Walter Williams

 

Walter Williams was one of the numerous American actors living in Rome in the 1960s and 70s who ended up involved in the English dubbing industry, where he worked as a character dubber and occasional dialogue coach. Like such fellow Rome dubbers as George Higgins, John Karlsen and Robert Braun, Walter was often relegated to voicing quirky bit parts in various peplum, western and Eurocrime films, but he also dubbed his share of larger roles, lending his memorable voice to a number of well-known European character actors such as Guido Alberti, Claudio Gora, Umberto D’Orsi and Raymond Bussieres, not to mention voicing the title character’s father in the wildly popular Calimero animation shorts. Take a look at the video below for a few of Walter’s most famous dubbing roles:

As is so often the case with Roman dubbing actors, biographical information is hard to come by, and in Walter’s case, all I have managed to find is a short mention in the Variety article “Rome’s Inner-Colony of Those Trained in Sound-Track Dubs” (May 19, 1971) in which veteran dubbing adaptor/actress Ruth Carter gives a rundown on the Roman dubbing scene, writing: “Walter Williams was associated with Maurice Evans’ Shakespeare company in New York before making his home in Rome and involving himself both in films and dubbing.”

When Walter originally left New York and arrived in Rome is not known, but the currently earliest trace we have of him in Rome is his role as the eunuch harem-keeper Hegai in the Italian-American peplum epic Esther and the King (1960) starring Joan Collins and Richard Egan. For this role, he was credited under the name of Robert Buchanan, an alias which he would go on to use again when he played a supporting part as a doctor in Mario Bava’s landmark giallo The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963).

 

Walter in his earliest known on-screen role in Esther and the King (1960), appearing under the name of Robert Buchanan.

Walter, again credited as Robert Buchanan, in a sizeable role as a doctor in Mario Bava's The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963). The English language version titled The Evil Eye was dubbed by Titra Sound Corp. in New York and therefore does not feature Walter's own voice.

 

For the rest of his career, however, he would go by the name of Walter Williams (or occasionally Walter Wright Williams) and he had the fortune to be cast in a couple of very famous Italian films such as Elio Petri’s The 10th Victim (1965) and the two Dino Risi films First Love (1978) and Dear Father (1979), as well as various English language productions shot in Italy such as Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969) and a 1966 episode of the TV series I Spy.

With Ursula Andress in Elio Petri's famous The 10th Victim (1965). Walter plays a fairly large role here, but as the film was dubbed into English in Paris, he was not called on to dub his own voice.

Walter and fellow dubbing actress Nina Allen Matchkaloff guest starring in the I Spy TV episode "Bridge of Spies" (1966), shot on location in Venice.

Walter in a little uncredited bit part as a German general in Fräulein Doktor (1969). He is credited as the film's dialogue coach, and likely held this position in other films, too.

Walter as a German customs officer in Ken Annakin's epic car rally comedy Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969). For whatever reason, his voice was dubbed over by another actor.

Walter playing a small role in Dino Risi's First Love (1978).

With Vittorio Gassman in Dino Risi's Dear Father (1979).

Walter playing a rather large comical villain role in the comedy Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot (1979). The film is set in London and Walter's voice was dubbed by Australian dubbing actor John Stacy.

Walter as an American intelligence boss in the comedy L'importante è non farsi notare (1979), for which I don't think there exists an English version. In the Italian version, Walter's voice is dubbed in Italian with a thick American accent by dubbing veteran Richard McNamara.

In the Sophia Loren biopic Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (1980), produced for NBC Television, Walter appears uncredited in a comedic part as the young Sophia's drama teacher.

Walter as an optician in the British-Italian mystery TV mini series Seagull Island (1981). Once again, his voice was dubbed by another actor - in this case by character dubber John Karlsen. In turn, Walter had previously dubbed John Karlsen's voice in both The Witch's Curse (1962) and Terror in the Crypt (1964).

It's unfortunate that Walter was unable to dub his own voice in so many of the Italian productions he appeared in, but here you can watch a little video with clips from some of the productions in which Walter’s own voice can be heard:

Much like his on-screen career, Walter’s dubbing activities appear to have started in the early 1960s, initially in a string of peplum adventures, which were soon followed by inevitable turns in westerns, horror films, Eurocrime and sex comedies.

These are some of the actors that Walter dubbed on multiple occasions:

One of Walter's most well-known dubbing roles was as the voice of Guido Alberti in Umberto Lenzi's famed Eurocrime thriller Almost Human (1974). He also dubbed Alberti in Silence the Witness (1974) and The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977).

