Gordon Mitchell
131 movies · 4 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jul 29, 1923
- Died
- Sep 20, 2003 (age 80)
- Place of birth
- Denver, Colorado, USA
- Also known as
- Charles Allen Pendleton · Charles Pendleton · Чарльз Аллен Пенделтон
Biography
Gordon Mitchell was born "Charles Pendleton" in Colorado and served his country in both World War II and the Korean War (during which he was briefly a POW). Afterward he worked as a teacher in inner city schools in California and got heavily involved in personal fitness and bodybuilding. He became friends with Joe Gold (of Gold's Gym), joining Mae West's comedy act as one of her "strongmen" who would carry her on and off the stage. During this time he also found himself in demand as an extra in several Hollywood films including "Lil Abner", "The Enemy Below", and "The Ten Commandments" (in which he and Joe Gold bring Moses to Ramsey's court in chains). When the Peplum craze began in Italy and his fellow Muscle Beach star Steve Reeves became a huge star. Gordon (along with Reg Park, Mark Forrest, Brad Harris, Mickey Hargitay, and Richard Harrison) similarly jumped on the bandwagon and headed to Italy to find stardom and financially greener pastures.
Thanks to his unconventional appearance (small, sharp eyes and craggy face) and enthusiasm for his work, Mitchell found himself one of the most in-demand performers in Italy's Sword & Sandal craze of the early 60's, working with several top directors including Marino Girolami, Alberto De Martino, and Michele Lupo. Unlike most of his peers who left Italy once the genre ran its course, Mitchell stayed on to play villains in numerous Spaghetti Westerns, Giallos, War Films, and Science Fiction movies. He also had a small but key role in the Elizabeth Taylor / Marlon Brandon vehicle "Reflections in a Golden Eye" (1967) during this time though perhaps his most prestigious role would be the rogue who helps the two protagonists kidnap the noble in Fellini's "Satyricon" (1969). Mitchell used his extra cash to buy and build his own movie studio (Cave Studios) which he single-handedly constructed outside of Rome. It went largely unused except by ultra-low budget director Demofilo Fidani who would often cast Mitchell as well.
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In the late 1980's when the Italian genre film industry had basically self-destructed, unable to compete with American films even for video rentals, Mitchell packed his bags and moved back to California. Once home, he re-teamed with old friend Joe Gold to manage World Gym, at which Mitchell acted as COO and lived at the top floor of its headquarters in Marina Del Rey. Continuing for years to act in low budget films purely for the fun of it, Mitchell passed away in his sleep at age 80 in 2003. Having just won the California recall election the day prior, Arnold Schwarzenegger took time out of his busy schedule to pay his respects at Mitchell's Memorial Service at the World Gym Headquarters along with many other bodybuilders who credit Mitchell with getting them into their careers.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Gordon Mitchell: movies and TV shows
Acting (135)
- 2004 Malevolence
as Don Fabrizio De Martino
- 2002 An Enraged New World
as General Murchison
- 1995 Bikini Drive-In
as Goliath
- 1990 The Alien Within
as Dan Thorn
- 1989 Overdose
as Costa
- 1989
- 1988 Blood Delirium
as Hermann
- 1988
- 1988 SFX Retaliator
as Morgan
- 1987 Cross of the Seven Jewels
as Black Mass Leader
- 1987
- 1986 Three Men on Fire
as Dr. Andrew Milhench
- 1986 The Mines of Kilimanjaro
as Rolf
- 1986 Cobra Mission
as Col. Mortimer
- 1984 White Fire
as Olaf
- 1984 She
as Hector
- 1983 If All Goes Well We Are Ruined
as Jack Volpetti
- 1983 Endgame
as Col. Morgan
- 1983 Rush
as Yor
- 1983 The Commissioner
as (uncredited)
- 1983
- 1982
- 1982 The Yellow Panther
as killer
- 1982 Diamond Connection
as Abdul Pascha
- 1982 Curse of the Red Butterfly
as Brado
- 1981 The Doctor Prefers Sailors
as killer russo
- 1981 Kopfschuß
as Maserati
- 1981 Trois filles dans le vent
as Gordon Mitchell
- 1980 Umbrella Coup
as Moskovitz, le tueur à gages
- 1980 Holocaust II
as Felix Oppenheimer
- 1980 Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados
as Robert
- 1980 Fever of 40!
