14 December, 2013

Is Josiane Gibert also "P. Belair" etc. ?

[COMING SOON: 2013--THE YEAR OF JESS FRANCO]

Here's an interesting thread [copied from EL FRANCONOMICON on FACEBOOK] with some new information on the Jess Franco actress (DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN;  Los amantes de la isla del diablo}and dubber (EUGENIE DE SADE; NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT) Josiane Gibert. She did memorable voicings of Soledad Miranda in EUGENIE DE SADE and Diana Lorys in NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT. I've also see her name in on some French language dubbing credits on certain French dubbed films from other European countries.  But below is some additional information/speculation on this French-Canadian actress/editor. If she indeed is the P. Belair credited as editor on A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD and FEMALE VAMPIRE (1973), it opens all kinds of fascinating possibilities and questions. Does anyone know for sure? Credits on any Jess Franco film are always suspect and highly unreliable. I'm also interested in hearing about any other dubbings she may have done that aren't mentioned on her IMDB page. Please place any additional information in the comments section below.

Thanks to Terence Ng for this information and starting this interesting thread.


Josiane Gibert is a French-Canadian actress from Montreal who dubbed various actresses in Franco's films, did some voice-acting for the French dubs of certain anime/cartoons, and even did some editing.

Here are some of the roles I suspect she dubbed:
Nightmares Come at Night - Diana Lorys and Colette Giacobine (French)
Eugenie de Sade - Soledad Miranda (French)...See more

