Nat Pendleton
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Greene "Nat" Pendleton (August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an America
n Olympic
wrestler
and film
actor
.
to Adelaide E. and Nathaniel G. Pendleton. He studied at Columbia University
where he began his wrestling
career. He was twice Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
(EIWA) champion in 1914 and 1915. Chosen to compete in the US wrestling team at the 1920 Summer Olympics
in Antwerp, Belgium, Pendleton lost only one match during the competition, and was awarded a silver medal
. Returning to the US he became a professional wrestler, and with the celebrity status he had achieved, drifted into movies in the late 1920s.
(1932) with the Marx Brothers
as one of the two college football
players who kidnap Harpo
and Chico
, and his career began to develop. His role as circus strongman
Eugen Sandow
in The Great Ziegfeld
(1936) brought him the strongest reviews of his career. Pendleton was most often cast in supporting roles as thugs, gangsters, or policemen and was usually typecast playing characters that depended on their brawn but were "none too bright".
Some of his other films include The Thin Man
(1934) and At the Circus
(1939), again with the Marx Brothers. He appeared in recurring roles in two MGM film series of the late 1930s and 1940s - as Joe Wayman, the ambulance driver in the Dr. Kildare
series, and its spin-off
, the Dr. Gillespie series. He made his final film appearances in Scared to Death
with Bela Lugosi
, and Buck Privates Come Home
(both 1947).
Pendleton died in San Diego, California
in 1967 from a heart attack
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
wrestler
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Early life
Pendleton was born in Davenport, IowaDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
to Adelaide E. and Nathaniel G. Pendleton. He studied at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
where he began his wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
career. He was twice Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association is an NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling conference. It has been active since 1905 and has had a variety of schools as members throughout its tenure.-Current members:*American University...
(EIWA) champion in 1914 and 1915. Chosen to compete in the US wrestling team at the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
in Antwerp, Belgium, Pendleton lost only one match during the competition, and was awarded a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. Returning to the US he became a professional wrestler, and with the celebrity status he had achieved, drifted into movies in the late 1920s.
Movie career
His early roles were largely uncredited. Then he was chosen to appear in Horse FeathersHorse Feathers
Horse Feathers is a Marx Brothers film comedy. It stars the four Marx Brothers and Thelma Todd. It was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S. J. Perelman, and Will B. Johnstone. Kalmar and Ruby also wrote some of the original music for the film...
(1932) with the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
as one of the two college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
players who kidnap Harpo
Harpo
Harpo may refer to:*Harpo Marx, an actor and musician best known as a member of the Marx Brothers*Harpo Productions, a multimedia company founded by Oprah Winfrey...
and Chico
Chico Marx
Leonard "Chico" Marx was an American comedian and film star as part of the Marx Brothers. His persona in the act was that of a dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat.As the first-born of the...
, and his career began to develop. His role as circus strongman
Strongman (circus)
The circus strongman is one of many acts found in a modern circus. The strongman demonstrates great strength, power and agility to the audience. The strongman and strongwomen were very popular attractions in the circus in the 19th century....
Eugen Sandow
Eugen Sandow
Eugen Sandow , born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, was a Prussian pioneering bodybuilder in the 19th century and is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Bodybuilding".-Early life:...
in The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
(1936) brought him the strongest reviews of his career. Pendleton was most often cast in supporting roles as thugs, gangsters, or policemen and was usually typecast playing characters that depended on their brawn but were "none too bright".
Some of his other films include The Thin Man
The Thin Man (film)
The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
(1934) and At the Circus
At the Circus
At the Circus is a 1939 Marx Brothers comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in which they save a circus from bankruptcy...
(1939), again with the Marx Brothers. He appeared in recurring roles in two MGM film series of the late 1930s and 1940s - as Joe Wayman, the ambulance driver in the Dr. Kildare
Dr. Kildare
Dr. James Kildare is a fictional character, the primary character in a series of American theatrical films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, an early 1950s radio series, a 1960s television series of the same name and a comic book based on the TV show, and a short-lived 1970s television series...
series, and its spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
, the Dr. Gillespie series. He made his final film appearances in Scared to Death
Scared to Death
Scared to Death is a horror film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Bela Lugosi. It was filmed in Cinecolor, is one of only three color pictures Lugosi made, and the only one he starred in...
with Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
, and Buck Privates Come Home
Buck Privates Come Home
Buck Privates Come Home is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is a sequel to their 1941 hit, Buck Privates....
(both 1947).
