Pete Gordon

Pete Gordon

born: 22 April 1887
Pomarico, Basilicata,
Italy

died: 25 May 1943
Sunset Rest Home,
Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles, California,
United States of America
(pulmonary tuberculosis, age 56)

Short, acrobatic Italian actor who began his career as an acrobat with the Bedouin Arabs and the Bounding Gordons before breaking into film in 1916, as a member of Larry Semon's "Big V Riot Squad" at Vitagraph in Brooklyn and later in Hollywood (other "Riot Squad" alumni include Eddie Dunn, Joe Rock and Earl Montgomery). From there, he starred in a series of Century short comedies (distributed by Universal) under the name "Eddie Gordon" from 1924 to 1926, then drifted back into bit and stunt parts at Hal Roach and elsewhere. He in particular proved a close friend of Stan Laurel, with Pete living with him and also providing Stan as the person who knows his address on his WWII draft card. Pete retired from studio work a few years before his death, after being injured working on a picture, and succumbed to a three-year battle with tuberculosis. Gordon is buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Reader discretion is advised:
In August 1905, Peter Armonda, then 16-year old acrobat with the Bedouin Arabs, was arrested after an exhibition on Suburban Island (now Credit Island), Davenport, Iowa, after it was alleged he assaulted a 10-year old boy with intent to commit sodomy. He was sentenced to time in the Anamosa state penitentiary in October, but paroled by Governor Cummins in April 1906.

Real name: Pietro Armandi
Height: 5'3½"

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography;
plus all films with Stan Laurel;
plus all films with Babe Hardy.

1927	The Battle Of The Century Barber who falls into trashcan
1928	You're Darn Tootin' Street combatant
1929	Going Ga-Ga Nosey bastard/ Pedestrian crossing street/ Stunt for Max Davidson
1929	A Pair Of Tights Passerby knocked down first
1929	Berth Marks Train passenger
1929	Leaping Love Reporter
1929	Men O' War Bicyclist
1929	Snappy Sneezer Streetcar passenger
1929	Perfect Day Neighbor
1929	Crazy Feet Stagehand
1930	Shivering Shakespeare Audience member
1930	The Real McCoy Woman in wagon
1930	The Fighting Parson Townsman
1931	One Of The Smiths Smoker
1931	Catch-As Catch-Can Spectator
1932	Any Old Port! Mugsie's second
1932	The Chimp Peeping Tom/Audience member
1932	Scram! Defendant
1932	Pack Up Your Troubles Doughboy
1933	His Silent Racket Busy store employee
1934	Babes In The Goods Spectator
1934	Another Wild Idea Courtroom spectator
1934	Them Thar Hills Moonshiner
1934	Babes In Toyland Cat and the Fiddle
1934	The Live Ghost Sailor/Chinese cook
1935	Southern Exposure Juryman #8
1935	Thicker Than Water Shoeshiner
1938	Swiss Miss Townsman

▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1918	Huns And Hyphens Waiter
1918	Bears And Bad Men Paw Cutshaw
1921	The Bakery Baker
1921	The Rent Collector Barber
1921	The Fall Guy Larry's driver
1921	The Bell Hop [?]
1922	The Sawmill [?]
1922	The Show The son
1922	Golf Golfer
1923	The Gown Shop Worker
1923	Lightning Love [?]
1924	Trouble Brewing [?]
1930	The Rogue Song [?]

Acknowledgements:
Peter Armonda, "Iowa, Consecutive Registers of Convicts, 1867-1970" (Ancestry.com)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXB9-V8H (WWI draft reg. card)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9HV-K19 (1940 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4DH-GTW (WWII draft reg. card)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGY8-VLV (CA Death Index — "Petro Armandi")
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPQ4-342 (CA Death Index — "Peter Gordon")
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGRY-Q78F (death certificate)
Peter Armando, "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007" (Ancestry.com)
https://archive.org/stream/variety150-1943-06#page/n101/mode/1up/search/%22peter+gordon%22 (Variety, 09 Jun 1943)
https://books.google.com/books?id=YwwEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22gordon+peter%22 (Billboard, 12 Jun 1943)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/299461949/ (Davenport Democrat [Quad-City Times], 22 Aug 1905)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/300888499/ (Daily Times [Davenport, IA], 22 Aug 1905)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/300891105/ (Daily Times [Davenport, IA], 28 Aug 1905)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/299455192/ (Davenport Democrat [Quad-City Times], 20 Oct 1905)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/299456026/ (Davenport Democrat [Quad-City Times], 10 Apr 1906)
https://www.newspapers.com/search/#lnd=1&query=%22peter+armondo%22&dr_year=1900-1920&p_place=IA
https://www.newspapers.com/search/#lnd=1&query=%22peter+armando%22&dr_year=1900-1920&p_place=IA
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19170916&id=-LcaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=e0kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1762,86453 (Pittsburgh Press, 16 Sep 1917)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19170930&id=BrgaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=e0kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1660,4528357 (Pittsburgh Press, 30 Sep 1917)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19171028&id=rzwdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y0kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1728,3843771 (Pittsburgh Press, 28 Oct 1917)
http://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/illinois?a=d&d=NYC19171128.2.203 (New York Clipper, 28 Nov 1917)
https://archive.org/stream/motography18elec#page/1245/mode/1up/search/aramondo (Motography, 15 Dec 1917)
https://archive.org/stream/exhibitorstrade00newy#page/1048/mode/1up/search/ormonde (Exhibitors Trade Review, 10 Sep 1921)
https://archive.org/stream/universal1820univ#page/n1752/mode/1up/search/%22pete+gordon%22 (Universal Weekly, 29 Nov 1924)
https://archive.org/stream/exh00newy#page/n109/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Exhibitors Trade Review, 06 Dec 1924)
https://archive.org/stream/exhibitorsherald19unse_0#page/n1408/mode/1up/search/%22pete+gordon%22 (Exhibitors Herald, 13 Dec 1924)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/104871558/ (Indianapolis Star, 25 Jan 1925)
https://archive.org/stream/movpicwor73movi#page/n5/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Moving Picture World, 07 Mar 1925)
https://archive.org/stream/movpicwor73movi#page/n41/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Moving Picture World, 07 Mar 1925)
https://archive.org/stream/movpicwor73movi#page/n385/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Moving Picture World, 04 Apr 1925)
https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew00moti_7#page/2782/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Motion Picture News, 06 Jun 1925)
https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew00moti_7#page/2794/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Motion Picture News, 06 Jun 1925)
https://archive.org/stream/movpicwor77movi#page/n61/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Moving Picture World, 07 Nov 1925 + with BLANCHE!!!)
https://archive.org/stream/variety82-1926-03#page/n5/mode/1up/search/%22eddie+gordon%22 (Variety, 03 Mar 1926)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385490908/ (Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb 1940)
Jesse Brisson (massive research, ID in His Silent Racket, The Battle Of The Century, You're Darn Tootin', Huns And Hyphens, Swiss Miss, Leaping Love,
Snappy Sneezer, Crazy Feet, One Of The Smiths, The Rogue Song, Them Thar Hills, A Pair Of Tights, The Fall Guy, Southern Exposure, Catch-As Catch-Can,
Berth Marks, Another Wild Idea, Babes In The Goods, The Real McCoy, Thicker Than Water, Perfect Day, The Chimp, The Fighting Parson, Going Ga-Ga, Scram!)

This page was last updated on: 10 September 2024