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.
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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0593369
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q716602
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Filmography (Movies)
Malevolence
Character:Don Fabrizio De Martino
Release Date:18/06/2004
An Enraged New World
Character:General Murchison
Release Date:28/03/2002
Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2000
Bikini Drive-In
Character:Goliath
Release Date:08/04/1995
The Alien Within
Character:Dan Thorn
Release Date:01/01/1990
Overdose
Character:Costa
Release Date:08/12/1989
Blood Delirium
Character:Hermann
Release Date:08/08/1988
Faida
Character:
Release Date:19/02/1988
SFX Retaliator
Character:Morgan
Release Date:01/02/1988
Cross of the Seven Jewels
Character:Black Mass Leader
Release Date:30/04/1987
Commando Invasion
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1987
Three Men on Fire
Character:Dr. Andrew Milhench
Release Date:04/11/1986
The Mines of Kilimanjaro
Character:Rolf
Release Date:31/07/1986
Cobra Mission
Character:Col. Mortimer
Release Date:31/07/1986
White Fire
Character:Olaf
Release Date:05/07/1984
She
Character:Hector
Release Date:15/05/1984
If All Goes Well We Are Ruined
Character:Jack Volpetti
Release Date:29/12/1983
Endgame
Character:Col. Morgan
Release Date:05/11/1983
Rush
Character:Yor
Release Date:28/10/1983
The Commissioner
Character:(uncredited)
Release Date:19/03/1983
Secret Force
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1983
The Yellow Panther
Character:killer
Release Date:19/11/1982
Diamond Connection
Character:Abdul Pascha
Release Date:01/01/1982
Curse of the Red Butterfly
Character:Brado
Release Date:01/01/1982
The Doctor Prefers Sailors
Character:killer russo
Release Date:01/12/1981
Kopfschuß
Character:Maserati
Release Date:31/10/1981
Trois filles dans le vent
Character:Gordon Mitchell
Release Date:11/03/1981
Umbrella Coup
Character:Moskovitz, le tueur à gages
Release Date:08/10/1980
Holocaust II
Character:Felix Oppenheimer
Release Date:10/04/1980
Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados
Character:Robert
Release Date:01/02/1980
Fever of 40!
Character:Mr. Temple
Release Date:01/01/1980
The Iron Hand of the Mafia
Character:Don Nicola
Release Date:01/01/1980
Porno erotico western
Character:(as Charles Pendleton)
Release Date:12/09/1979
Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot
Character:Pretorius
Release Date:31/08/1979
Strategy for a Mission of Death
Character:Paul
Release Date:26/06/1979
A Very Special Woman
Character:Gordon
Release Date:01/04/1979
Santa Lucia
Character:Amerikaner
Release Date:01/01/1979
White Fang and the Kid
Character:Morgan
Release Date:15/12/1978
Operation Orient
Character:Haine
Release Date:25/04/1978
Fists, Dollars and Spinach
Character:Frank Stilo
Release Date:01/01/1978
The Slayers
Character:Pablo
Release Date:09/09/1977
Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau
Character:Gooming
Release Date:13/05/1977
Oil
Character:Joe
Release Date:28/02/1977
Achtung! The Desert Tigers
Character:Kommandant von Stolzen
Release Date:15/01/1977
Special Squad Shoots on Sight
Character:David
Release Date:01/04/1976
Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion
Character:Renato Proietti
Release Date:02/10/1975
The Tiger From the River Kwai
Character:Jack Mason
Release Date:23/09/1975
The Man from Chicago
Character:Mike
Release Date:10/07/1975
The Skin Under the Claws
Character:Professor Helmut
Release Date:10/05/1975
Seven Savage Men
Character:Cooper
Release Date:29/03/1975
Four for All
Character:Margherito
Release Date:31/01/1975
Anasının Gözü
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1975
The Household
Character:General Von Werner
Release Date:04/10/1974
Little Godfather from Hong Kong
Character:
Release Date:28/06/1974
The Sewer Rats
Character:Gordon
Release Date:05/06/1974
Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks
Character:Igor
Release Date:19/02/1974
The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe
Character:Burying Sam
Release Date:28/12/1973
His Colt, Himself, His Revenge
Character:Martin
Release Date:19/12/1973
From the Archives of the Criminal Police
Character:Peter Wilcox
Release Date:18/12/1973
Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West
Character:Mike
Release Date:17/10/1973
My Darling Slave
Character:Von Thirac
Release Date:04/10/1973
Anything for a Friend
Character:Miller
Release Date:18/02/1973
Frankenstein '80
Character:Dr. Otto Frankenstein
Release Date:12/12/1972
Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado
Character:Jonathan Duke
Release Date:12/11/1972
The French Sex Murders
Character:Man in nightclub
Release Date:15/06/1972
My Name Is Texas Bill
Character:Martin
Release Date:27/05/1972
The Crucified Girls of San Ramon
Character:El Kadir
Release Date:25/05/1972
A Gunman Called Dakota
Character:Dakota
Release Date:05/03/1972
Slaughter Day
Character:Gordon
Release Date:01/01/1972
His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria
Character:Ray Potter
Release Date:26/11/1971
Savage Guns
Character:Gordon Mitchell
Release Date:25/11/1971
Angel's Leap
Character:Henry Di Fusco
Release Date:21/09/1971
Day of Judgment
Character:Deputy
Release Date:09/09/1971
Let's Go And Kill Sartana
Character:Greg "The Crazy Person"
Release Date:06/09/1971
Down with Your Hands... You Scum!