  • Francesco Cesari In Dracula prisonier de Frankenstein her character just sings and cries, and she sings in French also in the Spanish version! So, we can listen her even if the French version isn't available. I love her acting in Los amantes de la isla del diablo. She is the true protagonist of this film.
  • Terence Ng Wow, that actually makes me want to watch 'Devil's Island'. What I love about Josiane is the fact that she actually puts effort into her performances. Gibert's dubbing of Eugenie would have to be my favourite!
  • Francesco Cesari Yes, she is very expressive, both as dubber and as actress.
  • Ismael Fernández In DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN, she gets to say an interjection in French. This was retained in the Spanish version.
  • Ismael Fernández To my mind, one of the best-looking Jess Franco actresses alongside Prous, Josephine Chaplin and Alice Arno.
  • Robert Monell A very capable and expressive voice actress who has voiced a number of interesting films.
  • Ismael Fernández Did she dub any films outside Franco? I mean, did she dub any Francophone version of American films?
  • Robert Monell I also have seen a Eurospy film in which she appears, THE MILLION DOLLAR COUNTDOWN. The IMDB identifies her as the mysterious P. Belair, the editor of A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD> I'm not sure if this is correct though. I've also seen her name in the dubbing credits of some French language versions of Italian giallo films.
  • Ismael Fernández Voice actors who acted in Franco films: Howard Vernon (dubbed either Laurel or Hardy in a Francophone version of one of their films; I presume that, with his Swiiss accent, his usefulness in French dubbing was limited); Gibert, of course; Mabel Escaño (who actually teaches dubbing nowadays); Carlos Ysbert (the Spanish voice of Homer Simpson, dubbed by Franco himself in ¿CUÁNTO COBRA UN ESPÍA?; Jesús Puente (seen dubbed by somebody else in COUNT DRACULA but the Spanish voice of Tichy in LA MUERTE SILBA UN BLUES); José Martínez Blanco (voice of Eddie Constantine in Franco's films, seen as Dennis Price's assistant in VAMPYROS LESBOS); Manuel Guitián (the servant in DR. ORLOFF'S ROBOT, the voice of Erskine Sanford in the Arcofón version of CITIZEN KANE; Mayans (apparently dubbed a role in a Brazilian soap opera).
  • Ismael Fernández If Gibert has done giallos, and not merely Franco films, then she must be a card-carrying dubber.
  • Robert Monell These were French dubbings for French distribution. I think one is LIZ ET HELEN, aka DOUBLE FACE.
  • Ismael Fernández Yeah, this probably means she was not merely an actress who could dub (like Carmen Carrión, who dubbed Ajita Wilson in MACUMBA SEXUAL) but a mainstream dubber who paid quotas to the dubbers association. Who knows, Gibert may have duibbed major Hollywood actresses into French.
  • Robert Monell French dubbers are always credited on French releases according to union rules. I can't remember how many French dubber films and which ones
  • Robert Monell P. Belair is also credited as editor on other Franco Eurocine films. I think on FEMALE VAMPIRE.
  • Ismael Fernández The Euriciné dubs are usually very good.I think oif FEMALE VAMPIRE and EXORCISM. It's a pity the French dubbing of THE DEVIL'S KISS is so poor (the voice of Nieto!); here the Balcázar studio did a better job.
  • Ismael Fernández If Gibert did anime then definitely she's a regular dubber.
  • Terence Ng P. Belair is part of her name if I'm not mistaken. She has had a producer credit in a 2007 horror film called "Lady Blood" as 'Josiane P. Belair'. I think she may have a Facebook account under the name 'Josiane Belair-Gibert'. It says that she's from Montreal as expected though I could still be wrong.
  • Robert Monell So does this mean she is the P. Belair on other JF flms. It would be interesting if she was the one who made that famous decision to leave in the shot of Lina bumping into the camera lens at the opening of FEMALE VAMPIRE.
  • Robert Monell And she would also have probably been responsible for leaving in the carnival janitor looking at the camera in VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD, a moment Tim Lucas focuses on in his commentary on the Blu-ray.
  • Terence Ng Not to mention Herminia's blinking corpse! Still pretty good editing though. The montage of footage that plays just after Christina's implied rape is very effective. We can't be 100% sure it's really her but if it is, someone ought to interview her about the editing and dubbing of Franco's films.
  • Terence Ng There are differences in techniques between the French dubbers and the English dubbers so it's pretty strange and pleasantly surprising to hear Josiane in the English dub of Exorcism.
  • Robert Monell She might have dubbed Romay in the French version of EXORCISM and SEXORCISM. I'm not sure about the English version, though. I'll have to revisit it. And Franco credits are always suspect since they were often created for other reasons besides crediting the person who actually did the work.
  • Terence Ng If you hear Lina Romay in the English dub, she speaks with this odd French accent but what tipped me off was Josiane's signature scream when Lina is being tortured by Jess.
  • Robert Monell Thank you, Terence, for this new info. I' going to copy this thread over onto my Jess Franco blog.
  • Robert Monell I"ve heard her speak French in EUGENIE and NIGHTMARES so I'm more familiar with her voice in that language.
  • Robert Monell I'm wondering if that's her voice singing the naughty French song in DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN?
  • Terence Ng In regards to Nightmares, she definitely dubbed Lorys but I suspect she dubbed Giacobine as well albeit with a harsher tone.
  • Robert Monell Yes, you may correct. It does sound like her voice, albeit in a different tone.
  • Ismael Fernández The fact that Lina has Gibert's scream in the English version does not necessarily mean that it's her voice throughout. Sometimes in dubbing, especially if there are time or budget constrictions, they retain inarticulate voices, such as screams, etc.
  • Robert Monell Daniel at Eurocine would know for sure, also maybe Alain Petit or Lucas Balbo..
  • Terence Ng That's a good point, Ismael. I am fairly sure it's her because when she talks, the English voice has a similar pitch and sultriness and it feels like more than a coincidence that the accent is French. Plus, when she kisses Pierre Taylou in the office and goes 'ooh' at his suggestion of a Black Mass, it sort of sounds like the playful sounds Gibert makes in Eugenie de Sade.
  • Terence Ng Of course, the Eurocine experts would have a definite answer.
  • Ismael Fernández EXORCISMES, of course, became EL SÁDICO DE NOTRE DAME in Spain, in a very good (if technically variable) version by Magna, featuring Franco's own voice and the late Rafael Arcos (before he became destitute and unable to buy himself some dentures) doing his best to speak new, un-dubbable dialogue for Daniel White's character (the new dialog is too long for White's mouth movements). Great voice work though from the late Maria Massip as the voice of Nina the nightclub girl. And from Jess himself. It's kinda eerie hearing Julio Núñez dubbing Yul Sanders's character (he also did the bearded wino in the Spanish version of ABSURD) as, unfortunately, he was to become like that himself in real life.
  • Ismael Fernández EXORCISMES, in contrast, was premiered in Spain with a completely different, and terrible, voice cast at the turn of this century.
  • Ismael Fernández Oh, and Franco himself did the lead French voice in EXORCISMES. This may be the first time he was ever heard in a film since his self-dubbed perf in EL EXTRAÑO VIAJE.

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