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

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

1941

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

1940

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

1939

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

1938

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

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

1935

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

1934

The Thin Man as Inspector Guild
Manhattan Melodrama as Spud
The Cat's-Paw as Strozzi
Death on the Diamond as John 'Truck' Hogan
The Girl from Missouri as Life Guard
Sing and Like It as T. Fenny Sylvester
Fugitive Lovers as Legs Caffey
The Defense Rests as Rocky
The Gay Bride as William T. 'Shoots' Magiz
Lazy River as Alfred 'Tiny' Smith
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
Whistling in the Dark as Joe
Penthouse as Tony Gazotti
Goldie Gets Along as Motorcycle Officer Cassidy
Parachute Jumper as Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
College Coach as Petrowski
The Chief as Big Mike
The Nuisance as Aloysius P. McCarthy (uncredited)
Child of Manhattan as Spyrene - Dance Hall Bouncer

1932

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

1931

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

1930

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