Walter dubbed the voice of Tullio Altamura in Samson and the Sea Beasts (1963) and also later dubbed Altamura again in Hercules Against Rome (1964).

Walter is the voice of Umberto D'Orsi in the giallo Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? (1972). He had also previously voiced D'Orsi in The Magnificent Adventurer (1963).

Walter provides the voice of Attilio Dottesio in the Nazisploitation flick SS Camp 5 - Women's Hell (1977). He also dubbed Dottesio in Black Emanuelle N° 2 (1976).

The arguably most famous of Walter’s voice roles was not, however, in a live action feature, but in the enduringly popular series of animated television shorts about the little black chicken Calimero (1970), in which Walter provided the voice of Calimero’s affable but easily aggravated father, Rooster, who is frequently heard yelling the catchphrase “Get out of here! You’ll be the ruination of me yet!”, or some slight variation of it, to his young son.

 

One of Walter's most memorable roles was as the voice of Calimero's temperamental father in the famous series of Calimero television shorts.

For some additional examples of Walter’s dubbing roles, check out the video below:

Walter worked steadily into the early 1980s, but then all trace of him stops; indicating that he either retired or passed away around that time. Hopefully, some more information about him can eventually be dug up.

 

Note: For many years, much of Walter’s voice work, such as his dubbing of Guido Alberti in Almost Human (1974), has been incorrectly attributed to a minor dubbing actor by the name of Marvin Drake. Listening to Walter’s voice in on-screen appearances in live sound productions leave no doubt, however, that it is indeed Walter who is the man behind these dubbing performances, and he can now hopefully receive some long overdue recognition for all his great work.

 

 

English dubbing filmography:

 

- Duel of the Titans (1961) - voice of Amulius (Franco Volpi)

- Caesar the Conqueror (1962) - voice of Cicero (Nerio Bernardi)

- The Shadow of Zorro (1962) - voice of Billy (Robert Hundar)

- Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962) - voice of Inspector Cooper (Hans Nielsen)

- The Witch’s Curse (1962) - voice of The Mayor (John Karlsen)

- The Black Duke (1963) - voice of Tullio Serpieri (Gianni Solaro)

- Brennus, Enemy of Rome (1963) – voice of Thurm (Andrea Aureli)

- The Magnificent Adventurer (1963) - voice of Grand Duke of Florence (Umberto D’Orsi)

- Revenge of the Musketeers (1963) - voice of Prince of Condé (Carlo Lombardi)

- Samson and the Sea Beasts (1963) - voice of Montez (Tullio Altamura)

- Taur the Mighty (1963) - voice of El Kab (Antonio Leonviola)

- Anthar the Invincible (1964) - voice of Murad (Fedele Gentile)

- The Giants of Rome (1964) - voice of Drusus (Philippe Hersent)

- Hercules Against Rome (1964) - voice of Lucilius (Tullio Altamura)

- Hercules and the Black Pirate (1964) - voice of Scarecrow (Arrigo Peri)

- The Hyena of London (1964) - voice of Inspector Brett O’Connor (Gino Rossi)

- Revenge of the Gladiators (1964) - voice of Crassus (Pasquale De Filippo)

- Sword of the Empire (1964) - voice of Tigerius (Ignazio Leone)

- Terror in the Crypt (1964) - voice of Franz Karnstein (John Karlsen)

- War of the Zombies (1964) - voice of Lutetius (Mino Doro)

- Adios Gringo (1965) - voice of Stan Clevenger (Germano Longo)

- Blood for a Silver Dollar (1965) - voice of Donaldson (Giuseppe Addobbati)

- The Colt is My Law (1965) - voice of Sam, the Barman (Renato Chiantoni)

- The Desert Renegades (1965) - voice of Nessib (José Calvo)

- Espionage in Tangiers (1965) - voice of Hassler (Alfonso Rojas)

- The Ghosts of Rome (1961; dubbed in 1965) - voice of The Civil Engineer (Claudio Gora)

- The Never Never Princess (1957; dubbed in 1965) - voice of Kook (Alexander Welbat)

- Ramon the Mexican (1966) - voice of Ed Baxter (Ugo Sasso)

- Ring Around the World (1966) - voice of Mr. Sanders (Gualtiero Isnenghi)

- Savage Gringo (1966) - voice of Brack (Antonio Gradoli)

