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Acting
July 29, 1923
September 20, 2003
Denver, Colorado, USA
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.

Don Fabrizio De Martino
2004

General Murchison
2002

Self
2000

Goliath
1995
Dan Thorn
1990

Costa
1989

Don Gonzalo
1989

Hermann
1988

1988

Morgan
1988

as Don Fabrizio De Martino

as General Murchison

as Self

as Goliath
as Dan Thorn

as Costa

as Don Gonzalo

as Hermann


as Morgan

as Black Mass Leader


as Dr. Andrew Milhench

as Col. Mortimer

as Rolf

as Olaf

as Hector

as Jack Volpetti

as Col. Morgan

as Yor

as (uncredited)


as Capitano Arnolfo

as killer

as Brado

as Abdul Pascha

as killer russo

as Maserati

as Gordon Mitchell

as Moskovitz, le tueur à gages

as Felix Oppenheimer

as Robert

as Don Nicola

as Mr. Temple

as (as Charles Pendleton)

as Pretorius

as Paul

as Gordon
as Amerikaner

as Morgan

as Haine

as Frank Stilo

as Pablo

as Gooming

as Joe

as Kommandant von Stolzen

as David

as Renato Proietti

as Jack Mason

as Mike

as Professor Helmut
as Cooper

as Margherito

as General Von Werner


as Gordon

as Igor

as Burying Sam

as Martin

as Peter Wilcox

as Mike

as Von Thirac

as Miller

as Dr. Otto Frankenstein

as Jonathan Duke

as Man in nightclub

as Martin

as El Kadir

as Dakota

as Gordon

as Ray Potter

as Gordon Mitchell

as Henry Di Fusco

as Deputy

as Greg "The Crazy Person"

as Buck/Butch Bradley

as Ironhead

as John Hamilton

as Chris Forest


as Joe il Rosso


as Roger Murdock

as Black Burt Keller / Burt Kelly
as Coyote

as Football player

as Degueyo

as Il predone



as Donkey / Morgan Pitt

as Roy Fulton

as Alfredo

as Erikson

as Big Ben

as Toni

as Burton

as Al Rubino

as Clayton

as Gregory Falco

as Danite

as Stables Sergeant

as The Albanian

as Häuptling Sitzender Büffel

as Rod Gordon

as Ringo

as Van Himst

as Self

as Baltimore Joe/Ringo

as Glenn Sheppard

as Murdu

as Frank

as Roger

as Sven


as Hunding

as Pirate Captain

as Omar

as Arminio

as Balisten

as Brenno

as Achilles

as Ulrich

as Yussuf

as Hamar

as Pluto

as Obro

as General Metellus

as Maciste

as Gladiator (uncredited)

as Soldier

as Bar Cowboy Watching Fistfight (uncredited)

as Minor Role (uncredited)

as German Sailor

as (uncredited)

as Extra (uncredited)
