Mumbling Brando

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

They coulda been a contender. They coulda been somebody more original, instead of being imitations of Marlon Brando, which is who they are not.

A Mumbling Brando will tend to speak in a hesitant drawl, with a few non-verbal grunts thrown in.

Examples of Mumbling Brando include:


Comics

Film

Live Action TV

Music

  • Stan Freberg's recording of "Sh-Boom," which ends with a Stella Scream.

Theatre

  • Blake Barton in Bells Are Ringing. Ella finds him in a whole Malt Shop filled with Mumbling Brandos lounging around in motorcycle jackets and jeans. She herself enters this place with a leather jacket, flat shoes, and a bunch of marbles which she keeps in her mouth just long enough to introduce herself with a "Hey, Stella Fellaaaa!" Her message for Blake is to stop mumbling and buy a suit if he wants to get the part.

Western Animation

  • The Godpigeon from the Goodfeathers segments on Animaniacs; he actually requires a translator (Or, in the shorts when a translator isn't around when he's talking, subtitles).
  • Any scene with Space Dad in Megamind, which spoofs Brando's role of Jor-El in Superman as well as the mumble.