Corrado Gaipa (13 March 1925 – 21 September 1989) was an Italian actor and voice actor.[1]

Corrado Gaipa
Gaipa in 1959
Born(1925-03-13)13 March 1925
Died21 September 1989(1989-09-21) (aged 64)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • voice actor
Years active1946–1989

A well known actor of Italian cinema, he was internationally known for his role as Don Tommasino in The Godfather, while his popularity in Italy was also connected to his activity as a voice dubber.[2]

Biography

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Born in Palermo, Gaipa enrolled in the Silvio d'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he studied for three years and performed an adaptation of the play You Can't Take It with You. He then graduated in 1946. In 1948, Gaipa joined a theatre group based in Rome and began acting in radio dramas which were broadcast in many cities across Italy such as Turin, Florence and Milan. He also appeared in many films, beginning with That Splendid November (1969).[3] He became well known worldwide playing Don Tommasino in the 1972 film The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

While also active on stage, radio and television, he was heavily active as a voice actor and especially as a dubber: he provided the Italian voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi (portrayed by Alec Guinness) in the Star Wars original trilogy as well as Bagheera in the Italian-Language version of The Jungle Book. He also dubbed over the voices of Lionel Stander, Eli Wallach, Peter Ustinov, Rod Steiger, Orson Welles, Burt Lancaster and Spencer Tracy. Gaipa assisted with the foundation of a dubbing company in the 1970s alongside Renato Turi, Giancarlo Giannini, Valeria Valeri, Oreste Lionello and other historical Italian dubbers.[4]

Illness and death

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In Gaipa's later years, he developed serious health problems and went from using a walking stick to a wheelchair, ultimately dying in Rome on 21 September 1989, at the age of 64.[5] At the time of his death, he had just signed to reprise the role of Don Tommasino in The Godfather Part III, which was instead passed on to Vittorio Duse.

Filmography

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Cinema

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 That Splendid November Alfio
1970 The Pizza Triangle President of Tribunal
Metello Badolati Also dubbing Frank Wolff's role
1971 The Man with Icy Eyes Isaac Thetman
The Fifth Cord Andrea's Chief
1972 Shadows Unseen Günther Rosenthal
Execution Squad Lawyer Armani
The Sicilian Connection Don Calogero
Without Family Judge
The Eroticist Don Gesualdo Also dubbing Lionel Stander's role
The Godfather Don Tommasino Sicilian sequence
My Dear Killer Head of Insurance Company
The Pisciotta Case Direttore del carcere
1973 1931: Once Upon a Time in New York Mob Boss
Giordano Bruno Confessore di Giovanni Mocenigo
The Boss Avvocato Rizzo
The Black Hand Lawyer
Chino Padre
I Kiss the Hand Don Emilio Grisanti
Tony Arzenta Tony Arzenta’s father
Secrets of a Call Girl Doctor
1974 The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine Father Honorio de Mendoza
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? Prosecutor
Prigione di donne Magistrate
1976 Illustrious Corpses Supposed Mafioso
1977 The Red Nights of the Gestapo Udo Kassbaum
The Criminals Attack… The Police Respond! Doctor
Crazy Desires of a Murderer Inspector
A Spiral of Mist Pietro San Germano

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 La rosa bianca Kurt Huber TV film
Bernadette Devlin TV film
1972 Le inchieste del commissario Maigret Germain Cageot 1 episode
1973 Napoleone a Sant'Elena Lord Liverpool TV miniseries
1974 Ho incontrato un'ombra Buache TV miniseries
1975 Portrait of a Veiled Woman Nebbia TV miniseries
Il marsigliese Tanino Sciacca TV miniseries
L'invitto Retana TV film
1976 Dov'è Anna? Loris TV miniseries
1977 La mossa del cavallo Il maestro TV miniseries (Segment: "L'ultima notte")
The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television Don Tommasino TV miniseries
1978 Storie della camorra Onorevole Colajanni TV miniseries
1979 La dama dei veleni Guido Santacroce TV miniseries
1980 L'eredità della priora Don Vincenzo TV miniseries
Sam & Sally Dr. Jesse 1 episode
1982 Il fascino dell'insolito L'uomo dei manichini 1 episode
Marco Polo Senator 1 episode

Documentaries

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Year Title Notes
1984 Giuseppe Fava: Siciliano come me

Voice work

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Year Title Role Notes
1965 West and Soda Additional voices Animated film
1968 VIP my Brother Superman Colonel
1978 Jazz Band[6] Narrator Uncredited
1983 Help Me Dream
A School Outing
1988 Sposi [it][1]

Dubbing

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Films (Animation, Italian dub)

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Year Title Role(s) Ref
1967 The Jungle Book Bagheera [7]
Asterix the Gaul Abraracourcix
1968 Asterix and Cleopatra Obelix
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day Owl
1970 The Aristocats Scat Cat [8]

Films (Live action, Italian dub)

