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Axis International

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Axis International is the name coined by Ted Thomas for his prolific, Hong Kong-based dubbing group that specialized in dubbing East Asian films, often those in the martial arts genre. It is notable for being the first dubbing group in Hong Kong.

Axis was strongly associated with Shaw Brothers, working as their primary dubbing group throughout the 1960s and 1970s. They also dubbed films by small, independent Hong Kong and Taiwanese companies, the major Japanese studios, many companies throughout the region in general, and occasionally companies outside of the region. Notable works include Godzilla vs. Megalon, Fist of Fury and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.

Background[]

Axis International was founded by former British Naval Intelligence officer and sports commentator Ted Thomas in the early 1960s, following a few years in broadcasting when Thomas was commissioned by Shaw Brothers co-founder Run Run Shaw to help dub his films into English in the late 1950s, an experience which he enjoyed.

In the early 1960s, East Asian companies realized they could make more money out of their films if they exported them overseas with an English dub ready-made. Axis International was the first and cheapest company to provide such a service, making them the go-to dubbing company for several film companies. Most writing sessions would begin with a company calling up and commissioning a film to be dubbed; following this, a translator, usually Ron Oliphant, would record what scenes needed to be dubbed and count the syllables and pauses for what was needed to be lip-synced in the scene, which would become the basis for the English script.

The dubbers themselves were only required to know how to do two things: have fast reactions and a unique voice with good inflections, with the actual acting part of it being seen as additional. Most dubbing sessions would begin by bringing in male and female broadcasters from Radio Hong Kong, their spouses or actors who had applied via newspaper advertisements requesting for help on these films. A clique quickly started to grow which Thomas and Oliphant would gather together for dubbing, which from the very beginning had some amount of influence from Radio Hong Kong.

The voice group was represented by Hong Kong expatriates of numerous nationalities. Microphones and tape for the film to be recorded on would be set up by engineers and the films recorded in the conventional looping format. Because of tight schedules, Axis usually did not have time to re-record a loop or even review it as it might halt production on another dub they had to finish. Most dubbing sessions would take around 12 to 20 hours in total, with dubbers working from around 6pm to midnight; with this schedule, around six or seven films could be finished in a month. After the dubbing sessions were complete, the dubbed reels would be sent over to whichever company had commissioned the dub. The company would then pay back about 9,000 HKD and the dubbed film would be copied for shipping rights to the distributors of the dubbed films where they would be used in export prints.

Axis International had numerous makeshift studios throughout the years based in places such as the Kowloon Walled City, small houses on the edge of town or flats with their living rooms converted into a studio and the bedrooms into projector rooms; it would not be until the mid 1970s when Axis would have a dedicated recording studio. Also around this time, Shaw Brothers had commissioned Axis specifically to dub their films and the films they distributed into English, with the casting process for these films also starting to become more professional, with prospective voice actors interviewed by Oliphant at Shaw House.

By the early 1980s, Axis was losing traction to other dubbing companies, these being more successful and viewed as more professional in the eyes of companies, leading Axis to be viewed as being obsolete. Axis's dwindling market share combined with a dwindling number of actors available to fill roles led to the company's demise around 1981. Thomas would later go on to do occasional acting and voice acting roles before retiring to Thailand in the 2010s; he passed away on 26 November 2022, aged 93.

Films dubbed by Axis International[]

Note: This list in its current state can alternatively be viewed as a dubbing filmography of Ted Thomas, with the exception of The War of the Gargantuas and Chinese Dragon (in which he is not present) and not including his rare post-1981 appearances in other groups' dubs. It is currently being explored whether more dubs featuring Thomas's regulars but lacking his voice can be classified as works of his group. Films' years correspond to domestic theatrical release dates, and films were not necessarily always dubbed the same year.

1960s[]

  • The Secret of the Telegian (1960)
  • Littlest Warrior (1961)*
  • Adventures of Sinbad (1962)
  • The Weed of Crime (1962)
  • Siege of Fort Bismarck (1963)
  • Judo for Life (1963)
  • Matango (1963)
  • Atragon (1963)
  • Dogora (1964)
  • The Retreat from Kiska (1965)
  • Judo Showdown (1965)
  • Grand Duel in Magic (1966)
  • Judo vs. Karate (1966)
  • Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
  • Return of Daimajin (1966)
  • Secret Agent 101 (1966)
  • Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
  • The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)
  • Trail of the Broken Blade (1967)
  • The Assassin (1967)
  • Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968)
  • Genocide (1968)
  • Golden Swallow (1968)
  • The Sword of Swords (1968)
  • The Bells of Death (1968)
  • The Swordsman of All Swordsmen (1968)
  • Ninjascope: the Magic World of Ninjas (1969)
  • Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969)
  • Trapped, the Crimson Bat (1969)
  • Watch Out, Crimson Bat (1969)
  • The Flying Dagger (1969)
  • Have Sword, Will Travel (1969)

*There is some debate about this dub's status as an Axis effort.

