Person Biography:
Gordon Mitchell was born Charles Allen Pendleton on July 29, 1923, in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in Inglewood, California and served in World War II, becoming a prisoner of war during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Mitchell attended the University of Southern California under the G.I. bill and became a high school teacher and guidance counselor.
Before entering the entertainment industry, Mitchell was a fitness enthusiast with a remarkable physique. He was part of the Venice, California "Muscle Beach" crowd and eventually became part of Mae West's musclebound revue. He toured with West and other actor wannabes, including Mickey Hargitay, Brad Harris, and Reg Lewis.
Mitchell's acting career began with obscure roles in films such as The Ten Commandments (1956),Li'l Abner (1959),and Spartacus (1960). However, it wasn't until 1961, after Steve Reeves' Hercules (1958) became a box-office success, that Mitchell headed to Europe to compete in the peplum film genre.
In Europe, Mitchell played both hero and villain in numerous sandal-and-spear epics, often alongside other actors such as Mickey Hargitay, Brad Harris, and Reg Lewis. Some of his notable roles include Atlas Against the Cyclops (1961),The Centurion (1961),The Giant of Metropolis (1961),Vulcan, Son of Jupiter (1962),and Fury of Achilles (1962).
As the peplum film fad wore off, Mitchell continued to work in the film industry, appearing in over 100 films, including spaghetti westerns, giallo mysteries, and other genres. He also worked internationally, appearing in films such as The Arizona Kid (1970),Angel's Leap (1971),Seven Times Seven (1969),and La polizia ordina: sparate a vista (1976).
In the 1990s, Mitchell returned to the United States and continued to work sporadically, appearing in films such as Bikini Drive-in (1995) and An Enraged New World (2002). His last film was the crime action flick Malevolence (2004).
Gordon Mitchell passed away on September 20, 2003, at the age of 80, due to a heart attack in Marina del Rey, California.
