Is Volonte credited under a different name?

[Jill]

And Gian (Gianni, Giovanni) means John.

See Don Giovanni. 

[dave jenkins]

Got it it. "John Wells" is gonna make a great entry in the SL Encyclopedia!

[drinkanddestroy]

I guess that once the film was successful and re-released, Leone took the opportunity to put his real name in the credits. But everyone else's fake name remained! Therefore, in the versions of the movie we have today, it says Directed by Sergio Leone, but many of the other names are the fake American names (eg. Johnny Wells for Volonte, Dan Savio for Morricone, Benny Reeves for Benito Stefanelli, etc.) But I just bought the Italian RHV Blu Ray, and that version does say Bob Robertson! Not sure if it's copied from an earlier print before Leone put his real name into the credits, or if Leone never used his real name in Italian prints.

question for any Italians on this board: how do you pronounce the name Gian? I have heard it pronounced so many different ways by Americans and Englishmen. Is it "JEE-AN?" or like how the French say "Jean?" or is the G pronounced as in Gorilla?

[stanton]

Jee -an



(but I'm not an Italian)

[Leonardo]

Jee -an



(but I'm not an Italian)

But I am: it is pronounced Jee-An, but the double "ee" is very short and the accent is on the "An" . Pronounce it like Django without the "go" at the end.

[drinkanddestroy]

But I am: it is pronounced Jee-An, but the double "ee" is very short and the accent is on the "An" . Pronounce it like Django without the "go" at the end.

I am not sure I understand you: "Django without the 'go' at the end" sounds just like "Jane." Are you saying that the name "Gian" is pronounced "Jane?"

Or is it pronounced like "Jay-ahn"?

The narrator of the FAFDM trailer (which introduces him as "John Wells, the great actor Gian Maria Volonte"  ) here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk7XHtvDZ_E pronounces "Gian" as a one-syllable word -- the "ia" combine to make a single vowel sound, like an "Ahhhhhh."  Is he correct? Or should the "i" and the "a" be pronounced as two distinct vowel sounds?

------

btw,  my understanding is that in general, while English places the emphasis on the first syllable of a word, many other languages place the emphasis on the last syllable.

[stanton]

No, the "a" in Django is not spoken like the "a" in Jane, but like the "a" in "after". Django is of course not an English name.

Jee-an is probably not correct for an English speaker.
Jee-un sounds more like it with the syllable "un" spoken like in "unreal" or similar words.

[drinkanddestroy]

Thanks.

Truth is,  I am not all that worried about the precise pronunciation of a particular vowel. It's just that I've heard so many different pronunciations of it, I just wanted to make sure I had the basic idea correct, and that it is not supposed to be pronounced like the narrator of the trailer says it, or with the "G" like in "gorilla."

[stanton]

But in the trailer it doesn't sound wrong. Maybe for Leonardo's ear, but for me it sounds close to how I would speak it.

[drinkanddestroy]

In the trailer, it's a one-syllable word.
But I believe Frayling pronounces it "Jee -- an," with two syllables. Even though Frayling is a Brit and they'd use different vowel sounds, I assume he would try to get the correct number of syllables. Again, I am not all that worried about the precise pronunciation of the vowel sounds; I just wanna know if the word is two syllable or one.

[cigar joe]

I have a cousin her name is the female version of it, it is Gianna its pronounced Jee-on-na

[Leonardo]

No, the "a" in Django is not spoken like the "a" in Jane, but like the "a" in "after". Django is of course not an English name.

Jee-an is probably not correct for an English speaker.
Jee-un sounds more like it with the syllable "un" spoken like in "unreal" or similar words.

Stanton your are right. The G is pronounced exactly like the letter G in english (G.I.Joe G-Man etc) and then you have to add "An" with the "a" pronounced like in "after" and remember to put the accent on "an" and keep the G very short.

[stanton]

And it has 2 syllables not one, but spoken fast.

Leonardo just for fun, could you check the trailer which is linked in one of Drinks posts above. For me the Gian there sounds good.

[Leonardo]

And it has 2 syllables not one, but spoken fast.

Leonardo just for fun, could you check the trailer which is linked in one of Drinks posts above. For me the Gian there sounds good.

Yep, just checked the trailer and it sounds good.

[stanton]

Then Drink has his answer.