Joe Robinson

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JOE ROBINSON
31 May 1927 – 3 July 2017

Probably the deadliest exponent of the Martial Arts in Britain at the height of his career (he held an 8th Dan in Judo and a 5th Dan in Karate), Joe Robinson comes from a family of championship wrestlers who eventually moved into the entertainment industry.

Both his father Joseph Robinson Senior and grandfather John were World Champions. Following in their footsteps, Joe junior won the Wrestling European Heavyweight Championship in 1952, beating Axel Cadier (1906-1974) in London, when he was billed as ‘Tiger’ Joe Robinson. After injuring his back wrestling in Paris, ‘Tiger’ Joe decided to concentrate on acting, and after a few bit-parts in films his first leading role came in the keep-fit documentary Fit As A Fiddle (1952). Joe also played Harry ‘Muscles’ Green in the West End stage musical Wish You Were Here (1952).

By way of RADA, Joe was eventually cast by director Sir Carol Reed for the pivotal lead role of Sam in the magical film A Kid For Two Farthings (1955) in which he wrestled the gigantic Primo Carnera (1906-1967). About this time Joe found his impressively muscular frame (he had a 50-inch chest) much in demand in 60’s Italian cinema, appearing in many ‘sword and sandal’ epics such as King of Brute Force (1962), Ursus and the Tartar Girl (1962), and also opposite Anthony Quinn and Jack Palance in Richard Fleischer’s affecting and memorable epic Barabbas (1962).

But probably Joe’s best-remembered role is as the deadly diamond smuggler Peter Franks in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) opposite Sean Connery’s James Bond, where the two big men battle it out to the death in a moving lift, in one of the best fight scenes in the entire Bond series.

VITAL STATISTICS
Eyes	Blue
Hair	Blond
Height	6 feet 2 inches
Weight	220 lbs
Waist	38 inches
Chest	50 inches
Inside Leg	33 inches

Joe delivers a drop-kick to Primo Carnera in A Kid For Two Farthings

With Diana Dors in
A Kid For Two Farthings

Joe Robinson aged 19

Publicity portrait for
A Kid For Two Farthings

Joe in close-up for Barabbas

Joe as the Italian Tarzan

Joe & Daughter Polly Robinson (Hardy-Stewart)

Joe throws his daughter, British Women’s Judo Champion 1990, Polly Robinson (Hardy-Stewart)

•	Held 8th Dan in Judo
•	Held 5th Dan in Karate
•	Self-defence and fitness trainer [among others, taught Honor Blackman judo for her role in TV’s The Avengers; during 1994 coached New York police in self-defence seminars]
•	Co-author of Honor Blackman's Book of Self-Defence (1965) [with his brother Doug Robinson]

With Honor Blackman

With Sid James in
A Kid For Two Farthings

with Carol Reed & Diana Dors in A Kid For Two Farthings

With Carol Reed and Diana Dors in A Kid For Two Farthings

Publicity shot for
A Kid For Two Farthings

Joe helps Anthony Quinn from the river in Barabbas

Joe flexes in Italy

Purchase exclusive stills signed by Joe Robinson for 007 MAGAZINE

SELECTED APPEARANCES INCLUDE:

	FILM
•	A Kid for Two Farthings (1955) (Dir: Carol Reed) [played lead role of Sam opposite Diana Dors]
•	Fighting Mad (1957)
•	The Flesh Is Weak (1957)
•	Strange Awakening (1958)
•	Sea Fury (1958) [with Stanley Baker]
•	Murder Reported (1958)
•	The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
•	Tarzan, re de la forza bruta (1960) (Taur The Mighty) (Italian independent movie) [title role]
•	Bulldog Breed (1960) (Dir: Robert Asher) with Norman Wisdom
•	Carry On Regardless (1961) (Dir: Gerald Thomas)
•	Fury of the Vikings (1961)
•	Barabbas (1962) (Dir: Richard Fleischer) with Anthony Quinn and Jack Palance [speaking/action part as a gladiator]
•	King of Brute Force (1962)
•	Ursus & The Tartar Girl (1962) [lead with Yoko Tani]
•	The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) (Dir: Tony Richardson) [co-starring part as Roach] with Sir Michael Redgrave and Tom Courtenay. Joe's brother Doug also appears as a prison warder [uncredited]
•	Thor and the Amazon Women (1963) [title role]
•	Doctor In Distress (1963) (Dir: Ralph Thomas) with Dirk Bogarde
•	Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (Dir: Guy Hamilton) [played diamond smuggler Peter Franks]
•	Diamonds On Wheels (1974) (Dir: Robert Stevenson) [for Walt Disney]

	TELEVISION
•	Hancock's Half Hour (1959) [with Tony Hancock]
•	The Avengers (1963) [with Patrick Macnee & Honor Blackman]
•	The Saint (...Plays With Fire) (1963) [with Roger Moore]
•	Cat's Eyes (1986) [with Jill Gascoigne]

	THEATRE
•	As You Like It (3 Sept - 12 Oct 1959) Played Charles the wrestler at The Old Vic, with Barbara Jefford, Judi Dench, Alec McCowen and Maggie Smith. [pictured below with Barbara Leigh-Hunt]

Doug Robinson (1930-2021)

DOUG ROBINSON
8 February 1930 - 16 December 2021

Younger brother of actor Joe Robinson, Doug was born Douglas Bowbank Robinson in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1930. Their father Joseph Robinson Senior and grandfather John were world champion wrestlers, and both brothers trained in wrestling and body-building.