Character:Buck/Butch Bradley
Release Date:21/08/1971
Adios Compañeros
Character:Ironhead
Release Date:17/04/1971
Coffin Full of Dollars
Character:John Hamilton
Release Date:01/04/1971
Finders Killers
Character:Chris Forest
Release Date:27/03/1971
Tre nel mille
Character:
Release Date:06/03/1971
Io non spezzo... rompo
Character:Joe il Rosso
Release Date:21/01/1971
Treasure of the Lost Desert
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1971
Dead Men Don't Make Shadows
Character:Roger Murdock
Release Date:27/11/1970
Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End
Character:Black Burt Keller / Burt Kelly
Release Date:14/11/1970
The Arizona Kid
Character:Coyote
Release Date:05/09/1970
Lisa with the Blue Eyes
Character:Football player
Release Date:23/12/1969
I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death
Character:Degueyo
Release Date:20/11/1969
Satyricon
Character:Il predone
Release Date:18/09/1969
Ora X Pattuglia Suicida
Character:
Release Date:20/07/1969
The Wings of War
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1969
Cry of Death
Character:Donkey / Morgan Pitt
Release Date:21/11/1968
Dead for a Dollar
Character:Roy Fulton
Release Date:17/08/1968
Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten
Character:Alfredo
Release Date:25/07/1968
All on the Red
Character:Erikson
Release Date:25/05/1968
Seven Times Seven
Character:Big Ben
Release Date:25/04/1968
The Killer Likes Candy
Character:Toni
Release Date:12/04/1968
Beyond the Law
Character:Burton
Release Date:10/04/1968
Cheers... Cyanide!
Character:Al Rubino
Release Date:04/04/1968
I'll Die for Vengeance
Character:Clayton
Release Date:10/03/1968
Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen
Character:Gregory Falco
Release Date:04/03/1968
John the Bastard
Character:Danite
Release Date:16/11/1967
Reflections in a Golden Eye
Character:Stables Sergeant
Release Date:13/10/1967
Death on the Run
Character:The Albanian
Release Date:09/10/1967
The Crazy Westerners
Character:Häuptling Sitzender Büffel
Release Date:11/08/1967
Born to Kill
Character:Rod Gordon
Release Date:15/06/1967
Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak
Character:Ringo
Release Date:07/06/1967
È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere
Character:Van Himst
Release Date:23/12/1966
L'Estate
Character:Self
Release Date:17/11/1966
Kill or Be Killed
Character:Baltimore Joe/Ringo
Release Date:01/11/1966
Thompson 1880
Character:Glenn Sheppard
Release Date:13/10/1966
Star Pilot
Character:Murdu
Release Date:01/10/1966
Three Bullets for Ringo
Character:Frank
Release Date:16/03/1966
Lady Morgan's Vengeance
Character:Roger
Release Date:16/12/1965
Erik the Viking
Character:Sven
Release Date:24/09/1965
The Stone Forest
Character:Hunding
Release Date:13/06/1965
Hercules and the Princess of Troy
Character:Pirate Captain
Release Date:08/03/1965
Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens
Character:Omar
Release Date:18/12/1964
The Revenge of the Gladiators
Character:Arminio
Release Date:24/09/1964
Seven Slaves Against the World
Character:Balisten
Release Date:28/08/1964
Brennus, Enemy of Rome
Character:Brenno
Release Date:23/12/1963
The Fury of Achilles
Character:Achilles
Release Date:23/09/1962
Invasion 1700
Character:Ulrich
Release Date:14/07/1962
Kerim, Son of the Sheik
Character:Yussuf
Release Date:29/06/1962
Caesar Against the Pirates
Character:Hamar
Release Date:23/04/1962
Vulcan, Son of Giove
Character:Pluto
Release Date:17/03/1962
The Giant of Metropolis
Character:Obro
Release Date:25/10/1961
The Centurion
Character:General Metellus
Release Date:20/10/1961
Atlas Against the Cyclops
Character:Maciste
Release Date:29/03/1961
Spartacus
Character:Gladiator (uncredited)
Release Date:13/10/1960
Rio Bravo
Character:Bar Cowboy Watching Fistfight (uncredited)
Release Date:08/03/1959
The Young Lions
Character:Minor Role (uncredited)
Release Date:02/04/1958
The Enemy Below
Character:German Sailor
Release Date:25/12/1957
The Spirit of St. Louis
Character:(uncredited)
Release Date:01/04/1957
Around the World in 80 Days
Character:Extra (uncredited)
Release Date:17/10/1956
The Man with the Golden Arm
Character:
Release Date:26/12/1955
Television Appearances
Images
