Portrait of Charles Middleton

Charles Middleton

Acting

Biography

Charles Brown Middleton (October 3, 1874 – April 22, 1949) was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, he appeared in nearly 200 films as well as numerous plays. Sometimes credited as Charles B. Middleton, he is perhaps best remembered for his role as the villainous emperor Ming the Merciless in the three Flash Gordon serials made between 1936 and 1940.

Born: October 2, 1874

Place of Birth: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA

Filmography

1996
The Boy from Mercury

as Ming the Merciless (Archive Footage)

1984
Going Hollywood: The '30s

as (archive footage)

1982
1973
1966
Spaceship to the Unknown

as Ming the Merciless (archive footage)

1966
Purple Death from Outer Space

as Ming the Merciless

1949
The Last Bandit

as Blindfolded Circuit Rider

1948
The Decision of Christopher Blake

as President in Dream (uncredited)

1948
Jiggs and Maggie in Court

as Mr. Burton, an Attorney

1948
Station West

as Sheriff

1948
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'

as Townsman (uncredited)

1948
1948
Here Comes Trouble

as Reporter (uncredited)

1947
The Pretender

as William the butler

1947
Gunfighters

as Sheriff #1 (uncredited)

1947
Welcome Stranger

as Farmer Pinkett (uncredited)

1947
The Sea of Grass

as Charley - Saloon Owner (uncredited)

1946
The Killers

as Farmer (uncredited)

1946
Spook Busters

as Mr. Stiles

1946
Strangler of the Swamp

as Ferryman Douglas

1945
How DOooo You Do

as Sheriff Hayworth

1945
1945
1944
The Town Went Wild

as Sam, Midvale District Attorney

1944
The Desert Hawk

as Koda Bey

1944
Black Arrow

as Tom Whitney

1943
Wagon Wheels West

as Phineas Hook

1943
Crazy House

as Sheriff

1943
Oklahoma Outlaws

as Judge Ringle

1943
Batman

as Ken Colton

1943
The Black Raven

as Sheriff

1943
Spook Louder

as Graves' Valet

1942
1942
Men of San Quentin

as Saunderson

1942
Wild Bill Hickok Rides

as Claim Jumping Leader

1941
Sergeant York

as Mountaineer (uncredited)

1941
Jungle Man

as Rev. James 'Jim' Graham

1941
Stick to Your Guns

as Long Ben, gambler-saloon owner

1941
Belle Starr

as Carpetbagger

1941
Wild Geese Calling

as Doctor Jed Sloan

1941
The Shepherd of the Hills

as Blacksmith (uncredited)

1941
Western Union

as Stagecoach Rider

1940
1940
Eyes of the Navy

as Farmer (uncredited)

1940
Rangers of Fortune

as Water Thug

1940
Brigham Young

as Mob Member

1940
Gold Rush Maisie

as Camp Owner with a Pig (Uncredited)

1940
Women in Hiding

as Alice's Father (uncredited)

1940
Island of Doomed Men

as Captain Cort

1940
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise

as Jeremiah Walters

1940
Shooting High

as Hod Carson

1940
Virginia City

as Jefferson Davis

1940
1940
1939
Gone with the Wind

as Man with Stove Pipe Hat in Charge of Convict Workers (uncredited)

1939
Cowboys from Texas

as Kansas Jones

1939
Allegheny Uprising

as Dr. Stoke

1939
The Flying Deuces

as Commandant

1939
$1,000 a Touchdown

as Stage Manager (uncredited)

1939
Blackmail

as Southern Deputy (uncredited)

1939
One Against the World

as Mr. Crumley (uncredited)

1939
1939
Wyoming Outlaw

as Luke Parker

1939
Captain Fury

as Mergon

1939
The Oklahoma Kid

as Alec Martin

1939
Jesse James

as Doctor

1938
Kentucky

as Southerner

1938
Mars Attacks the World

as Ming the Merciless

1938
1938
Flaming Frontiers

as Ace Daggett

1938
Joaquin Murrieta

as Politician (uncredited)

1938
Jezebel

as Officer (uncredited)

