David Warbeck
Encyclopedia
David Warbeck was a New Zealand actor best known for his film roles in Europe.
, Warbeck arrived in Britain in 1965 and became a photographic model. He made his film debut as the title character in Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood
, a low-budget film adaptation of the adventures of Robin Hood
.
Warbeck next landed a small but important role in Sergio Leone
's A Fistful of Dynamite
. This would be his first foray into Italian cinema, which he would make his home within a few years. His good looks got him starring roles in horror films such as Trog
and Twins of Evil
.
He also starred in a long-running series of Milk Tray
adverts that included the slogan, "And all because the lady loves ... Milk Tray".
roles in the 1980s. The most noted of these is Lucio Fulci
's The Beyond, which propelled Warbeck to cult stardom among genre fans. However, Warbeck never made the transition to mainstream film following this success.
. The exploitation film
director produced a series of films which played on the success of mainstream releases such as Raiders of the Lost Ark
and The Deer Hunter
. Margheriti was best known for his action
films, and some of his noted efforts featuring Warbeck were Hunters of the Golden Cobra
(shot back-to-back with Ark of the Sun God) and the Vietnam war
film The Last Hunter
.
, but the role was taken by Roger Moore
. Warbeck claimed that for many years he was paid an amount to be a substitute or back-up Bond on the conditions that he not tell anyone and that he be ready for filming at a moment's notice in the case of Moore leaving or threatening to leave the role. One day he read about Timothy Dalton
being chosen and was told by the producers that he was now "too old for the role".
. Warbeck died of cancer in London
, England
on 23 July 1997.
Career and move into Italian cinema
Having been awarded a scholarship to RADARada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
, Warbeck arrived in Britain in 1965 and became a photographic model. He made his film debut as the title character in Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood
Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood
Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood is an adventure film starring David Warbeck, Ciaran Madden, David Butler, Kenneth Gilbert and directed by John Hough. The film was the debut movie of actor David Warbeck as Robin Hood. The film was originally a television series pilot but was released in movie...
, a low-budget film adaptation of the adventures of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
.
Warbeck next landed a small but important role in Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
's A Fistful of Dynamite
A Fistful of Dynamite
Duck, You Sucker! , also known as A Fistful of Dynamite and Once Upon a Time… the Revolution, is a 1971 Zapata Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Rod Steiger and James Coburn....
. This would be his first foray into Italian cinema, which he would make his home within a few years. His good looks got him starring roles in horror films such as Trog
Trog
Trog is a 1970 science fiction horror film starring Joan Crawford in a story about the discovery of a caveman. The screenplay was written by Peter Bryan, John Gilling, and Aben Kandel, and the film directed by Freddie Francis...
and Twins of Evil
Twins of Evil
Twins of Evil is a 1971 horror film by Hammer Film Productions starring Peter Cushing, with Damien Thomas and the real-life twins and former Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson....
.
He also starred in a long-running series of Milk Tray
Milk Tray
Milk Tray is brand of boxed chocolates currently manufactured by Cadbury. Introduced by Cadbury UK in 1915, it is one of the longest running brands in the confectioner's portfolio. Milk Tray is sold in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.The name 'Tray' derived from...
adverts that included the slogan, "And all because the lady loves ... Milk Tray".
Lucio Fulci
Warbeck is perhaps best known for his violent horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
roles in the 1980s. The most noted of these is Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
's The Beyond, which propelled Warbeck to cult stardom among genre fans. However, Warbeck never made the transition to mainstream film following this success.
Antonio Margheriti
Warbeck's most common work during the 1980s was with director Antonio MargheritiAntonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
. The exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
director produced a series of films which played on the success of mainstream releases such as Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
and The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter is a 1978 drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Russian American steel worker friends and their infantry service in the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Savage, John Cazale, and George Dzundza...
. Margheriti was best known for his action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
films, and some of his noted efforts featuring Warbeck were Hunters of the Golden Cobra
Hunters of the Golden Cobra
Hunters of the Golden Cobra is an Italian 1982 action film starring David Warbeck. It was directed by Antonio Margheriti....
(shot back-to-back with Ark of the Sun God) and the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
film The Last Hunter
The Last Hunter
The Last Hunter is a 1980 Italian "macaroni combat" war film directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring David Warbeck.-Plot:Following the suicide of his best friend, Captain Harry Morris accepts a final deadly mission to go behind enemy lines to destroy a radio tower that is broadcasting...
.
James Bond
Thanks to these appearances, Warbeck was being seriously considered as the next James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
, but the role was taken by Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
. Warbeck claimed that for many years he was paid an amount to be a substitute or back-up Bond on the conditions that he not tell anyone and that he be ready for filming at a moment's notice in the case of Moore leaving or threatening to leave the role. One day he read about Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
being chosen and was told by the producers that he was now "too old for the role".
Later life and death
In the 1990s Warbeck appeared in several low-budget films. He also concentrated on fan conventions in the United Kingdom and United States, where he was popular due to his work with Fulci. In 1997, a few weeks before his death, Warbeck recorded an audio commentary for the laserdisc release of The Beyond with actress Catriona MacCollCatriona MacColl
Catriona MacColl is an English actress who has worked extensively in both film and television across Europe.-Acting career:In 1979, MacColl made her debut in the title role of "Lady Oscar" directed by Jacques Demy in Japan...
. Warbeck died of cancer in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 23 July 1997.