Charles Middleton
born: 03 October 1878
Elizabethtown, Kentucky,
United States of America		 died: 22 April 1949
Los Angeles, California,
United States of America
(heart attack, age 74)
Serious-looking American actor best remembered for playing 'Ming The Merciless' in the Flash Gordon serials.  He twice played the no-nonsense camp commandant to Laurel & Hardy.  Later in life he had his right leg amputated in an operation for arteriosclerosis.
His year of birth is listed as 1874 on his tombstone, but this is believed to be inaccurate.  Most documents (listed at the bottom of the page) give a date of 1878, though some say 1879.
Real name: Charles Brown Middleton
Height: 6'0"		 Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography;
plus 1 film with Laurel & Hardy.

5


1931		 Beau Hunks
Commandant

1932		 Pack Up Your Troubles
Welfare officer

1935		 The Fixer Uppers
Pierre Gustave

1939		 Captain Fury
Mergon

1948		 Here Comes Trouble
Reporter
▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1939		 The Flying Deuces
Commandant

Acknowledgements:
https://archive.org/stream/10thcensus0417unit#page/n509/mode/1up (1880 Census, line 14 - 1 yr old, could possibly hint at 1878 birth date)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11811-61786-14?cc=1325221 (1900 Census, line 37 - born "Oct 1876")
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-20620-36404-31?cc=1589502 (marriage [29th birthday] - birth year: 1879)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-26514-8926-66?cc=1968530 (WWI draft reg. card - birth year: 1878)
https://archive.org/stream/14thcensusofpopu1127unit#page/n360/mode/1up (1920 Census, line 57 - birth year: 1879)
https://archive.org/stream/californiacensus00reel134rs#page/n884/mode/1up (1930 Census, line 7 - birth year: 1880)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-27793-4646-50?cc=2000219 (1940 Census, line 16 - birth year: 1879)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16506-7997-28?cc=1861144 (WWII draft reg. card - birth year: 1879)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG55-D15 (CA Death Index - birth year: 1879)
https://archive.org/stream/variety174-1949-04#page/n256/mode/1up/search/middleton (Variety, 27 Apr 1949 - lists age as 70)*
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8773 (Find a Grave - says 1874 on tombstone)
Jesse Brisson (help and research)
Craig Calman (identification in Here Comes Trouble)

This page was last updated on: 19 January 2017