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A list of henchmen from the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger from the List of James Bond henchmen.
[edit] OddjobThis article is about the James Bond henchman. For the graphic novel, see Oddjob (graphic novel).
Oddjob is a henchman to the villain Auric Goldfinger in the film and novel. In the film he was played by the Hawaiian actor Harold Sakata. Oddjob (along with Jaws) is the strongest character in the Bond series. He is superior in unarmed combat skills to Bond in both film and novel, and therefore must be killed by application of superior cunning (by depressurization in the book and electrocution in the film). The character of Oddjob, from his unusual appearance, manners, strength and method of killing, forms the archetype for many privileged senior henchmen of the Bond film series, including Tee Hee, Jaws, Gobinda, Stamper, Renard and Zao. [edit] NovelOddjob, so named by Goldfinger, is Korean-born, and, much like in the film, is extremely strong, proven in one sequence where he breaks the railing of a staircase with his hand and a mantel with his foot. An expert at karate, Oddjob is also expert with a bow and arrow, and with his metal, razor-edged bowler hat. Despite the fact that he is mute (due to a severely cleft palate), he is a ruthless killer, but also acts as Goldfinger's personal guard, driver, and manservant (though not his golf caddy as depicted in the film). He has a taste for cats as food, apparently acquired in Korea when food was in short supply (Bond frames Goldfinger's yellow cat for destruction of surveillance film, and as punishment, sees the cat given to Oddjob for dinner). He is killed when Bond uses a knife to shatter the window next to his seat on an airplane, which depressurises the plane and blows Oddjob out of the window, a fate transferred to Auric Goldfinger in the film version. [edit] FilmFile:Oddjob Bond and goldfinger.jpg Oddjob demonstrates his deadly talent for Bond. --> In the beginning of the film, Oddjob knocks 007 unconscious at the Fontainebleau Hotel. Oddjob acts as Goldfinger's personal chauffeur, bodyguard and golf caddy in the film. He is extremely strong and durable, demonstrating his strength in a number of scenes including one where he crushes a golf ball with one hand after Goldfinger loses in a game of golf where Oddjob attempted to help Goldfinger win, and another in which he is struck with a gold brick in the chest, scarcely flinching, but is never mentioned to be a karate expert. He wears what appears to be a bowler lined with a metal razor disk in the rim, using it as a lethal flying disc of sorts (this is a bowler hat in the novel, and as such, would have had a round top). It is very powerful, capable of decapitating a stone statue. He also used it to kill Tilly Masterson by breaking her neck. Physically, Oddjob is practically invincible to Bond's hand-to-hand combat tactics, even when Bond uses a wooden object as a club. The only time Oddjob shows anything resembling fear or wariness in the film is when Bond attempts to use his own hat against him. Bond misses him with the throw, causing his hat to get stuck in metal bars. Then, when Oddjob tries to retrieve the hat, Bond electrocutes him with an open electric wire (which had been cut by Oddjob's hat) by putting it to the bars. In a twist of fate, this method works only because the metal hat conducts the current to Oddjob. [edit] Other appearances
[edit] In popular cultureOddjob's lethal hat ranked tenth in a 2008 20th Century Fox poll of the most popular film weapons, which surveyed approximately two thousand films fans.[1] Oddjob has also inspired the following characters:
[edit] Pussy Galore
Main article: Pussy Galore Pussy Galore is a fictional character from the film and novel. In the film she is played by Honor Blackman. [edit] Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus pilots
The five pilots who make up Pussy Galore's Flying Circus pilots are initially under orders by Pussy Galore, who is under orders by Goldfinger, to spray Delta 9 nerve gas on the soldiers guarding Fort Knox. After falling for James Bond, however, Pussy Galore has the gas exchanged for a non-lethal gas, and informs the Fort Knox soldiers of Goldfinger's plot. The pilots spray the gas over Fort Knox and the soldiers play dead, allowing Goldfinger's men to proceed past the Fort's defences. The soldiers then surround Goldfinger's men, trapping them in the fort. [edit] Kisch
Kisch, played by Michael Mellinger, is one of Goldfinger's henchmen who first appears at his Switzerland factory, where he operates the famous laser that almost bisects 007. When Goldfinger opts to let Bond live a little longer, Kisch shoots him with a tranquilizer gun. Later, Kisch is seen at Goldfinger's Kentucky ranch, Auric Stud. When Goldfinger decides to kill all of the American gangsters participating in Operation Grand-Slam, Kisch is the one who releases the toxic gas into the room where all of the gangsters are. Later, as Operation Grand-Slam actually commences, Kisch, disguised as a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, leads Goldfinger's faux U.S. Army convoy of vehicles to Fort Knox. Goldfinger's men dynamite the electrified gate and Kisch detonates the explosives, clearing a path for the convoy. Once outside the bank, Kisch operates the industrial laser hidden inside the Army ambulance, and then orders the men to reverse to the security doors. When Goldfinger's men open the gold vault door, the atomic bomb arrives at the bank via helicopter, Kisch handcuffs 007 to the bomb so that Bond can be left behind to die with the explosion. Kisch becomes trapped inside the bank's gold vault with Bond, Oddjob and the atomic bomb. The vault is sealed shut by Goldfinger once the American soldiers begin to make headway back into Fort Knox. Not loyal enough to Goldfinger to die for Operation Grand-Slam, Kisch states that he can save them by disarming the bomb, but is stopped by Oddjob who subsequently kills him by throwing him off the top floor guard-rail. Bond is able to retrieve the key to unlock his handcuffs in Kisch's jacket pocket moments before Oddjob makes his way to the floor where Bond is located. [edit] Mr. Ling
