David Warbeck

He made his feature film debut in John Hough's Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1969), reuniting with the director again for 1971's Twins of Evil. Throughout the 1970s, Warbeck appeared in numerous international exploitation films, including A Fistful of Dynamite (1971) and Black Snake (1974), which established him as a niche action film star. In 1981, Warbeck starred in two films for Italian horror director Lucio Fulci: The Black Cat and The Beyond. He went on to appear in several independent and exploitation films throughout the 1980s and 1990s before dying of cancer in London in July 1997, aged 55.

• Name — David Warbeck • Birth Name — David Mitchell • Born — 17 November 1941 • Birthplace — Christchurch, New Zealand • Died — 23 July 1997 • Place of death — London, England • Occupation — Actor, model • Years Active — 1968–1997 • Children — 1 • Education — Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Warbeck was born David Mitchell on 17 November 1941 in Christchurch, New Zealand. He was of Scottish descent. Warbeck attended school in Christchurch and Invercargill. After graduating, Warbeck began training to become an arts teacher. Through this, he became involved with local theatre productions, and performed with a small touring company in New Zealand. While performing in local theatre, Warbeck was awarded a scholarship from the New Zealand Arts Council to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Warbeck arrived in Britain in 1965 to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and attended four terms before dropping out and becoming a photographic model. He made his film debut as the title character in Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1969), a low-budget film adaptation of the adventures of Robin Hood directed by John Hough. He then appeared in an episode of UFO called "Destruction" in 1970. Warbeck next landed a small but important role in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dynamite (1971). This would be his first foray into Italian cinema, which he would make his home within a few years. He reunited with director Hough appearing in the vampire film Twins of Evil (1971), followed by a minor role in Freddie Francis's exploitation film Craze (1974). Warbeck was then cast in American filmmaker Russ Meyer's cult film Black Snake (1973), in which he portrayed a man in the 1800s searching for his brother on a Caribbean island overseen by a vicious woman who owns a slave plantation. He also had the lead role in the British sex comedy The Sex Thief (1973), which was directed by a young Martin Campbell.

Thanks to his appearances in several high-profile action and horror films, Warbeck was being seriously considered as the next James Bond, 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". Apart from a brief role as an ill-fated agent in the Tom Selleck film Lassiter (1984), Warbeck's later career consisted of several low-budget films including Ratman (1988), Mean Tricks (1992) directed by Umberto Lenzi, Pervirella (1997), Sudden Fury (1997), and Jake West's British vampire film Razor Blade Smile (1998). He also concentrated on fan conventions in the UK and U.S., where he was popular due to his work with Fulci.

Warbeck spent his later life living in Hampstead, London, with his wife Lois, whom he married in 1965. The couple had one daughter. He spent two decades restoring his residence there, which had been built by Sir George Gilbert Scott at the time of the construction of St Pancras Station.

In 1997, three weeks before his death, Warbeck recorded an audio commentary for the LaserDisc release of The Beyond with actress Catriona MacColl. At age 55, Warbeck died of an unspecified form of cancer in London, England on 23 July 1997.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1968 — Journey to the Unknown — Chris — Episode: "Do Me a Favor and Kill Me" • 1968 — Treasure Island — Abraham Grey — 5 episodes • 1969 — The Borderers — Sentry — Episode: "Giant" • 1969 — The Elusive Pimpernel — Joshua Clutterbuck — Episode: "The Challenge" • 1970 — The Mating Machine — Young Man — Episode: "All About Little Eve" • 1970–1971 — UFO — Skydiver Captain — 2 episodes • 1971 — Armchair Theatre — Nico — Episode: "Will Amelia Quint Continue Writing 'A Gnome Called Shorthouse'?" • 1973 — Spy Trap — Douglas Armstrong — 3 episodes • 1974 — Thriller — Robert Miller — Episode: "Only a Scream Away" • 1974 — Marked Personal — Dave Buckley — 2 episodes • 1974 — Not On Your Nellie — Fashion Photographer — Episode: "The Apartment" • 1974 — Notorious Woman — Stephane de Grandsagne — Episode: "The Misalliance" • 1984 — Minder — Roger Collins — Episode: "Second Hand Pose" • 1987 — Treasure Island in Outer Space — Dr. Livesey — Miniseries • 1992 — Golden Kimono Warrior — Lieutenant Alfred Jones — 6 episodes

Warbeck is perhaps best known for his violent horror film roles in the 1980s. One of the most noted of these is Lucio Fulci's The Beyond (1981), in which he portrayed a doctor who helps a woman uncover the mystery behind a Louisiana hotel she has inherited. The same year, he was cast in a supporting part as a police inspector in Fulci's The Black Cat (1981), based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe. Warbeck's most common work during the 1980s was with director Antonio Margheriti. 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 the Vietnam War film The Last Hunter (1980), Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982) and The Ark of the Sun God (1983). The film was partly filmed and produced in Turkey.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference • 1969 — Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood — Robert of Locksley • 1970 — My Lover, My Son — Kenworthy • 1970 — Trog — Alan Davis • 1971 — Journey to Murder — Chris (Do Me a Favor and Kill Me) • 1971 — Twins of Evil — Anton Hoffer • 1971 — A Fistful of Dynamite — Nolan, John's Friend • 1973 — Black Snake — Sir Charles Walker / Ronald Sopwith • 1974 — The Sex Thief — Grant Henry • 1974 — Craze — Detective Wilson • 1975 — Cry, Onion! — Villain With Sunglasses — Uncredited • 1976 — A Common Sense of Modesty — L'amante di Lady Chatterley • 1980 — The Last Hunter — Henry • 1981 — The Black Cat — Inspector Gorley • 1981 — The Beyond — Dr. John McCabe • 1982 — Tiger Joe — Joe "Tiger Joe" • 1982 — Hunters of the Golden Cobra — Bob Jackson • 1982 — Panic — Captain Kirk • 1984 — Lassiter — Muller • 1984 — The Ark of the Sun God — Rick Spear • 1985 — Miami Golem — Craig Milford • 1985 — Formula for a Murder — Craig • 1988 — Ratman — Fred Williams • 1988 — Domino — Blind • 1990 — Il ragazzo delle mani d'acciaio — John Foster — English title: Karate Rock • 1991 — Arizona Road — FBI Agent • 1992 — Mean Tricks — Frank Mendoza • 1993 — Attrazione pericolosa — Lanfranco De Molinis • 1993 — Breakfast with Dracula — Unknown — Un vampiro a Miami • 1996 — Fatal Frames — Commissioner Bonelli • 1996 — Sick-o-pathics — Dr. Loonies — Segment: "Aeropophagus" • 1997 — Pervirella — Amicus Reilly — Posthumous release • 1997 — Sudden Fury — Pike • 1998 — Razor Blade Smile — The Horror Movie Man