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

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

1941

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

1940

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

1939

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

1938

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

1937

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

1936

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

1935

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

1934

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

1933

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

1932

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

1931

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

1930

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