{{short description|Italian actor (1894–1968)}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Mario Besesti | image = File:Mario Besesti - Il mulino del Po.jpg | image_size = | caption = Besesti in ''The Mill on the Po'' (1949) | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1894|11|20}} | birth_place = Milan, Italy | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1968|6|21|1894|11|20}} | death_place = Rome, Italy | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|voice actor}} | years_active = 1932–1968 | other_names = | children = | spouse = | parents = | relatives = }}
'''Mario Besesti''' (20 November 1894 – 21 June 1968) was an Italian actor and voice actor.<ref name=mondo>{{cite web|url=http://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/voci/vocimbe.htm|title=Mario Besesti's voice acting and dubbing contributions|website=Il mondo dei doppiatori, antoniogenna.net |date= |accessdate=18 November 2018|language=it}}</ref>
== Biography == Besesti began a career acting on stage and screen in 1932.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mymovies.it/biografia/?a=18036 |title=Mario Besesti |author= |publisher=MYmovies |date= |accessdate= 7 May 2020}}</ref> He made his film debut in 1938 and among his most popular filmography includes the 1949 film ''The Mill on the Po''. Besesti was also well known as a voice dubber. Because of his strong voice and large build, he usually dubbed actors with the same stature such as Charles Laughton, Edward Arnold, Thomas Mitchell, Raymond Massey, Sydney Greenstreet, Charles Coburn and many more.
Besesti was considered to be one of Italy's most significant, well-known dubbers during the Golden Ages.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/speciali/cronologia.htm | title=Cronologia fondamentale dell'epoca d'oro del doppiaggio italiano Dagli albori agli anni 1970 | language=it | publisher=antoniogenna.net | accessdate=11 August 2020 }}</ref> He worked for the Cooperativa Doppiatori Cinematografici and made collaborations with other dubbers which included Gualtiero De Angelis, Lauro Gazzolo, Carlo Romano, Wanda Tettoni and Nino Pavese.
Besesti was also active in the Italian dubs of some of the early Disney animated films. He dubbed Stromboli in ''Pinocchio'', The Huntsman in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' and Trusty in ''Lady and the Tramp''.
== Death == Besesti died in Rome on 21 June 1968 at the age of 73. He was buried at Campo Verano.
== Filmography == === Cinema === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Role !scope="col"|Notes |- |1938 |''Pride'' | | |- |1940 |''Then We'll Get a Divorce'' |Il capo del personale | |- |1943 |''Short Circuit'' |Gruner | |- |1946 |''O sole mio'' | | |- |1947 |''Eugenia Grandet'' |Il vinaio | |- |1949 |''The Mill on the Po'' |Clapassòn | |- |rowspan=2|1950 |''My Beautiful Daughter'' |Sindaco Favarelli | |- |''The Thief of Venice'' |Nicolò | |}
== Voice work == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Role !scope="col"|Notes |- |1950 |''La Rosa di Bagdad'' |Zizibé |Animated film |- |}
=== Dubbing === ==== Films (Animation, Italian dub) ==== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Role(s) !scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref |- |1938 |''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' |The Huntsman |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/biancaneveeisettenani.htm |title=Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> |- |1939 |''Gulliver's Travels'' |King Bombo | |- |1947 |''Pinocchio'' |Stromboli |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/pinocchio.htm |title=Pinocchio Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |accessdate=27 September 2024}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2|1948 |''Dumbo'' |Narrator |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/dumbo.htm |title=Dumbo Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> |- |''Bambi'' |The Great Prince of the Forest |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/bambi.htm |title=Bambi Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> |- |1950 |''Cinderella'' |The King |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/cenerentola.htm |title=Cinderella Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> |- |1951 |''Alice in Wonderland'' |Walrus |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/alicenelpaesedellemeraviglie.htm |title=Alice in Wonderland Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> |- |1955 |''Lady and the Tramp'' |Trusty |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/film/lillieilvagabondo.htm |title=Lady and the Tramp Italian voice cast|publisher=Antoniogenna.net |date= |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> |}
==== Films (Live action, Italian dub) ==== * Phineas V. Lambert in ''If I Had a Million'' * Quasimodo in ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' * Sir Humphrey Pengallan in ''Jamaica Inn'' * William Kidd in ''Captain Kidd'' * Albert Lory in ''This Land Is Mine'' * Uncle William "Billy" Bailey in ''It's a Wonderful Life'' * Michael Howland in ''Within These Walls'' * Tom Blue in ''The Black Swan'' * Thad Vail in ''High Barbaree'' * Reginald "Rags" Barnaby in ''Destry'' * Jim Taylor in ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' * Amory Stilham in ''Mrs. Parkington'' * Judge Wilkins in ''Dear Wife'' * Penrod Biddel in ''City That Never Sleeps'' * Jimmy Norton in ''Meet John Doe'' * Wolf Larsen in ''The Sea Wolf'' * James R. Judson in ''From Here to Eternity'' * Pablo in ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' * Pancho Villa in ''Viva Villa!'' * Max Fabian in ''All About Eve''
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline}} * {{IMDb name|id=0078643|name=Mario Besesti}} * {{BTVA person}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Besesti, Mario}} Category:1894 births Category:1968 deaths Category:Male actors from Milan Category:Italian male voice actors Category:Italian male film actors Category:Italian male stage actors Category:Italian male radio actors Category:Burials at Campo Verano Category:20th-century Italian male actors