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