Thomas, Alfred

[Johan Melle]

Alfred Thomas in a publicity shot from the early 1960s.

pic from Cinecittashop.it

Alfred Thomas was yet another black actor who made a career for himself in Rome. An instantly recognizable and highly sympathetic presence, he was active in cinema, television, theater and even fotoromanzi from at least the late 1950s and up until the mid 1980s, yet practically no information is available on him anywhere.

Presumably an African-American who emigrated to Rome (much like John Kitzmiller, Wilbert Bradley, Carl Latimer, Jon Chevron and many others), Alfred Thomas was also a singer and musician, something which was occasionally reflected in the roles he played. According to an article in Radiocorriere N. 37 (uncredited) (1964), he was part of a group called Folk-Studio Spiritual Singers together with Harold Bradley, Ines Carmona, Yvette Dru, Archie Savage and Keefe West.

In film, he appeared in several westerns and peplums, and was especially active in the jungle adventures which were popular in the 1960s. Among these was Luana, la figlia della foresta vergine (1968) in which his villainous part is probably among the largest roles of his career, though he also has a fairly large role in the comedy Incensurato, provata disonestà, carriera assicurata, cercasi (1972).

As with most black actors working in Italian cinema, the majority of Alfred Thomas' roles were uncredited (very often unfairly so) and there are no doubt many more discoveries to be made for him.

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Filmography

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1953

1. Canzone appassionata .... Pianist (uncredited)
   
   1954
2. Teodora, imperatrice di Bisanzio .... Bongo player (uncredited)
3. Un americano a Roma .... Bar customer (uncredited)
   
   1958
4. Afrodite, dea dell'amore .... Bongo player in the slave tent (uncredited)
5. Ragazzi della marina .... Fake tourist guide (credited as "Thomas")
6. Romeo Bar (TV) .... The pianist (credited)
   
   1959
7. Ben-Hur .... Oarsman (uncredited)
   
   1960
8. I baccanali di Tiberio .... Slave (uncredited)
9. Noi duri .... Man lighting cigarette outside nightclub (uncredited)
10. Teseo contro il minotauro .... Drummer (uncredited)
    
    1961
11. La vendetta di Ursus .... Palace guard (uncredited)
12. Le meraviglie di Aladino .... Servant of the Grand Vizier (uncredited)
13. Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi .... Team leader in tug-of-war (uncredited)
    
    1962
14. Boccaccio '70 - segment: "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" .... American musician (uncredited)
15. I moschettieri del mare .... Servant on the ship (uncredited)
    
    1963
16. Io Semiramide .... Masseur (uncredited)
    
    1964
17. Tarzak contro gli uomini leopardo .... Native chief (credited as "Al Thomas")
    
    1966
18. Amore all'italiana - segment "Playboy" .... Pianist in the hotel bar (uncredited)
19. Il grande colpo dei 7 uomini d'oro .... Coast Guard officer (uncredited)
20. Il vostro super agente Flit .... Samuele (credited)
21. Sicario 77, vivo o morto .... Croupier at the club (uncredited)
22. Sugar Colt .... Sammy (uncredited)
    
    1967
23. Bersaglio mobile .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
24. Dio perdona... io no! .... Horn player in the funeral band (uncredited)
25. Gungala, la vergine della giungla .... Agnogno (credited)
26. Matchless .... Soldier (uncredited)
27. OK Connery .... Attendee at plastic surgery congress (uncredited)
28. Wanted .... Baker houseman (uncredited)
    
    1968
29. Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell .... Member of the 293 squadron reunion (uncredited)
30. Due volte Giuda .... Sam, Barrett houseman (uncredited)
31. Il marchio di Kriminal .... Von Beck servant (uncredited)
32. Il pistolero segnato da Dio .... Clerigen houseman (uncredited)
33. Luana, la figlia della foresta vergine .... Ukeke (credited as "Al Thomas")
34. Seduto alla sua destra .... Excellency (uncredited)
35. The Shoes of the Fisherman .... Cardinal (uncredited)
    