1970[]

  • Crimson Bat - Oichi Wanted, Dead or Alive
  • Heads for Sale
  • Vengeance!
  • The Chinese Boxer
  • Valley of the Fangs
  • The Heroic Ones

1971[]

1972[]

  • Hapkido
  • The Prodigal Boxer
  • Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan
  • The Lizard
  • Four Riders
  • The Angry Guest
  • The Deadly Knives
  • The Thunderbolt Fist
  • Man of Iron
  • The 14 Amazons
  • Delightful Forest
  • Black List
  • Chinese
  • The Bloody Fists
  • Godzilla vs. Gigan
  • Chase That Man
  • Fist of Fury
  • King Boxer
  • The King of Boxers
  • Chow Ken
  • The Avenger
  • Duel in the Tiger Den
  • Furious Slaughter
  • The Big Fight
  • The Good and the Bad
  • Tough Guy
  • The Boxer from Shantung
  • Way of the Dragon (English-speaking characters in Mandarin cut)

1973[]

  • The Chinese Dragon*
  • Black Panther
  • The Revenge Dragon
  • The Champion
  • The Opium Trail
  • The Master of Kung Fu
  • The Last Day of Bruce Lee (short)
  • Iron Bodyguard
  • Bamboo House of Dolls
  • Kiss of Death
  • Freedom Strikes a Blow
  • The Heroine
  • The Thunder Kick
  • Wang Yu King of Boxer
  • Infernal Street
  • The Godfathers of Hong Kong
  • The Awaken Punch
  • Godzilla vs. Megalon
  • Professional Killers
  • Professional Killers: Assassins Quarry
  • A Girl Called Tigress
  • End of the Wicked Tigers
  • Fist of Unicorn
  • The Girl Named Iron Phoenix
  • Knight Errant
  • Kung Fu's Hero
  • The Rage of Wind
  • Smugglers
  • Stranger from Canton
  • The Black Belt
  • The Dragon and the Tiger
  • The Iron Man
  • Iron Ox: the Tiger's Killer
  • Honor and Love

*There is some debate about this dub's status as an Axis effort.

1974[]

  • The Dumb Ox
  • The Fierce One
  • Five Tough Guys
  • The Rangers
  • The Chivalrous Line
  • The Killer Snakes
  • Heroes Two
  • The Savage Five
  • Na Cha the Great
  • Men from the Monastery
  • Shaolin Martial Arts
  • Call Me Dragon
  • Duel at Forest
  • Wits to Wits
  • Cobra
  • The Brave Lion
  • The Furious Avenger Credits
  • The Conspiracy of Thieves
  • Hanuman and the Seven Ultramen
  • Five Shaolin Masters
  • Tornado of Pearl River
  • The Big Showdown
  • The Angry Dragon

1975[]

  • The Shaolin Kids
  • Magic Curse
  • Life and Death Struggle
  • Bruce Lee Against Supermen
  • The 18 Bronzemen
  • Tiger Force
  • Little Superman
  • Assassin
  • The Legend Of The Chinese Gods
  • The Spiritual Boxer
  • Black Magic
  • Disciples of Shaolin
  • Bloody Escape
  • Marco Polo
  • All Men Are Brothers
  • Golden Sun
  • Hanuman and the Five Kamen Riders
  • The Supergirl of Kungfu
  • The Flying Guillotine

1976[]

  • Shaolin Death Squads
  • Enter the Whirlwind Boxer
  • He's a Legend; He's a Hero
  • New Fist of Fury
  • The Return of the 18 Bronzemen
  • The Ming Patriots
  • The Blazing Temple
  • The Hot, the Cool and the Vicious
  • Boxer Rebellion
  • The Web of Death
  • The Dragon Missile
  • Challenge of the Masters
  • The New Shaolin Boxers
  • Shaolin Avengers
  • The Magic Blade
  • Black Magic 2
  • 7-Man Army
  • Killer Clans
  • One Armed Boxer vs the Flying Guillotine
  • Karate from Shaolin Temple
  • Fist of Pantheress
  • Cobra 2
  • The Big Family
  • The One-Armed Swordsmen
  • One-Armed Swordsman vs. Nine Killers
  • Outlaw Cop
  • Mars Men
  • Wonsan Operation
  • Bruce's Fingers
  • The Killer Meteors
  • Great Hunter
  • Shaolin Temple

