Nat Pendleton
Born: 1895-08-07 in Davenport, Iowa, USA
Died: 1967-10-12
Known For: Acting
Biography
Nathaniel Greene 'Nat' Pendleton was an American former Olympic wrestler turned actor. Two-time Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) champion (1914-1915) in the 175-lb. class at Columbia University, Pendleton graduated Class of 1916. He wrestled for the United States at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium, earning a silver medal, losing only one match due to a controversial point decision. After the Games he became a professional wrestler and was a big fan favorite, which led to Hollywood. In the 1920 census he was living in Manhattan with his first wife Juanita Alfonzo (age 22) and her brother Ramon Alfonso (age 13). He was working as a sports manager. Pendleton was usually cast as a circus strongman, brutish thug, dumb cop, or dense buffoon, but he had a college degree and in 1933 wrote the script for Deception (1932), in which he starred - not surprisingly - as a wrestler. Upon his death from a heart attack, his remains were interred at Cypress View Mausoleum and Crematory in San Diego, California. Nat Pendleton was inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2006.
Filmography
2003
- Complicated Women as Self (archive footage)
1994
- Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld as Self (archive footage)
1991
- Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook as Bill Raymond (archive footage)
1965
- The World of Abbott and Costello as Sergeant Michael Collins in Buck Privates (archive footage)
1964
- The Big Parade of Comedy as William T. Magiz in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)
1954
- The George Gobel Show as Self
1947
- Scared to Death as Bill 'Bull' Raymond
- Buck Privates Come Home as Sgt. Michael Collins
1946
- Death Valley as Jim Ward
1943
- Swing Fever as 'Killer' Kennedy
- Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case as Joe Weyman
1942
- Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant as Joe Weyman
- Calling Dr. Gillespie as Joe Weyman
- The Mad Doctor of Market Street as Red Hogan
- Jail House Blues as Sonny McGann
1941
- Buck Privates as Sgt. Michael Collins
- Top Sergeant Mulligan as Top Sgt. Herman Mulligan
1940
- New Moon as Bondsman
- Phantom Raiders as 'Gunboat' Jacklin
- Northwest Passage as 'Cap' Huff
- The Ghost Comes Home as Roscoe
- Dr. Kildare's Strange Case as Joe Wayman, Ambulance Driver
- Dr. Kildare Goes Home as Joe Wayman
- Flight Command as C.P.O. 'Spike' Knowles
- The Golden Fleecing as 'Fatso' Werner
- Dr. Kildare's Crisis as Joe Wayman
1939
- Another Thin Man as John Guild
- It's a Wonderful World as Sergeant Fred Koretz
- At the Circus as Goliath
- Calling Dr. Kildare as Joe Wayman
- The Secret of Dr. Kildare as Joe Wayman
- On Borrowed Time as Mr. Grimes
- 6,000 Enemies as Socks Martin
- Burn 'Em Up O'Connor as Buddy Buttle
1938
- Fast Company as Paul Terison
- Arsène Lupin Returns as Joe Doyle
- Breakdowns of 1938 as Joe (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Crowd Roars as 'Pug' Walsh
- Young Dr. Kildare as Joe Wayman
- Swing Your Lady as Joe Skopapolous
- The Shopworn Angel as 'Dice'
- The Chaser as Floppy Phil
1937
- Gangway as Smiles Hogan
- Under Cover of Night as Police Sgt. Lucks
- Song of the City as Benvenuto Romandi
- Life Begins in College as George Black
1936
- The Great Ziegfeld as Sandow
- The Garden Murder Case as Sergeant Ernest Heath
- The Luckiest Girl in the World as Dugan
- Trapped by Television as Rocky O'Neil
- Two in a Crowd as Flynn
- Sing Me a Love Song as Rocky
- Sworn Enemy as 'Steamer' Krupp
1935
- Reckless as Blossom
- Calm Yourself as Knuckles Benedict
- It's in the Air as Henry Potke
- Murder in the Fleet as 'Spud' Burke
- Times Square Lady as Mack
- Here Comes the Band as 'Piccolo Pete'
- Baby Face Harrington as Rocky
1934
- Lazy River as Alfred 'Tiny' Smith
- Manhattan Melodrama as Spud
- The Girl from Missouri as Life Guard
- Sing and Like It as T. Fenny Sylvester
- Straight Is the Way as Skippy
- The Defense Rests as Rocky
- Fugitive Lovers as Legs Caffey
- The Thin Man as Inspector John Guild
- The Gay Bride as William T. 'Shoots' Magiz
- Death on the Diamond as John 'Truck' Hogan
- The Cat's-Paw as Strozzi
1933
- Parachute Jumper as Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
- Baby Face as Stolvich - Laborer (uncredited)
- College Coach as Petrowski
- Penthouse as Tony Gazotti
- The Chief as Big Mike
- Lady for a Day as Shakespeare
- Whistling in the Dark as Joe
- Child of Manhattan as Spyrene - Dance Hall Bouncer
- Goldie Gets Along as Motorcycle Officer Cassidy
- I'm No Angel as Harry (uncredited)
- The Nuisance as Aloysius P. McCarthy (uncredited)
1932
- Taxi! as Bull Martin (uncredited)
- Exposure as Maniac Killer
- Deception as Bucky O'Neill
- Horse Feathers as MacHardie (uncredited)
- Flesh as Wrestler (uncredited)
- The Sign of the Cross as Strabo
- The Beast of the City as Abe Gorman (uncredited)
- The Big Timer as Kid Melrose (uncredited)
- By Whose Hand? as 'Killer' Delmar
- A Fool's Advice as Kelly - Naughty Boy
- Hell-Fire Austin as Bouncer
- Attorney for the Defense as Mugg Malone
- The Night Club Lady as Mike McDougal
- The Tenderfoot as Joe (uncredited)
1931
- Blonde Crazy as Hank aka Pete
- Fair Warning as Purvis
- The Star Witness as Big Jack
- The Secret Witness as Gunner - Bodyguard
- The Spirit of Notre Dame as Assistant Coach
- The Ruling Voice as Board Member (uncredited)
- Manhattan Parade as Lady Godiva's Husband
1930
- Crazy House as Chef (uncredited)
- The Last of the Duanes as Bossamer
- The Sea Wolf as Smoke
- The Big Pond as Pat O'Day
1929
- The Laughing Lady as James Dugan
1926
- Let's Get Married as Jimmy
1924
- The Hoosier Schoolmaster as Bud Means