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.
Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks
(Igor)
Frankenstein '80
(Dr. Otto Frankenstein)
Reflections in a Golden Eye
(Stables Sergeant)
The Doctor Prefers Sailors
(killer russo)
Finders Killers
(Chris Forest)
Fever of 40!
(Mr. Temple)
The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe
(Burying Sam)
The Giant of Metropolis
(Obro)
Beyond the Law
(Burton)
Cross of the Seven Jewels
(Black Mass Leader)
Endgame
(Col. Morgan)
The Mines of Kilimanjaro
(Rolf)
Umbrella Coup
(Moskovitz, le tueur à gages)
Fists, Dollars and Spinach
(Frank Stilo)
Treasure of the Lost Desert
I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death
(Degueyo)
The Crazy Westerners
(Häuptling Sitzender Büffel)
She
(Hector)
Cobra Mission
(Col. Mortimer)
Star Pilot
(Murdu)
The Fury of Achilles
(Achilles)
The Yellow Panther
(killer)
Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens
(Omar)
Special Squad Shoots on Sight
(David)
The Big Bust-Out
(El Kadir)
Atlas Against the Cyclops
(Maciste)
White Fire
(Olaf)
Three Bullets for Ringo
(Frank)
Dead for a Dollar
(Roy Fulton)
SFX Retaliator
(Morgan)
Angel's Leap
(Henry Di Fusco)
Day of Judgment
(Deputy)
Savage Guns
(Gordon Mitchell)
Adios Compañeros
(Ironhead)
Coffin Full of Dollars
(John Hamilton)
My Name Is Texas Bill
(Martin)
His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria
(Ray Potter)
Io non spezzo... rompo
(Joe il Rosso)
Born to Kill
(Rod Gordon)
John the Bastard
(Danite)
Let's Go And Kill Sartana
(Greg "The Crazy Person")
A Gunman Called Dakota
(Dakota)
Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West
(Mike)
Thompson 1880
(Glenn Sheppard)
Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End
(Black Burt Keller / Burt Kelly)
Seven Times Seven
(Big Ben)
Blood Delirium
(Hermann)
Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado
(Jonathan Duke)
Anything for a Friend
(Miller)
The Tiger From the River Kwai
(Jack Mason)
White Fang and the Kid
(Morgan)
Vulcan, Son of Giove
(Pluto)
From the Archives of the Criminal Police
(Peter Wilcox)
Seven Savage Men
(Cooper)
His Colt, Himself, His Revenge
(Martin)
Down with Your Hands... You Scum!
(Buck/Butch Bradley)
Dead Men Don't Make Shadows
(Roger Murdock)
Achtung! The Desert Tigers
(Kommandant von Stolzen)
Strategy for a Mission of Death
(Paul)
Kerim, Son of the Sheik
(Yussuf)
Caesar Against the Pirates
(Hamar)
The Household
(General Von Werner)
Anasının Gözü
The Man with the Golden Arm
Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen
(Gregory Falco)
Rush
(Yor)
Death on the Run
(The Albanian)
Little Godfather from Hong Kong
Fellini Satyricon
(Il predone)
Kill or Be Killed
(Baltimore Joe/Ringo)
Invasion 1700
(Ulrich)
Overdose
(Costa)
The Killer Likes Candy
(Toni)
Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten
(Alfredo)
Lady Morgan's Vengeance
(Roger)
Four for All
(Margherito)
The Arizona Kid
(Coyote)
Tre nel mille
Diamond Connection
(Abdul Pascha)
Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion
(Renato Proietti)
The Iron Hand of the Mafia
(Don Nicola)
Seven Slaves Against the World
(Balisten)
The Revenge of the Gladiators
(Arminio)
Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak
(Ringo)
Erik the Viking
(Sven)
The Centurion
(General Metellus)
The Stone Forest
(Hunding)
Operation Orient
(Haine)
Bikini Drive-In
(Goliath)
Brennus, Enemy of Rome
(Brenno)
Spartacus
(Gladiator (uncredited))
The Young Lions
(Minor Role (uncredited))
My Darling Slave
(Von Thirac)
Rio Bravo
(Bar Cowboy Watching Fistfight (uncredited))
The Wings of War
Hercules and the Princess of Troy
(Pirate Captain)
Commando Invasion
The Spirit of St. Louis
((uncredited))
The Alien Within
(Dan Thorn)
The Skin Under the Claws
(Professor Helmut)
Curse of the Red Butterfly
(Brado)
Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados
(Robert)
The French Sex Murders
(Man in nightclub)
Cheers... Cyanide!
(Al Rubino)
Around the World in Eighty Days
(Extra (uncredited))
All on the Red
(Erikson)
A Very Special Woman
(Gordon)
Kopfschuß
(Maserati)
Three Men on Fire
An Enraged New World
(General Murchison)
Malevolence
(Don Fabrizio De Martino)
Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co
(Self)
Se tutto va bene siamo rovinati
(Jack Volpetti)
The Sewer Rats
(Gordon)
Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau
(Gooming)
Santa Lucia
(Amerikaner)
Oil
(Joe)
Trois filles dans le vent
(Gordon Mitchell)
Lisa with the Blue Eyes
(Football player)
Porno erotico western
((as Charles Pendleton))
Slaughter Day
(Gordon)
Secret Force
Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot
(Pretorius)
I'll Die for Vengeance
(Clayton)
Cry of Death
(Donkey / Morgan Pitt)
È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere
(Van Himst)
The Slayers
(Pablo)
The Man from Chicago
(Mike)
Ora X Pattuglia Suicida
Holocaust 2
(Felix Oppenheimer)
L'Estate
(Self)
The Enemy Below
(German Sailor)
I Spy
The Twilight Zone
(Soldier)
I promessi sposi
(Don Gonzalo)
Marco Polo
(Capitano Arnolfo)