Biff Tannenedit
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Biff Tannen (possibly Biff Howard Tannen, or even Howard "Biff" Tannen) was born on March 26, 1937 in Hill Valley, California. He was the great-grandson of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and the grandfather of Griff Tannen. He was not very bright and only got through high school by bullying George McFly to do his homework for him. Biff was feared by most of his schoolmates. In 1955, He surrounded himself with a gang (Match, Skinhead, and 3-D). He also had a crush on Lorraine Baines and referred to her as "my girl", and continued to take an interest in her even 30 and 60 years later. Lorraine did not return the sentiments.
By 1985, Biff's marital status is unknown, although Biff had a grandson Griff by 2015, indicating that Biff had at least one child by 1985. According to some sources, Biff had a son, Biff Jr., who, it is suggested owned the Cafe 80's). [1]
Biff was noted for mixed metaphors: for example, he said "make like a tree and get out of here" instead of "make like a tree and leave" on more than one occasion. He also once said "That's about as funny as a screen door on a battleship" instead of submarine. His insult of choice was "butthead", and one of his routines was to knock on someone's head and say "Hello? Hello? Anybody home?" He liked cars and ended up with a career waxing and cleaning them with his auto detailing business. Biff was a bully, but could be nice when necessary, usually to get out of trouble.
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[edit] Pre-1955
Although there are vague details of Biff's life before 1955, exact details are not known. What is known is that he had been living with his grandmother, Gertrude Tannen, at 1809 Mason Street for in November 1955, rather than with either parent. He apparently had to repeat a year of school (explaining why, despite being a year older than George and Lorraine, he was in the same grade as them).
[edit] The late 20th century
In the original timeline, Biff started bullying George McFly when they were kids and never stopped. Over the next 30 years, Biff would continue to bully and intimidate George, and they both ended up working for the same company, where Biff became George's supervisor (due to George doing all Biff's work for him to get promoted). Biff's crush on Lorraine never died either, even after she had married George.
However, things changed when the McFlys' youngest son Marty McFly accidentally traveled back through time to 1955 using his friend Doc Brown's DeLorean time machine, interfering with his parents' first meeting. Marty, using the anachronistic name "Calvin Klein," also managed to
It is unclear whether Biff found someone else to bully, or whether being knocked out, by the supposed weakest kid in school, had ended Biff's days of bullying people. Since Biff no longer had George to do his work for him, he now had to do things for himself. He started up his auto-detailing business, which he owned and ran himself, and by 1985, the McFlys were among his most loyal customers, and Biff's subservient attitude was demonstrated by his addressing George as "Mr. McFly". George seemed amused at Biff's efforts to get away with as little work as possible though he and Lorraine privately credited him with unwittingly helping them get together. George and Biff appeared to have become friends, or were at least on amicable terms.
[edit] The future
Marty, Doc and Marty's girlfriend Jennifer Parker traveled forward in time from 1985 to 2015 – unaware that their departure had been witnessed by Biff. Over the next 30 years, he remembered seeing the flying DeLorean taking off.
At the age of 78, Biff was still mean, and was still waxing cars in 2015. Formerly the bully, Biff was himself being bullied by his grandson Griff.
On October 21, 2015, Biff overheard Doc Brown talking, and realized that Doc Brown had invented a time machine. Biff picked up a sports almanac that Doc had thrown in the trash, followed the DeLorean to the Hilldale neighborhood, then stole the DeLorean and took it back to November 12, 1955, so that he could alter his life by handing the almanac to give to his younger self.
However upon returning to 2015 Biff became the victim of a time paradox. By giving the almanac to his younger self, he had changed the timeline, erasing his existence in 2015. Biff got out of the car with difficulty upon his return to 2015, then slumped behind a parked car, fading into nothingness as the DeLorean flew away. The top part of Biff's cane and the receipt for the sports alamanac remained in the DeLorean, from which Doc deduced Biff's theft of the time machine. It is unclear what happened to 78 year old Biff Tannen after Marty and Doc corrected the time-line, since they did not interfere with old Biff's theft of the machine. Biff's apparent pain and subsequent collapse, with no one to administer aid, may have been contributed to by the stress of his travel.
[edit] The alternate present, 1955-1985
Young Biff used the sports almanac to bet on the results of sporting events, since knew the outcomes in advance. In 1958, starting at age 21, Biff soon became very rich and powerful, spending, eventually starting up his toxic waste company Biffco and a casino hotel in Hill Valley (at least 27 stories high), named "Biff's Pleasure Palace", changing the laws of California to legalize casino gambling in 1979. Biff was apparently an admirer of Richard Nixon, whom he had helped get elected to at least four terms as President of the United States, with plans (at least as of 1983 (while seeking a fifth consecutive term), and leaving the Vietnam War unresolved as of May 1983. Though he was promoted (at least by himself) as "America's greatest living folk hero", Hill Valley in 1985A had become a center of crime, corruption, and gang warfare.
It was not until 1973 that Biff got the girl he'd always wanted. In this version of history, he had been married at least three times (including to Marilyn Monroe). On March 15, 1973, Biff murdered George McFly, though Lorraine had not yet learned the truth by 1985A. Biff married her later that year, giving her financial support and marital abuse, but he apparently did not adopt her three young children as his own. At some point, perhaps in 1996, Lorraine had had enough. For whatever reason, Biff was apparently no longer alive by 2015 after having altered the timeline.