- The Theft of the Monna Lisa (1966) - voice of Lemercier (Paul Frankeur)

- Web of Violence (1966) - voice of Franco (Mirko Ellis)

- 32 Caliber Killer (1967) - voice of Parker (John Bartha)

- The Fantastic Argoman (1967) - voice of General Heywood (Tom Felleghy)

- Ringo, the Lone Rider (1968) - voice of Stockwell (Alfonso Rojas)

- Nest of Vipers (1969) - voice of Ignacio (Giancarlo Badessi)

- Arizona Colt, Hired Gun (1970) - voice of Sheila’s Father (Enrico Marciani)

- The Most Beautiful Wife (1970) - voice of PoiDomani (Joe Sentieri)

- Acquasanta Joe (1971) - voice of Banker (Dante Maggio)

- The Case is Closed, Forget It (1971) - voice of Zagarella (Luigi Zerbinati)

- The Clockwork Heist (1971) - voice of Leonardo Rossi (Raymond Bussieres)

- Hands Up, Dead Man! You’re Under Arrest (1971) - voice of The Sheriff (Antonio Cintado)

- In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Colt (1971) - voice of Mayor Owens (Nando Sarlo)

- My Name is Mallory (1971) - voice of The Sheriff (Mario Pascucci)

- The Naked Cello (1971) - voice of The Porter (Adolfo Belletti)

- Paid in Blood (1971) - voice of Jack Buckman (Alfredo Rizzo)

- The Price of Death (1971) - voice of Judge Atwell (Alfredo Rizzo)

- The Sheriff of Rock Springs (1971) - voice of Jack Jones (Donal O’Brien)

- Vengeance Trail (1971) - voice of Doc (Steffen Zacharias)

- The Eroticist (1972) - voice of The General (Luigi Zerbinati)

- It Can Be Done... Amigo (1972) - voice of Drunk (Roberto Camardiel)

- The Lions of St. Petersburg (1972) - voice of Korolenko (Stefan Pejchev)

- Manhunt (1972) - voice of Damiano (Peter Berling)

- The Poseidon Explosion (1972) - voice of Nicolae (Dem Radulescu)

- The Return of Clint the Stranger (1972) - voice of Blinky (Gustavo Re)

- The Revenge of the Resurrected (1972) - voice of Henry Davies (Emilio Rodriguez)

- Shadows Unseen (1972) - voice of The Porter (Franco Angrisano)

- The True and the False (1972) - voice of Attorney De Vecchi (Ettore Geri)

- Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? (1972) - voice of Attorney Saverio Romanò (Umberto D’Orsi)

- The Countess Died of Laughter (1973) - voice of Antonio (Paul Löwinger)

- The Fighting Fist of Shangai Joe (1973) - voice of The Doctor (Dante Maggio)

- Hospitals, the White Mafia (1973) - voice of Pharmaceutical Company Boss (Claudio Nicastro)

- On the Third Day Arrived the Crow (1973) - voice of Pa Sloane (unidentified actor)

- Almost Human (1974) - voice of Mr. Porrino (Guido Alberti)

- Silence the Witness (1974) - voice of The Commissioner (Guido Alberti)

- Season for Assassins (1975) - voice of Poggi (Vittorio Mangano)

- The Big Racket (1976) - voice of Toy Store Owner (Leon Lenoir) and Gate Guard (Osiride Pevarello)

- Black Emanuelle Nº 2 (1976) - voice of The General (Attilio Dottesio)

- Bloody Payroll (1976) - voice of Nicola (Franco Mazzieri)

- Colt 38 Special Squad (1976) - voice of Stubby (Dino Emanuelli)

- The Cop in Blue Jeans (1976) - voice of Cavallaro (Enrico Marciani)

- Violent Naples (1976) - voice of Don Antonio Polipo (Nino Vingelli)

- The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977) - voice of Tanzi’s Uncle (Guido Alberti)

- SS Camp 5 – Women’s Hell (1977) - voice of Professor Abraham (Attilio Dottesio)

- Stunt Squad (1977) - voice of Giovanni Corsi (Alfredo Zammi)

- Swindle (1977) - voice of Swindling Victim (Giancarlo Badessi)

- Nightmare City (1980) - voice of Lt. Reedman (Tom Felleghy)

 

 

Animation dubbing:

 

- Calimero (1970-71) (TV series) - voice of Rooster

- The Little Dragon (1975) (TV series) - voice of Stuffy