A number of you have already responded to my query about the human voice;
thank you.  One response I got was the following:
 
     Hi Kristine,
     In _Soylent Green_ (1973, Richard Fleischer), Edward G. Robinson
has a death scene (it was his last role, ironically) in which he
reveals crucial information to Charlton Heston's character, who listens
via a headphone, but there's a little static interference, and so we
never get to hear what is actually said : the information is only
revealed later ("Soylent Green is People!"). Needless to say, this
technique of withholding information to create intrigue is very
widespread, and I'm sure you can find a zillion examples in classical
Hollywood films... Hope this helps!
 
There ARE a zillion examples in classical Hollywood films, in all
probability, and it does seem like the point is to create suspense -- a
sound enigma, as it were.  What, if any, are other motivations for this
kind of interference, do you think?
 
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