John Kitzmiller (December 4, 1913 – February 23, 1965) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

who worked in his native land, as well as

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Kitzmiller achieved his greatest fame as a popular and versatile actor in Europe, making an estimated forty European films. He was the first black actor to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor in

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...

for his role in the Yugoslav (Slovenia) film '' Valley of Peace''. He is best-known for his role as Quarrel in the very first EON-produced James Bond movie ''Dr. No''.

Early life

John Kitzmiller was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, the younger of two children born to John B. and Mary E. Kitzmiller. In high school Kitzmiller was a member of the Chemistry Club, and he later attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, receiving a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

in 1937. He was commissioned in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

reaching the rank of captain in the Corps of Engineers. He was stationed in

in 1943, serving with the 92nd Infantry Division during the Italian campaign of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Both of his parents died during his military service, events which likely influenced his decision to become one of the few black soldiers to remain in Italy after the war.

Acting career

Kitzmiller was discovered in 1946 by

Luigi Zampa Luigi Zampa (2 January 1905 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film director. Biography Son of a worker, Zampa studied filmmaking from 1932 to 1937 at the Italian film school Centro sperimentale di cinematografia in Rome. He directed several ...

and Carlo Ponti while playing poker at an officers' club. This chance meeting led to his first acting role, in Zampa and Ponti's film '' To Live in Peace'' in 1947. Kitzmiller frequently worked in

Italian neorealist Italian neorealism ( it, Neorealismo), also known as the Golden Age, is a national film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class. They are filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors. They pri ...

films. He made Italy his permanent residence and ultimately starred in more than fifty European films, often portraying characters fighting racism. He played the leading role of "Jerry" in the film '' Senza pietà'' (''"Without Pity"''), from a screenplay by Federico Fellini, Alberto Lattuada and

Tullio Pinelli Tullio Pinelli (24 June 1908 – 7 March 2009) was an Italian screenwriter known for his work on the Federico Fellini films ''I Vitelloni'', ''La Strada'', '' La Dolce Vita'' and '' 8½''. Biography Born in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, Pinelli beg ...

. He received awards commemorating both his role as an actor and as a soldier. In 1957, he was the first black actor to win a best actor award at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

for his role in the

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

n (

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

n) film '' Valley of Peace.'' Kitzmiller is most famous for his role as Quarrel in the

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film '' Dr. No''.

Death

Kitzmiller died in Rome of a liver ailment at the age of 51.

Selected filmography

* '' To Live in Peace'' (1947) – Joe * ''Tombolo, paradiso nero'' (1947) – Jack * '' Senza pietà'' (1948) – Jerry Jackson * ''Ti ritroverò'' (1949) – The MP * ''Monastero di Santa Chiara'' (1949) – Il negro * '' The Force of Destiny'' (1950) – Lo scudiero moro * '' Variety Lights'' (1950) – Trumpet player Johnny * '' Wolves Hunt at Night'' (1952) – the black servant of Miguel * '' Massacre in Lace'' (1952) – Rocky Saddler * '' At Sword's Edge'' (1952) * '' Final Pardon'' (1952) * '' Delitto al luna park'' (1952) * ''Legione straniera'' (1953) – Djalmar * ''

Frine, Courtesan of Orient ''Frine, Courtesan of Orient'' ( it, Frine, cortigiana d'Oriente) is a 1953 Italian epic adventure film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Elena Kleus and Pierre Cressoy. Sergio Leone served as assistant director. Plot Cast * Elena Kleus ...

'' (1953) – Nabus, lo schiavo muto * ''Canto per te'' (1953) – Angenore * ''Terra straniera'' (1954) * ''Non vogliamo morire'' (1954) – John – il timoniere * '' Quay of Blondes'' (1954) – Michel * ''Desiderio 'e sole'' (1954) – Domestico di Sirovich * '' La peccatrice dell'isola'' (1954) – Il Pescatore negro * ''Il grande addio'' (1954) * ''Acque amare'' (1954) – Mezzanotte * ''

Tears of Love ''Tears of Love'' (Italian: ''Lacrime d'amore'') is a 1954 Italian Musical film, musical melodrama film directed by Pino Mercanti and starring Achille Togliani, Katina Ranieri and Otello Toso.Chiti & Poppi p.201 Cast * Achille Togliani as Mario B ...

'' (1954) * ''Il nostro campione'' (1955) – Raimondo * '' Valley of Peace'' (1956) – Sgt. Jim * '' The Mysteries of Paris'' (1957) – Lo Squartatore * ''A vent'anni è sempre festa'' (1957) – John Miller * '' The Naked Earth'' (1958) – David * '' Slave Women of Corinth'' (1958) – Tomoro * ''Vite perdute'' (1959) – Luca * ''Pensione Edelweiss'' (1959) – Bougron * ''Due selvaggi a corte'' (1959) – Kato * '' Seven in the Sun'' (1960) – Salvador * '' Pirates of the Coast'' (1960) – Rock * '' Revolt of the Mercenaries'' (1961) – Tago * '' Totòtruffa 62'' (1961) – Ambasciatore del Katonga * ''La corona di fuoco'' (1961) – Akim * '' Venus Against the Son of Hercules'' (1962) – Afros * ''Il sangue e la sfida'' (1962) * ''El hijo del capitán Blood'' (1962) – Moses * '' Dr. No'' (1962) – Quarrel * '' Tiger of the Seven Seas'' (1962) – Serpente * ''

Cave of the Living Dead ''Cave of the Living Dead'' (german: Der Fluch der grünen Augen) is a 1964 German / Yugoslav horror film directed by Ákos Ráthonyi. Plot The local police in a sleepy mountain village in the Balkans are left at a loss after seven murders of w ...

'' (1964) – John – Black Servant * ''Indios a Nord-Ovest'' (1964) * ''Il ribelle di Castelmonte'' (1964) – Ali * ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

'' (1965) – Uncle Tom (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kitzmuller, John 1913 births 1965 deaths African-American United States Army personnel Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners Deaths from liver disease American male film actors People from Battle Creek, Michigan Male actors from Michigan Military personnel from Michigan United States Army personnel of World War II African-American male actors 20th-century American male actors American expatriates in Italy University of Michigan alumni United States Army officers United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel 20th-century African-American people