Film Industry TricksAt the end of every film there is a long list of credits which acknowledge all those who contributed in some way - big or small - to the production. The credits usually include everyone from the director, producers, photographer, writers and editor right down to less significant persons such as the gaffer and tea-boy.
In Dr.No, Nikki's sexy voice replaced the thick Germanic accent of Ursula Andress. Yes, every word spoken (and sung) by Honey Rider was the voice of British actress Nikki van der Zyl. Her vocal performance undoubtedly contributed to the success of the film. But you will look in vain for any mention of Nikki's name in the credits.
The deception was so successful that the producers were able to use little-known foreign actresses with limited acting ability in the subsequent Bond films. They may have looked good on screen, but the all-important seductive voices were supplied by Nikki van der Zyl.
OK, you might say, Nikki didn't get any credits but she must have been richly rewarded for her work, after all the Bond films made millions (and go on making millions). Think again; she was paid a pittance for what was normally just one or two days' work. Because she was so efficient, she usually achieved a perfect match with one or two 'takes' and therefore only received a session fee. (A 'session' is half a day.)
Nikki was also was the unsung 'star' of many other films and added lustre to the performance of the likes of Racquel Welch, Anita Ekberg, Shirley Eaton, Eunice Gayson, Claudine Auger, Jane Seymour, ...... and many, many others whose names have yet to be revealed. Nikki went on to revoice Ursula Andress again in She and The Blue Max.
Nikki's unique versatility was proven once more in One Million Years BC (right), where only she could be relied upon to grunt in the authentic Neanderthal way!
Next time you are watching a film, look carefully and see if you can detect which actresses have been dubbed. Unless you already know, you will not detect Nikki's voice, which is why the deception was never discovered - but you might detect those actresses who were dubbed by persons less skilled than her, and where the lip synchronisation is less than perfect.
Oh, incidentally male actors are revoiced too, (and I don't just mean Homer Simpson!) .... but that's another story altogether and has the potential to damage too many screen egos - and ruin careers.
The technical term for revoicing (commonly called dubbing) is post-synchronisation. As the term suggests, the key to it is the exact matching of the replacement voice with the lip movement of the actor/actress you see on the screen. This is difficult enough when the actor speaks English badly and introduces wrong intonations and emphasis. It is even more difficult when a foreign film is dubbed and the original lip movement does not match the English translation.
How is it done?
The techniques of dubbing - and who else has been 'done' - will be disclosed in future updates on this site. Also to be discussed; Nikki's work on the Harry Palmer films (Funeral in Berlin, The Ipcress File). Add me to your Favourites now.