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.
Known For
Baby Face
(1933)
Stolvich - Laborer (uncredited)
The Thin Man
(1934)
Inspector John Guild
Buck Privates
(1941)
Sgt. Michael Collins
Northwest Passage
(1940)
'Cap' Huff
The Sign of the Cross
(1932)
Strabo
At the Circus
(1939)
Goliath
The Great Ziegfeld
(1936)
Sandow
Another Thin Man
(1939)
John Guild
Lady for a Day
(1933)
Shakespeare
Horse Feathers
(1932)
MacHardie (uncredited)
Flesh
(1932)
Wrestler (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
(1924)
Bud Means
Let's Get Married
(1926)
Jimmy
The Laughing Lady
(1929)
James Dugan
The Big Pond
(1930)
Pat O'Day
Crazy House
(1930)
Chef (uncredited)
The Last of the Duanes
(1930)
Bossamer
The Sea Wolf
(1930)
Smoke
Blonde Crazy
(1931)
Hank aka Pete
The Star Witness
(1931)
Big Jack
Taxi!
(1931)
Bull Martin (uncredited)
Manhattan Parade
(1931)
Lady Godiva's Husband
The Secret Witness
(1931)
Gunner - Bodyguard
The Ruling Voice
(1931)
Board Member (uncredited)
Fair Warning
(1931)
Purvis
The Spirit of Notre Dame
(1931)
Assistant Coach
The Sign of the Cross
(1932)
Strabo
Exposure
(1932)
Maniac Killer
Flesh
(1932)
Wrestler (uncredited)
A Fool's Advice
(1932)
Kelly - Naughty Boy
The Night Club Lady
(1932)
Mike McDougal
Hell-Fire Austin
(1932)
Bouncer
The Tenderfoot
(1932)
Joe - Jealous Husband
Horse Feathers
(1932)
MacHardie (uncredited)
The Big Timer
(1932)
Kid Melrose (uncredited)
Attorney for the Defense
(1932)
Mugg Malone
The Beast of the City
(1932)
Abe Gorman (uncredited)
Deception
(1932)
Bucky O'Neill
By Whose Hand?
(1932)
'Killer' Delmar
Baby Face
(1933)
Stolvich - Laborer (uncredited)
Penthouse
(1933)
Tony Gazotti
Lady for a Day
(1933)
Shakespeare
Child of Manhattan
(1933)
Spyrene - Dance Hall Bouncer
The Nuisance
(1933)
Aloysius P. McCarthy (uncredited)
College Coach
(1933)
Petrowski
Whistling in the Dark
(1933)
Joe Salvatore
Goldie Gets Along
(1933)
Motorcycle Officer Cassidy
I'm No Angel
(1933)
Harry (uncredited)
The Chief
(1933)
Big Mike
Parachute Jumper
(1933)
Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
The Thin Man
(1934)
Inspector John Guild
Manhattan Melodrama
(1934)
Spud
The Cat's-Paw
(1934)
Strozzi
Death on the Diamond
(1934)
John 'Truck' Hogan
Straight Is the Way
(1934)
Skippy
Sing and Like it
(1934)
T. Fenny Sylvester
Fugitive Lovers
(1934)
Legs Caffey
Lazy River
(1934)
Alfred 'Tiny' Smith
The Gay Bride
(1934)
William T. 'Shoots' Magiz
The Defense Rests
(1934)
Rocky
The Girl from Missouri
(1934)
Life Guard
Reckless
(1935)
Blossom
Calm Yourself
(1935)
Knuckles Benedict
Baby Face Harrington
(1935)
Rocky Bannister
Times Square Lady
(1935)
Mack
Here Comes the Band
(1935)
'Piccolo Pete'
It's in the Air
(1935)
Henry Potke
Murder in the Fleet
(1935)
'Spud' Burke
The Great Ziegfeld
(1936)
Sandow
The Garden Murder Case
(1936)
Sergeant Ernest Heath
Trapped by Television
(1936)
Rocky O'Neil
Sworn Enemy
(1936)
'Steamer' Krupp
Sing Me a Love Song
(1936)
Rocky
Two in a Crowd
(1936)
Flynn
Under Cover of Night
(1937)
Police Sgt. Lucks
Life Begins in College
(1937)
George Black
Song of the City
(1937)
Benvenuto Romandi
Gangway
(1937)
Smiles Hogan
Swing Your Lady
(1938)
Joe Skopapolous
Arsène Lupin Returns
(1938)
Joe Doyle
Young Dr. Kildare
(1938)
Joe Wayman
Fast Company
(1938)
Paul Terison
The Crowd Roars
(1938)
'Pug' Walsh
The Shopworn Angel
(1938)
'Dice'
Breakdowns of 1938
(1938)
Joe (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Chaser
(1938)
Floppy Phil
At the Circus
(1939)
Goliath
Another Thin Man
(1939)
John Guild
It's a Wonderful World
(1939)
Sergeant Fred Koretz
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
(1939)
Joe Wayman
Calling Dr. Kildare
(1939)
Joe Wayman
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor
(1939)
Buddy Buttle
On Borrowed Time
(1939)
Mr. Grimes
6,000 Enemies
(1939)
Socks Martin
Northwest Passage
(1940)
'Cap' Huff
Phantom Raiders
(1940)
'Gunboat' Jacklin
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
(1940)
Joe Wayman
Flight Command
(1940)
C.P.O. 'Spike' Knowles
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
(1940)
Joe Wayman
The Golden Fleecing
(1940)
'Fatso' Werner
New Moon
(1940)
Bondsman
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
(1940)
Joe Wayman, Ambulance Driver
The Ghost Comes Home
(1940)
Roscoe
Buck Privates
(1941)
Sgt. Michael Collins
Top Sergeant Mulligan
(1941)
Top Sgt. Herman Mulligan
Calling Dr. Gillespie
(1942)
Joe Weyman
The Mad Doctor of Market Street
(1942)
Red Hogan
Jail House Blues
(1942)
Sonny McGann
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant
(1942)
Joe Weyman
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
(1943)
Joe Weyman
Swing Fever
(1943)
'Killer' Kennedy
Death Valley
(1946)
Jim Ward
Scared to Death
(1947)
Bill 'Bull' Raymond
Buck Privates Come Home
(1947)
Sgt. Michael Collins
The Big Parade of Comedy
(1964)
William T. Magiz in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)
The World of Abbott and Costello
(1965)
Sergeant Michael Collins in Buck Privates (archive footage)
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
(1991)
Bill Raymond (archive footage)
Complicated Women
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
Writing