William Ross

Acting

William Ross

Born — Died

1923-09-07 — 2014-04-19

Place of birth

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

23 titles

Ross was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. on September 7, 1923. He was drafted into the Korean War, and would be stationed in Japan, where he fell in love with the country. Ross would subsequently move to Tokyo with intentions of joining the Japanese State Department. Instead, he ended up becoming involved in the film industry, and would go on to appear in more than 80 Japanese films and Television shows. In 1959, Ross got into the dubbing industry upon recommendation by Japanese actor So Yamamura. He showed such a talent for the industry, that the Japanese dubbing director quit and left Ross in charge on the first day. Soon thereafter, he would hired as a director by Asian Films. After the …

Known for

The Yakuza poster
7.1

When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate.

The Yakuza

1974

The Last Dinosaur poster
6.4

Wealthy big game hunter (Boone), along with his group, gets trapped in pre-historic times where they are stalked by a ferocious dinosaur.

The Last Dinosaur

1977

The War in Space poster
6.0

The year is 1988, and in the midst of recovering from a near-miss with a large comet, Earth finds that there are much worse matters at hand: the sudden arrival of a strange army of aliens and their fleet of unstoppable warships.

The War in Space

1977

Graveyard of Honor poster
6.7

A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the yakuza but quickly loses his self-control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa.

Graveyard of Honor

1975

Too Late the Hero poster
6.4

A WWII film set on a Pacific island. Japanese and allied forces occupy different parts of the island. When a group of British soldiers are sent on a mission behind enemy lines, things don't go exactly to plan. This film differs in that some of the 'heroes' are very reluctant, but they come good when they are pursued by the Japanese who are determined to prevent them returning to base.

Too Late the Hero

1970

Voltus 5 poster
6.5

"Their dark power is supreme. Their evil empire is vast. They are the Bozanians. And they have blasted their way across the galaxy for war on earth and to make the human race submit to their rule! But an elite band of five valiant children stand against them-the VOLTUS 5 team! For they can transform their 5 spaceships into a mighty, gigantic robot capable of withstanding any force. But can they defend the earth from the Bozanians' monstrous evil?!" - US VHS Back Cover . A compilation film of five episodes (1-3,9,18) that was dubbed by Frontier Enterprises . The film was commissioned to Toei by the Filipino film distributor "UNIPROM FILMS". Based on the Filipino English dub from 1978, with character names that reflect that version.

Voltus 5

1979

Film credits

1970s · 7 titles

The Yakuza poster
7.1

When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate.

The Yakuza

1974

The Last Dinosaur poster
6.4

Wealthy big game hunter (Boone), along with his group, gets trapped in pre-historic times where they are stalked by a ferocious dinosaur.

The Last Dinosaur

1977

The War in Space poster
6.0

The year is 1988, and in the midst of recovering from a near-miss with a large comet, Earth finds that there are much worse matters at hand: the sudden arrival of a strange army of aliens and their fleet of unstoppable warships.

The War in Space

1977

Graveyard of Honor poster
6.7

A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the yakuza but quickly loses his self-control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa.

Graveyard of Honor

1975

Too Late the Hero poster
6.4

A WWII film set on a Pacific island. Japanese and allied forces occupy different parts of the island. When a group of British soldiers are sent on a mission behind enemy lines, things don't go exactly to plan. This film differs in that some of the 'heroes' are very reluctant, but they come good when they are pursued by the Japanese who are determined to prevent them returning to base.

Too Late the Hero

1970

The Alaska Story poster
8.0

A Japanese sailor finds a colony of Eskimos in the Arctic and decides to stay with them. He comes off at a certain moment to look for his luck in the gold rush in Alaska. But he does not forget them.

The Alaska Story

1977

Pink Lady's Motion Picture poster
6.8

The Japanese pop music duo Pink Lady are circus performers who show kindness toward a captured "monster," a sad, furry being (played by a man in a bulky, over-sized pink acrylic costume) who suffers acts of unusual cruelty by the keeper and ringmaster before the girls escape with the creature in a circus trailer.