1977[]

  • The Bionic Boy
  • The 7 Grandmasters
  • To Kill with Intrigue
  • The Shaolin Brothers
  • Return of the Chinese Boxer
  • Secret Rivals 2
  • Chinatown Kid
  • Return of the Tiger
  • The Last Fist of Fury
  • Moonlight Sword and Jade Lion
  • Dynasty
  • The Brave Archer
  • Deadly Angels
  • Magnificent Wanderers
  • The Battle Wizard
  • Duel with the Devils
  • The Chivalry, the Gunman and Killer
  • The Deadly Silver Spear
  • Revenge of Kung Fu Mao
  • Whirlwind Kick
  • Cobra Girl
  • Secret of Chinese Kung Fu
  • The Iron Monkey
  • Last Strike
  • The Secret of Shaolin Poles
  • The Mar's Villa
  • The Brave in Kung-Fu Shadow
  • The Flash Legs
  • The Shaolin Invincibles
  • 10 Magnificent Killers
  • The Invincible Armour
  • Fist of Fury Part II
  • Along Comes a Tiger
  • Shaolin Kung Fu Mystagogue
  • Strife for Mastery
  • The Double Double Crosser
  • The Dragon, the Lizard, and the Boxer
  • The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
  • Executioners from Shaolin
  • The Fight for Shaolin Tamo Mystique

1978[]

  • Shaolin Invincible Guys
  • Fatal Needles Fatal Fist
  • Bruce Lee The Invincible
  • Five Superfighters
  • Shaolin Mantis
  • Shaolin Hand Lock
  • Legend of the Bat
  • The Avenging Eagle
  • Bruce Lee in New Guinea
  • Two in Black Belt
  • Swift Shaolin Boxer
  • The Master and the Kid
  • Two Great Cavaliers
  • Karate Wars
  • Storming Attacks
  • For Whom to Be Murdered
  • Challenge of Death
  • The Legendary Strike
  • The Unique Lama
  • The Flame and the Ice Hand
  • Deadly Strike
  • Eagle's Claws & the Butterfly Palm
  • Five Deadly Venoms
  • Stranger from Shaolin
  • The Eighteen Jade Arhats
  • Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
  • Born Invincible
  • Kung Fu Master Named Drunk Cat
  • The Crippled Avengers
  • Heroes of the East

1979[]

  • Shaolin Heroes
  • Life Gamble
  • Crystal Fist
  • The Proud Twins
  • Scorching Sun, Fierce Winds, Wild Fire
  • Crack Shadow Boxers
  • The Gold Connection
  • Duel of the 7 Tigers
  • Snake in the Monkey's Shadow
  • Kung Fu Genius
  • Bruce and the Iron Finger
  • Dirty Ho
  • The Tigress of Shaolin
  • The Magnificent Ruffians
  • Ten Tigers of Kwangtung
  • Shaolin Abbot
  • Lfe Gamble
  • The 36 Deadly Styles
  • Cute Foster Sister
  • Shao-Lin Red Master
  • Zen Kwun Do Strikes in Paris
  • Two Wondrous Tigers
  • Choi Lee Fat Kung Fu
  • The Crane Fighter
  • The Lama Avenger
  • Hell's Wind Staff
  • Marvelous Stunts of Kung Fu
  • The Kid With the Golden Arm
  • The King of Fists and Dollars
  • Secret Message

1980[]

  • Heaven and Hell
  • Space Firebird 2772
  • The Master
  • Two Champions of Shaolin
  • The Kid with a Tattoo
  • The Rebel Intruders
  • Clan of the White Lotus
  • The Boxer from the Temple
  • The Crippled Master
  • The Buddhist Fist
  • Snake Deadly Act
  • Tiger Over Wall
  • Daggers 8
  • Duel of the Brave Ones
  • Taichi Devil Dragons
  • Super Monster
  • Super Power

1981[]

  • The Eagle Fist
  • Kung Fu Executioner

Talent Pool[]

Voice Actors

† deceased
*

Sources[]

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