Cliff Harrington Interview on Vantage Point Interviews

Clifford V. Harrington. Photo © CliffEhnGee.

My 2006 interview with the late Cliff Harrington has been republished on Vantage Point Interviews with a bevy of never-before-seen photos that Cliff took during his life and career. There's a lot of great stuff to see, so head on over to Vantage Point Interviews for the low-down!

Remembering Cliff Harrington with His Friends and Family

Tomoko Harrington in Ebisu, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

A while back, I was contacted by Tomoko Harrington, the widow of actor-writer-photographer Cliff Harrington. She told me that she'd be visiting Tokyo (she lives in Kyushu) and asked if I'd like to meet up. Of course, I said yes, and we set up a time and place.

Tomoko married Cliff in 1988, and they remained married until his passing in 2013. Cliff (among many other accomplishments in his life) was an extra in numerous Japanese films. His most notable role was playing Al, the American helicopter co-pilot, in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). He was also an extra in Mothra (1961). But Cliff's movie roles only scratch the surface of his amazing and varied life.

Tomoko and I were joined by a mutual friend named Allan, who knew and worked with Cliff for many years. We had a great evening, sharing stories and memories of Cliff. Although I never had the privilege of meeting him in person, I spent many hours with him on the phone between 2006 and 2013. The only thing that could have made tonight's get together better would have been the presence of Cliff himself.

CLIFFORD V. HARRINGTON: 1932-2013

Cliff Harrington (left) spots Godzilla in his best-known role to Western kaiju eiga fans, that of Al in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

Former actor and voice actor in Japanese films, Cliff Harrington, died in Kyushu, Japan, on August 9, 2013. He was 81.

Born in Seattle, WA, on June 18, 1932, military life eventually brought Cliff to Japan where he became involved in the entertainment industry. He appeared as Al in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and by happenstance ended up dubbing the voice of the helicopter pilot he sat next to (in the Japanese version). Cliff dubbed a lot more films via William Ross and Frontier Enterprises, and even worked as cinematographer on Robert Dunham's independent film Time Travelers (1966).

I interviewed Cliff in 2006 and remained in touch with him over the years. He moved to Kyushu in 2011 to be closer to his wife Tomoko's aging parents. While Cliff had been healthy during the time I knew him, he suddenly became ill several months ago and never recovered. I last spoke to Cliff (from the hospital) in April or May, but he didn't sound well at all. Only tonight did I learn of the sad news.

Farewell, Cliff.