Corrado Gaipa (13 March 1925 – 21 September 1989) was an Italian actor who specialized in films, television and dubbing.
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.
Biography 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). 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.Cronologia fondamentale dell'epoca d'oro del doppiaggio italiano Dagli albori agli anni 1970 (in Italian)
Illness and death 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. 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 Cinema YearTitleRoleNotes1969That Splendid NovemberAlfio1970The Pizza TrianglePresident of TribunalMetelloBadolatiAlso dubbing Frank Wolff's role1971The Man with Icy EyesIsaac ThetmanThe Fifth CordAndrea's Chief1972Shadows UnseenGünther RosenthalExecution SquadLawyer ArmaniThe Sicilian ConnectionDon CalogeroWithout FamilyJudgeThe EroticistDon GesualdoAlso dubbing Lionel Stander's roleThe GodfatherDon TommasinoSicilian sequenceMy Dear KillerHead of Insurance CompanyThe Pisciotta CaseDirettore del carcere19731931: Once Upon a Time in New YorkMob BossGiordano BrunoConfessore di Giovanni MocenigoThe BossAvvocato RizzoThe Black HandLawyerChinoPadreI Kiss the HandDon Emilio GrisantiTony ArzentaTony Arzenta’s fatherSecrets of a Call GirlDoctor1974The Sinful Nuns of Saint ValentineFather Honorio de MendozaWhat Have They Done to Your Daughters?ProsecutorPrigione di donneMagistrate1976Illustrious CorpsesSupposed Mafioso1977The Red Nights of the GestapoUdo KassbaumThe Criminals Attack… The Police Respond!DoctorCrazy Desires of a MurdererInspectorA Spiral of MistPietro San Germano
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1971La rosa biancaKurt HuberTV filmBernadette DevlinTV film1972Le inchieste del commissario MaigretGermain Cageot1 episode1973Napoleone a Sant'ElenaLord LiverpoolTV miniseries1974Ho incontrato un'ombraBuacheTV miniseries1975Portrait of a Veiled WomanNebbiaTV miniseriesIl marsiglieseTanino SciaccaTV miniseriesL'invittoRetanaTV film1976Dov'è Anna?LorisTV miniseries1977La mossa del cavalloIl maestroTV miniseries (Segment: "L'ultima notte")The Godfather: The Complete Novel for TelevisionDon TommasinoTV miniseries1978Storie della camorraOnorevole ColajanniTV miniseries1979La dama dei veleniGuido SantacroceTV miniseries1980L'eredità della prioraDon VincenzoTV miniseriesSam & SallyDr. Jesse1 episode1982Il fascino dell'insolitoL'uomo dei manichini1 episodeMarco PoloSenator1 episode
Documentaries YearTitleNotes1984Giuseppe Fava: Siciliano come me
Voice work YearTitleRoleNotes1965West and SodaAdditional voicesAnimated film1968VIP my Brother SupermanColonel1978Jazz BandNarratorUncredited1983Help Me DreamA School Outing1988
Dubbing Films (Animation, Italian dub) YearTitleRole(s) Ref1967The Jungle BookBagheeraAsterix the GaulAbraracourcix1968Asterix and CleopatraObelixWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery DayOwl1970The AristocatsScat Cat
Films (Live action, Italian dub) YearTitleRole(s)Original actor Ref1959South WindMarquis MacriAnnibale Ninchi1960Everybody Go HomeQuintino FornaciariMartin Balsam1963The Leopard (Italian: Il Gattopardo)Don Fabrizio CorberaBurt LancasterThe Eye of the NeedleDon SalvatoreErnesto Calindri1966Chimes at MidnightJohn FalstaffOrson Welles1967Operation St. Peter'sJoe VenturaEdward G. RobinsonGuess Who's Coming to DinnerMatt DraytonSpencer TracyIn the Heat of the NightBill GillespieRod SteigerThe Dirty DozenArcher J. MaggotTelly SavalasAttack on the Iron CoastFrederick