Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2012 December 29

= December 29 =

Singers and Actors
Most singers are also actors or actresses and most actors and actresses are also singers. Why?

Republicanism (talk) 07:46, 29 December 2012 (UTC)


 * The simple answer is that, if you go to drama or stage school, you are taught to sing and dance as well as act. That explains your assertion that "most actors are also singers". However I don't believe that "most singers are also actors". Some solo singers get put into film roles and sink or swim. Just appearing on screen doesn't make you an actor (Elvis Presley), and just singing on a record doesn't make you a singer (see Lee Marvin).--TammyMoet (talk) 10:26, 29 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Best examples of legal torture: Clint Eastwood in Paint Your Wagon, William Shatner's musical career. Clarityfiend (talk) 10:36, 29 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Then again, some singers aren't singers. Mrs. Miller, for example. And some actors aren't actors. Tor Johnson, for example. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:17, 29 December 2012 (UTC)


 * There are, of course, numerous actors who tried to sing and there are numerous singers who tried to act. However, when it comes to name those who were well known in both fields the list shrinks to but a hand full:  Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Lotte Lenya, Liza Minelli, Charles Aznavour, Johnny Depp (guitar), Woody Allen (clarinet) and maybe a few more.  Even then, half of those are borderline cases who were great singers but lousy actors or the other way round.  That is far away from being "most…"   --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 00:14, 31 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Gene Kelly did a fair bit of (passable) singing and (reasonable) acting in addition to (superb) dancing. --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  00:31, 31 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Yep, I agree. The same applies to my late estranged country man Fred Astaire.  That probably leaves us with Sinatra and Aznavour.  Anybody else ?  --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 00:47, 31 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Babs did alright for herself. Petula Clark wasn't a bad actress. Paul Robeson should also be in the discussion. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:19, 31 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Barbra Streisand, definitely. Kathryn Grayson, Mario Lanza, Jeanette MacDonald and probably a few others would qualify in both camps.  --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  01:21, 31 December 2012 (UTC)
 * How could we forget Judy Garland? Clarityfiend (talk) 01:27, 31 December 2012 (UTC)
 * And Bing Crosby. --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  01:51, 31 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Not to mention people like Bobby Darin, David Hasselhoff, Cher, Madonna, Ed Ames, David Cassidy, Craig McLachlan and Jason Donovan. Even Willie Nelson's made some movies. --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  02:13, 31 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Other actors who do music (not necessarily singers): Jennifer Lopez, The Monkees, Flight of the Conchords, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, L L Cool J, Ludacris, Ice T, Ice Cube, Miley Cyrus, Bjork, Kevin Bacon, Jason Schwartzman, Rick Springfield, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis, etc. Do they have to be good at both? (Lots of these aren't.) Staecker (talk) 12:53, 31 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Please provide evidence to support your claim?! I would say in my mind those that do both are in the severe minority... gaz hiley  09:10, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

The new release of Les Miserables brings us Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, plus a cast of thousands of lesser players. HiLo48 (talk) 22:43, 31 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Don't forget the time-honoured tradition of using singers to sing the song, and actors to play the part, lipsynching the song, thus taking the credit. Off the top of my head I can only think of the theme from Flashdance - What a Feeling, which was sung by Irene Cara and not the actress who played Alex in the film. I'm sure there are better examples that people can think of --TammyMoet (talk) 10:47, 1 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Our article on Climb Ev'ry Mountain from the movie Sound of Music says "Peggy Wood's singing voice is ghosted by Margery MacKay, the wife of the rehearsal pianist Harper MacKay, as Wood was not able to sing the high notes of the song.Italic text"


 * Marni Nixon is the QLM (Queen of Lipsynching in Musicals). She was the voice of Deborah Kerr in The King and I and An Affair to Remember, Natalie Wood in West Side Story, and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.  --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  20:14, 1 January 2013 (UTC)
 * "The Ghostess with the Mostess". It's interesting to play some of those selections back-to-back and hear Marni's voice in all of them. She also appears on-screen early in The Sound of Music. You probably knew all that already. :) ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 11:35, 3 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Yep, but maybe others didn't. --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  22:24, 3 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Good point. And continuing that theme, here she is in TSOM, as Sister Sophia. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:10, 5 January 2013 (UTC)

Disney Soundtracks
Why do some Disney movies and TV shows have soundtracks and others don't? Republicanism (talk) 07:48, 29 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Does The Walt Disney Company answer your question? If not please give us examples of what Disney movies you think don't have a soundtrack.--Shantavira|feed me 12:29, 29 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Money, if you mean by "soundtrack" an album one can purchase. If the music is too generic or lacking in songs, they won't bother selling it 'cause no one will buy it.  Mingmingla (talk) 19:45, 29 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes, that would be a soundtrack album then, i.e. just the music from the soundtrack.--Shantavira|feed me 09:02, 30 December 2012 (UTC)

Length of Pokemon episode?
What is the average length of an episode of the Pokémon anime? NealCruco (talk) 17:30, 29 December 2012 (UTC)
 * With over 700 episodes, I refuse to do the math, but a quick sampling of the English-dubbed episodes over on Pokemon.com (which don't include the closing credits) has them coming in at just over 20 minutes, give or take a few seconds. Add the credits back and you'll reach around 22 minutes, which is fairly standard for most half-hour TV shows. Mingmingla (talk) 19:43, 29 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Thank you. That sounds about right. NealCruco (talk) 23:24, 30 December 2012 (UTC)