Apologies if this has been discussed...I ran a search and couldn't find anything.

Is it just me, or does Marion seem to have an accent of some sort in Raiders of the Lost Ark? I find that it is most noticeable in the way she says the following lines: "I don't think we need a chaperone" and "You know, a drink?". Does Karen Allen actually talk this way? Or was it intended as a sort of Nepalese accent? These questions plague me as I attempt to focus on my Calculus homework :p!
 
The Golden Idol

The Golden Idol

New member
I have noticed it. She also has it when she says "This is for Fayah, this is for your children and this is for you... thank you." She never has it besides those moments. What's up with that?
 
Uki

Uki

Member
I don't know about an accent, but there is a different inflection to her voice and tone as she delivers those lines.
 
I

Indy's brother

New member
Marion's character was supposed to be liquored up all the time, so she was just slurring a little. The original cut of the film had her on all fours in the background of the bar fight, loudly wretching and dry-heaving. Oh, and spewing right on Toht after he delivered the line, "What shall we talk about?" in the tent. A few flecks of her vomit sprayed his spectacles. I'll look and see if I still have that footage laying around here somewhere.
 
I

Indy's brother

New member
raiders+marion+2.jpg
 
Attila the Professor

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
The Golden Idol said:
Now seriously, what was Marion's accent and does Karen Allen really speak like that? I'm getting curious.
Click to expand...

Uki's got it, of course. It's a matter of tone and inflection, not of some sort of accent. The first two lines you cite are vaguely seductive ones, while the other one also has that sort of "heartfelt" feel to it. That makes sense enough to me.
 
I

Indy's brother

New member
Of course I was kidding. I just watched a few recent interviews with Karen Allen since posting, and I can hear nothing out of the ordinary at all. Of course, she's older now, and may have a different regional accent these days, as opposed to when she was younger. This may require a viewing of Animal House (1978) for comparison, which I believe was her biggest speaking role prior to Raiders.
 
Rococo

Rococo

New member
Good question- I noticed as well, but for me it always seemed more noticable right in that first line... "Indiana Jones... I always knew someday you'd come walking back through my door. I never doubted that. Something made it inevitable."

It does seem to dissipate as the film progresses, but that really doesn't make much sense when you look at the production schedule (the order things are in the film were not really the order shot, for the most part). Inflection, delivery all seemed to play a part in it- though I agree with the OP, especially the first time I saw it, I figured there was an accent there- until I did some more research, and watched the film a few more times.
 
ChromiumBlue37

ChromiumBlue37

New member
Karen Allen is from Carrollton, Illinois. Literally farm country in the middle of nowhere, (Southern, IL). They may have a Wal-Mart Supercenter down there by now. Her accent is pure midwestern - like mine!
 
I

Indy's brother

New member
Also, Indy's Brother, Karen has since beaten her alcoholism. (Kidding!)
Click to expand...

That's awesome, I suspected as much after seeing her in KOTCS. Now, Henry Jones Sr. on the other hand, listen to the way he slushes through every word with an "S" in it. I hope he was able to beat his addiction before he passed.
 
D

DarthDave

New member
I've always noticed this. I think she has a definite accent, but most of the time you don't really hear or notice it.

In the old "Making of" doc, there's some behind the scenes footage where she has that same accent, only a lot stronger...
 
M

marion_fan

New member
her voice does sound different in raiders than all the other movies shes done but if u don't care what she sounds like than most people don't really notice btw thats a pretty pic of her up there
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top