rhubarbcastingagency

DID YOU KNOW...?

...the word rhubarb has a history!!!

Historically, when a script called for "crowd unrest" or "murmuring", the extras would be instructed to mumble the word "rhubarb", as this produced the required effect!!!

 

...in filming, the word rhubarb is sometimes referred to as, walla!!!

In American radio, film and television, walla is used to imitate the murmur of a crowd. A group of actors (known as a walla group) are brought together in the post-production stage of filming to create this murmur.

It is often suggested that walla received its name during the early days of radio, when it was noticed that if several people repeated walla in the background - this was sufficient to mimic the faint buzz of a crowd.

These days, walla actors tend to use real words and improvised conversations that use the language and accents appropriate to the situation.

Walla is called rhubarb in the UK and rhabarber in Germany (perhaps reflecting the varying speech textures of crowd noise in the different countries). Similar phrases used here are carrots and peas or watermelon cantaloupe, watermelon cantaloupe. Unusually, (and in fact quite comically), The TV show South Park has previously had its angry mobs mutter "rabble rabble rabble," over and over - sometimes clearly and distinctly!

While it is generally considered against actors' unions rules to give a speaking part to an extra (unless offering an additional payment), this problem is sometimes overcome by recording a gibberish soundtrack that syncs with the on screen mouth movements of a specific extra. It is then possible to make it sound as though an extra is saying something, when in fact they are not delivering any actual dialogue at all! Cheeky eh! 

 

...Rhubarb was a 1969 British short film performed, written and directed by Eric Sykes. It also starred Sir Harry Secombe.

Bizarrely...

  • the dialogue consisted entirely of repetitions of the word rhubarb
  • the characters last names were Rhubarb
  • the license plates on vehicles were RHU BAR B
  • a baby even speaks by holding a sign with the word rhubarb written on it

... in The Goon Show, the small cast (usually consisting of only three principles) would try to sound like a larger group by repeating "rhubarb" very quickly, with outbursts of "custard!" for good comedy value.

Eric Sykes was a close collaborator and friend of the Goons. He remade the piece in 1980 for Thames Television, as Rhubarb Rhubarb.

 

...many film and television stars began their glittering careers as extras! Take a look below at just a few of them!!!

  • Ben Affleck and Matt Damon performed as extras during the Fenway Park scenes in Field of Dreams.

  • Rudolph Valentino appeared as an extra in several films.
  • Gloria Swanson was an extra in The Song of Soul in 1914 before featuring in many Charlie Chaplin films.
  • Noel Coward was an extra in Hearts of the World.
  • Shirley Temple appeared as an extra in several films before she was contracted by Fox Studios.
  • Bruce Willis appeared as an extra in the final courtroom scene in the film The Verdict.
  • John Wayne appeared as an extra in a number of silent films during the 1920s.
  • Brian Cox was employed as an extra in various episodes of The Prisoner.
  • Clint Eastwood worked as an unaccredited extra in a number of movies in the 1950s.
  • Dennis Hopper once worked as an extra before going on to star in Easy Rider.
  • David Niven appeared as an extra in many Hollywood films before becoming a leading man.
  • Patrick Macnee was an extra in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.
  • Terry-Thomas was an extra in many British films before becoming a star.
  • Michael Caine and Oliver Reed both acted as extras in British films of the late 1950s.
  • Pattie Boyd appeared as an extra in The Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night.
  • Phil Collins was an extra in A Hard Day's Night.
  • David Bowie was an extra in The Virgin Soldiers.
  • Bob Hoskins was an extra in the Frankie Howard film Up the Front.
  • Robin Askwith was an extra in an episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).  
  • Jeff Goldblum was an extra in a Californian party scene in Annie Hall.
  • Kara Tointon was once an extra in EastEnders before later creating the character of Dawn Swann in the soap.
  • Cuban President Fidel Castro was an extra in the 1946 movie Holiday in Mexico before becoming Cuba's leader.
  • Adam Brody was an extra in American Pie 2 before securing a long-term role as Seth Cohen on The O. C..
  • Jackie Chan was an extra in Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon.
  • Sylvester Stallone was an extra in Woody Allen's Bananas (1971) as a subway thug, in the Jane Fonda psychological thriller Klute (1971) as an extra dancing in a club, and in the Jack Lemmon film The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) as a youth.
  • James Michael Tyler began his career in the TV sit-com Friends - as an extra behind the bar at Central Perk. His role then grew into the character 'Gunther'.
  • Aged 14,  Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon auditioned for a part as an extra in the film, The Man in the Moon. However, director Robert Mulligan was so impressed , he offered her the central role of tomboy Dani Trant.  
  • Jimmy Nail's girlfriend Miriam (now his wife), heard about the auditions for Auf Wiedersehen Pet and suggested that he try out to be an extra. (Nail had already had a brief appearance as an extra in the 1971 movie Get Carter). Nail reportedly turned up late for the audition, double-parked his car, and was very rude to the casting director holding the auditions. Little did he know then that his "bluntness" was exactly what the casting director was looking for... the rest is history!

 

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