John Bindon

John Bindon

Born: October 4, 1943
Died: October 10, 1993
in London, England, UK
John 'Biffo' Bindon was a British actor and bodyguard (most notoriously for Led Zeppelin on their 1977 US tour, which he was subsequently sacked from for violent behaviour) with close links to the London underworld and a celebrated party trick; "I'd hang five half-pint beer glasses on me manhood. Everyone would ask how it's done beforehand so I'd put them out of their misery and thread my old chap through the handles of the glasses". The son of a London cab driver, Bindon was sentenced to Borstal twice in his youth and gained his nickname 'Biffo' from his propensity for starting fights. Spotted by Ken Loach in a London pub, Bindon got his acting break with the 1967 film Poor Cow. Roles in classic British films like Performance, Get Carter and Quadrophenia would follow, with Bindon often typecast as a gangland heavy. In 1968, Bindon met Vicki Hodge, a baronet's daughter turned model and actress, who introduced him to British aristocracy. This led to close and controversial links with Princess Margaret and her holiday hideaway of the Caribbean island resort of Mustique. Bindon and his alleged relationship with Princess Margaret is a major plot element in the 2008 crime film The Bank Job. Also in 1968, Bindon was awarded the Queen's Award for Bravery for diving off Putney Bridge into the River Thames to rescue a drowning man - although some said he had pushed the man in and only rescued him when a policeman appeared. In 1979, Bindon stood trial for the murder of London gangster John Darke. Bindon's successful defence (bolstered by a character witness appearance from actor Bob Hoskins) argued that Darke's death was in self-defence, saying Bindon was in fear of his life as he was being blackmailed about losing drug money and cocaine worth thousands of pounds. Despite being acquitted, Bindon struggled to find work in the entertainment industry as his reputation was now tarnished. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1993, having spent the later years of his life as a virtual recluse in Belgravia.

Movies for John Bindon...

