Bob Toole (born Robert Elliott Toole ca. 1935 - died 1991) was an American teacher, restauranteur, and a scriptwriter and director of film dubs. He is notable for his work as a scriptwriter and unconfirmed film dubber for Axis International, as well as for splitting off from Axis to form his own dubbing group, the earliest known rival group in Hong Kong dubbing history.
Biography[]
Toole was born in Spokane, Washington around 1935. By 1940, he and his family moved to Van Nuys, California. In 1954, he graduated from Brigham Young University and enlisted in the U.S. military in August of that year. Toole underwent basic training at Fort Ord, California, before being stationed in Yokohama, Japan, in February 1955. Toole served as the clerk typist at the Yokohama Engineer Depot for Detachment C of the 8056th army unit before being promoted to Specialist Third Class in June 1956.
After being discharged from the military, Toole moved to London to study Chinese art and culture at the University of London. Most likely during his studies in London, Toole met Lily Holden, an English laboratory technician, and they entered a romantic relationship. In 1959, one year after Toole moved to London, he and Holden decided to take a trip across Europe and Asia to visit nine separate countries. Also during this trip, they taught English to child Tibetan refugees in New Delhi for three months, an experience that evidently sparked an equally shared love for teaching between the couple. For the final stop of their trip, Toole and Holden spent a short time in Singapore with two Japanese friends before deciding to settle in Hong Kong for a planned two years, after which they planned to hitchhike across Asia.
In early 1962, Toole and Holden moved to Hong Kong. He continued his studies of Chinese art, language and culture at the University of Hong Kong. How Toole met Ted Thomas is not clear, but he apparently became an instrumental part of Axis International's early dubs, with Toole writing scripts for a Axis' early dubbing productions from 1963 to 1964. Although Toole and Holde got married in Hong Kong in 1963 and had planned to move out by 1964, the birth of their son Marc and his childhood in Hong Kong seem to prove that they did not actually leave the country in 1964. Eventually, Toole either had an argument with Ted Thomas regarding his desire to open up a dubbing studio independent of Axis, or he opened up his own dubbing studio because he had an argument with his friend.
Although existing dubs of Toole's group cannot be definitively dated to before 1971, there is circumstantial evidence pointing to the group's existence as early as late 1968. Barbara Laney is known to have become a full-time dubber around 1969, although she isn't heard in any Axis dubs that can be definitively dated to that year. Jack Moore is known to have gotten his start in dubbing a few months after arriving in Hong Kong in 1968, but he isn't heard in any Axis dubs that can be definitively dated to 1968 or 1969. Saul Lockhart admits that he was an active dubber while working for a PR firm for a year before getting a new day job in 1970, but Lockhart is not heard in any Axis dubs that can be definitively dated to 1968 or 1969. All three of the aforementioned dubbers can be heard in dubs by Toole's group.
Toole brought in dubbers from Axis, newcomers, and even his son Marc to work for his group. The dubbers Toole would use included Barry Haigh, Barbara Laney, Lily Toole (unconfirmed), Jack Moore, Saul Lockhart, Rex Ellis, David Perkins, Gary Sauve (unconfirmed), Michael Ross, Carolyn Levine (unconfirmed), Linda Masson, and Bill Yim. The unidentified individual given the pseudonym "Gengo" is heard in prominent roles in all four available Bob Toole dubs. Although it is speculated that Toole dubbed far more films than what's currently known and available, we do know that he produced the dubs for The Magic World of Watari, Space Amoeba, Lake of Dracula, and Godzilla vs. Hedorah. It is believed that Toole's group is responsible for numerous rare dubs of Japanese and independent Taiwanese and Hong Kong films produced during the time his group was active.
Toole also managed the Godown Bistro in Kowloon, although by August 1971 he ceased association with the restaurant. For unknown reasons, Toole's dubbing group closed its doors, and there are no documented dubs of the group made after October. His family left Hong Kong, and at some point, settled in Portugal. Toole opened up Bob Toole School where he and possibly Holden taught Portuguese and other languages to students. Toole passed away in 1991, with Holden passing some time later.
A recurring voice actor appears in Hong Kong dubs from the early 1960s and late 1960s - early 1970s who is believed to be Bob Toole based on significant circumstantial evidence. This voice actor has a distinct Southern California accent - he is the only voice actor in this period of Hong Kong dubbing who possesses an accent anywhere close to this, and Toole is the only male Hong Kong film dubber of his time who grew up in Los Angeles County. He is heard in Axis International dubs from 1963 and 1964, and once again in four consecutive available Axis dubs from late 1968; after that, he is heard in all four available dubs of Toole's group, and then never again. The voice actor pronounces Chinese names correctly even when the other voice actors don't, which strongly suggests a familiarity with or fluency in Chinese. The only other named dubbers with American accents who haven't been definitively connected to a voice are Mark Broiles and Gary Sauve - Broiles left Hong Kong in 1965 and never came back, and Sauve is currently believed to be connected to a different recurring voice based on circumstantial evidence.
Dubbing roles (unconfirmed)[]
| Film | Main dubbing role | Domestic release date | Country of origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Secret of the Telegian | Chief Detective Okazaki | April 10, 1960 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. Dubbed in 1963. |
| Arabian Nights: The Adventures Of Sinbad | Sultan Torfa | June 16, 1962 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. |
| The Weed of Crime | December 8, 1962 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. Trailer available only. | |
| The Siege of Fort Bismarck | May 29, 1963 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. | |
| Matango | Etsuro Yoshida | August 11, 1963 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. |
| Atragon | Muan Agent | December 22, 1963 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. |
| Dogora | Kirino | August 11, 1964 | Japan | Likely scriptwriter. |
| The Bells of Death | June 30, 1968 | Hong Kong | ||
| The Sword of Swords | Lin Bongyin | August 23, 1968 | Hong Kong | |
| The Swordsman of All Swordsmen | October 6, 1968 | Taiwan | ||
| Genocide | Sabori Kudo | November 9, 1968 | Japan | |
| The Magic World of Watari | Villager | 1970 | Taiwan | Confirmed scriptwriter and director. |
| Space Amoeba | Yokoyama | August 1, 1970 | Japan | Confirmed scriptwriter and director. |
| Lake of Dracula | Truck Driver | June 16, 1971 | Japan | Confirmed scriptwriter and director. Dub noted as available in film's entry in UniJapan in October 1971. |
| Godzilla vs. Hedorah | Police Officer | July 24, 1971 | Japan | Confirmed scriptwriter and director. Dub noted as available in film's entry in UniJapan in July 1971. |