1938
1938
Rocket Ship

as Emperor Ming

1937
The Man Without a Country

as President Abraham Lincoln (uncredited)

1937
Stand-In

as Actor Dressed as Abraham Lincoln

1937
The Last Train from Madrid

as Warden (uncredited)

1937
Slave Ship

as Slave Dealer

1937
1937
The Good Earth

as Banker (uncredited)

1937
Hollywood Cowboy

as 'Doc' Kramer

1937
Two Gun Law

as Wolf Larson

1937
We're on the Jury

as Mr. Martin

1936
Empty Saddles

as Cim White

1936
Career Woman

as Matt Clay

1936
Wedding Present

as Turnbull

1936
Ramona

as American Settler (uncredited)

1936
The Texas Rangers

as Lawyer (uncredited)

1936
Jailbreak

as Dan Stone

1936
A Son Comes Home

as Prosecutor

1936
Show Boat

as Sheriff Ike Vallon

1936
Flash Gordon

as Ming the Merciless

1936
Road Gang

as Grayson

1936
Song of the Saddle

as Phineas P. Hook

1936
Sunset of Power

as Neil Brannum

1936
Rose of the Rancho

as Horse Doctor (uncredited)

1935
Frisco Kid

as Speaker (uncredited)

1935
Special Agent

as State Police Commander (uncredited)

1935
Steamboat Round the Bend

as Fleety Belle's Father

1935
Hop-a-long Cassidy

as Buck Peters

1935
Reckless

as District Attorney (uncredited)

1935
1935
In Spite of Danger

as Mr. Merritt

1935
The Fixer Uppers

as Pierre Gustave

1935
1934
Red Morning

as Stanchon

1934
Behold My Wife!

as Juan Storm Cloud

1934
Broadway Bill

as Veterinarian (uncredited)

1934
Whom the Gods Destroy

as Constable Malcolm (uncredited)

1934
Murder at the Vanities

as Homer Boothby

1934
1934
David Harum

as Deacon

1934
Massacre

as Sheriff Scatters

1933
1933
Lone Cowboy

as U.S. Marshal

1933
Duck Soup

as Prosecutor

1933
White Woman

as Fenton

1933
Big Executive

as Sheriff

1933
The Bowery

as Detective (uncredited)

1933
Doctor Bull

as Mr. Upjohn

1933
This Day and Age

as District Attorney

1933
Disgraced!

as District Attorney

1933
Tomorrow at Seven

as Jerry Simons

1933
At Twelve Midnight

as Roger Thurston

1933
Sunset Pass

as Williams

1933
The Three Musketeers

as El Shaitan (voice)

1933
Pick-up

as Mr. Brewster

1933
The Road Is Open Again

as Abraham Lincoln

1932
Silver Dollar

as Jenkins

1932
Too Busy to Work

as Chief of Police

1932
Rockabye

as District Attorney (uncredited)

1932
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

as Train Conductor (uncredited)

1932
Hell's Highway

as Matthew the Hermit

1932
The Phantom President

as Abe Lincoln (uncredited)

1932
Pack Up Your Troubles

as Welfare Association Officer

1932
Mystery Ranch

as Henry Steele

1932
1932
The Hatchet Man

as Lip Hop Fat

1932
High Pressure

as Mr. Banks

1931
Manhattan Parade

as Sheriff Casey

1931
1931
Safe in Hell

as Lawyer Jones

1931
A House Divided

as Minister

1931
Beau Hunks

as Commandant

1931
Sob Sister

as City Editor Baker

1931
1931
Palmy Days

as Yolando

1931
The Ruling Voice

as Board Member (uncredited)

1931
An American Tragedy

as Attorney Reuben Jephson

1931
Caught Plastered

as Sheriff Flint

1931
1931
Ships of Hate

as Captain Lash

1930
The Devil's Cabaret

as Mr. Satan (uncredited)

1930
East Is West

as Dr. Fredericks

1930
Way Out West

as Buck Rankin

1930
Beau Bandit

as Lucius J. Perkins

1929
Welcome Danger

as John Thorne / The Dragon

1929
The Far Call

as Kris Larsen