In her post today Blog-Bud Lou happened to mention watching the teevee show "Bonanza" while in Italy... dubbed in Italian. Which caused some long-dormant synapses of mine to fire off, of course. Bonanza was big the first time I was stationed in Japan (back in 1968 - '70), and there was an export version dubbed in Nihongo. Believe me, you've NEVER seen anything funnier in your life... my friends and I used to watch it every week for the comedy in it, which was substantial.
Here's Michael Landon and Johnny Carson discussing the subject... with a too-brief sample clip:
OTOH... maybe you hadda be there.
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Funny, but also nice to see Michael Landon and Johnny Carson young and healthy AND funny!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Europe, "Hogan's Heroes" was being freshly syndicated in German, and it was a huge hit.
ReplyDeleteApparently, the script was gently re-written when translated into "Austrian", and there are allusions to some underlying "Plan". This is supposed to be hilarious to Modern Germans. (Even as a kid, I caught the irony of Jewish actors lampooning Nazi's)
Hogan's Heroes, while slightly humorous, has to rate as one of the worst shows ever made... on so many fronts.
Ann: Agreed, especially about J.C. The man was truly funny without EVER being demeaning or sinking into the slime. I miss that terribly.
ReplyDeleteDarryl: You should have heard my Ol' Man go off on the subject of "Hogan's Heroes." He had friends who did time in a couple of the Luft-Stalags (shot down over Germany) and NEVER tired about saying there wasn't one damned thing funny about 'em, at all. And those were the *nicer* prison camps, too.
Hey Buck - I loved Bonanza as a kid. I'd almost forgotten it.
ReplyDeleteAnd guess what part of my job is.. overseeing marketing US movies internationally. So I get to deal in all the translation issues, the title translations and dubbing funnies. It causes major hysterics in the office. I love it! Totally got your post. Great timing too. I'll have to cross post on this!
*lol*
ReplyDeleteI used to watch it in German! My neighbor asked me what "High Chaparral" was, and I didn't have a clue. (No intarwebs back then.) I think I looked it up in a dictionary.
alison: I think I'd like to work with you... or at least in your office! Some idioms just don't translate well (if at all) between cultures, but I'm absolutely sure ya know that! :D
ReplyDeleteChristina: LOL! Life before the 'tubes was a LOT harder, wasn't it?
Thanks for the link. I loved seeing this video - Michael Landon and Johnny look so good.
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