Harold Sakata
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| Harold Sakata | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Tosh Togo |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) [1] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg/16 st) [1] |
| Born | July 1, 1920 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
| Died | July 29, 1982 (aged 62) Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Debut | c. 1949 [1] |
| Retired | c. 1975 |
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Weightlifting | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Competitor for the  United States |
|||
| Silver | 1948 London | Light-heavyweight | |
Toshiyuki "Harold" Sakata (July 1, 1920 – July 29, 1982) was a Japanese American professional wrestler and film actor most famous for his role as the villain "Oddjob" in the James Bond film Goldfinger.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Toshiyuki Sakata was born on July 1, 1920 in Holualoa, Hawaii, of Japanese descent; when he moved to mainland America he began to go by the more Western name "Harold." At the age of eighteen, he only weighed 113 lb (51 kg) at a height of 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m). Wanting to "look as good as the other guys", he started lifting weights. He spent his early life training as a weightlifter and won a silver medal for the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, lifting a total of 410 kg in the Heavyweight division. He also did a stint as a professional wrestler under the name Tosh Togo from the early 1950s until the early 1960s, becoming Canadian Tag Team Champion[2].
Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli took notice of Sakata because his heavy build--he stood 5 ft 9 in and weighed 284 lb (129 kg)--which when coupled with his intimidating gaze, made him the perfect choice for the part of Oddjob. He had no acting background at all besides pro wrestling, but the film character was mute and required little theatrical skill.
As Oddjob, he was bodyguard to Bond villain Auric Goldfinger and his sharpened, steel-brimmed bowler hat [1] became a famous and much-parodied trademark of the Bond series. He appeared in several other movies in similar roles and took on "Oddjob" as an informal middle name (he was seen the film The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington credited as Harold "Oddjob" Sakata).
While filming Oddjob's death scene, Harold's hand was badly burnt, but he held on until he heard director Guy Hamilton say "Cut"[citation needed].
With time, Sakata's acting skills improved. He co-starred opposite William Shatner in the movie Impulse, in which he played the character Karate Pete.
He also appeared in a series of TV commercials for cough syrup in the 1970s. The ad showed Sakata demolishing his house and frightening his family as the cough spasms grew worse and worse. The ad premise was, of course, that a spoonful of the stuff would quiet the worst of coughs.
Sakata died on July 29, 1982 in Honolulu, Hawaii, of cancer.
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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- NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Great Togo
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- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles Version) (1 time) - with Wild Red Berry (First)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time) - with “Wild” Red Berry
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- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) - with John Smith
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- NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with King Curtis Iaukea
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- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Toi Yamamoto
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Montgomery, Shirly. 1950's Wrestlers: Posing And In Action. Photography of Shirley Montgomery & Venue Programs.
- ^ Svinth, Joseph R.. Harold Sakata: Olympic Weightlifter and Professional Wrestler. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
[edit] External links
- Profile at Online World of Wrestling
- Championship Wrestling from Florida: Tosh Togo
- Harold Sakata at the Internet Movie Database
- the above mentioned TV commercial for cough syrup