Quadrophenia
Title: Quadrophenia
Character: Harry
Released: September 14, 1979
Type: Movie
Based on the 1973 rock opera album of the same name by The Who, this is the story of 60s teenager Jimmy. At work he slaves in a dead-end job. While after, he shops for tailored suits and rides his scooter as part of the London Mod scene.
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Trial by Combat
Title: Trial by Combat
Character: 2nd Reagan Brother
Released: April 1, 1976
Type: Movie
A group called The Knights Of Avalon are unhappy with the justice system so are taking the law into their own hands by executing criminals using medieval methods such as jousting.
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Barry Lyndon
Title: Barry Lyndon
Character: Recruiting Soldier
Released: December 18, 1975
Type: Movie
An Irish rogue uses his cunning and wit to work his way up the social classes of 18th century England, transforming himself from the humble Redmond Barry into the noble Barry Lyndon.
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11 Harrowhouse
Title: 11 Harrowhouse
Character: Second Guard
Released: September 26, 1974
Type: Movie
A small time diamond merchant jumps at the chance to supervise the purchase and cutting of a large first class diamond. But when the diamond is stolen from him, he is blackmailed into pulling off a major heist at the Diamond Exchange, located at 11 Harrowhouse.
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Juggernaut
Title: Juggernaut
Character: Driscoll
Released: September 25, 1974
Type: Movie
A terrorist demands a huge ransom in exchange for information on how to disarm the seven bombs he has planted aboard a trans-Atlantic cruise ship.
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Dead Cert
Title: Dead Cert
Character: Walter
Released: May 1, 1974
Type: Movie
As a surprise, two horse owners decide to ride their animals themselves in a steeplechase. But Bill Davidson's horse "Admiral" behaves weirdly, and falls hard after an obstacle. Bill dies from his injuries. His friend Alan York suspects the animal was doped by unscrupulous bookies and starts to investigate. He doesn't know how serious his opponents are, and that he's in danger to suffer the exact same fate as his friend.
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The MacKintosh Man
Title: The MacKintosh Man
Character: Buster
Released: November 8, 1973
Type: Movie
A member of British Intelligence assumes a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to be caught, imprisoned, and freed in order to infiltrate a spy organization and expose a traitor; only, someone finds him out and exposes him to the gang...
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Her Majesty's Pleasure
Title: Her Majesty's Pleasure
Character: Jumbo
Released: October 25, 1973
Type: Movie
They are all 'in' for life so the pleasures are sparse, and strictly of their own making.Their really big event is the Christmas pantomime, only this year they have lost their star. Mother Bear has escaped. Still, there is some consolation. The new arrival looks a likely Goldilocks. "There's one or two who'll be after him", says Woodbine - and he knows all their weaknesses.
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No Sex Please: We're British
Title: No Sex Please: We're British
Character: Pete
Released: July 25, 1973
Type: Movie
A porn-store owner orders some new stuff from his supplier, but the delivery address gets mixed with the address of the local Barclays Bank. Here, David (the bank's assistant manager) and his new wife are shocked when photos, then films and finally two girls are sent to them in their bank-supplied flat. They and the banks' head cashier then hatch a plan to get rid of the porn—without letting their boss, the local police and David's mother in on what is happening.
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Man in the Wilderness
Title: Man in the Wilderness
Character: Coulter
Released: November 24, 1971
Type: Movie
In the early 1800s, a group of fur trappers and Indian traders are returning with their goods to civilization and are making a desperate attempt to beat the oncoming winter. When guide Zachary Bass is injured in a bear attack, they decide he's a goner and leave him behind to die. When he recovers instead, he swears revenge on them and tracks them and their paranoiac expedition leader down.
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Get Carter
Title: Get Carter
Character: Sid Fletcher
Released: February 3, 1971
Type: Movie
Jack Carter is a small-time hood working in London. When word reaches him of his brother's death, he travels to Newcastle to attend the funeral. Refusing to accept the police report of suicide, Carter seeks out his brother’s friends and acquaintances to learn who murdered his sibling and why.
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Performance
Title: Performance
Character: Moody
Released: August 3, 1970
Type: Movie
In underworld terms, Chas Devlin is a 'performer,' a gangster with a talent for violence and intimidation. Turner is a reclusive rock superstar. When Chas and Turner meet, their worlds collide—and the impact is both exotic and explosive.
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Every Home Should Have One
Title: Every Home Should Have One
Character: Strongman at Party
Released: March 5, 1970
Type: Movie
Teddy works for a large advertising company. Given the seemingly impossible task of selling frozen porridge, he decides to produce commercials that make the product seem sexy. This leads him to confrontation with the "Keep Television Clean" movement, of which his wife is a senior member.
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Title: Department S
Character: Greer
Released: September 9, 1969
Type: TV
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King, Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst. The trio were agents for a fictional special department of Interpol. The head of Department S was Sir Curtis Seretse.
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Title: The Gold Robbers
Character: Terry Lardner
Released: June 6, 1969
Type: TV
Tough cop Detective Chief Superintendent Cradock is assigned to track down & bring to justice the criminals behind the daring theft of five and half million pounds worth of gold bullion from an airfield in the South of England.
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Inspector Clouseau
Title: Inspector Clouseau
Character: Bull Parker
Released: July 19, 1968
Type: Movie
Detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau is borrowed from the Surete on special assignment for Scotland Yard in hopes that a fresh outlook will help the government recover the loot from the Great Train Robbery, which is being used to underwrite a new crime wave. What they don't count on, however, is having more than one Clouseau on the job.
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Poor Cow
Title: Poor Cow
Character: Tom
Released: December 5, 1967
Type: Movie
A young woman lives a life filled with bad choices. At a young age she marries and has a child--with an abusive thief who quickly ends up in prison. Left alone, she takes up with the guy's mate, another thief, who seems to give her some happiness but who also ends up locked up. She then takes up with a series of seedy types who offer nothing but momentary pleasure--if that.
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Title: Public Eye
Character: Builder
Released: January 23, 1965
Type: TV
Public Eye is a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975. It was produced by ABC Television for three series, and Thames Television for a further four series. The series depicted the investigations and cases handled by the unglamorous enquiry agent Frank Marker, an unmarried loner who is in his early forties when the series begins. In the words of an ABC trailer for the third series: "Marker isn't a glamorous detective and he doesn't get glamorous cases—he doesn't even get glamorous girls. What he does get is people who are in trouble—the sort of trouble you can't go to the police about, even if you are innocent."