Watching an old ep of Colombo, with Roddy McDowell as the murderer, I’m reminded how much better of an actor he was prepuberty. In adulthood he lost all trace of naturalness and joined the school of acting that equated manufactured stammering with natural speech patterns. I’m trying to remember other devotees of this tried and true method. The worst offender of all time, of course, was Jack Lemmon. I simply can’t watch him because of this affectation. Another club member was Elizabeth Montgomery.
I know there are many more actors I’ve noticed with this “method,” but none come to mind at the moment. Anyone else?
I’m sure ole Larry Olivier muttered the odd stammering proclamation / entreaty / intimation / admonishment / etc.
Marty Feldman?
That observation can actually be scientifically, empirically proven wrong.
Well, ok, no, it can’t.
But almost.
I mean, really - how can…
oh…
words can’t…
Come to think of it, John Ritter got plenty of mileage out of rapidly but amiably stammering his way through situations where a likable everyman is acting as if things are as they should be — and now you’ve got me wondering if the reason that didn’t get too old too fast on THREE’S COMPANY was him eventually getting to present it as comparatively regular-guy schtick next to, y’know, Don Knotts.
