Corrado Gaipa (13 March 1925 – 21 September 1989) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Gaipa was a well known actor of Italian cinema as well as dubbing voices. However, he was widely known for his role as Don Tommasino in ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 The Godfather (novel), novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al ...

''.

Biography

Born in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for it ...

, Gaipa enrolled in the

Silvio d’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico (translation: Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts) is a national drama school in Rome, Italy. Founded in 1936 by the theatrical theorist, critic, and writer Silvio D'Amico, the ac ...

, 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 , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and he began doing radio dramas which were broadcast in many cities across Italy such as

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

and

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

. He also appeared in many films such as the 1969 film '' That Splendid November''. Internationally, he was well known for having played Don Tommasino in the 1972 film ''

'' directed by

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...

. While also active on stage, radio and television, he was mainly active as a voice actor and a dubber. As for Gaipa's activity as a voice actor, he was the Italian voice of

Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...

(portrayed by

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

) in the ''Star Wars'' original trilogy as well as

Bagheera Bagheera ( hi, बघीरा / ''Baghīrā'') is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in ''The Jungle Book'' (coll. 1894) and ''The Second Jungle Book'' (coll. 1895). He is a black panther ( melanistic Indian leopard) who ...

in the Italian-Language version of ''

The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...

''. He also dubbed over the voices of

Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television. He is best remembered for his role as majordomo Max on the 1980s mystery television series ''Hart to Hart''. Early ...

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

and

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two conse ...

. He also assisted with the foundation of a dubbing company in the 1970s alongside Renato Turi,

Giancarlo Giannini Giancarlo Giannini (born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor and voice actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' Love and Anarchy'' (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for '' Seven Beautie ...

Valeria Valeri Valeria Valeri (born Valeria Tulli; 8 December 1921 – 11 June 2019) was an Italian actress and voice actress. Biography On stage A student of actress Elsa Merlini, Valeri began her professional acting career in 1948, working on stage with fe ...

Oreste Lionello Oreste Lionello (18 April 1927 – 19 February 2009) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Lionello was born in Rhodes (which was then a possession of Italy), to Calabrian parents, and grew up in Reggio Calabria. He began his care ...

and other historical 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 had serious health problems. He went from using a walking stick to using a wheelchair and he died in

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 ''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, ...

''. The role was instead passed on to

Vittorio Duse Vittorio Duse (21 March 1916 – 2 June 2005) was an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. Biography One of Duse's first roles was in Luchino Visconti's debut feature '' Ossessione'' (1942). Outside Italy, Duse is known for his role ...

Filmography

Cinema

* ''

West and Soda ''West and soda'' (also known as ''The West Way Out'') is a 1965 traditionally animated Italian feature film directed by Bruno Bozzetto. It is a parody of the traditional American Western. In an interview, Bozzetto claimed to have invented the Sp ...

'' (1965) - (voice) * ''

Shoot Twice ''Shoot Twice'' ( it, Due volte Giuda, es, Dos veces Judas) is a 1969 Italian Western film directed by Nando Cicero and starring Klaus Kinski and Antonio Sabàto. Cast * Klaus Kinski - Dingus / aka Victor Barrett * Antonio Sabàto - Luke Bar ...

'' (1968) - (voice) * ''

VIP my Brother Superman ''VIP my Brother Superman'' ( it, VIP, mio fratello superuomo), often known in English as ''The SuperVips'', is a 1968 Italian animated film directed by Bruno Bozzetto. It is a parody of superheroes and enjoyed a good commercial and critical succe ...

'' (1968) - (voice) * '' That Splendid November'' (1969) - Uncle Alfio * '' The Pizza Triangle'' (1970) - President of tribunal * ''

Metello ''Metello'' is a 1970 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. It starred Massimo Ranieri as the title character. Plot During the end of the 19th century, young Metello decides to start ...

'' (1970) - Badolati * ''

The Man with Icy Eyes ''L'uomo dagli occhi di ghiaccio'' (internationally released as ''The Man with Icy Eyes'') is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Alberto De Martino. It starred Barbara Bouchet, Antonio Sabato, Keenan Wynn, Faith Domergue and Victor Buono. It w ...

'' (1971) - Isaac Thetman * ''

The Fifth Cord ''The Fifth Cord'' (Italian: ''Giornata nera per l'ariete'', lit. "Black Day for Aries") is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Bazzoni. The film's Italian title reprises Dario Argento's practice of using animals in the titles of his thr ...

'' (1971) - Editor * '' My Dear Killer'' (1972) - Head of Insurance Company * '' Execution Squad'' (1972) - L'avvocato Armani * ''

'' (1972) - Don Tommasino * ''

The Eroticist ''The Eroticist'' ( it, Nonostante le apparenze... e purchè la nazione non lo sappia... all'onorevole piacciono le donne, lit=Despite Appearances... and Provided the Nation Doesn't Know... The Senator Likes Women) is a 1972 Italian commedia sex ...