Pendleton died in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in 1967 from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Partial filmography
- The Battle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg (1913 film)The Battle of Gettysburg is a 1913 silent drama film directed by Charles Giblyn and Thomas H. Ince. The film is now considered to be lost, although some battlefield footage was used by Mack Sennett in his comedy Cohen Saves the Flag, which was shot on location alongside this production. However...
(1913) (unconfirmed) - The Big PondThe Big PondThe Big Pond is a 1930 American romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialogue in his first Hollywood assignment, and was directed by Hobart...
(1930) - Mr. Lemon of OrangeMr. Lemon of OrangeMr. Lemon of Orange is a comedy film starring El Brendel and Fifi D'Orsay, directed by John G. Blystone, and released by Fox Film Corporation.-Cast :*El Brendel as Mr. Lemon/Silent McGee*Fifi D'Orsay as Julie LaRue...
(1931) - Blonde CrazyBlonde CrazyBlonde Crazy is a 1931 film by Roy Del Ruth, starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Ray Milland, and Guy Kibbee famous for Cagney's line, "That dirty, double-crossin' rat!"- Plot :...
(1931) - The Star WitnessThe Star WitnessThe Star Witness is a feature film directed by William A. Wellman. It is a crime drama about a family that witness a crime and now have the gang members after them to prevent them from being witnesses....
(1931) - Hell Fire AustinHell Fire Austin- Cast :*Ken Maynard as Ken 'Hell-Fire' Austin*Ivy Merton as Judy Brooks*Nat Pendleton as Bouncer O'Brien*Alan Roscoe as Mark Edmonds*Jack Perrin as Curley*William Robyns as Lawyer Hicks*C.V...
(1932) - The Sign of the CrossThe Sign of the Cross (film)The Sign of the Cross is a pre-Code epic film released by Paramount Pictures, produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille from a screenplay by Waldemar Young and Sidney Buchman, and based on the original 1895 play by Wilson Barrett....
(1932) - Attorney for the DefenseAttorney for the DefenseAttorney for the Defense is a 1932 American drama film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Edmund Lowe as William J. Burton* Evelyn Brent as Val Lorraine* Constance Cummings as Ruth Barry* Don Dillaway as Paul Wallace...
(1932) - Whistling in the DarkWhistling in the Dark (1933 film)Whistling in the Dark is a 1933 comedy crime film starring Ernest Truex as a murder mystery writer whose scheme for a perfect murder comes to the attention of a gangster, played by Edward Arnold, who decides to use it...
(1933) - Goldie Gets AlongGoldie Gets AlongGoldie Gets Along is a 1933 film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, and starring by Lili Damita and Charles Morton. The screenplay was wtitten by William A...
(1933) - Child of ManhattanChild of Manhattan (film)Child of Manhattan is a 1933 Pre-code Columbia Pictures melodrama film based on the play of the same name by Preston Sturges, which was presented on Broadway in 1932...
(1933) - Lady for a DayLady for a DayLady for a Day is a 1933 American comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Robert Riskin is based on the short story Madame La Gimp by Damon Runyon...
(1933) - PenthousePenthouse (film)Penthouse is a 1933 black-and-white crime film starring Warner Baxter as a lawyer whose clients are less than upright and Myrna Loy as a call girl who helps him with a murder case....
(1933) - Lazy RiverLazy River (film)-Cast:* Jean Parker as Sarah Lescalle* Robert Young as William 'Bill' Drexel* Ted Healy as William 'Gabby' Stone* Nat Pendleton as Alfred 'Tiny' Smith* C. Henry Gordon as Sam Kee* Ruth Channing as Ruby Drexel* Maude Eburne as Miss Minnie Lescalle...
(1934) - Fugitive LoversFugitive LoversFugitive Lovers is a MGM feature film starring Madge Evans and Robert Montgomery. Also starring:Nat Pendleton, C. Henry Gordon, Ruth Selwyn and Ted Healy and His Stooges,who made appearance as stage performers travelling on the bus. Writers: Frances Goodrich Albert Hackett...
(1934) - Manhattan MelodramaManhattan MelodramaManhattan Melodrama is a 1934 crime melodrama film, produced by MGM, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, and starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy...
(1934) - The Thin ManThe Thin Man (film)The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
(1934) - Death on the DiamondDeath on the DiamondDeath on the Diamond is a 1934 mystery film starring Robert Young as a baseball player who has to figure out who is trying to murder the members of his team, the Saint Louis Cardinals...
(1934) - The Gay BrideThe Gay BrideThe Gay Bride is a 1934 black-and-white gangster film starring Carole Lombard as a wisecracking gold-digger and Chester Morris as the poor man she despises...