GraftonMaurice Denham1968The Shoes of the FishermanCardinal LeoneLeo McKernHouse of CardsCharles LeschenhautOrson WellesThe Day of the OwlDon Mariano ArenaLee J. CobbNever a Dull MomentLeo Joseph SmoothEdward G. RobinsonOnce Upon a Time in the WestBrett McBainFrank WolffThe Ruthless FourSam CooperVan HeflinKrakatoa, East of JavaHarry ConnerlyBrian KeithBlackbeard's GhostCaptain BlackbeardPeter UstinovHang 'Em HighAdam FentonPat HingleThe Lion in WinterCaptain William MarshallNigel Stock2001: A Space OdysseyFrank Poole's fatherAlan GiffordWill PennyAlexBen JohnsonChitty Chitty Bang BangLord ScrumptiousJames Robertson JusticeRosemary's BabyRoman CastevetSidney BlackmerPistol for a Hundred CoffinsJ. Texas CorbettPiero LulliMay God Forgive You... But I Won'tStuartLuigi Pavese1969TepepaColonel CascorroOrson WellesThe Big BounceSam MirakianVan HeflinThe BrainFrankie ScannapiecoEli WallachThe Secret of Santa VittoriaItalo BomboliniAnthony QuinnOn Her Majesty's Secret ServiceMBernard LeeBattle of BritainSir David KellyRalph RichardsonFellini SatyriconTrimalchioMario RomagnoliSimón BolívarMr. HernandezJulio Peña1970MetelloBetto LamprediFrank WolffWhen Women Had TailsGrrThe Kremlin LetterBresnavitchOrson WellesBetween MiraclesOreste MicheliLionel StanderToo Late the HeroCaptain HornsbyDenholm ElliottLa HorseAuguste MaroilleurJean GabinThe McMastersMcMastersBurl IvesInvestigation of a Citizen Above SuspicionPlumberSalvo Randone1971Ten Days' WonderThéo Van HornOrson WellesLawmanVincent BronsonLee J. CobbScandalous JohnJohn McCanlessBrian KeithA Clockwork OrangeTrampPaul FarrellBananasSanchezDavid Ortiz1972The EroticistCardinal MaravidiLionel StanderDon Camillo e i giovani d'oggiPepponeTreasure IslandLong John SilverOrson WellesDuck SoupAmbassador Trentino of Sylvania (1972 dubbing)Louis CalhernRomaRoman Eating in TerraceMimmo PoliMusic Hall CompereGalliano SbarraTrattoria WaiterNino TerzoCinema Spectator with FamilyDante Cleri1973The ExorcistWilliam F. KindermanLee J. CobbThe Man Who Loved Cat DancingHarvey LapchanceSoylent GreenSolomon RothEdward G. RobinsonScorpioSergei ZharkovPaul ScofieldLudwigFather HoffmannGert FröbeAmarcordAurelio BiondiArmando Brancia1974The Sensual ManBaron CastoriniLionel StanderInnocence and DesireSalvatore Niscemi1975Russian RouletteCommander PetapieceDenholm ElliottBarry LyndonCaptain GroganGodfrey QuigleyThe HindenburgEmilio PajettaBurgess MeredithMy FriendsNiccolò RighiBernard BlierDeep RedRodiFurio MeniconiThe Big SleepGeneral Sternwood (1975 redub)Charles Waldron1976The OmenCarl BugenhagenLeo McKernThe InheritanceGregorio FerramontiAnthony QuinnDog's HeartPolice ChiefEnzo Robutti1977Star Wars: Episode IV – A New HopeObi-Wan KenobiAlec GuinnessThe GreatestAngelo DundeeErnest BorgnineThe DeepAdam CoffinEli WallachWifemistressHead DoctorArmando BranciaJuliaDashiell HammettJason Robards1978Damien - Omen IICarl BugenhagenLeo McKernConvoyLyle "Cottonmouth" WallaceErnest Borgnine19791941Angelo ScioliLionel Stander1980Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes BackObi-Wan KenobiAlec GuinnessPrivate BenjaminColonel Clay ThornbushRobert Webber1981Great WhiteRon HamerVic Morrow1983Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the JediObi-Wan KenobiAlec GuinnessZederProfessor ChesiJohn Stacy1986Ginger and FredAdmiral AulentiFriedrich von Ledebur1987Il mistero del panino assassinoArno dei conti ViciniFrancisco Rabal1989New York StoriesPsychiatristMarvin Chatinover
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