Ever notice that 50s nostalgia shows and movies in the 1970s give everyone a New York accent? (1980, tv show)

[Tracysherm]

Just an odd realization that dawned on me this morning (I often get small epiphanies in the shower, and this one is certainly small).

In the 1970s (when I was a kid) there was a lot of 1950s nostalgia in entertainment. I think American Graffiti kicked it off but then it was epitomized by the TV shows Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and the movie Grease.

Happy Days, and its spin-off Laverne & Shirley, took place in 1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But many main characters spoke with New York/ Brooklyn accents for no apparent reason. The Fonz talked like he was from New York, but Richie, Potsie, and Ralph didn't. But they were supposedly nerds and Fonzie was cool, so maybe a New York accent mean someone was "cool"? After all, Fonzie's ultimate girlfriend, Pinky Tuscadero, also talked like she was from New York. Henry Winkler in real life did not have that accent so it was affected for the role for some unknown reason.

Then on Laverne & Shirley, Laverne had a definite, severe NY accent (I think Penny Marshall did in real life, but she could have hidden it and tried to sound more like someone from Wisconsin). Early on, Shirley had a similar accent, but it went away as the show went on. But Mr. DiFazio talked like he moved there from New York like 15 minutes ago. Lenny & Squiggy also had NY accents. Laverne and Shirley had a reunion with a group of high school friends, and they all had New York accents. So now I got the message that people in the 50s spoke with NY accents, and people in Wisconsin also spoke with NY accents. I remember in one episode something had supposedly happened in a place called Fister Park, but they were saying "Fisteh Pawk" and I didn't really get what they were actually saying.

Then we come to my favorite movie from childhood--Grease. I watched it at least a hundred times, and even had it memorized. They were in southern California, in the LA area, but all the guys and many of the girls had New York accents. I know that the movie was based on a stage musical, which I never saw, and I assume that maybe it took place in New York. But why would they make the movie take place in LA, but give everyone NY accents? The exception of course was Olivia Newton John--since they couldn't hide her Aussie accent, they made Sandy into an Australian transplant. But next time you watch it, you'll notice all the New York accents. What was the purpose? None of the actors had this accent in real life, and they were playing teens in LA in the 50s, so why adopt a New York accent?

I guess that by age 8, all I knew of the 50s I had learned from Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Grease, and I got the message that people in the 50s must have spoken with New York accents.

Anyway, I have no idea why this was, and I have no idea why it struck me just this morning, but it's a little odd. Just an observation.....

[SandyJet]

Wisconsin used to be very Italian as well as German. Fonzie was most likely a kid from NY whose parents moved to Milawukee from Brooklyn. The rest of gang was most likely second or third generation German. Scott Baio is from Brooklyn. I spent 8 weeks in Milawaukee and some old time Italian Restaurants you swear you were in Brooklyn. Also Fonzie was not supposed to a major part of show, it just happened. Remember, "greesers" were popular back them as the play was a big hit on broadway at the time. So they stuck it in.

Greese was a New York City play for many many years and were extremely popular. My High School even went and saw it on Broadway. Everyone in the Stage show pretty much had a NY accent and why not the show had a long long broadway run and all the folk lived in NY.

Also Penny Marshall and her dad Gary Marshall live in California, the show happy days were made in California just like Laverne and Shirley was. What is a california accent? Surfer dudes and valley girls came about in the 1980s. Most relatives or friends I know from California who were born there, the parents or grandparents moved there, very often from NY.

Heck why did Mork from Ork who was on happy days have a Chicago Accent? He was an Alien.

[SandyJet]

Roz Kelly is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli's girlfriend Carol "Pinky" Tuscadero on the hit television series Happy Days. Wikipedia
Born: July 29, 1943 (age 71), Mount Vernon, NY

Henry Winkler, Born: October 30, 1945 (age 68), Manhattan, New York City, NY

Ron Howard, Born: March 1, 1954 (age 60), Duncan, OK
Anson Williams Born: September 25, 1949 (age 65),LA Calif
Donny Most Born: August 8, 1953 (age 61), Brooklyn, NY


Albert Francis "Al" Molinaro is a retired American actor in television and films, most notably as Al Delvecchio, the owner of Arnold's on Happy Days and its spin-off show Joanie Loves Chachi, Born: June 24, 1919 (age 95), Kenosha, WI

Al Molina is only one on show from WI.

So these kids all were in same grade in school and Potsie was five years older than Richie and Pinkie was 11 years older than Richie. Yet she hung out with HS kids.

[Tracysherm]

It's just that the New York accents in these two shows and one movie were extremely pronounced. In most cases, they were also affected. I'm sure all those actors in Grease did not have NY accents in real life, but they developed them for the roles. It doesn't matter if the play the movie was based upon took place in NY. The movie took place in California. There was no need to have most of the cast speak like they were from Brooklyn. No, they didn't need to speak like surfer dudes (I don't think that style existed in the 50s) but they could have spoken in a more accent-neutral way.

Yes Henry Winkler came form New York, but in real life he did not, and still does not, use the heavy accent Fonzie had.

Sure, lots of actors are from California, and they may have had parents who came from New York, but I would imagine that part of becoming a professional actor involves getting rid of whatever accent you have (being able to speak accent-neutrally) and developing a believable accent for the person you are playing. Penny Marshall was a better director than actor (actually a pretty terrible actress) so I understand that she didn't have the capability to hide her over-the-top New York accent and affect a Wisconsin accent. But what's the excuse for the others?

And what's the reason for the ones who went out of their way to develop a fake New York accent for these roles?

[artemis]

Originally Posted by SandyJet

Wisconsin used to be very Italian as well as German. Fonzie was most likely a kid from NY whose parents moved to Milawukee from Brooklyn. The rest of gang was most likely second or third generation German. Scott Baio is from Brooklyn. I spent 8 weeks in Milawaukee and some old time Italian Restaurants you swear you were in Brooklyn. Also Fonzie was not supposed to a major part of show, it just happened. Remember, "greesers" were popular back them as the play was a big hit on broadway at the time. So they stuck it in.

Greese was a New York City play for many many years and were extremely popular. My High School even went and saw it on Broadway. Everyone in the Stage show pretty much had a NY accent and why not the show had a long long broadway run and all the folk lived in NY.

Also Penny Marshall and her dad Gary Marshall live in California, the show happy days were made in California just like Laverne and Shirley was. What is a california accent? Surfer dudes and valley girls came about in the 1980s. Most relatives or friends I know from California who were born there, the parents or grandparents moved there, very often from NY.

Heck why did Mork from Ork who was on happy days have a Chicago Accent? He was an Alien.

Mork had a Chicago accent because Robin Williams was from in Chicago.