- publicWebsite:
Visit - group Other Names:
Charles Allen Pendleton, Charles Pendleton
description About
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.
Info
- wc Gender: Male
- calendar_month Birth Date: 1923-07-29
- event Death Date 2003-09-20
- school Known for: Acting
- star Popularity: 2.2
- info Birth Place Denver, Colorado, USA
- visibility Views: 5 views
-
star User Ratings:
image Images
smart_display Movies and TV shows by Gordon Mitchell
3.8
Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks
1974-02-19
4.4
Frankenstein '80
1972-12-12
6.5
Reflections in a Golden Eye
1967-10-13
4.9
The Doctor Prefers Sailors
1981-12-01
4
Finders Killers
1971-03-27
0
Fever of 40!
1980-01-01
4.8
The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe
1973-12-28
4.6
The Giant of Metropolis
1961-10-25
5.5
Beyond the Law
1968-04-10
1.9
Cross of the Seven Jewels
1987-04-30
5
Endgame
1983-11-05
2
The Mines of Kilimanjaro
1986-07-31
7
Umbrella Coup
1980-10-08
0
Fists, Dollars and Spinach
1978-01-01
0
Treasure of the Lost Desert
1971-01-01
6.3
I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death
1969-11-20
5.7
The Crazy Westerners
1967-08-11
5
She
1984-05-15
4.8
Cobra Mission
1986-07-31
4.5
Star Pilot
1966-10-01
5.2
The Fury of Achilles
1962-09-23
6.1
The Yellow Panther
1982-11-19
5
Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens
1964-12-18
4.5
Special Squad Shoots on Sight
1976-04-01
4.4
The Big Bust-Out
1972-05-25
6.1
Atlas Against the Cyclops
1961-03-29
4.5
White Fire
1984-07-05
6.2
Three Bullets for Ringo
1966-03-16
7
Dead for a Dollar
1968-08-17
3.7
SFX Retaliator
1988-02-01
5.5
Angel's Leap
1971-09-21
4.5
Day of Judgment
1971-09-09
4.2
Savage Guns
1971-11-25
5.7
Adios Compañeros
1971-04-17
5.3
Coffin Full of Dollars
1971-04-01
0
My Name Is Texas Bill
1972-05-27
6
His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria
1971-11-26
3.9
Io non spezzo... rompo
1971-01-21
9
Born to Kill
1967-06-15
6.5
John the Bastard
1967-11-16
0
Let's Go And Kill Sartana
1971-09-06
0
A Gunman Called Dakota
1972-03-05
7
Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West
1973-10-17
4.7
Thompson 1880
1966-10-13
4.5
Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End
1970-11-14
7
Seven Times Seven
1968-04-25
4.6
Blood Delirium
1988-08-08
6
Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado
1972-11-12
5
Anything for a Friend
1973-02-18
5.5
The Tiger From the River Kwai
1975-09-23
6
White Fang and the Kid
1978-12-15
3.7
Vulcan, Son of Giove
1962-03-16
4
From the Archives of the Criminal Police
1973-12-18
0
Seven Savage Men
1975-03-29
10
His Colt, Himself, His Revenge
1973-12-19
0
Down with Your Hands... You Scum!
1971-08-21
4.2
Dead Men Don't Make Shadows
1970-11-27
4.2
Achtung! The Desert Tigers
1977-01-15
2.8
Strategy for a Mission of Death
1979-06-26
5
Kerim, Son of the Sheik
1962-06-29
6
Caesar Against the Pirates
1962-04-23
6.2
The Household
1974-10-04
0
Anasının Gözü
1975-01-01
7.2
The Man with the Golden Arm
1955-12-26
3.8
Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen
1968-03-04
4.4
Rush
1983-10-28
6.2
Death on the Run
1967-10-09
7
Little Godfather from Hong Kong
1974-06-28
6.8
Fellini Satyricon
1969-09-18
3
Kill or Be Killed
1966-11-01
5.8
Invasion 1700
1962-07-14
0
Overdose
1989-12-08
5
The Killer Likes Candy
1968-04-12
10
Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten
1968-07-25
5.8
Lady Morgan's Vengeance
1965-12-16
6
Four for All
1975-01-31
3
The Arizona Kid
1970-09-05
6
Tre nel mille
1971-03-06
2.5
Diamond Connection
1982-01-01
0
Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion
1975-10-02
6.8
The Iron Hand of the Mafia
1980-01-01
8
Seven Slaves Against the World
1964-08-28
0
The Revenge of the Gladiators
1964-09-24
5.5
Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak
1967-06-07
6.8
Erik the Viking
1965-09-24
4
The Centurion
1961-10-20
0
The Stone Forest
1965-06-13
1
Operation Orient
1978-04-25
5.3
Bikini Drive-In
1995-04-08
3
Brennus, Enemy of Rome
1963-12-23
7.6
Spartacus
1960-10-13
6.8
The Young Lions
1958-04-02
4.8
My Darling Slave
1973-10-04
7.9
Rio Bravo
1959-03-18
3
The Wings of War
1969-01-01
6.3
Hercules and the Princess of Troy
1965-03-08
6.2
Commando Invasion
1987-01-01
6.6
The Spirit of St. Louis
1957-04-01
0
The Alien Within
1990-01-01
3.9
The Skin Under the Claws
1975-05-10
0
Curse of the Red Butterfly
1982-01-01
6.1
Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados
1980-02-01
4.9
The French Sex Murders
1972-06-15
0
Cheers... Cyanide!
1968-04-04
6.7
Around the World in Eighty Days
1956-10-17
0
All on the Red
1968-05-25
4.7
A Very Special Woman
1979-04-01
1
Kopfschuß
1981-10-31
6
Three Men on Fire
1986-11-04
6
An Enraged New World
2002-03-28
3.8
Malevolence
2004-06-18
0
Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co
2000-01-01
4
Se tutto va bene siamo rovinati
1983-12-29
4
The Sewer Rats
1974-06-05
5
Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau
1977-05-13
6
Santa Lucia
1979-01-01
5.1
Oil
1977-02-28
0
Trois filles dans le vent
1981-03-11
4.6
Lisa with the Blue Eyes
1969-12-23
5.5
Porno erotico western
1979-09-12
0
Slaughter Day
1973-01-01
4
Secret Force
1983-01-01
5
Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot
1979-08-31
3.7
I'll Die for Vengeance
1968-03-10
1
Cry of Death
1968-11-21
0
È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere
1966-12-23
0
The Slayers
1977-09-09
0
The Man from Chicago
1975-07-10
0
Ora X Pattuglia Suicida
1969-07-20
3.5
Holocaust 2
1980-04-10
6.5
L'Estate
1966-11-17
6.5
I Spy
1965-09-15
8.4
The Twilight Zone
1959-10-02
6.5
I promessi sposi
1989-11-12
6.8
Marco Polo
1982-12-05