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