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John Kitzmiller was an African-American actor. Born in Battle Creek, Michigan, Kitzmiller participated in the liberation of Italy during World War II. He began acting while stationed in this country, and appeared in Italian neorealist films. He made Italy his permanent residence and starred in more than fifty European films, often portraying an angry black man fighting racism.
He played the leading role of "Jerry" in the film Senza pietà , written by Federico Fellini. He received awards commemorating both his role as an actor and as a soldier: he received the Victory Medal and in 1957 was the first black actor to win a best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in the Yugoslavian film Valley of Peace.
Kitzmiller is most famous for his role as Quarrel in the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No.
He died of cirrhosis of the liver.
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