actress's accents

[Kingaroo]

What is that accent that American movie stars like Ginger Rogers, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, and Myrna Loy used in the 1930s? They pronounced words so oddly. "Joint" comes out as "Jurnt" and so forth. Almost everyone who isn't British speaks that way in the 1930's movies.  It disappears quite noticeably after World War II. In an interview late in her life, Mary Pickford spoke JUST like her old early sound movies, with the same bizarre accents and pronunciations.  Other stars, like Ginger Rogers, in interviews spoke in a more normal way. Were these actresses trying to imitate a British accent?  A hoity toity East Coast accent (Hepburn style)?

[Clanad]

While it's possible they were attempting continental accents, I think it's more likely they were actually trying to affect a gangster moll, hard case New York or New Jersey accent.  This is especially true if one considers the popularity of that genre of movies in the 1930's...

[Peter Pedant]

It could have been normal for them.

Over fifty years - the British accent (OK OK they are not Brits) has evolved. Its just that we have recordings so we can compare. In my childhood I recollect for example, adults (hated species! - defintiely the enemy!) sticking their heads around the door and asking -

happeh? happy was not happee but a short 'e' happeh.

(fr'instance)

[ezapf]

They had accents?!

[Ouisch]

If they're saying "jernt" instead of "joint" and "terlet" instead of "toilet" and "boid" instead of "bird", then they're probably affecting a Bronx/Brooklyn New York-type accent.

[rooftrouser]

This caused me to recall Spencer Tracy describing Hepburn in "Pat and Mike": He said "Not much meat on her, but what's there is cherce" I always imagined that this was a variation of the word choice which would represent the same change of vowel sound from "oi" to "er" but took place in the '50s Sorry not an answer just a Hepburn/accent connection.