'' (1972) - Don Gesualdo * ''

Shadows Unseen ''Abuso di potere'' (internationally released as ''Shadows Unseen'') is a 1972 Italian crime film directed by Camillo Bazzoni. The film, despite the original plot, contains several references to actual events, such as the killing of journalist ...

'' (1972) - Günther Rosenthal * ''

Without Family ''Without Family'', originally released as ''Senza famiglia, nullatenenti cercano affetto'' (literally ''No family, no property, looking for affection''), is a 1972 Italian comedy film directed by Vittorio Gassman. Cast * Vittorio Gassman: Arman ...

'' (1972) - Giudice * ''

Il caso Pisciotta ''Il caso Pisciotta'' (''The Pisciotta Case'') is a 1972 Italian historical drama film written and directed by Eriprando Visconti. It is based on actual events involving Gaspare Pisciotta, lieutenant of the bandit Salvatore Giuliano, and his death ...

'' (1972) - Direttore del carcere * ''

The Sicilian Connection ''The Sicilian Connection'' ( it, Afyon oppio, french: Action héroïne, also known as ''The Opium Connection'' and ''La filière'') is a 1972 Italian- French crime-thriller film directed by Ferdinando Baldi. Plot The Italian-American Joseph ...

'' (1972) - Calogero * ''

Il Boss ''Il Boss'' (En. ''The Boss'', also known as ''Murder Inferno'') is a poliziottesco- noir film written and directed by Fernando Di Leo in 1973. It is the final part of Di Leo's ''Milieu Trilogy'', also consisting of '' Milano calibro 9'' and ''La ...

'' (1973) - Avvocato Rizzo * ''

I Kiss the Hand ''I Kiss the Hand'' ( it, Baciamo le mani, also known as ''Family Killer'') is a 1973 Italian crime film directed by Vittorio Schiraldi and starring Arthur Kennedy, John Saxon and Agostina Belli. It is based on a novel by the same Vittorio Schira ...

'' (1973) - Don Emilio Grisanti * '' 1931: Once Upon a Time in New York'' (1973) - Mob Boss * ''

The Black Hand (The Birth of the Mafia) ''The Black Hand (The Birth of the Mafia)'' ( it, La mano nera) is a 1973 Italian crime film written and directed by Antonio Racioppi and starring Lionel Stander, Rosanna Fratello and Michele Placido. Plot Italian-American cop Joe Petrosino in ...

'' (1973) - Lawyer * ''

Tony Arzenta ''Tony Arzenta'' (internationally released as ''Big Guns'' and ''No Way Out'') is a 1973 Italian noir film directed by Duccio Tessari. The film was commercially successful. Plot When the Milan based mafia hitman Tony Arzenta asks to get out ...

'' (1973) - Arzenta's Father * '' Chino'' (1973) - Padre * '' Anna, quel particolare piacere'' (1973) - Doctor * ''

Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (; ; la, Iordanus Brunus Nolanus; born Filippo Bruno, January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist. He is known for his cosmolo ...

'' (1973) * ''

The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine ''The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine'' ( it, Le scomunicate di San Valentino/ translation: ''The Excommunication of St. Valentine'') is a 1974 Italian nunsploitation film written and directed by Sergio Grieco and starring Françoise Prévost and ...

'' (1974) - Father Onorio * ''

What Have They Done to Your Daughters? ''What Have They Done to Your Daughters?'' ( it, La polizia chiede aiuto , lit=The police ask for help) is a 1974 Italian ''giallo'' and ''poliziotteschi'' film directed by Massimo Dallamano. Plot Police officers investigated the death of 14-yea ...

'' (1974) - Prosecutor * ''Prigione di donne'' (1974) - Magistrate * ''

Illustrious Corpses ''Illustrious Corpses'' ( it, Cadaveri eccellenti) is a 1976 Italian-French thriller film directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Lino Ventura, based on the novel '' Equal Danger'' by Leonardo Sciascia (1971). The film was screened at the 1976 ...

'' (1976) - Supposed Mafioso * '' The Red Nights of the Gestapo'' (1977) - Udo Kassbaum * ''I vizi morbosi di una governante'' (1977) - The Inspector * '' La malavita attacca... la polizia risponde!'' (1977) - Dottore * ''

A Spiral of Mist ''A Spiral of Mist'' ( it, Una spirale di nebbia, french: Caresses bourgeoises, also known as ''Une spirale de brume'') is a 1977 Italian- French thriller-drama film directed by Eriprando Visconti. It is based on the novel with the same name writt ...

