Roddy McDowell == Leader Desslock??
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:21 pm
At last, perhaps someone here will be able to settle a question that has haunted me for decades... {old g!}
Does anyone here happen to know whether or not Roddy McDowell gave an uncredited performance as Leader Desslock (aka Desslar Soto) in the original English dub of Star Blazers (aka Space Battleship Yamato)?
Whoever it is sure _sounds_ like him... and does brilliant work of his quality, too... The development of his character, voicewise, is hands down the best performance in a series with (on average) very competent American vocal peformances. (Note: the original English dub for the 3rd season was done by a totally different sound team--thus also missing the distinctive whine-roar of the Wave-motion Gun beloved by all fans of the American dub.)
Ganz: "We thought our target was an underground city!"
Desslok: [very ironically] "Yes... a target that wouldn't fight back?"
From bored ironic disdain, to his first serious concern about the situation ("They used a what?"), to his increasing interest in the travails of this one defiant patched-up relic, to a consuming desire to finish this thorn in his side which keeps making him look incompetent, to his total nervous breakdown when he realizes he has only doomed his own beloved planet by trying to keep the Yamato from rescuing the Earth (and then on into the 2nd series where his cold respect for the Yamato and its crew slowly turns into the realization that he and they share the very same love for their homes, leading to the finest bit of writing in the series where he declares peace between them: "War does not allow us to be our better selves")--the actor brings a consistent development to his character which is self-consistent and note-perfect.
I know for a long time actors weren't allowed by union rules to be credited for dubbing import movies and series; so the fact that his name doesn't appear in the credits (as such) isn't weight against the idea. But I sure would like to know if it really was McDowell.
Anyone have a clue?
Does anyone here happen to know whether or not Roddy McDowell gave an uncredited performance as Leader Desslock (aka Desslar Soto) in the original English dub of Star Blazers (aka Space Battleship Yamato)?
Whoever it is sure _sounds_ like him... and does brilliant work of his quality, too... The development of his character, voicewise, is hands down the best performance in a series with (on average) very competent American vocal peformances. (Note: the original English dub for the 3rd season was done by a totally different sound team--thus also missing the distinctive whine-roar of the Wave-motion Gun beloved by all fans of the American dub.)
Ganz: "We thought our target was an underground city!"
Desslok: [very ironically] "Yes... a target that wouldn't fight back?"
From bored ironic disdain, to his first serious concern about the situation ("They used a what?"), to his increasing interest in the travails of this one defiant patched-up relic, to a consuming desire to finish this thorn in his side which keeps making him look incompetent, to his total nervous breakdown when he realizes he has only doomed his own beloved planet by trying to keep the Yamato from rescuing the Earth (and then on into the 2nd series where his cold respect for the Yamato and its crew slowly turns into the realization that he and they share the very same love for their homes, leading to the finest bit of writing in the series where he declares peace between them: "War does not allow us to be our better selves")--the actor brings a consistent development to his character which is self-consistent and note-perfect.
I know for a long time actors weren't allowed by union rules to be credited for dubbing import movies and series; so the fact that his name doesn't appear in the credits (as such) isn't weight against the idea. But I sure would like to know if it really was McDowell.
Anyone have a clue?