What are the names of Pat Roach's characters?

Texas

Well-known member
Do the bald "German Mechanic" in Raiders, and the giant "Chief Thuggee Guard" in Temple of Doom (both played by Pat Roach for those that don't know) have names? I heard a friend of mine say that the "German Mechanic's name was "Otto" but I'm not sure this is true. Besides, the German Mechanic was only in the film for less than five minutes, although the fight he had with Indy is considered one of the best cinematic fist fights of all time.

The Chief Guard on the other hand had a lot more screentime than the German mechanic and would've warranted being named. So do the comic books or any of the novels based on the films name these two iconic characters in the Indiana Jones franchise? Or are they just nameless henchmen?
 

VP

Moderator Emeritus
The Ace is a different guy, Pat Roach can be seen running as a Gestapo agent next to Vogel when Indy looks through the zeppelin window.
 

Crack that whip

New member
Don't forget, he's three other guys in the movies, as well (the gong striker in the Club Obi Wan, the Thuggee assassin in Indy and Shorty's room in Pankot Palace, and Toht's giant Sherpa thug in the Raven). What are their names? We demand answers!
;)
 

VP

Moderator Emeritus
Crack that whip said:
Don't forget, he's three other guys in the movies, as well (the gong striker in the Club Obi Wan, the Thuggee assassin in Indy and Shorty's room in Pankot Palace, and Toht's giant Sherpa thug in the Raven).
I don't think he has more than one role in ToD, these guys don't look like the same actor.

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Crack that whip

New member
You don't think so? They do to me. That said, it's true Pat's not credited for the gong striker or the assassin (but then again, neither is Michael Sheard for either the sub captain or Hitler, but it's well-known he was indeed both). I actually didn't realize myself that Pat (apparently) had three roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom until it was mentioned in an issue of Titan's recently-cancelled Indiana Jones magazine, but after reading that I did go and look at those very scenes you've posted here, and they did (and indeed, still do) appear very much to me to show the same actor, once I was specifically looking at his / their face(s) to see whether or not they were all the same guy.

I'm quite surprised you think they look like different actors, but I guess we all see things differently. Of course, I certainly don't think the magazine's reporting was infallible, and it's possible they erred. It'd help if there were some corroboration available. Sadly, Pat can no longer answer questions about his Indy work :( , but surely there must be someone here who met him at a convention or something and heard him discuss the movies - does anyone here remember ever seeing / hearing him talk about those three characters in Temple?
 

James

Well-known member
The gong striker was portrayed by stuntman Bill Reed. I believe the thuggee assassin was also one of the film's stuntmen.

All three bear a passing resemblance, but physically, Pat Roach was a much bigger guy than the other two. After all, the assassin needed to be someone who could blend into the shadows- not a hulking brute that stood 6' 5".
 

The Drifter

New member
Pat Roach played:

The giant goon n the Raven fight scene.
The German mechanic.
The giant Thuggee.
The agent with Vogal as they walk toward the zepplin in LC.
 

Kevin

Member
Look at the height difference, no way is the assassin played by Pat Roach:

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Granted, Indy is slouching in the second pic, but so is Pat.
 

Crack that whip

New member
The assassin is also crouching in that first image, but point taken. That said...

James said:
The gong striker was portrayed by stuntman Bill Reed. I believe the thuggee assassin was also one of the film's stuntmen.

Most interesting, and it's nice to have something so specific. Where'd you find out about Bill Reed? I certainly was amazed to have "learned" something new about Pat Roach when I first saw it in the magazine, but I didn't have any way to check for myself other than looking at the three characters again. I did that, and to me they actually did bear enough resemblance that I had no trouble accepting the magazine's statement, but more sources are better.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Texas said:
I heard a friend of mine say that the "German Mechanic's name was "Otto" but I'm not sure this is true.
This sounds familiar but I would imagine it's only a fan creation. Maybe before his Luftwaffe days, Otto worked on cars? (Get it? Huh? "A-u-t-o" Mechanic. Eh? Get it?:p)
 

James

Well-known member
Crack that whip said:
Most interesting, and it's nice to have something so specific. Where'd you find out about Bill Reed?

I don't remember the original source, but it was in a book containing a comprehensive cast list. It may have been the old TOD "official" magazine or the illustrated TOD screenplay, but I can't be certain of either. However, it is briefly mentioned in the recent Complete Making Of book. Look for the photos of the Club Obi Wan shoot, one of which includes the gong striker. The caption identifies him as Bill Reed.

As I said, I can't remember who played the other guy, but I'm pretty sure it was a stuntman. For one, it just makes sense. It wasn't a role that required any acting- merely someone that Ford could throw around. Why risk using an actor you need later in the film, or ask Ford to flip a guy as big as Roach? (Of course, Ford still ended up injuring his back during the scene.)
 
VP said:
I don't think he has more than one role in ToD, these guys don't look like the same actor.

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The "Official Magazine" gives Pat Roach these crazy credits and the Complete Making of says Bill Reed.

The Gong Ringer was in The Muppet Movie, an older wrestler named Hard Boiled Haggarty real name Don Stansauk.

3408633033_d44ea4b86e_o.jpg
 

Crack that whip

New member
James said:
I don't remember the original source, but it was in a book containing a comprehensive cast list. It may have been the old TOD "official" magazine or the illustrated TOD screenplay, but I can't be certain of either. However, it is briefly mentioned in the recent Complete Making Of book. Look for the photos of the Club Obi Wan shoot, one of which includes the gong striker. The caption identifies him as Bill Reed.

Yeesh - and I have that book, too! I should've known better...
:eek:

Rocket, where'd you find out about Don Stansauk?
 

The Drifter

New member
Crack that whip said:
Yeesh - and I have that book, too! I should've known better...
:eek:

Rocket, where'd you find out about Don Stansauk?

I could find no information on him at IMDB, and his filmography at wikipedia says he played in:
*Deathsport
*Dirty Harry
*Micki & Maude
*Paint Your Wagon
*Rad
*The Big Brawl
*The Muppet Movie
*The Wrestler

Maybe he was uncredited for his work in ToD? Rocket got Don's wrestling name right. But, I can't find anything that says he was the gong-ringer.
I also want to know where he found this (And, I am not doubting you at all, Rocket).
 

Crack that whip

New member
Indeed - it's simply important to have sources for these, especially if "official" sources like the magazine are getting stuff wrong.
 

Texas

Well-known member
So I guess its settled that none of Pat Roach's characters in the Indy trilogy were named and are instead nameless henchmen. It's interesting that the character of Dovchenko, a character based on the brutish type of henchman played by Roach, got a name while the more memorable German Mechanic/Giant Thuggee didn't.
 

oki9Sedo

New member
Texas said:
So I guess its settled that none of Pat Roach's characters in the Indy trilogy were named and are instead nameless henchmen. It's interesting that the character of Dovchenko, a character based on the brutish type of henchman played by Roach, got a name while the more memorable German Mechanic/Giant Thuggee didn't.

He's only mentioned by name once, though.

Also he has a bigger role than the German Mechanic and Chief Guard.
 
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