Have you ever wondered what makes a voice or a sound spooky? What exactly are the elements needed to make something give you that spine-chilling feeling or that haunting memory that sticks with you?
Well it’s that time of year again. As days get colder, depending on where you are in the world, we start looking toward more chilling entertainment. Whether you’re more of a Great Pumpkin aficionado or a lover of all things horror, now is the time to grab a blanket and indulge.
Before we dive into the elements of the soundtracks of your autumnal entertainment, let’s look at some of the voices that have been iconic when we think of October and spookiness.
Classic Spooky Voices
-
Boris Karloff
Of course, this is where we had to start. Boris’ voice is about as iconic as it comes for that spooky element. Born in 1887, Boris was an English actor, best known for his roles in early horror and thriller movies from the early days of Hollywood, including Frankenstein in 1931, Bride of Frankenstein in 1935, and Son of Frankenstein in 1939. You’ll see a theme there and he wasn’t just in these Frankenstein movies. He played Frankenstein’s monster. Yes, the Frankenstein monster you’re picturing in your mind, with the deep, dark eyes, angular face and broad forehead. That was Boris, with makeup and costumery, of course. But Boris Karloff was Frankenstein’s monster and still is in many ways. So we had to start here.
-
Rod Serling
Don’t know that name? Well, you definitely know that voice. Here let me help you.
“There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.”
Yes, Rod Serling was not only the voice and host of The Twilight Zone, he was the creator of the popular series. After serving in World War II, Rod returned to the United States and began his career in radio, and then in television, in a number of different roles.
Although it only lasted 5 seasons, The Twilight Zone has become quintessentially the sound for the strange, ethereal, and unexplainable. Disney used the rights for it’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride in Orlando for many years, in which guests could experience stepping into an episode and hearing from Rod himself.
-
Vincent Price
You know that name for a reason. In many ways, Vincent Price picked up the horror film from Boris Karloff, becoming the iconic villain for much of the midcentury. Best known for his film, Tower of London, in 1939, with Boris Karloff, Price went on to play so many iconic bad guys for decades. His was the name you saw plastered across a horror or thriller flick poster and knew you were in for a good one.
But interestingly, although his name is often synonymous with that genre, his work delved into the heroic as well. He played Simon Templar, the leading crime-solving character in The Saint television series from 1947 to 1951.
And if you’re a big fan of Vincent Price, did you know he was a gourmet cook and hosted a British television show called Cooking Price-Wise? And he wrote a number of cookbooks with his wife, Mary, that are still available for purchase. So if you need to combine your culinary interests with a nod to classic horror films, you know where to look.
-
Bela Lugosi
Born in Hungary, his full name was Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó, but you know him better as Count Dracula. Bela started his career in acting in his native Hungary, but emigrated to Germany and the United States to escape political oppression and upheaval. Before launching into his screen career, Bela worked on Broadway in an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He played the lead role, which prepared him for his most famous role.
In 1931, Lugosi played the first on-screen, in-sound role of Count Dracula. His Hungarian accent lends itself to the Dracula voice you can hear in your head, without even needing to watch a video or hear a recording. All other Dracula voice’s are compared to his.
Much like his predecessors, Lugosi went on to start in a number of other horror films, his accent and success in Dracula leading the way. However, he was often typecast and relegated to minor roles, while others got the leads.
-
Margaret Hamilton
Well my little pretties I must include this lady in our list of iconic spooky voices. Margaret is best known for her betrayal of The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
Her legendary cackle and well quoted lines set the bar for all the witches since.
A former schoolteacher, she worked as a character actress in films for seven years before she was offered the role that defined her public image. She suffered a second-degree burn on her face and a third-degree burn on her hand during a second take of her fiery exit from Munchkinland in which the trap door’s drop was delayed to eliminate the brief glimpse of it seen in the final edit.
-
Roger L. Jackson
If you’re a fan of modern horror, thriller, suspense films, you know this voice. Although rarely heard, Jackson brings the voice to Ghostface from the Scream films while on the telephone. His is the modern equivalent of the classic voices that came before him.
Unlike his predecessors though, Jackson’s career has spanned a number of roles, even outside of horror and suspense. He was the narrator for Disney’s The Book of Pooh television series and voiced Mojo Jojo on The Powder Puff Girls.
And depending on your perspective, his role as Mr. Mucinex for Mucinex commercials was either right on cue, or outside the genre.
What Makes Scary Music Scary?
So how about the sound tracks that accompany those iconic voices? We could spend days on that topic but here are a few elements that come together to give you the chills.
- Dissonant or sudden disconnected sounds
- Jarring or shrilling sounds
- Minor chords
- Uncomfortable or disturbed note structure, that just doesn’t sound right
- Primal or natively intuitive sounds
When these elements come together, whether in music or basic background sounds, they evoke chills. We feel something. We feel what the producers want us to feel which is fear, terror, or overall discomfort.
So what are you watching this chilly, chilling season? Are you a classic horror film type or a modern appreciator? Or are you more of the cartoon variety? We’ve got a lot of those to choose from too, from Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad to The Nightmare Before Christmas.
But we will leave you with a clip from one of our personal favorites, whose title character never voices anything. And yet, he’s unforgettable.