Voices of the Spaghetti Western - “A Taste for Killing”

As we know most of the Euro-westerns were co-productions from Italy, Spain, Germany and France which incorporated British and American actors to gain a worldwide audience. The films were shot silent and then dubbed into the various languages where they were sold for distribution. That means Italian, Spanish, German, French and English voice actors were hired to dub the films. Even actors from the countries where the film was to be shown were often dubbed by voice actors for various reasons such as the actors were already busy making another film, they wanted to be paid additional salaries for dubbing their voices, the actor’s voice didn’t fit the character they were playing, accidents to the actors and in some cases even death before the film could be dubbed.

I’ll list a Euro-western and the (I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German and (F) French, (E) English voices that I can find and once in a while a bio on a specific voice actor as in Europe these actors are as well-known as the actors they voiced.

Today we’ll cover “A Taste for Killing”

[(I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German, (F) French, (E) English]

Hank Fellows – Craig Hill (I) Giuseppe Rinaldi, (S) José Guardiola, (G) Gert Günther Hoffmann

Gus Kenneback – George Martin (I) Nando Gazzolo, (S) Simón Ramírez, (G) Horst Niendorf

Collins – Piero Lulli (I) Pino Locchi, (S) Joaquín Escola, (G) Arnold Marquis

Sanchez – Fernando Sancho (I) Ferruccio Amendola         , (S) Vicente Bañó, (G) Hans W. Hamacher

Mingo – George Wang (I) Renato Turi, (S) Manuel Aguilera, (G) Martin Hirthe

Aarons – Franco Ressel (I) Bruno Persa, (S) Jesús Puente, (G) Klaus Miedel

Isabelle – Rada Rassimov (E) Carolyn De Fonseca, (I) Rita Savagnone, (S) Celia Honrubia

Horst Niendorf  (1926 – 1999)

Horst Hermann Heinrich Niendorf was born on June 28, 1926, in Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. He attended the German Drama School for Stage and Film in Berlin in 1946 and 1947. A year later, he made his stage debut as Leander in Franz Grillparzer's Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen at the Stadttheater Bad Godesberg. After a short theater engagement in Bad Godesberg, he found his artistic home on the stages of Berlin. In addition to his active stage activities, he took over the directorship of the Hansa-Theater in Berlin in 1981, succeeding Paul Esser, which he directed until 1994 and for which he himself played and directed plays. From 1949 he also appeared as a cabaret artist, including in the Ensemble der Stachelschweine.

In the same year, Niendorf also made his debut in front of the camera. In his film and television career, which lasted more than 40 years, he often embodied likeable and down-to-earth types, such as the family man in the ZDF series of the same name, one of his last roles. He played the head of the F.B.I. in the Jerry Cotton thriller “Dynamite in Green Silk”, in Wolfgang Staudte's drama “Kirmes”, in ‘Am grünen Strand der Spree’ after Hans Scholz, in the television play ‘Die Revolution entlassen ihre Kinder’ after Wolfgang Leonhard, alongside Harald Juhnke in the adventure film “Die letzten Drei der Albatros” and in the Dieter-Hallervorden-Comedy “Uncle & Co.” In the television play ‘Hatschi!!’ (1979) by Eugen York, he played a professor. In addition, he investigated as Inspector Halm in the crime series ‘Das Kriminalmuseum’ and acted as football coach Wulff in a leading role in a series. He also played leading roles in the ARD series ‘Kapitäne der Landstraße’ (1963) and ‘Der Staudamm’ (1969) as well as a boxing trainer in Michael Kehlmann's ‘Ende eines Leichtgewicht’ (1969). In addition, he made numerous guest appearances in television series such as ‘Ein Fall für zwei’, ‘Die fünfte Kolonne’, ‘Café Wernicke’, ‘Der Alte’ and ‘Decided and Announced’.

In addition, Horst Niendorf worked extensively in dubbing from 1952 until shortly before his death. With leading dubbing roles in over 500 productions, he was one of the busiest German-speaking dubbing actors. He often lent his deep and distinctive voice to Lex Barker (“The Treasure in Silver Lake” and “Tarzan and the She Devil”), Gene Hackman (“French Connection” and “Superman II”), Charlton Heston (“Touch of Evil” and “The Big Country”), Burt Lancaster (“Airport” and “The Crimson Pirate”), among others.

Niendorf died in Jávea, Valencia Spain on June 17, 1999. He was 73.