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CHARLES BIND

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Full Name: Charles Bind
Nationality: British
Organization: British Secret Service
Occupation Agent

Creator: Lindsay Shonteff
Time Span: 1977 - 1990

ABOUT THE SERIES

Charles Bind is an agent with the British Secret Service.

One snippet I found indicated he might have held the designation of 008 but I cannot be certain. This is arguable because in one testimonial for him, it is said "he is a winner in every game and 'zero' is never beside his name".

One thing I do know is that he is reported to be "fearless, irresistible, and licensed to kill", something he does quite often in his three recorded assignments, usually using two handguns at the same time. At times they seem to be automatics but usually they are revolvers.

In one escapade, after first using his two six-shooters at the same time (he has two hands after all), complete with the requisite twirling of them before putting back into their holsters, he produces a submachine gun from the undercarriage of his car and proceeds to wipe out the large force set to get him. He survives but his boss (the same Minister who stepped in when M got ill) was irate. "Thirty-six dead mercenaries?! I know you're licensed to kill, Number One, but this is ridiculous."

In another scrape he is shown handling just one gun but when things look dicey, he pushes a button and from the roof of sportscar rise up two mounted pistols. Speaking of tricked out cars, he has a small sports car which has retractable floppy wings enabling him to take to the air when needed.

Bind, it is further explained, "is the number one agent when it comes to being licensed to kill ... and super cool". Further, "Number One sleeps with his two .357 magnums and both eyes open". Also, it is reported that "If you're a man, he'll kill you quick. If you're a woman, he'll love you to death."

Just like his more famous colleague with a similar name, Bind has his arch-nemesis organization to deal with. He routinely goes up against K.R.A.S.H. which stands for "Killing, Raping, Arson, Slaughter, and Hits". Obviously by the name, they do not play nice with others, not even their teammates.

A few interesting points to end with.

1. In his flat he has a bulletproof Plexiglas wall that "is activated whenever a gun is pointed at" him.

2. In one back mess to deal with, Bind finds himself with an assailant who is a topless woman with tasseled pasties on which were connected razor blades. She is able to get the tassels to spin like crazy, turning the blades into buzz-saws which make waste to the kitchen chair Bind used as a shield, leaving it a pile of sawdust.

3. At the beginning of one of the adventures, we find Bind in a military aircraft bemoaning his fate with "I ask myself, what am I doing? Britain's number one agent, up here, tied hand and foot in this jet fighter with only dynamite for company." He gets free.

BOOKS

Number of Books:1
First Appearance:1979
Last Appearance:1979

1 License To Love And Kill License To Love And Kill
Written by Robin Smith
Copyright: 1979

Novelization of the 2nd movie. "Women want him because nobody does it better. Jensen Fury wants him because no other agent has ever caused him so much trouble before and Fury wants No. 1 very, very dead!

MOVIES

Number of Movies:3
First Appearance:1977
Last Appearance:1990

1 Number One of the Secret Service Number One of the Secret Service
Director: Lindsay Shonteff
Writer: William Craig
Actors: Nicky Henson as Charles Bind, Sue Lloyd as Sister Jane, Richard Todd as Arthur Loveday
Released: 1977

Arthur Loveday decides that eliminating the top financial leaders of the world will bring about global peace. When normal police cannot stop him, the British Secret Service calls upon Charles Bind to do it.

2 Licensed To Love And Kill Licensed To Love And Kill
aka Undercover Lover, aka The Man From S.E.X.
Director: Lindsay Shonteff
Writer: Lindsay Shonteff
Actors: Fiona Curzon as Carlotta Muff-Dangerfield, Gareth Hunt as Charles Bind, Nick Tate as Jensen Fury
Released: 1979

Secret Agent Charles Bind is called in to investigate the disappearance of Lord Dangerfield, a British diplomat. The trail leads Bind to Dangefield’s daughter Carlotta Muff-Dangerfield who is called "Lotta Muff", an ambitious American Senator named Lucifer Orchid, and Bind’s counterpart in the forces of evil, Ultra One.

3 Number One Gun Number One Gun
Director: Lindsay Shonteff
Writer: Jeremy Lee Francis
Actors: Gerald Sim as MI-5 Boss, Michael Howe as Charles Bind, Gary Hope as Ace Kissoff
Released: 1990

Charles Bind is up against a crazed Soviet agent named Ace Kissoff who has a pill which allows him to change into a woman.

MY COMMENTS

The same man who a decade earlier had brought to the big screen the enjoyable Charles Vine decided to do it again in the mid-to-late 70's but this time making it extremely campy (some say the Vine tales were as well but I disagree). He did not have the same success as he did before and watching these movies (what I could find of them), it is easy to see why.

Silly is not strong enough a word to describe these. The trailers were, in my opinion, a hoot and well worth the time to watch them on YouTube or wherever you can find them and since they only last a few minutes each, you are not kicking yourself later for the 90 minutes each you will never get back after a full screening.

The fact that the director could not get the same man to play the character in each movie has to say something.

GRADE

My Grade: C-

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