'' (1977) - Pietro Sangermano * ''Giuseppe Fava: Siciliano come me'' (1984) - (final film role)

Television

* ''La rosa bianca'' (1971, TV Movie) * ''Maigret va in pensione'' (1972) - Germain Cageot * '' Napoleone a Sant'Elena'' (1973) - Lord Liverpool * '' Ho incontrato un'ombra'' (1974) - Buache * '' Ritratto di donna velata'' (1975) - Il Nebbia * '' Il marsigliese'' (1975) - Tanino Sciacca * ''La mossa del cavallo'' (1977) - Il maestro * ''Storie della camorra'' (1978) - Onorevole Colajanni * ''La dama dei veleni'' (1979) - Guido Santacroce * '' Marco Polo'' (1982) - Senator

Dubbing roles

Animation

in ''

'' *Scat Cat in ''

The Aristocats ''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom R ...

'' *Abraracourcix in ''

Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...

'' *

Owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

in ''

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day ''Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day'' is a 1968 American animated featurette based on the third, fifth, ninth, and tenth chapters of ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' and the second, eighth, and ninth chapters from '' The House at Pooh Corner'' by A. A. Mil ...

Live action

in '' Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'' *Obi-Wan Kenobi in '' Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'' *Obi-Wan Kenobi in '' Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' *Frank Poole's Father in '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' *Brett McBain in ''

Once Upon a Time in the West ''Once Upon a Time in the West'' ( , "Once upon a time (there was) the West") is a 1968 epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Leon ...

'' *Sanchez in ''

Bananas A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distingui ...

'' *Matt Drayton in ''

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and feature ...

'' *Ron Hamer in ''

Great White Great White is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The band peaked with several albums during the mid-to-late 1980s, including the platinum-selling records ''Once Bitten'' (1987) and '' ...Twice Shy'' (1989), and those albums ...

'' *Adam Coffin in '' The Deep'' *Bill Gillespie in '' In the Heat of the Night'' *Italo Bombolini in ''

The Secret of Santa Vittoria ''The Secret of Santa Vittoria'' is a 1969 American war film distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the best ...

'' *Lord Scrumptious in ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 musical-fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes with a screenplay co-written by Roald Dahl and Hughes, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel '' Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car'' (1964). The film sta ...

'' *Emilio Pajetta in ''

The Hindenburg LZ 129 ''Hindenburg'' (; Registration: D-LZ 129) was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the ''Hindenburg'' class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. It was de ...

'' * M in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' *

Captain Blackbeard Edward Teach (alternatively spelled Edward Thatch, – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about ...

in ''

Blackbeard's Ghost ''Blackbeard's Ghost'' is a 1968 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Bill Walsh. It is based upon the 1965 nove ...

'' *Sergei Zharkov in ''

Scorpio Scorpio is the Latin word for scorpion. The name may refer to: Astronomy and astrology * Scorpio (astrology), a sign of the Zodiac * Scorpius, a constellation often called Scorpio People with the name * Eddie Morris, a member of the hip-hop grou ...

'' *Captain Hornsby in '' Too Late the Hero'' *Pater Hoffmann in ''

Ludwig Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...

'' *Theo Van Horn in '' Ten Days' Wonder'' *Roman Castevet '' Rosemary's Baby'' *Leo Joseph Smooth in '' Never a Dull Moment'' *Colonel Clay Thornbush in '' Private Benjamin'' *Colonel Cascorro in '' Tepepa'' *Judge Adam Fenton in ''

Hang 'Em High ''Hang 'Em High'' is a 1968 American DeLuxe Color revisionist Western film directed by Ted Post and written by Leonard Freeman and Mel Goldberg. It stars Clint Eastwood as Jed Cooper, an innocent man who survives a lynching; Inger Stevens a ...

'' * William Marshall in ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'' *Don Fabrizio Corbera in ''

The Leopard ''The Leopard'' ( it, Il Gattopardo ) is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicily, Sicilian life and society during the ''Risorgimento''. Published posthumously in 1958 by Feltrinelli (publisher), Feltrinell ...

'' *Archer J. Maggott in ''

The Dirty Dozen ''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Ralph M ...

'' *Cardinal Leone in '' The Shoes of the Fisherman'' *William F. Kinderman in ''

The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitt ...

'' *Harvey Lapchance in '' The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing'' *Sheriff Lyle Wallace in ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...

'' *Auguste Maroilleur in ''

La Horse ''La Horse'' ( it, Il Clan degli uomini violenti, german: Der Erbarmungslose) is a 1970 French-language thriller directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre and based on Michel Lambesc's novel of the same name. Plot In Normandy, the widower Auguste Maroi ...

'' *Carl Bugenhagen in '' Damien: Omen II'' *Tramp in '' A Clockwork Orange''

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaipa, Corrado 1925 births 1989 deaths Male actors from Palermo Italian male film actors Italian male voice actors Italian male stage actors Italian male television actors Italian male radio actors Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni 20th-century Italian male actors