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