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Year Title Role(s) Original actor Ref
1959 South Wind Marquis Macri Annibale Ninchi
1960 Everybody Go Home Quintino Fornaciari Martin Balsam
1963 The Leopard Don Fabrizio Corbera Burt Lancaster
The Eye of the Needle Don Salvatore Ernesto Calindri
1966 Chimes at Midnight John Falstaff Orson Welles
1967 Operation St. Peter's Joe Ventura Edward G. Robinson
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Matt Drayton Spencer Tracy
In the Heat of the Night Bill Gillespie Rod Steiger
The Dirty Dozen Archer J. Maggot Telly Savalas
Attack on the Iron Coast Frederick Grafton Maurice Denham
1968 The Shoes of the Fisherman Cardinal Leone Leo McKern
House of Cards Charles Leschenhaut Orson Welles
The Day of the Owl Don Mariano Arena Lee J. Cobb
Never a Dull Moment Leo Joseph Smooth Edward G. Robinson
Once Upon a Time in the West Brett McBain Frank Wolff
The Ruthless Four Sam Cooper Van Heflin
Krakatoa, East of Java Harry Connerly Brian Keith
Blackbeard's Ghost Captain Blackbeard Peter Ustinov
Hang 'Em High Adam Fenton Pat Hingle
The Lion in Winter Captain William Marshall Nigel Stock
2001: A Space Odyssey Frank Poole's father Alan Gifford
Will Penny Alex Ben Johnson
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Lord Scrumptious James Robertson Justice
Rosemary's Baby Roman Castevet Sidney Blackmer
Pistol for a Hundred Coffins J. Texas Corbett Piero Lulli
May God Forgive You... But I Won't Stuart Luigi Pavese
1969 Tepepa Colonel Cascorro Orson Welles
The Big Bounce Sam Mirakian Van Heflin
The Brain Frankie Scannapieco Eli Wallach
The Secret of Santa Vittoria Italo Bombolini Anthony Quinn
On Her Majesty's Secret Service M Bernard Lee
Battle of Britain Sir David Kelly Ralph Richardson
Fellini Satyricon Trimalchio Mario Romagnoli
Simón Bolívar Mr. Hernandez Julio Peña
1970 Metello Betto Lampredi Frank Wolff
When Women Had Tails Grr
The Kremlin Letter Bresnavitch Orson Welles
Between Miracles Oreste Micheli Lionel Stander
Too Late the Hero Captain Hornsby Denholm Elliott
La Horse Auguste Maroilleur Jean Gabin
The McMasters McMasters Burl Ives
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion Plumber Salvo Randone
1971 Ten Days' Wonder Théo Van Horn Orson Welles
Lawman Vincent Bronson Lee J. Cobb
Scandalous John John McCanless Brian Keith
A Clockwork Orange Tramp Paul Farrell
Bananas Sanchez David Ortiz
1972 The Eroticist Cardinal Maravidi Lionel Stander
Don Camillo e i giovani d'oggi Peppone
Treasure Island Long John Silver Orson Welles
Duck Soup Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania (1972 dubbing) Louis Calhern
Roma Roman Eating in Terrace Mimmo Poli
Music Hall Compere Galliano Sbarra
Trattoria Waiter Nino Terzo
Cinema Spectator with Family Dante Cleri
1973 The Exorcist William F. Kinderman Lee J. Cobb
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing Harvey Lapchance
Soylent Green Solomon Roth Edward G. Robinson
Scorpio Sergei Zharkov Paul Scofield
Ludwig Father Hoffmann Gert Fröbe
Amarcord Aurelio Biondi Armando Brancia
1974 The Sensual Man Baron Castorini Lionel Stander
Innocence and Desire Salvatore Niscemi
1975 Russian Roulette Commander Petapiece Denholm Elliott
Barry Lyndon Captain Grogan Godfrey Quigley
The Hindenburg Emilio Pajetta Burgess Meredith
My Friends Niccolò Righi Bernard Blier
Deep Red Rodi Furio Meniconi
The Big Sleep General Sternwood (1975 redub) Charles Waldron
1976 The Omen Carl Bugenhagen Leo McKern
The Inheritance Gregorio Ferramonti Anthony Quinn
Dog's Heart Police Chief Enzo Robutti
1977 Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Obi-Wan Kenobi Alec Guinness [9]
The Greatest Angelo Dundee Ernest Borgnine
The Deep Adam Coffin Eli Wallach
Wifemistress Head Doctor Armando Brancia
Julia Dashiell Hammett Jason Robards
1978 Damien - Omen II Carl Bugenhagen Leo McKern
Convoy Lyle "Cottonmouth" Wallace Ernest Borgnine
1979 1941 Angelo Scioli Lionel Stander
1980 Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back Obi-Wan Kenobi Alec Guinness [10]
Private Benjamin Colonel Clay Thornbush Robert Webber
1981 Great White Ron Hamer Vic Morrow
1983 Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi Alec Guinness [11]
Zeder Professor Chesi John Stacy
1986 Ginger and Fred Admiral Aulenti Friedrich von Ledebur
1987 Il mistero del panino assassino Arno dei conti Vicini Francisco Rabal
1989 New York Stories Psychiatrist Marvin Chatinover

References

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  1. ^ a b "Corrado Gaipa's voice acting and dubbing contributions". Antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Corrado Gaipa - actor". italyonthisday.com. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Corrado Gaipa". MYmovies. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  4. ^ Cronologia fondamentale dell'epoca d'oro del doppiaggio italiano Dagli albori agli anni 1970 (in Italian)
  5. ^ "E' morto Corrado Gaipa". La Repubblica. September 23, 1989. p. 37. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. ^ "JAZZ BAND". cinematografo.it (in Italian).
  7. ^ "The Jungle Book Italian voice cast". Antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  8. ^ "The Aristocats Italian voice cast". Antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  9. ^ "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Italian voice cast". Antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  10. ^ "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back Italian voice cast". Antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  11. ^ "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi Italian voice cast". Antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
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