(1934) - RecklessReckless (1935 film)Reckless is a 1935 American musical film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Jean Harlow, William Powell and Franchot Tone. The story was based on the scandal of the 1931 marriage between torch singer Libby Holman and tobacco heir Zachary Smith Reynolds and his subsequent alleged...
(1935) - The Great ZiegfeldThe Great ZiegfeldThe Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
(1936) - Trapped by TelevisionTrapped by TelevisionTrapped by Television is a 1936 American film directed by Del Lord.The film is also known as Caught by Television in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Mary Astor as Barbara "Bobby" Blake*Lyle Talbot as Fred Dennis*Nat Pendleton as Rocky O'Neil...
(1936) - GangwayGangway (film)Gangway is a 1937 British musical film directed by Sonnie Hale and starring Jessie Matthews, Barry MacKay, Nat Pendleton and Alistair Sim. A young reporter goes undercover to unmask a gang of criminals who are planning a jewel heist.-Main cast:...
(1937) - Fast CompanyFast Company (1938 film)Fast Company is a 1938 mystery film starring Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice as married rare-book dealers who try to solve a murder case. It was based on the novel of the same name by "Marco Page"...
(1938) - The Shopworn AngelThe Shopworn AngelThe Shopworn Angel is a 1938 American drama film directed by H.C. Potter. The MGM release featured the second screen pairing of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart following their successful teaming in the Universal Pictures production Next Time We Love two years earlier...
(1938) - The Crowd RoarsThe Crowd Roars (1938 film)The Crowd Roars is a 1938 film starring Robert Taylor as a boxer who gets entangled in the seamier side of the sport. It was remade in 1947 as Killer McCoy, featuring Mickey Rooney in the title role.-Cast:*Robert Taylor as Tommy "Killer" McCoy...
(1938) - Young Dr. KildareYoung Dr. KildareYoung Dr. Kildare is a 1938 film starring Lew Ayres as an idealistic but somewhat immature young medical doctor, who benefits greatly from the wise counsel of his mentor, Dr. Gillespie, a seasoned older physician. This was the second of a total of ten Dr...
(1938) - It's a Wonderful World (1939)
- 6,000 Enemies6,000 Enemies6,000 Enemies is a 1939 American drama film starring Walter Pidgeon as a successful District Attorney who is framed on charge of bribery. Although innocent, he is sent to prison where he fights to clear his name.- Cast :* Walter Pidgeon as Steve Donegan...
(1939) - On Borrowed TimeOn Borrowed TimeOn Borrowed Time is a 1939 film about the role death plays in life, and how humanity cannot live without it. It is adapted from Paul Osborn's 1938 Broadway hit play. The play, based on a novel by Lawrence Edward Watkin, has been revived twice on Broadway since its original run.Set in small-town...
(1939) - At the CircusAt the CircusAt the Circus is a 1939 Marx Brothers comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in which they save a circus from bankruptcy...
(1939) - Another Thin ManAnother Thin ManAnother Thin Man is a 1939 American film that is the third film in the six-volume series, The Thin Man. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and is based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. Their son, Nicky Jr., is also introduced in the film. The cast includes...
(1939) - The Secret of Dr. KildareThe Secret of Dr. Kildare- Cast :*Lew Ayres as Dr. James "Jimmy" Kildare*Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie*Lionel Atwill as Paul Messenger*Helen Gilbert as Nancy Messenger*Nat Pendleton as Joe Wayman*Laraine Day as Nurse Mary Lamont*Sara Haden as Nora...
(1939) - Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
(1940) - Dr. Kildare's Strange CaseDr. Kildare's Strange Case- Cast :*Lew Ayres as Dr. Kildare*Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Leonard Gillespie*Laraine Day as Nurse Mary Lamont*Shepperd Strudwick as Dr. Gregory 'Greg' Lane*Samuel S. Hinds as Dr. Stephen Kildare*Emma Dunn as Mrs. Martha Kildare...
(1940) - Flight CommandFlight CommandFlight Command is a 1940 film about a cocky U.S. Navy pilot who has problems with his new squadron and falls for the wife of his commander...
(1940) - Scared to DeathScared to DeathScared to Death is a horror film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Bela Lugosi. It was filmed in Cinecolor, is one of only three color pictures Lugosi made, and the only one he starred in...
(1947) - Buck Privates Come HomeBuck Privates Come HomeBuck Privates Come Home is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is a sequel to their 1941 hit, Buck Privates....
(1947)