Doug's showbusiness career began in the mid-1950s, and early film work included Ben-Hur (1959). Doug was also one of the Argonauts in Jason and The Argonauts (1963), and made numerous British television appearances usually as a tough guy in everything from The Avengers to Steptoe and Son.

Doug became one of British cinema's most popular stuntmen, working on several James Bond films. In 1965 Doug and Joe co-authored with The Avengers and Goldfinger star, Honor Blackman's Book of Self-Defence published by Andre Deutsch.

Doug Robinson held 7th Dan in judo and Wado ryu Karate.

Doug Robinson in the rigging on Jason and The Argonauts (1963)

Doug and Joe Robinson...

...and together in their London gym

Doug appears as Salty Brewer in a Judo scene opposite Sean Connery in The Frightened City (1961)

Doug Robnson rehearses a fight scene in his London gym with Mickey Spillane for the 1963 crime drama The Girl Hunters.

Doug rehearses a fight scene in his London gym with Mickey Spillane for the 1963 crime drama The Girl Hunters. The film starred author Spillane (who also adapted the screenplay from his novel) as Mike Hammer, and featured ‘Golden Girl’ Shirley Eaton as Laura Knapp.

In 1965 Doug and Joe Robinson co-authored with The Avengers and Goldfinger star, Honor Blackman's Book of Self-Defence published by Andre Deutsch.
[ROLLOVER] US Macmillan edition with American spelling.

SELECTED APPEARANCES INCLUDE:
.
	FILM
•	Ben-Hur (1959) (stunts uncredited)
•	The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) (stunts uncredited) [Hammer Horror - with brother Joe]
•	The Frightened City (1961) Salty Brewer (as Douglas Robinson) [Judo scene with Sean Connery]
•	The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) Prison warder [uncredited]
•	Jason and The Argonauts (1963) Eupaemus [uncredited]
•	Casino Royale (1967) Russian Officer/Wrestler [uncredited]
•	You Only Live Twice (1967) (stunts uncredited)
•	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Judo Opponent on Aries-Ib TV [uncredited]
•	Where Eagles Dare (1968) (stunts uncredited)
•	Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (stunts uncredited)
•	Live And Let Die (1973) (stunts uncredited)
•	Callan (1974) (fight arranger)
•	The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) (stunts uncredited)
•	A Bridge Too Far (1977) (stunts uncredited)
•	The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (stunts uncredited)
•	Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) (stunts uncredited)
•	Superman The Movie (1978) (stunts uncredited)
•	Escape to Athena (1979) (stunt double Telly Savalas/stunts uncredited)
•	The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (stunts uncredited)
•	Superman II (1980) (stunts uncredited)
•	Outland (1981) (stunts uncredited)
•	For Your Eyes Only (1981) (additional stunts uncredited)
•	An American Werewolf in London (1981) (stunts)
•	Superman III (1983) (stunts uncredited)
•	Never Say Never Again (1983) (additional stunts uncredited)
•	Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (stunts)
•	Top Secret! (1984) (stunt performer uncredited)
•	A View To A Kill (1985) Thug at Stacey's House/stunt team [uncredited]
•	The Living Daylights (1987) (stunt team uncredited)
•	Batman (1989) (stunts)
•	Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) (stunts)
•	Son of the Pink Panther (1993) (stunts)
.
	TELEVISION
•	The Avengers (1962-64) Four appearances as Douglas Robinson [fight arranger A Chorus of Frogs] (1963)
•	The Persuaders! (1971) Christianson's Heavy 1 [uncredited] in The Morning After
•	Steptoe and Son (1974) Gang Member (as Dougie Robinson) in The Seven Steptoerai
•	The Sweeney (1975) Detective [uncredited] in Trap
•	SPACE: 1999 (1976) Clansman [uncredited] in Journey to Where
•	Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming [TV Movie] (1990) Starring Jason Connery as Ian Fleming (stunts)

Doug Robinson with The Avengers star Honor Blackman

Tony Curtis faces up to Doug Robinson in The Persuaders! (1971)

A Bridge Too Far (1977) Doug Robinson (2nd left) with fellow James Bond stuntmen Alf Joint (left), Vic Armstrong (right) and Paul Weston (far right).

Doug Robinson (left) doubled for US actor Telly Savalas in the 1979 action-thriller Escape To Athena, which co-starred Roger Moore. Also pictured (right) is stuntman Martin Grace who frequently doubled Roger Moore in his James Bond films.

A View To A Kill (1985) was the only time Doug Robinson was recognisable on screen in his many James Bond film appearances.

A View To A Kill (1985) was the only time Doug Robinson is easily recognisable on screen in his many James Bond film appearances.

Doug fights with Val Kilmer in the 1984 spoof Top Secret!...

...with the actor leaving a lasting impression on Doug!

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