Stanford S. Strickland

Mr. Strickland Mr. Strickland Biographical information Date of birth 1920s Age (1955) In his thirties Age (1985) In his sixties Age (2015) In his ninties Physical description Gender Male Hair color None Eye color Brown Behind-the-scenes information Played by James Tolkan Voiced by James Tolkan
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Mr. Strickland was a strict authoritarian with a strong disdain for slackers (particularly those of the McFly family). In this respect he took after his ancestor Chief Marshal James Strickland of Hill Valley 1885, who was constantly at odds with local outlaw Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen.

Strickland worked at Hill Valley High School in both 1955 and 1985. He believed that Doc Brown was a "nutcase" and did not want his students hanging around with Doc - this suggests that Strickland and Doc may have met in the past, or else Strickland just thought that Doc is a nutcase.

In 1985, he caught Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker sneaking into school late. After finding out this is because Marty was at Doc's house, he warns Marty not to hang around with Doc before noting that Marty's band, the Pinheads, are auditioning for the dance that evening. Strickland informed Marty not to waste his time telling him that "no McFly has ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley".

In 1955, Strickland was just the same as he was in 1985 - except with slightly more hair. Strickland was chaperone at the "Enchantment Under The Sea" dance, where he was not impressed with "Calvin Klein's" (in reality, Marty's) music.

Strickland in an alternate 1985.

In the alternate 1985, Marty was mistakenly identified as the person responsible for stealing Strickland’s newspapers (although correctly identified as a slacker, a judgment reinforced by Marty’s own admission) and threatened with castration by shotgun. Strickland in this reality wore a bulletproof vest and had a scar on his face. Fortunately, at least for Marty, Strickland was promptly engaged in a firefight with a gang of gun-toting slackers, during which Marty made his escape towards downtown.

When Doc and Marty returned to 1955 to restore history by taking the Grays Sports Almanac away from Biff Tannen, Strickland confiscated what Marty believed to be the almanac from Biff (but in reality was a pornographic magazine entitled Oh La La, but pronounced by Marty "Ooh La La") and labeled Biff a slacker. Shortly after, Strickland unknowingly trapped the hand of his future adversary Marty McFly between his chair and desk as Marty attempted to re-acquire the almanac. Strickland threw the magazine in the trash, and soon afterwards Marty discovered that it was not the almanac, and the chase was on again.

Back to the Future: the Animated Series

Mr. Strickland does make a cameo in one episode of the animated series ("Marty McFly PFC") where it is revealed he was in the Army in the 1940's. He is not identified by name, it is his use of the word "slacker" that gives him away. In the "present" (1991 - 1992), it is revealed that he is now Dean of Hill Valley College.

Behind the scenes

• His first name is unclear - the novel for the first film refers to him as "Gerald", but his office door in Part II says "S S Strickland". (The initials might refer to his title, perhaps "school superintendent".)
• A fan theory suggests that Strickland asked the judges to fail the Pinheads due to Marty's "attitude problem", although there is no mention of this in the scripts or movies.
• A scene deleted from the movie has Strickland finding George McFly trapped in a phonebooth by bullies, although he does not let George out but calls him a slacker instead.

Appearances

• Back to the Future
• Back to the Future Part II
• Back to the Future: The Animated Series