    1969
36. H2S .... Man killed by Tommaso (credited)
37. Tarzana, sesso selvaggio .... Kamuru (credited)
38. Una su 13 .... Mbama (credited)
    
    1970
39. Due bianchi nell'Africa nera .... Cannibal chief (uncredited)
40. F.B.I. - Francesco Bertolazzi Investigatore (TV series) - episode 1: "Sparita il giorno delle nozze" .... Mahamud (credited)
    
    1971
41. The Statue .... U.N. member (uncredited)
42. Storie dell'anno Mille (TV mini series) - episode 4 .... Man in ropes (uncredited)
    
    1972
43. Il West ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja .... Tom, Ferguson butler (uncredited)
44. Incensurato, provata disonestà, carriera assicurata, cercasi .... Bellafronte (credited)
45. La vita, a volte, è molto dura, vero Provvidenza? .... Thomas (uncredited)
46. Le notti peccaminose di Pietro l'Aretino .... Servant holding Nana's horse (uncredited)
    
    1973
47. Vogliamo i colonnelli .... African politician (uncredited)
    
    1974
48. Moses the Lawgiver (TV mini series) .... Death rite performer (uncredited)
    
    1976
49. Emanuelle in America .... African tribal chief (uncredited)
50. Il Casanova di Federico Fellini .... Servant (uncredited)
51. Il vangelo secondo Simone e Matteo .... Antiques dealer (uncredited)
52. Signore e signori, buonanotte .... Assassination victim (uncredited)
    
    1977
53. Emanuelle - Perché violenza alle donne? .... Guard in the Emir's palace (uncredited)
    
    1978
54. Piedone l'africano .... Airclub employee (uncredited)
    
    1981
55. Cornetti alla crema .... Cardinal (uncredited)
    
    1983
56. Questo e quello - segment "Quello... col basco rosso" .... The butler (credited)
57. Segni particolari: Bellissimo .... Josephine's father (credited)
    
    1985
58. Casablanca, Casablanca (credited) .... Sam, the piano player (uncredited)

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Other works

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• Il mattatore (TV variety show, 1959) - episode 3 .... One-legged man in Harlem (credited)

[Johan Melle]

The earliest role found for Alfred so far in the TV production Romeo Bar (1958) as The pianist

And the two earliest cinema roles are both in peplums:

I baccanali di Tiberio (1960) as Slave

Teseo contro il minotauro (1960) as Drummer

[Johan Melle]

Boccaccio '70 (1962), in the Fellini segment "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" as an American musician

Sugar Colt (1966) as Sammy

[Johan Melle]

Credited but pretty small role in Il vostro super agente Flit (1966) as Samuele

Il grande colpo dei 7 uomini d'oro (1966) as Coast Guard officer

[Johan Melle]

Gungala, la vergine della giungla (1967) as Agnogno

It's the first of many similar jungle adventures he appeared in during the late 1960s


Short but very important role in Seduto alla sua destra (1968) as Excellency

[Johan Melle]

Very memorable performance in the jungle adventure Luana, la figlia della foresta vergine (1968) as the villainous Ukeke. He receives a very prominent third billing (as Al Thomas) and this is probably the largest role he played in a film

[Johan Melle]

Il marchio di Kriminal (1968) as Von Beck servant

And of course in the jungle adventure Tarzana, sesso selvaggio (1969) as Kamuru. A very small and thoroughly inconsequential role, but nevertheless credited

[Johan Melle]

Two more credited roles:

Una su 13 (1969) as Mbama

TV series F.B.I. - Francesco Bertolazzi Investigatore - episode 1: "Sparita il giorno delle nozze" (1970) as Mahamud

[Johan Melle]

The Statue (1971) as U.N. member

And another one of Alfred's more prominent roles in Incensurato, provata disonestà, carriera assicurata, cercasi (1972) as Bellafronte

[Johan Melle]

Vogliamo i colonnelli (1973) as African politician

Moses the Lawgiver (1974) (TV mini series) as Death rite performer