GONG ..BUT NOT FORGOTTEN; EXCLUSIVE Film strongman dies at 80.Byline: by ANN GRIPPER THE strongman who strikes the gong at the opening of J Arthur Rank films has died. Olympic medallist Kenneth Richmond Kenneth Alan Richmond (10 July 1926 – 3 August 2006) was a British wrestler. He won a bronze medal at the 1952 Olympics and was also a whale ship crewman before he got into the gong business. captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. millions of movie lovers with his 50s performance. Now, following his death last week aged 80, his remarkable life has been revealed. Kenneth only got a one-off fee for his Rank appearance and confessed to friends the gong was actually made of papier mache. Close pal Chris Saunders said: "Kenneth said if you had actually hit it you would have gone straight through." Ken had dozens of roles as a film extra. He held an Olympic bronze in the 1952 Melbourne games and a Commonwealth gold and bronze in 1954 and 1950. But he made his cash crewing a whaling ship for nine months. Chris, 50, said: "He did so many different things and was truly an extraordinary man." His home in Christchurch, Hants, was filled with medals - one for windsurfing at the age of 67. Chris said: "He was rollerblading up until a car crash on the M25 five years ago." Despite his muscular 19 stone frame, married Richmond was against violence - even going to prison during the Second World War as a conscientious objector conscientious objector, person who, on the grounds of conscience, resists the authority of the state to compel military service. Such resistance, emerging in time of war, may be based on membership in a pacifistic religious sect, such as the Society of Friends . ann.gripper@mirror.co.uk CAPTION(S): WORLD FAMOUS: The iconic J Arthur Rank film opening' FILM ROLE: Ken' LYMPIAN: Strongman Ken |
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