This version of reality was erased when Marty and Doc went back to 1955 and got the almanac from Biff before he could use it, causing Biff to crash into the very same manure truck a second time. The timeline went back to how it was at the end of the first film, where Biff was running his auto detailing business.
[edit] The improved 1985
After Marty had gone to 1885, there was some question about whether the arrest (and possible hanging) of Buford Tannen would negate the existence of some of Buford's descendants, including Biff. Once Marty had returned to 1985 for the second time, however, Biff was spending a second day working as an auto-detailer - but now, he has a red jacke, not a green. Maybe, Buford has become his son before Marty arrested him and it make not problem, if he died.
[edit] Back to the Future: The Ride
In 1991, Doc established the Institute of Future Technology (IFT). On May 2, 1991, time travel volunteers from the IFT went back to 1955 to make sure that the timeline was back to normal following the events of the films. In 1955, 18-year old Biff stowed away in the time machine and once in 1991, stole it and blasted through time. Doc followed Biff through time in the new 8-seater DeLorean. Biff visited October 25, 2015 (almost the 30th anniversary of the first time travel experiment) and the Ice Age before heading back to 1991. Biff was then taken back to 1955, where he belonged, by Doc.
[edit] Back to the Future: The Animated Series
Since one of his numerous ancestors or descendants were featured, Marty rhetorically questioned if there was a "Biff" in every time and place they visited when they went to ancient Rome. Biff was once shown driving a tow truck, which means in the six years between the movies and the series, he still had his automotive detailing business.
In 1967, he saw the Comet Kablooey and thought it was an alien ship, and in 1992 he tried claiming Jennifer Parker's grandparents' ranch after finding a deed saying the Tannen family owned it. However, Marty, Jules and Verne went back to 1875 to make sure that the Tannens never got the deed.
In 1944, a military character named Frank Tannen who lived in Hill Valley and was in the United States Army. Frank might be Biff's father, and if Frank were to be MIA, it could explain why Biff lives with his grandmother by 1955.
[edit] Behind the scenes
- Biff Tannen had been named in the original, 1980 draft of the script for Back to the Future, and in earlier drafts, "Biff H. Tannen" was referred to, along with a mention that the H. stood for "Howard". While this might suggest that Biff is a nickname, the original script included a sequence where Biff ruins an electric drill and then says to George, "Oh--and one more thing: my kid's selling Girl Scout cookies. I told her you were good for 4 boxes. Don't make me a liar!". A similar scene was filmed for Back to the Future, with a pushy neighbor and his daughter getting George to buy a case of peanut brittle. The neighbor, whose scenes were cut from the film, was named Howard.
- J.J. Cohen who later played one of Biff's gang was considered to play Biff but did not appear physically imposing next to Eric Stoltz, who was originally cast as Marty. He did appear more imposing next to the shorter Michael J. Fox who had been the first choice to play Marty and who would later replace Stoltz in the role. On the DVD commentary for the first film, producer Bob Gale noted that Cohen may very well have won the role had Fox been cast from the beginning.
- By the time he reaches age 78, Biff is a lot smarter than he had been at 48 or at 18. Besides the more obvious point, where he is with the 1955 Biff, is exasperated with Biff's penchant for mixing up metaphors and corrects him and blasts him for sounding "like a damn fool", he also quickly recognizes an opportunity to borrow a Sports Almanac and a time machine, he readily figures out how to operate the machine without any prior instructions. In addition to stealing the car, he has to (a) put fuel in Mr. Fusion (b) input an appropriate destination time (c) turn the time circuits on, and (d) reaching the proper speed (88 mph) for time displacement. After locating his younger self, he has to repeat the sequence and set a return time soon after his moment of departure so that nobody would realize the car had ever been gone. It's possible that old Biff might have needed more than one try before he successfully travelled to November 12, 1955. It is also possible that the camcorder with the videotape of Doc's instructions was still in the car.
- Biff appeared in Back to the Future: The Animated Series, though not in every episode. Thomas F. Wilson provided the voice for Biff, who always wore a red bowling shirt. In the first season, Biff often would appear after the closing credits and would tell a lame (intentionally) joke. He was often seen as a character in the second season episodes. Wilson supplied the voice for many, if not all, of the Tannen relatives encountered in other eras.
[edit] Appearances
- Back to the Future Trilogy
- Back to the Future novelizations
- Back to the Future: The Ride
- Back to the Future: The Animated Series
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ Referred to in an early draft script for Part II, and in the animated series
| Individuals | ||
| The McFly Family Marty McFly | George McFly | Lorraine Baines McFly | Jennifer Parker | Seamus McFly | Maggie McFly | Dave McFly | Linda McFly | Martin McFly Jr. | Marlene McFly | ||
| The Brown Family Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown | Clara Clayton Brown | Jules Brown | Verne Brown | Einstein | ||
| The Tannen Family Biff Tannen | Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen | Griff Tannen | ||
| Other Individuals Mr. Strickland | Marshall James Strickland | Match, Skinhead & 3-D | Goldie Wilson | Douglas J. Needles |
