
Gordon Mitchell
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Roles are weighted by involvement: director 1.0, screenwriter 0.7, lead 0.8, supporting 0.4, crew 0.1.
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.
Known for
Credits

Spartacus (1960)
as Gladiator (uncredited)

Rio Bravo (1959)
as Bar Cowboy Watching Fistfight (uncredited)

The Enemy Below (1957)
as German Sailor

Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
as Extra (uncredited)

The Young Lions (1958)
as Minor Role (uncredited)

Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados (1980)
as Robert

Satyricon (1969)
as Il predone

The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
as (uncredited)

Beyond the Law (1968)
as Burton

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Actor

She (1984)
as Hector

Umbrella Coup (1980)
as Moskovitz, le tueur à gages

The Giant of Metropolis (1961)
as Obro

Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
as Stables Sergeant

Atlas Against the Cyclops (1961)
as Maciste

Endgame (1983)
as Col. Morgan

White Fire (1984)
as Olaf

Holocaust II (1980)
as Felix Oppenheimer

The Crazy Westerners (1967)
as Bandit Leader

Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot (1979)
as Pretorius

Bikini Drive-In (1995)
as Goliath

The French Sex Murders (1972)
as Man in Nightclub

Star Pilot (1966)
as Murdu

Little Godfather from Hong Kong (1974)
Actor

The Doctor Prefers Sailors (1981)
as killer russo

The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe (1973)
as Burying Sam

Dead Men Don't Make Shadows (1970)
as Roger Murdock

Lisa with the Blue Eyes (1969)
as Football player

Adios Compañeros (1971)
as Ironhead

The Fury of Achilles (1962)
as Achilles

The Yellow Panther (1982)
as killer

The Stone Forest (1965)
as Hunding

Achtung! The Desert Tigers (1977)
as Kommandant von Stolzen

Hercules and the Princess of Troy (1965)
as Pirate Captain

The Revenge of the Gladiators (1964)
as Arminio

Invasion 1700 (1962)
as Ulrich

Seven Slaves Against the World (1964)
as Balisten

Caesar Against the Pirates (1962)
as Hamar

Angel's Leap (1971)
as Henry Di Fusco

I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death (1969)
as Degueyo

Frankenstein '80 (1972)
as Dr. Otto Frankenstein

John the Bastard (1967)
as Danite

Cobra Mission (1986)
as Col. Mortimer

Savage Guns (1971)
as Gordon Mitchell

The Killer Likes Candy (1968)
as Toni

Seven Times Seven (1968)
as Big Ben

Day of Judgment (1971)
as Deputy

My Darling Slave (1973)
as Von Thirac

Operation Orient (1978)
as Haine

The Crucified Girls of San Ramon (1972)
as El Kadir

Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens (1964)
as Omar

His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria (1971)
as Ray Potter

Anasının Gözü (1975)
Actor

Commando Invasion (1987)
Actor

Strategy for a Mission of Death (1979)
as Paul

Blood Delirium (1988)
as Hermann

Kerim, Son of the Sheik (1962)
as Yussuf

Coffin Full of Dollars (1971)
as John Hamilton

Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End (1970)
as Black Burt Keller / Burt Kelly

Dead for a Dollar (1968)
as Roy Fulton

The Centurion (1961)
as General Metellus

White Fang and the Kid (1978)
as Morgan

Porno erotico western (1979)
as (as Charles Pendleton)

Thompson 1880 (1966)
as Glenn Sheppard

The Household (1974)
as General Von Werner

Three Bullets for Ringo (1966)
as Frank

Slaughter Day (1972)
as Gordon

Finders Killers (1971)
as Chris Forest

Fever of 40! (1980)
as Mr. Temple

Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co (2000)
as Self

Fists, Dollars and Spinach (1978)
as Frank Stilo

The Wings of War (1969)
Actor

The Sewer Rats (1974)
as Gordon

Anything for a Friend (1973)
as Miller

Vulcan, Son of Giove (1962)
as Pluto

Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks (1974)
as Igor

From the Archives of the Criminal Police (1973)
as Peter Wilcox

Oil (1977)
as Joe

Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado (1972)
as Jonathan Duke

Malevolence (2004)
as Don Fabrizio De Martino

Let's Go And Kill Sartana (1971)
as Greg "The Crazy Person"

Cry of Death (1968)
as Donkey / Morgan Pitt

Death on the Run (1967)
as The Albanian

Seven Savage Men (1975)
as Cooper

If All Goes Well We Are Ruined (1983)
as Jack Volpetti

Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak (1967)
as Ringo

Erik the Viking (1965)
as Sven

Lady Morgan's Vengeance (1965)
as Roger

The Iron Hand of the Mafia (1980)
as Don Nicola

All on the Red (1968)
as Erikson

Kopfschuß (1981)
as Maserati

The Tiger From the River Kwai (1975)
as Jack Mason

An Enraged New World (2002)
as General Murchison

Special Squad Shoots on Sight (1976)
as David

Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten (1968)
as Alfredo

The Skin Under the Claws (1975)
as Professor Helmut

Brennus, Enemy of Rome (1963)
as Brenno

The Mines of Kilimanjaro (1986)
as Rolf

Three Men on Fire (1986)
as Dr. Andrew Milhench

Tre nel mille (1971)
Actor

Cross of the Seven Jewels (1987)
as Black Mass Leader

Curse of the Red Butterfly (1982)
as Brado

Four for All (1975)
as Margherito

Rush (1983)
as Yor

È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere (1966)
as Van Himst

L'Estate (1966)
as Self

Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion (1975)
as Renato Proietti

I'll Die for Vengeance (1968)
as Clayton

SFX Retaliator (1988)
as Morgan

My Name Is Texas Bill (1972)
as Martin
Santa Lucia (1979)
as Amerikaner

Ora X Pattuglia Suicida (1969)
Actor

His Colt, Himself, His Revenge (1973)
as Martin

Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau (1977)
as Gooming

The Commissioner (1983)
as (uncredited)

Kill or Be Killed (1966)
as Baltimore Joe/Ringo

The Man from Chicago (1975)
as Mike

Treasure of the Lost Desert (1971)
Actor

Io non spezzo... rompo (1971)
as Joe il Rosso

A Gunman Called Dakota (1972)
as Dakota
The Alien Within (1990)
as Dan Thorn

Secret Force (1983)
Actor

Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West (1973)
as Mike
The Arizona Kid (1970)
as Coyote

Overdose (1989)
as Costa

The Slayers (1977)
as Pablo

Born to Kill (1967)
as Rod Gordon

Cheers... Cyanide! (1968)
as Al Rubino

Down with Your Hands... You Scum! (1971)
as Buck/Butch Bradley

Trois filles dans le vent (1981)
as Gordon Mitchell

Faida (1988)
Actor

Fenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen (1968)
as Gregory Falco

Diamond Connection (1982)
as Abdul Pascha

A Very Special Woman (1979)
as Gordon





