Dino Galvani (born Candido Galvanoni; 27 October 189014 September 1960) was an Italian-British actor, who made his career in Britain on stage and radio and in films. He is remembered for his role in the popular BBC radio comedy series ITMA from 1941 to 1945. He was frequently seen on the West End stage, broadcast on radio and, later, television from 1927 to 1959, and made more than thirty films.
Life and career Early years Galvani, né Candido Galvanoni was born in Milan in 1890 and was originally intended for the priesthood."Signor Dino Galvani", The Times, 15 September 1960, p. 18 He made his first stage appearance in Milan in 1902 and later pursued his career in Britain, becoming a British national in 1937."Naturalization", The London Gazette 6 August 1937, p. 5036 He was first seen in London in 1921 as Count Philippe D'Armand in Mr Malatesta at the Court Theatre, and after work in the provinces he established himself in the West End as a character actor. According to The Times, he was "a versatile actor, equally at home in the sinister and the comic", and in the 1920s and 1930s he was frequently seen "playing suave foreign counts and professors with consummate ease".
Broadcasting Galvani began broadcasting on BBC radio in 1927, and between 1934 and 1952 he was "Chef d'Orchestre" (announcer-compère)"Dino Galvani", The Stage, 22 September 1960, p. 17 in what The Times calls "the extremely popular Café Colette programme. He joined the popular BBC radio comedy show ITMA in 1941, where he was:
He played Signor So-So, Handley's Italian secretary, in five series of ITMA, from 1941 to 1945.Foster and Furst, pp. 36 and 41 After leaving the show he continued to appear in BBC radio broadcasts, his last being in July 1959."Dino Galvani", BBC Genome. Retrieved 2 July 2020 On television, Galvani was seen in a range of programmes, from an adaptation of Vanity Fair to children's broadcasts and a documentary.
Films Galvani made his first screen appearance in a small role in the silent film The Glorious Adventure."The Glorious Adventure", British Film Institute. Retrieved 2 July 2020 Among his later films are:
Adam's Apple (1928) Adventurous Youth (1928) Paradise (1928) The Price of Things (1930) Black Coffee (1931) The Missing Rembrandt (1932) Chin Chin Chinaman (1932) Once Bitten (1932) In a Monastery Garden (1932) Heads We Go (1933) The Broken Rosary (1934) Princess Charming (1934) The Queen's Affair (1934) Royal Cavalcade (1935) Beloved Imposter (1936) Mother, Don't Rush Me (1936) Ball at Savoy (1936) Midnight Menace (1937) Big Fella (1937) Cafe Colette (1937) Special Edition (1938) The Viper (1938) The Last Barricade (1938) Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948) Fugitive Lady (1950) Shadow of the Eagle (1950) The Rival of the Empress (1951) Three Steps North (1951) Always a Bride (1953) Father Brown (1954) The Lyons in Paris (1955) Fun at St. Fanny's (1956) Second Fiddle (1957) Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960)
Galvani died in London on 14 September 1960, aged 69.
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