Gordon Mitchell

Acting

Gordon Mitchell

Born 1923-07-29 · 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.

Acting credits

Spartacus poster
7.5

The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena, Spartacus turns on his owners and leads the other slaves in rebellion. As the rebels move from town to town, their numbers swell as escaped slaves join their ranks. Under the leadership of Spartacus, they make their way to southern Italy, where they will cross the sea and return to their homes.

Spartacus

1960

Rio Bravo poster
7.8

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

Rio Bravo

1959

Around the World in 80 Days poster
6.7

Based on the famous book by Jules Verne the movie follows Phileas Fogg on his journey around the world. Which has to be completed within 80 days, a very short period for those days.

Around the World in 80 Days

1956

The Man with the Golden Arm poster
7.1

When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer and his old drug dealer re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits.

The Man with the Golden Arm

1955

Beyond the Law poster
5.8

A thief takes the job as a town sheriff in order to rob a silver shipment before his ex-partner can grab it.

Beyond the Law

1968

Operation Orient poster
3.3

A criminal gang operating in Greece hides a large shipment of heroine inside a statue. During transportation the statue is stolen, and a member of the gang is sent to discover the culprits.

Operation Orient

1978

The Enemy Below poster
7.2

The crew of the American destroyer escort, the USS Haynes, detects a German U-Boat—resulting in a prolonged, deadly battle of wits.

The Enemy Below

1957

Satyricon poster
6.7

After his young lover, Gitone, leaves him for another man, Encolpio decides to kill himself, but a sudden earthquake destroys his home before he has a chance to do so. Now wandering around Rome in the time of Nero, Encolpio encounters one bizarre and surreal scene after another.

Satyricon

1969

The Young Lions poster
6.8

The lives of three young men, a German and two Americans, during WWII.

The Young Lions

1958

Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados poster
6.1

A woman struggles to keep her stepdaughter from harms way after she hires an assassin to kill her husband, but the hitman turns and blackmails her for the crime.

Emmanuelle: Queen of Sados

1980

Achtung! The Desert Tigers poster
3.8

During World War II, an American major is captured by the Germans and thrown into a POW camp run by a sadistic Nazi officer, whose main pleasures are whipping the local female population and torturing prisoners. The major organizes an escape attempt using the camp's nubile female doctor as a hostage.

Achtung! The Desert Tigers

1977

Trois filles dans le vent poster
5.0

Sirpa Lane is being abducted by some former film actors; these ask a high ransom from the (adult) film producers.

Trois filles dans le vent

1981

Reflections in a Golden Eye poster
6.5

Bizarre tale of sex, betrayal, and perversion at a military post.

Reflections in a Golden Eye

1967

The Spirit of St. Louis poster
6.7

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh struggles to finance and design an airplane that will make his New York to Paris flight the first solo transatlantic crossing.

The Spirit of St. Louis

1957

Slaughter Day poster
7.0

Michael considers himself a genius criminal and plans the big coup. He forms three new gangs who know nothing about each other and each only know part of his plan. In the background Michael pulls the strings and mercilessly plays the actors on his stage against each other. This strategy also poses unsolvable problems for the police until something goes wrong and the house of cards collapses.

Slaughter Day

1972

Endgame poster
4.9

A telepathic mutant recruits a post World War III TV game show warrior to lead her band of mutants to safety.

Endgame

1983

Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak poster
5.9

Toto participates in various samples in a study of cinema, first going in a studio where there's shooting a spy movie, then in a western scenario, where he has to play a cruel and uncouth bandit who must challenge him to a duel a cowboy.

Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak

1967

Adios Compañeros poster
7.0

Macho Callaghan is a lieutenant in the Federal Guards and his job is to capture Butch Cassidy, Ironhead, and their band of outlaws. Getting in touch with Ironhead, Macho finds a way of being hired by the outlaws. But when the two leaders quarrel and decide to separate, Macho manages to convince Ironhead to attack Butch Cassidy.

Adios Compañeros

1971

Bikini Drive-In poster
5.0

Kim Taylor inherits her grandfather's drive-in theatre. She must raise $25,000 over one weekend or the bank will take the property from her. She also has to deal with pesky capitalist J.B. Winston.

Bikini Drive-In

1995

White Fire poster
4.3

While working in a diamond mine located in the desert, Bo and Ingrid, two siblings who survived a massacre as children, make a surprising discovery.

White Fire

1984

Umbrella Coup poster
6.9

Grégoire Lecomte, the unlucky actor anxious to find a "real job", goes to take a screen test for a role of a killer, but gets to mafiosi by mistake. He takes their don for a producer, and they mistake him for a hitman with whom they had an appointment. Deluded Lecomte signs contract with them. He is supposed to kill gun dealer Otto Krampe at his birthday party in Saint-Tropez by piercing him with a cap of the umbrella with a built-in syringe with potassium cyanide. Lecomte is not aware that it has to be a real murder.

Umbrella Coup

1980

The Crazy Westerners poster
5.7

Little Rita has a dream: she dreams of a better world and she believes that all the evil in the world originates from gold. So she has decided to blow up all the gold she can put her hands on. In her mission she is assisted by the Indian Chief Bisonte Seduto and by her friend Francis. Little Rita kills Ringo and Django, but she is taken prisoner by the Mexican bandit Sancho who wants to steal her gold. Black Star rescues her and seems determined to help her, but does he?

The Crazy Westerners

1967

I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death poster
6.4

Sartana is falsely accused of robbing a bank, and must find the real robbers and clear his name.

I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death

1969

SFX Retaliator poster
5.3

Special effects producer Steve Baker will help a woman being chased by the Mafia, but then they followed him and his wife.

SFX Retaliator

1988