RIP Rainer Brandt

 

The voiceover legend is dead.

He lent his voice to giants like Elvis Presley and Tony Curtis, becoming a legend himself. Rainer Brandt has passed away.

ASB Zeitung

By Viktoria Klein

August 7, 2024

 

German actor, voice artist, and dialogue book author Rainer Brandt (1936-2024) has passed away. As confirmed by his family to the "Bild" newspaper, Brandt died peacefully at home on August 1st, aged 88.

Lending his voice to entertainment legends

Over the decades, Brandt lent his German voice to numerous entertainment legends, including Elvis Presley (1935-1977), Tony Curtis (1925-2010), and Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021). He also provided the dialogue for the Italian acting duo Terence Hill (85) and Bud Spencer (1929-2016) in the German versions of their films.

Brandt's career began in the 1950s when he accidentally applied to a synchronization studio thinking it was a film studio. Simultaneously, he began working as a voice artist and attended acting classes at the Max Reinhardt School in Vienna. As an actor, he appeared in various films and series and also performed on stage.

A family of voice artists

Rainer Brandt leaves behind his wife Ursula Heyer (84), also a voice artist and actress, and their two children who have followed in their father’s footsteps. His daughter Judith (59) has lent her voice to actresses such as Sophie Marceau (57) and Monica Bellucci (59). His son Andrej Brandt has voiced actors such as Larry Hovis (67) in “A Big Hand for the Little Lady”.

Terence Hill pays tribute

Terence Hill has already spoken out about the death of Rainer Brandt. In an interview with "Bild", he said that Brandt played a "huge role" in the success of their films in Germany. "I'm very sad that Rainer is gone," he added. "His wit was fantastic and connected many people. We had a lovely reunion in Berlin a few years ago, which I remember fondly."

On the official Instagram account of the late Bud Spencer (1929-2016), it is stated: "We have just learned of the death of Rainer Brandt. He was an important figure in the success of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill in Germany. Not only was he a voice artist, but he was also a dialogue book author who invented the so-called 'Schnodderdeutsch' and made other films like 'The Two' successful. Thank you for your work, which will continue to make us laugh for a long time to come."

The "Bild" newspaper, where Brandt's family announced his passing, might also feature an obituary for him under the heading 'The picture newspaper'.

Upon learning about Brandt's death, renowned actor Terence Hill expressed his sadness in an interview with 'The picture newspaper', praising Brandt's role in the success of their films in Germany.

BRANDT, Rainer

Born: 1/19/1936, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Died: 8/1/2024, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

 

Rainer Brandt’s westerns – actor, voice actor:

Stagecoach – 1939 [German voice of Tom Tyler]

Broken Arrow – 1950 [German voice of Jay Silverheels]

Silver City – 1951 [German voice of Michael Moore]

Jesse James vs. the Daltons – 1953 [German voice of James Best]

They rode West – 1954 [German voice of James Best]

Gunsmoke (TV) 1955-1975 [German voice of Anthony Zerbe, Kipp Whitman, Charles Wagenheim, Robert Totten, Russ Siler, Orville Sherman, Gene Rutherford, Robert Rothwell,

     David Renard, Charles Kuenstie, Ted Jordan, Russell Johnson, Allen Jaffe, Clyde Howdy,

     Scott Hale, Bob Gravage, Jonathan Goldsmith, Kelton Garwood, Sam Edwards, Fred Coby,

     Bobby Clark, Baynes Barron, James Almanzar, Norman Alden, Donnelly Rhodes, Bob

     Kelljan

Ten Wanted Men – 1955 [German voice of Lee Van Cleef]

Fort Laramie – 1956 [German voice of William Phillips]

Love Me Tender – 1956 [German voice of James Drury]

Cattle Empire – 1957 [German voice of Bing Russell]

Gun Duel in Durango – 1957 [German voice of Don ‘Red’ Barry]

Seven Guns to Mesa – 1957 [German voice of Charles Quinlivan]

Tall T – 1957 [German voice of Skip Homeier]

3:10 to Yuma – 1957 [German voice of Richard Jaeckel]

War Drums – 1957 [German voice of Ward Ellis]

Bravados – 1958 [German voice of Albert Salmi]

Cowboy – 1958 [German voice of Eugene Iglesias, Buzz Henry]

Day of the Badman – 1958 [German voice of John Ericson]

The Gunfight at Dodge City – 1958 [German voice of Hugo Mauritz]

Money, Women and Guns – 1958 [German voice of William Campbell]

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw [ 1958 [German voice of William Campbell]

Ride Lonesome – 1959 [German voice of James Coburn]

Warlock – 1959 [German voice of Don ‘Red’ Barry]

