Gordon Mitchell

Acting · 0.5 popularity

Age

103

Movies

134

Born: July 29, 1923 – September 20, 2003
From: Denver, Colorado, USA

Biography

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.

Works

134 films

Spartacus

19607.5

Rio Bravo

19597.8

Around the World in 80 Days

19566.7

The Enemy Below

19577.2

Operation Orient

19783.3

The Man with the Golden Arm

19557.1

The Young Lions

19586.8

Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados

19806.1

Satyricon

19696.7

Slaughter Day

19727.0

I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death

19696.5

Adios Compañeros

19717.0

Reflections in a Golden Eye

19676.5

The Spirit of St. Louis

19576.7

Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot

19794.9

Beyond the Law

19685.8

Endgame

19834.9

Umbrella Coup

19806.9

Bikini Drive-In

19955.0

Atlas Against the Cyclops

19616.5

Let's Go And Kill Sartana

197110.0

She

19845.1

The Crazy Westerners

19675.7

SFX Retaliator

19885.3

White Fire

19844.3

The Fury of Achilles

19625.3

Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co

20009.0

Kill or Be Killed

19664.0

The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe

19735.1

The Commissioner

19839.0

Anasının Gözü

1975

The Doctor Prefers Sailors

19814.8

Kerim, Son of the Sheik

19626.0

Lisa with the Blue Eyes

19696.3

Cry of Death

19684.3

The French Sex Murders

19724.9

The Revenge of the Gladiators

19647.0

Coffin Full of Dollars

19716.0

An Enraged New World

20027.3

Seven Times Seven

19687.1

Santa Lucia

19797.5

The Crucified Girls of San Ramon

19724.4

Angel's Leap

19715.8

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

19705.3

The Yellow Panther

19826.0

Frankenstein '80

19724.8

Faida

198810.0

Star Pilot

19664.8

Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks

19744.3

The Centurion

19615.5

Kopfschuß

19813.3

Achtung! The Desert Tigers

19773.8

The Giant of Metropolis

19614.7

Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak

19675.9

Natascha - Todesgrüsse aus Moskau

19776.5

I'll Die for Vengeance

19685.0

Secret Force

19836.5

The Sewer Rats

19744.8

Holocaust II

19803.8

His Name Was Pot, but They Called Him Allegria

19716.0

The Killer Likes Candy

19685.3

Little Godfather from Hong Kong

19748.0

Cobra Mission

19864.9

Brennus, Enemy of Rome

19635.0

Oil

19775.6

Blood Delirium

19884.5

Dead for a Dollar

19687.5

Caesar Against the Pirates

19625.6

John the Bastard

19676.6

Savage Guns

19714.8

Three Bullets for Ringo

19666.5

Down with Your Hands... You Scum!

19713.7

Vulcan, Son of Giove

19623.8

Overdose

19897.5

Anything for a Friend

19735.8

Ora X Pattuglia Suicida

1969

My Darling Slave

19734.9

Porno erotico western

19795.2

The Mines of Kilimanjaro

19864.5

The Tiger From the River Kwai

19757.0

Radhapura – Endstation der Verdammten

196810.0

Thompson 1880

19664.8

Death on the Run

19677.0

Dead Men Don't Make Shadows

19704.5

The Stone Forest

19657.0

Lady Morgan's Vengeance

19656.0

Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens

19645.3

Diamond Connection

19824.0

Invasion 1700

19626.6

Strategy for a Mission of Death

19793.3

Day of Judgment

19715.7

L'Estate

19667.0

Erik the Viking

19656.8

Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado

19729.0

Fever of 40!

19807.0

My Name Is Texas Bill

197210.0

The Alien Within

1990

Hercules and the Princess of Troy

19655.9

Seven Slaves Against the World

19649.0

Seven Savage Men

19759.0

Three Men on Fire

19867.5

The Household

19746.1

The Man from Chicago

19757.0

Tre nel mille

19717.5

A Gunman Called Dakota

19729.0

Commando Invasion

19876.8

Fenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen

19684.8

Trois filles dans le vent

19815.0

Rush

19835.1

Special Squad Shoots on Sight

19766.3

Curse of the Red Butterfly

1982

White Fang and the Kid

19786.4

The Skin Under the Claws

19754.1

Finders Killers

19715.7

Cross of the Seven Jewels

19872.3

Two .38 Magnums for a City of Carrion

19758.0

The Slayers

197710.0

Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West

19738.0

Born to Kill

19678.7

Io non spezzo... rompo

19713.8

His Colt, Himself, His Revenge

19739.0

Malevolence

20043.8

All on the Red

19687.5

Four for All

19756.7

The Iron Hand of the Mafia

19805.9

Cheers... Cyanide!

19689.0

È mezzanotte... butta giù il cadavere

196610.0

If All Goes Well We Are Ruined

19834.5

Fists, Dollars and Spinach

19782.0

Treasure of the Lost Desert

197110.0

From the Archives of the Criminal Police

19735.3

The Arizona Kid

19705.0

The Wings of War

19696.0

A Very Special Woman

19794.4