as Mr. Temple
- 1980 The Iron Hand of the Mafia
as Don Nicola
- 1979 Porno erotico western
as (as Charles Pendleton)
- 1979 Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot
as Pretorius
- 1979 Strategy for a Mission of Death
as Paul
- 1979 Santa Lucia
as Amerikaner
- 1978 White Fang and the Kid
as Morgan
- 1978 Operation Orient
as Haine
- 1978 Fists, Dollars and Spinach
as Frank Stilo
- 1977 The Slayers
as Pablo
- 1977 Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau
as Gooming
- 1977 Oil
as Joe
- 1977 Achtung! The Desert Tigers
as Kommandant von Stolzen
- 1976 Special Squad Shoots on Sight
as David
- 1975 Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion
as Renato Proietti
- 1975 The Tiger From the River Kwai
as Jack Mason
- 1975 The Man from Chicago
as Mike
- 1975 The Skin Under the Claws
as Professor Helmut
- 1975 Seven Savage Men
as Cooper
- 1975 Four for All
as Margherito
- 1975
- 1974 The Household
as General Von Werner
- 1974
- 1974 The Sewer Rats
as Gordon
- 1974 Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks
as Igor
- 1973 The Fighting Fist of Shanghai Joe
as Burying Sam
- 1973 His Colt, Himself, His Revenge
as Martin
- 1973 From the Archives of the Criminal Police
as Peter Wilcox
- 1973
- 1973 My Darling Slave
as Von Thirac
- 1973 Anything for a Friend
as Miller
- 1972 Frankenstein '80
as Dr. Otto Frankenstein
- 1972 Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado
as Jonathan Duke
- 1972 The French Sex Murders
as Man in Nightclub
- 1972 My Name Is Texas Bill
as Martin
- 1972 The Crucified Girls of San Ramon
as El Kadir
- 1972 A Gunman Called Dakota
as Dakota
- 1972 Slaughter Day
as Gordon
- 1971 His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria
as Ray Potter
- 1971 Savage Guns
as Gordon Mitchell
- 1971 Angel's Leap
as Henry Di Fusco
- 1971 Day of Judgment
as Deputy
- 1971 Let's Go And Kill Sartana
as Greg "The Crazy Person"
- 1971 Down with Your Hands... You Scum!
as Buck/Butch Bradley
- 1971 Adios Compañeros
as Ironhead
- 1971 Coffin Full of Dollars
as John Hamilton
- 1971 Finders Killers
as Chris Forest
- 1971
- 1971 Io non spezzo... rompo
as Joe il Rosso
- 1971
- 1970 Dead Men Don't Make Shadows
as Roger Murdock
- 1970 Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End
as Black Burt Keller / Burt Kelly
- 1970 The Arizona Kid
as Coyote
- 1969 Lisa with the Blue Eyes
as Football player
- 1969 I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death
as Degueyo
- 1969 Satyricon
as Il predone
- 1969
- 1969
- 1968 Cry of Death
as Donkey / Morgan Pitt
- 1968 Dead for a Dollar
as Roy Fulton
- 1968 Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten
as Alfredo
- 1968 All on the Red
as Erikson
- 1968 Seven Times Seven
as Big Ben
- 1968 The Killer Likes Candy
as Toni
- 1968 Beyond the Law
as Burton
- 1968 Cheers... Cyanide!
as Al Rubino
- 1968 I'll Die for Vengeance
as Clayton
- 1968 Fenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen
as Gregory Falco
- 1967 John the Bastard
as Danite
- 1967 Reflections in a Golden Eye
as Stables Sergeant
- 1967 Death on the Run
as The Albanian
- 1967 The Crazy Westerners
as Bandit Leader
- 1967 Born to Kill
as Rod Gordon
- 1967 Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak
as Ringo
- 1966 È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere
as Van Himst
- 1966 Kill or Be Killed
as Baltimore Joe/Ringo
- 1966 Thompson 1880
as Glenn Sheppard
- 1966 Star Pilot
as Murdu
- 1966 Three Bullets for Ringo
as Frank
- 1965 Lady Morgan's Vengeance
as Roger
- 1965 Erik the Viking
as Sven
- 1965
- 1965 The Stone Forest
as Hunding
- 1965 Hercules and the Princess of Troy
as Pirate Captain
- 1964 Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens
as Omar
- 1964 The Revenge of the Gladiators
as Arminio
- 1964 Seven Slaves Against the World
as Balisten
- 1963 Brennus, Enemy of Rome
as Brenno
- 1962 The Fury of Achilles
as Achilles
- 1962 Invasion 1700
as Ulrich
- 1962 Kerim, Son of the Sheik
as Yussuf
- 1962 Caesar Against the Pirates
as Hamar
- 1962 Vulcan, Son of Giove
as Pluto
- 1961 The Giant of Metropolis
as Obro
- 1961 The Centurion
as General Metellus
- 1961 Atlas Against the Cyclops
as Maciste
- 1960 Spartacus
as Gladiator (uncredited)
- 1959
- 1959 Rio Bravo
as Bar Cowboy Watching Fistfight (uncredited)
- 1958 The Young Lions
as Minor Role (uncredited)
- 1957 The Enemy Below
as German Sailor
- 1957 The Spirit of St. Louis
as (uncredited)
- 1956 Around the World in 80 Days
as Extra (uncredited)
- 1955
Talk shows and appearances (2)
- 2000
- 1966