Mr. Ling, played by Burt Kwouk, is Goldfinger's apparent technical liaison. He is witnessed overseeing the operation of the industrial laser that nearly bisects Bond, and later, during the raid on Fort Knox, is seen supervising the priming of the atomic device intended to irradiate the gold reserves therein. After the American troops retaliate against Goldfinger's raid on Fort Knox, Goldfinger, disguised as an American army officer shoots and kills Ling with a gold revolver in front of American soldiers in order to conceal his identity and make his escape. [edit] Mr. Solo
Mr. Solo, played by Martin Benson, is one of a trio of American Mafia bosses who join up with Goldfinger for Operation Grand Slam. He had a laser shipped from Switzerland to aid in Goldfinger's break-in of Fort Knox. He later decides to simply receive his payment of one million dollars in gold bullion now, obtaining a large amount of gold from Goldfinger and having Oddjob drive him to the airport. Bond slips a piece of paper with details of Operation Grand Slam into Solo's pocket, along with a tracking device for Felix Leiter to find him. Instead, Oddjob shoots Solo dead and puts the car in a scrap metal compactor, causing Leiter to lose the signal. Oddjob returns to the stud farm with the cube and Goldfinger begins the process of removing his gold; Bond recalls what Goldfinger said about Solo "having a pressing engagement". The name of "Solo" for a character was also used by Ian Fleming for a proposed television show called "Solo" or "Ian Fleming's Solo" until Eon Productions brought suit against the producers who renamed the show The Man from UNCLE.[2] [edit] Jed Midnight
Jed Midnight, played by Bill Nagy, is one of a trio of American Mafia bosses who join up with Goldfinger for Operation Grand Slam. His role was to supply the nerve gas, shipped to the United States from Canada, that would be used to kill the guards at Fort Knox. He, Solo, and Strap were promised one million dollars in stolen gold bullion for their participation. However, they are being duped by Goldfinger, who, after explaining that he plans to irradiate the gold, not steal it, sadistically kills both Midnight and Strap, who he was simply using to boost his own ego. In the novel, it is stated that the gang he belongs to is called the Shadow Syndicate. [edit] Jack Strap
Jack Strap, played by Hal Galili, is one of a trio of American Mafia bosses who join up with Goldfinger for Operation Grand Slam. His role is to ensure that Goldfinger's task force are safely smuggled from Mexico to the USA in order to begin Operation Grand Slam. He, Solo, and Midnight were promised one million dollars in stolen gold bullion for their participation. However, they are being duped by Goldfinger, who, after explaining that he plans to irradiate the gold, not steal it, sadistically kills both Midnight and Strap, who he was simply using to boost his own ego. In the novel, it is stated that the gang he belongs to is the Spangled Mob, who are also the main antagonists in the novel Diamonds Are Forever. [edit] Mei-Lei
Mei-Lei, played by Mai Ling, is Goldfinger's Thai stewardess aboard his private jet. Like everything else Goldfinger "owns", Mei-Lei is clothed completely in gold. She first meets Bond when she tells him that his attaché case is damaged, and makes him a martini. Later, she tries unsuccessfully to spy on him as he cleans up and changes clothes, though she does not take an aggressive role against him. [edit] Capungo
Ian Fleming describes a Capungo as a bandit who will kill someone for as low as 40 pesos. [edit] FilmCapungo, played by Alf Joint, is a Mexican thug who attempts to kill Bond in the pre-title sequence for breaking up the Ramirez Heroin Ring, a gang he previously worked for. He hires a flamenco dancer, Bonita, to distract Bond while he sneaks up from behind and attempts to kill him. While kissing Bonita, however, Bond sees Capungo reflected in her eyes as he approaches with a club, and moves out of the way at the last second so that Bonita takes the hit. After a brutal fight, Bond then proceeds to throw Capungo into Bonita's bathtub, before electrocuting him with a sunlamp, a fate to which Bond quips "Shocking."[3] [edit] NovelIn a complete opposite to the film, the opening chapter of the novel "Reflections in a Double Bourbon" describes in flashback less than 24 hours earlier Bond killing a Mexican assassin on assignment in a serious and depressing way. Bond had travelled to Mexico where he impersonates a heroin buyer. Bond later destroys a warehouse full of heroin with a thermite bomb; the heroin being sent to England in diplomatic pouches. Fleming describes the Capungo as wearing a dirty linen suit and under the influence of marijuana who tries to kill Bond with a knife. Bond kills him with his bare hands, parrying the killer's knife attack, hitting his chin with the heel of his palm then striking him in the throat with his other hand. [edit] Bonita
Bonita, played by Nadja Regin, is a double agent for the Ramirz Heroin Ring posing as a flamenco dancer. Capungo hires her to take Bond back to her house, where Capungo plans to ambush him for breaking up the ring. While kissing Bonita at her home, Bond sees in her eyes the reflection of Capungo approaching with a club. Bond dodges at the last second, and Bonita is knocked out by Capungo's strike. Nadja Regin also played Kerim's mistress in From Russia with Love.
[edit] References
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