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.

Cast

Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks

Frankenstein '80

Dr. Otto Frankenstein

Reflections in a Golden Eye

Stables Sergeant

The Doctor Prefers Sailors

Finders Killers

The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe

The Giant of Metropolis

Cross of the Seven Jewels

Black Mass Leader

The Mines of Kilimanjaro

Moskovitz, le tueur à gages

Fists, Dollars and Spinach

Treasure of the Lost Desert

I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death

The Crazy Westerners

Häuptling Sitzender Büffel

The Fury of Achilles

The Yellow Panther

Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens

Special Squad Shoots on Sight

The Crucified Girls of San Ramon

Atlas Against the Cyclops

Three Bullets for Ringo

Dead for a Dollar

Gordon Mitchell

Adios Compañeros

Day of Judgment

Coffin Full of Dollars

My Name Is Texas Bill

His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria

Io non spezzo... rompo

John the Bastard

A Gunman Called Dakota

Let's Go And Kill Sartana

Greg "The Crazy Person"

Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West

Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End

Black Burt Keller / Burt Kelly

Seven Times Seven

Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado

Anything for a Friend

The Tiger From the River Kwai

White Fang and the Kid

Vulcan, Son of Giove

From the Archives of the Criminal Police

Seven Savage Men

His Colt, Himself, His Revenge

Down with Your Hands... You Scum!

Buck/Butch Bradley

Dead Men Don't Make Shadows

Achtung! The Desert Tigers

Kommandant von Stolzen

Strategy for a Mission of Death

Kerim, Son of the Sheik

Caesar Against the Pirates

General Von Werner

Anasının Gözü

The Man with the Golden Arm

Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen

Death on the Run

Little Godfather from Hong Kong

Kill or Be Killed

Baltimore Joe/Ringo

The Killer Likes Candy

Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten

Lady Morgan's Vengeance

The Arizona Kid

Diamond Connection

Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion

Renato Proietti

The Iron Hand of the Mafia

Seven Slaves Against the World

The Revenge of the Gladiators

Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak

Erik the Viking

General Metellus

The Stone Forest

Operation Orient

Bikini Drive-In

Brennus, Enemy of Rome

Gladiator (uncredited)

The Young Lions

Minor Role (uncredited)

My Darling Slave

Bar Cowboy Watching Fistfight (uncredited)

The Wings of War

Hercules and the Princess of Troy

Commando Invasion

The Spirit of St. Louis

The Alien Within

The Skin Under the Claws

Professor Helmut

Curse of the Red Butterfly

Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados

The French Sex Murders

Man in nightclub

Cheers... Cyanide!

Around the World in 80 Days

Extra (uncredited)

A Very Special Woman

An Enraged New World

General Murchison

Don Fabrizio De Martino

Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co

If All Goes Well We Are Ruined

Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau

Trois filles dans le vent

Gordon Mitchell

Lisa with the Blue Eyes

Football player

Porno erotico western

(as Charles Pendleton)

Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot

I'll Die for Vengeance

Donkey / Morgan Pitt

È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere

The Man from Chicago

Ora X Pattuglia Suicida

Felix Oppenheimer

The Enemy Below

The Commissioner

Three Men on Fire

Dr. Andrew Milhench