Pink Lady's Motion Picture

1978

1960s · 7 titles

Flight from Ashiya poster
5.6

Featuring an all-star cast and on-location shooting in Japan, where the story is set, three US Air Force rescue pilots must overcome their personal problems and differences to embark upon a dangerous mission to save raft-bound Japanese survivors from a murderous storm-tossed sea. As they head for their location, the film flashes back to chronicle the pasts of each pilot to make clear their mixed feelings about their upcoming assignment.

Flight from Ashiya

1964

Enigmatic Explosion of the Battleship Mutsu poster
NR

During the naval battle of Midway in WWII, the battleship Mutsu was in its home port in Japan. The ship's officers and crew were frustrated at not being able to take part in the fighting. They had been held back by orders from the Naval Ministry, but there was also a plot by saboteurs, who were trying to prevent the sailing of the Mutsu. Director Komori developed a suspenseful plot by including a fictional adaptation of the Russian spy Richard Sorge, who had been captured in Japan and subsequently executed. Komori brings a fictional Russian spy to the screen by portraying him as a military attaché at the German embassy. As Germany was an ally of Japan in WWII, a secret agent being a mole in the German embassy is a perfect cover. The interaction of the saboteurs and the officers and crew of the Mutsu make an exciting story.

Enigmatic Explosion of the Battleship Mutsu

1960

Motta, the Flying Dracula Monster poster
NR

While searching for his missing brother, Ryota finds the criminal Yoshimura hiding on a yacht. With a few friends, they decide to set course for Leichi Island which happens to be in the hands of gangsters who are holding the natives of Infant Island captive. Ryota and his friends discover that not only near the island lies the monster Ebirah, the monster Godzilla is also on the island. A battle ensues between the two monsters.

Motta, the Flying Dracula Monster

1969

Ōwarai Jiro chō ikka: Sanshita nitei kenjū poster
NR

Comedy movie

Ōwarai Jiro chō ikka: Sanshita nitei kenjū

1962

No artwork available
NR

Japanese comedy film.

Watashi wa uso wa mōshimasen

1961

No artwork available
9.0

Japanese comedy film.

誰よりも金を愛す

1961

Fight for a Woman, Fight for your Life! poster
NR

A motorcycle courier (Ken Utsui) is recruited to test a new high-speed motorboat but another company is willing to kill to win the competition to bring it to market.

Fight for a Woman, Fight for your Life!

1960

1950s · 2 titles

Behind the camera

Voltus 5 poster
6.5

"Their dark power is supreme. Their evil empire is vast. They are the Bozanians. And they have blasted their way across the galaxy for war on earth and to make the human race submit to their rule! But an elite band of five valiant children stand against them-the VOLTUS 5 team! For they can transform their 5 spaceships into a mighty, gigantic robot capable of withstanding any force. But can they defend the earth from the Bozanians' monstrous evil?!" - US VHS Back Cover . A compilation film of five episodes (1-3,9,18) that was dubbed by Frontier Enterprises . The film was commissioned to Toei by the Filipino film distributor "UNIPROM FILMS". Based on the Filipino English dub from 1978, with character names that reflect that version.

Voltus 5

1979

World War III Breaks Out poster
7.2

The lives of several Japanese families are shattered as the USA and the USSR move toward war, Japan finds itself caught in the middle, and Tokyo is ultimately evacuated as the two superpowers invoke the 'nuclear option'.

World War III Breaks Out

1960

Motta, the Flying Dracula Monster poster
NR

While searching for his missing brother, Ryota finds the criminal Yoshimura hiding on a yacht. With a few friends, they decide to set course for Leichi Island which happens to be in the hands of gangsters who are holding the natives of Infant Island captive. Ryota and his friends discover that not only near the island lies the monster Ebirah, the monster Godzilla is also on the island. A battle ensues between the two monsters.

Motta, the Flying Dracula Monster

1969

Mazinger Z poster
NR

1979 English Dubbed Compilation film made by Frontier Enterprises based on the TV Series. Not much is known about the film besides William Ross's testimony that the film was completed. Possibly meant for the Philippines via UNIPROM distribution. But it's not known if it was publicly released

Mazinger Z

—

Mazinger Z poster
NR

1979 English Dubbed Compilation film made by Frontier Enterprises based on the TV Series. Not much is known about the film besides William Ross's testimony that the film was completed. Possibly meant for the Philippines via UNIPROM distribution. But it's not known if it was publicly released

Mazinger Z

—