The Magnificent Seven – 1960 [German voice of Lee Robert Vaughn]

The Shadow of Zorro – 1962 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

Apache Gold – 1963 [German voice of Mario Adorf]

He Rides Tall – 1963 [German voice of

The Last Ride to Santa Cruz – 1963 [German voice of Mario Adorf]

Samson and the Slave Queen – 1963 [German voice of Sergio Ciani]

Apache’s Last Battle – 1964 [German voice of Guy Madison]

Fistful of Dollars – 1964 [German voice of Gian aria Volonte, Sieghardt Rupp]

Last of the Renegades – 1964 [German voice of Anthony Steel]

Massacre at Marble City – 1964 [German voice of Mario Adorf]

Rio Conchos – 1964 [German voice of Kevin Hagen]

The Sheriff was a Lady – 1964 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

The Son of Jesse James – 1964 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

Behind the Mask of Zorro – 1965 [German voice of Tony Russel]

Big Valley (TV) 1965-1969 [German voice of Lloyd Bochner]

Flaming Frontier – 1965 [German voice of Larry Pennell]

For a Few Dollars More – 1965 [German voice of Ricardo Palacios]

The Last Tomahawk – 1965 [German voice of Stelio Candelli]

A Man Called Gringo – 1965 [German voice of Daniel Martin]

The Man from Oklahoma – 1965 [German voice of Rick Horn]

A Place Called Glory – 1965 [German voice of Gérard Tichy]

Pyramid of the Sun God – 1965 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

Rampage at Apache Wells – 1965 [German voice of Dusan Janicijevic]

The Relentless Four – 1965 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

Treasure of the Aztecs – 1965 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

Waco – 1965 [German voice of John Smith]

Django Shoots First – 1966 [German voice of Glenn Saxson]

The Golden Sheriff – 1966 [German voice of Luigi Giuliani]

The Hills Run Red – 1966 [German voice of Nando Gazzolo]

Prairie-Saloon (TV) – 1966 (Skip)

Red Tomahawk – 1966 [German voice of Tom Drake]

Return of the Seven – 1966 [German voice of Virgilio Teixeira]

Thompson 1880 – 1966 [German voice of George Martin]

The Ugly Ones – 1966 [German voice of José Canalejas]

Who Killed Johnny R? – 19Tony Young]66 [German voice of Isidro Novellas]

Any Gun Can Play – 1967 [German voice of George Hilton]

Beyond the Law – 1967 [German voice of Al Hoosman]

Cjamango – 1967 [German voice of Sean Todd]

Days of Violence – 1967 [German voice of Peter Lee Lawrence]

The Dirty Outlaws – 1967 [German voice of Andrea Giordana]

Django Kills Softly – 1967 [German voice of George Eastman]

Don't Wait, Django... Shoot! – 1967 [German voice of Sean Todd]

Gentleman Kill – 1967 [German voice of Benito Stefanelli]

Gunfight in Abilene – 1967 [German voice of Donnelly Rhodes]

The Guns of Will Sonnett (TV) 1967-1969 [German voice of Harry Swoger, John Alderson,

High Chaparral (TV) – 1967-1971 [German voice of Warren Stevens]

Kill and Pray – 1967 [German voice of Mark Damon]

Killer calibro 32 – 1967 [German voice of Peter Lee Lawrence]

A Man, a Colt – 1967 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

A Rope for a Bastard – 1967 [German voice of Mimmo Palmara]

Thunder at the Border – 1967 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

Viva Django! – 1967 [German voice of Terence Hill]

The Belle Starr Story – 1968 [German voice of George Eastman]

Bury Them Deep – 1968 [German voice of Craig Hill]

Guns for San Sebastian – 1968 [German voice of Jaime Fernandez]

The Moment to Kill – 1968 [German voice of George Hilton]

The Unholy Four – 1969 [German voice of George Eastman]

Santana Kills Them All – 1970 [German voice of Gianni Garko]

Companeros – 1971 [German voice of Franco Nero]

Trinity is STILL My Name – 1971 [German voice of unknown actors]

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean – 1972 [German voice of Tab Hunter]

The Genius – 1975 [German voice of Raimund Harmstorf]

Trinity Plus the Clown and a Guitar – 1975 [German voice of George Hilton]

Spaghetti Western – 1976 [German voice of Dan van Husen]

Buddy Goes West – 1981 [German voice of Lanfranco Spinola, Carlo Reali]

Sky Bandits – 1986 [Germa voice of Scott McGinnis]

The Sons of Trinity – 1995 [German voice of Cesar Varona Martin]

Django Unchained – 2012 [German voice of Franco Nero]