The Nature Boy

I"m watching "Guys and Dolls" for the first time on Turner Classic movies right now(8/12/03, 1am EST). But I'm stuck on the cadence. Circa late 40's/early 50's New York City, but it's some of the choppiest talk I've ever heard. No contractions whatsoever. But I'm forced to ask, was this a studio decision, standard for the time to make films play wider, or was this actually how people spoke in this time(I'm not a 50's movie buff, but it's not like anything I've heard, like "On the Waterfront" for example). The words are over annunciated to the point of pardody(sounding like Joe Mantenga's "Fat Tony" on the Simpsons").

William Fuld

That's the dialogue style Damon Runyon used in his writing.

The Nature Boy

A-ha!!! Thanks for the info. Was that typical of his style or reflective of when he wrote(which appears to be late 30's for G & D) ?

marty888

It was a very particular and very idiosychnchric style, an exaggerated "lovable New York Broadway-type mini-gangster" way of speaking. It was distictive enough so that if you heard it in a non-Damon Runyon context, you'd immediately think "Ah, sounds like a Damon Runyon character."

The Nature Boy

Well you learn something every day! I'll have to read it to check it out. But was it unusual for the time, or did it reflect some segment of NY/Mob culture when he was writing? I've heard it reflected/parodied in a few mob films, Donnie Brasco coming to mind. Not the whole film mind you, but definite segments.

I'm only so curious because it does strike me as something that would READ well, but it's just unusally to hear it.

joelgee

Not only does Damon Runyon -- who is a very well-known sports writer indeed in his time -- write in a very idiosyncratic style, but should you chance upon his short stories, you will notice that he does, in fact, write everything in present tense.

I am reading at one time or another that, in fact, there is one instance when Runyon slips up and resorts to the past tense. While I search high and low, I cannot find an example of such a thing.

Should any one encounter such a thing, I will be very grateful indeed and not tell such characters as Harry the Horse.
J

Numanoid

Isn't that future tense?

joelgee

"Isn't that future tense? "

I am at work when I write such a message and do not think as clearly as I can. Then again, I am not Damon Runyon. If you do choose to see many examples of such writing, his short stories are found in many collections, indeed.
They are often quite humorous and well written.
J