George Sanders and Robert Osbourne question

[therealfuster]

Recently while watching TCM, I saw Robert Osbourne discussing a film of Sanders, and I noted that he pronounced Sanders' name, to rhyme with "land".

 

Perhaps I have always heard it pronounced wrong, and by people who are affected, but I've more often heard it pronounced to rhyme with the word "fond".

 

Now the people I've heard say it the latter way, are people who were alive in the 1940's, and actually saw his films when they first appeared, and one of them is British also, which might explain the discrepancy and maybe they are giving it a bit of a posh accent.

 

So which is it? Does anyone have an authorative source of how Sanders pronounced his own name, and not just what someone born in 1985 thinks who never knew him obviously. I really am curious.

 

I've seen supposed film critics or cognescenti mispronounce the last name of director Michael Curtiz, as if it was like the name of Tony Curtis, so I would prefer a source who either actually knew Sanders, worked with or was married to him...like Zsa Zsa.

 

I am reminded of a rerun I saw of Truman Capote appearing on the Dick Cavett show, and Dick corrected Truman's pronunciation of author Willa Cather's name [not knowing Capote was friends with her] and Truman said "Thank you Dick....I will be sure to tell her that she has been pronouncing her last name incorrectly since infancy."

 

Thank you for any assistance!

 

 

[sandykaypax]

Hmmm...well, the way my English friends pronounce my name (Sandy) and the way my American family and friends say it do sound different. The Americans make the "a" a flat sound and the English definitely soften it into more of an "ah" sound. So, my guess would be that it is simply a matter of accents.

 

Sandy K

[therealfuster]

but I may have neglected to mention that the majority of the American film buffs I am referring to, who watched Sanders in films during WWII, pronounce his name to rhyme with "fond" and not to rhyme with "land" like Robert Osbourne.

 

So I'd like an official judgment from someone who heard his name pronounced during the time he appeared in films.

 

Much thanks for your input though, and one wonders if fans in Britain did pronounce it different, but surely there was one correct way to say Sanders, of which George approved.

[deeanddaisy666]

An answer straight from across the pond.....

 

George Sanders would have pronounced his name with a long 'a', as in 'art'.

[therealfuster]

you are a Jack Lord fan or one of the Matrix, but from where are you from in general, Stoney?

 

I'm guessing British Isles?

 

Are you saying that all people there pronounce the "a" in the name Sanders as in "art", or you specifically know that George Sanders did?

 

I need official insider proof before I believe, or I'd already be believing Osbourne. Just call me the Doubting Thomas type.

 

Your version is closer to what I've heard from older film buffs about his name, than Osbourne's version which sounded more nasally American.

 

I'm not saying poor Robert sounds nasal, just the typical American sound for a short "a" sound, as when he said Sanders' name.

 

I like Mr. Osbourne, and he can't help it he is American...haha. So am I, and I am glad I live here so I can get TCM!

 

It is interesting to know what the common British pronunciation is though...regardless.

 

So thanks!

[deeanddaisy666]

Nope, not I, a friend in the UK.

 

I'm strictly New Yawk, and say it Sand-ers, as in Land-ers. Matrix? Strictly Jack Lord.

[tflight9]

When Americans talk about the "sand" at the beach they pronounce the word as they would in "land". Thus, as they would in the word "Sanders".

 

I've been viewing George Sanders movies for years and always refer to him as "Sanders" rather than "Sonders", so I think Osborne was correct. At least here in America, that's the way I've heard his name spoken. I don't doubt that his name is said differently in the U.K.

[ayresorchids]

In his commentary on the DVD "Call Me Madam," musical film scholar Miles Kreuger also calls him Sanders ('a' pronounced as in 'land').

[therealfuster]

pain in the you know what, but I can't agree with this:

 

"When Americans talk about the "sand" at the beach they pronounce the word as they would in "land". Thus, as they would in the word "Sanders"."

 

Sure, this is true in normal words, but not surnames...each country has different pronunciations, but as for people's names, there is always the preferred pronunciation by the object, and not a regional alternative.

 

For example [not that she is British but the way] I might say the name of Dana Wynters, is pronounced with a long "a", yet when one hears official recognition of her, in reality it appears "Dana" was pronounced like "Donna" apparently.

 

Even though I say normal words as "sand" with my American accent, a surname I would pronounce as the famous person says it in their own country. Just as I would say the surname of Michael Curtiz as "Curteez" and not in an American style to sound like Curtis, as in Tony Curtis.

 

A surname pronunciation is different than a pronunciation of in general words. One always should adopt the person's own specific pronunciation in respect.

 

One does not pronounce Marcello Mastroanni, as Marsello Mastroanni...just because they are American and in America the "c" would sound like an "s".

 

I want verification by someone official who knew how Sanders pronounced his name, and how he wanted his name pronounced.

 

I'll swear I've heard one of his ex-wives say it to rhyme with "fond". I'll go with an ex-wife's belief, any day over some current film scholar on tv. At least an ex-wife would know how her hubby's name was pronounced.

 

All the time, I hear Jeanne Crain's name mispronounced by narrators on tv, so I don't trust them just because they are chosen to speak her name publically as official hosts on some movie channel.

[ayresorchids]

And then there's the whole Luise Rainer argument!

 

And Carnegie--all these years I've been saying CARN-uh-ghie, not Car-NEG-ie...

[tflight9]

Well, I'm not going to quibble over Sanders--but I do think Americans have always pronounced his surname the way they say "sand", so I don't blame Osborne for such a "mistake". It's merely a matter of the broad "a" used in the U.K. and either way is probably acceptable.

 

As for "Cur-teez" as in "Curtiz" (Michael Curtiz), the spelling alone is a clue as to the fact it isn't pronounced as "Curtis". At least it is to me, anyway!!

 

Oh, for the good old days when stars seemed to have simpler monikers than they do today--with names like Robert Young and Bob Hope...as opposed to Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche and Kristin Scott Thomas!!)

 

 

[edgedrv]

On the recent DVD release of ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND they included a featurette of the London premiere of this film. At that premiere the host announced one of the stars attending and coming up to the mike now is George Sanders (pronounced "Sand"). So its seems both America and Britain pronounced the name the same way.