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

Buck Privates Come Home as Sgt. Michael Collins
Scared to Death as Bill 'Bull' Raymond

1946

Death Valley as Jim Ward

1943

Swing Fever as 'Killer' Kennedy
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case as Joe Weyman

1942

Calling Dr. Gillespie as Joe Weyman
Jail House Blues as Sonny McGann
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant as Joe Weyman
The Mad Doctor of Market Street as Red Hogan

1941

Buck Privates as Sgt. Michael Collins
Top Sergeant Mulligan as Top Sgt. Herman Mulligan

1940

Northwest Passage as 'Cap' Huff
Flight Command as C.P.O. 'Spike' Knowles
New Moon as Bondsman
Dr. Kildare's Crisis as Joe Wayman
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case as Wayman
The Golden Fleecing as 'Fatso' Werner
Phantom Raiders as 'Gunboat' Jacklin
Dr. Kildare Goes Home as Joe Wayman
The Ghost Comes Home as Roscoe

1939

It's a Wonderful World as Sergeant Fred Koretz
At the Circus as Goliath
Another Thin Man as Lieutenant Guild
On Borrowed Time as Mr. Grimes
Calling Dr. Kildare as Joe Wayman
The Secret of Dr. Kildare as Wayman
6,000 Enemies as Socks Martin
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor as Buddy Buttle

1938

The Shopworn Angel as 'Dice'
Arsène Lupin Returns as Joe Doyle
The Crowd Roars as 'Pug' Walsh
Swing Your Lady as Joe Skopapolous
Young Dr. Kildare as Joe Wayman
Fast Company as Paul Terison
Breakdowns of 1938 as Joe (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Chaser as Floppy Phil

1937

Under Cover of Night as Police Sgt. Lucks
Life Begins in College as George Black
Song of the City as Benvenuto Romandi
Gangway as Smiles Hogan

1936

The Great Ziegfeld as Sandow
Two in a Crowd as Flynn
Trapped by Television as Rocky O'Neil
The Garden Murder Case as Sergeant Ernest Heath
The Luckiest Girl in the World as Dugan
Sworn Enemy as 'Steamer' Krupp
Sing Me a Love Song as Rocky

1935

It's in the Air as Henry Potke
Times Square Lady as Mack
Reckless as Blossom
Calm Yourself as Knuckles Benedict
Here Comes the Band as 'Piccolo Pete'
Murder in the Fleet as 'Spud' Burke
Baby Face Harrington as Rocky

1934

The Thin Man as Inspector Guild
Manhattan Melodrama as Spud
The Gay Bride as William T. 'Shoots' Magiz
Fugitive Lovers as Legs Caffey
The Girl from Missouri as Life Guard
Lazy River as Alfred 'Tiny' Smith
The Defense Rests as Rocky
The Cat's-Paw as Strozzi
Sing and Like It as T. Fenny Sylvester
Straight Is the Way as Skippy
Death on the Diamond as John 'Truck' Hogan

1933

Baby Face as Stolvich - Laborer (uncredited)
I'm No Angel as Harry (uncredited)
Lady for a Day as Shakespeare
College Coach as Petrowski
Parachute Jumper as Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
Penthouse as Tony Gazotti
Goldie Gets Along as Motorcycle Officer Cassidy
The Chief as Big Mike
Child of Manhattan as Spyrene - Dance Hall Bouncer
The Nuisance as Aloysius P. McCarthy (uncredited)
Whistling in the Dark as Joe

1932

The Sign of the Cross as Strabo
Horse Feathers as MacHardie (uncredited)
The Beast of the City as Abe Gorman (uncredited)
The Tenderfoot as Joe (uncredited)
Taxi! as Bull Martin (uncredited)
By Whose Hand? as 'Killer' Delmar
The Night Club Lady as Mike McDougal
Attorney for the Defense as Mugg Malone
Flesh as Wrestler (uncredited)
Deception as Bucky O'Neill
The Big Timer as Kid Melrose (uncredited)
A Fool's Advice as Kelly - Naughty Boy
Exposure as Maniac Killer
Hell-Fire Austin as Bouncer

1931

Blonde Crazy as Hank aka Pete
Seas Beneath as 'Butch' Wagner (uncredited)
The Ruling Voice as Board Member (uncredited)
The Secret Witness as Gunner - Bodyguard
The Spirit of Notre Dame as Assistant Coach
Manhattan Parade as Lady Godiva's Husband
The Star Witness as Big Jack
Fair Warning as Purvis

1930

The Last of the Duanes as Bossamer
Crazy House as Chef (uncredited)
The Big Pond as Pat O'Day
The Sea Wolf as Smoke