What's After the Movie
Nat Pendleton
Nat Pendleton (Nathaniel Greene Pendleton, August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an American Olympic wrestler, film actor, and stage performer whose life bridged the worlds of sport and Hollywood. Born in Davenport, Iowa to attorney Nathaniel Greene Pendleton and Adelaide Elizabeth Johnson, he moved with his family to Cincinnati and later New York, where he attended Brooklyn’s Poly Prep High School before enrolling at Columbia University. At Columbia he excelled academically, graduating in 1916 with a degree in economics, and he also mastered four languages, a testament to his intellectual breadth. As captain of the university’s wrestling team, Pendleton captured the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association title in both 1914 and 1915, and his prowess earned him a place on the United States Olympic team for the 1920 Antwerp Games, where he won a silver medal in heavyweight freestyle, a result that remains subject to debate among historians. After the Olympics he turned professional, teaming with promoter Jack Curley and engaging in high‑profile matches that cemented his reputation as a charismatic, if sometimes controversial, athlete.
Transitioning to the entertainment industry in the mid‑1920s, Pendleton rapidly became a familiar face in Hollywood, appearing in over ninety‑four films and numerous short subjects. He was frequently cast as a befuddled good guy, a slow‑witted thug, or a hulking strongman, exploiting his athletic physique and affable demeanor. Notable performances include his comedic turn in the Marx Brothers’ Horse Feathers (1932), the acclaimed portrayal of circus strongman Eugen Sandow in The Great Ziegfeld (1936), and recurring roles as ambulance driver Joe Wayman in the Dr. Kildare series and Lieutenant John Guild in The Thin Man films. Pendleton’s stage work, highlighted by Broadway productions such as Naughty Cinderella (1925) and The Grey Fox (1928), demonstrated his versatility beyond the screen. He married twice—first to Juanita Alfonzo (1920‑1924) and later to Margaret Evelyn “Barbara” Carse—and was survived by his second wife when he died of a heart attack in San Diego in 1967. His legacy endures through inductions into multiple wrestling halls of fame and a 2015 biography by Mike Chapman.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Nat Pendleton, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Nat Pendleton rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Nathaniel Greene Pendleton
Born: Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
Citizenship: United States
Birthday: August 9, 1895
Occupations: Actor, wrestler, stage performer
Years Active: 1913-1956
Spouses: Juanita Alfonzo, Margaret Evelyn Carse
External Links and Streaming Options
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Movies Featuring Nat Pendleton
The Thin Man
Another Thin Man
Complicated Women
Parachute Jumper
Buck Privates Come Home
Sing and Like It
Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld
Flight Command
Baby Face Harrington
Scared to Death
Manhattan Melodrama
The Tenderfoot
The Chief
Calling Dr. Gillespie
The Gay Bride
College Coach
Phantom Raiders
Times Square Lady
The Big Parade of Comedy
The Beast of the City
Straight Is the Way
The Big Pond
Fugitive Lovers
The Night Club Lady
A Fool’s Advice
The Big Timer
The World of Abbott and Costello
Whistling in the Dark
Goldie Gets Along
The Nuisance
New Moon
The Golden Fleecing
I’m No Angel
Death on the Diamond
Trapped by Television
Crazy House
The Shopworn Angel
Taxi!
Under Cover of Night
Sing Me a Love Song
The Girl from Missouri
Calling Dr. Kildare
It’s a Wonderful World
At the Circus
Lazy River
The Star Witness
The Cat’s-Paw
Life Begins in College
The Luckiest Girl in the World
Swing Fever
Manhattan Parade
Dr. Gillespie’s Criminal Case
Penthouse
Sworn Enemy
Burn ’Em Up O’Connor
Dr. Gillespie’s New Assistant
Flesh
Fast Company
The Ruling Voice
Buck Privates
The Defense Rests
Dr. Kildare’s Strange Case
Reckless
The Crowd Roars
On Borrowed Time
Two in a Crowd
Northwest Passage
Murder in the Fleet
Calm Yourself
Arsène Lupin Returns
The Spirit of Notre Dame
Blonde Crazy
By Whose Hand?
The Sign of the Cross
Swing Your Lady
The Ghost Comes Home
Dr. Kildare’s Crisis
The Garden Murder Case
Baby Face
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
The Chaser
Breakdowns of 1938
6,000 Enemies
Attorney for the Defense
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Nat Pendleton, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
1940
Flight Command
C.P.O. 'Spike' Knowles
Phantom Raiders
'Gunboat' Jacklin
New Moon
Bondsman
The Golden Fleecing
'Fatso' Werner
Dr. Kildare’s Strange Case
Joe Wayman, Ambulance Driver
Northwest Passage
'Cap' Huff
The Ghost Comes Home
Roscoe
Dr. Kildare’s Crisis
Joe Wayman
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
Joe Wayman
1939
Another Thin Man
Calling Dr. Kildare
Joe Wayman
It’s a Wonderful World
Sergeant Fred Koretz
At the Circus
Goliath
Burn ’Em Up O’Connor
Buddy Buttle
On Borrowed Time
Mr. Grimes
6,000 Enemies
Socks Martin
1938
The Shopworn Angel
'Dice'
Fast Company
Paul Terison
The Crowd Roars
'Pug' Walsh
Arsène Lupin Returns
Joe Doyle
Swing Your Lady
Joe Skopapolous
The Chaser
Floppy Phil
Breakdowns of 1938
Joe (archive footage) (uncredited)
1936
Trapped by Television
Rocky O'Neil
Sing Me a Love Song
Rocky
The Luckiest Girl in the World
Dugan
Sworn Enemy
'Steamer' Krupp
Two in a Crowd
Flynn
The Garden Murder Case
Sergeant Ernest Heath
1935
Baby Face Harrington
Rocky
Times Square Lady
Mack
Reckless
Blossom
Murder in the Fleet
'Spud' Burke
Calm Yourself
Knuckles Benedict
1934
The Thin Man
Sing and Like It
T. Fenny Sylvester
Manhattan Melodrama
Spud
The Gay Bride
William T. 'Shoots' Magiz
Straight Is the Way
Skippy
Fugitive Lovers
Legs Caffey
Death on the Diamond
John 'Truck' Hogan
The Girl from Missouri
Life Guard
Lazy River
Alfred 'Tiny' Smith
The Cat’s-Paw
Strozzi
The Defense Rests
Rocky
1933
Parachute Jumper
Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
The Chief
Big Mike
College Coach
Petrowski
Whistling in the Dark
Joe
Goldie Gets Along
Motorcycle Officer Cassidy
The Nuisance
Aloysius P. McCarthy (uncredited)
I’m No Angel
Harry (uncredited)
Penthouse
Tony Gazotti
Baby Face
Stolvich - Laborer (uncredited)
1932
The Tenderfoot
Joe (uncredited)
The Beast of the City
Abe Gorman (uncredited)
The Night Club Lady
Mike McDougal
A Fool’s Advice
Kelly - Naughty Boy
The Big Timer
Kid Melrose (uncredited)
Flesh
Wrestler (uncredited)
By Whose Hand?
'Killer' Delmar
The Sign of the Cross
Strabo
Attorney for the Defense
Mugg Malone
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