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.
24


1927
The Battle Of The Century
Barber who falls into trashcan

1928
You're Darn Tootin'
Street combatant

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

1931
One Of The Smiths
Smoker

1931
Catch-As Catch-Can
Spectator

1932
Any Old Port!
Mugsie's second

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)

This page was last updated on: 11 August 2023