C. Henry Gordon
Gordon was born in New York City, New York. He was educated both in New York and abroad in Switzerland and Germany. For some years he owned and ran a silver mine in New Mexico.
Also recorded as Henry Racke
C. Henry Gordon

Columbia Pictures · La Cinémathèque française · Public domain
- Name
- C.
- Birth Name
- Henry Racke
- Born
- 17 June 1883
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York
- Died
- 3 December 1940
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California
- Occupation
- Actor
- Spouse
- Mrs.
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Gordon was born in New York City, New York. He was educated both in New York and abroad in Switzerland and Germany. For some years he owned and ran a silver mine in New Mexico.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
C. Henry Gordon (1883–1940) was an actor, of American nationality. The actor was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for C. Henry Gordon. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q540459 · wikipedia · C. Henry Gordon
In this article
Biography
Biography
After failing to succeed in this venture, he became an actor. Gordon's entry into acting came accidentally when he accompanied his sister to a tryout for a play. The director had him read a part and he soon was a member of the troupe. He had a long stage career, on and off Broadway, before entering films. For six years he appeared in the summer stock cast at Elitch Theatre (1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, & 1929.) His Broadway credits included The Shanghai Gesture (1928), Mismates (1925), Puppets (1925), The Saint (1924), Mr. Pitt (1924), The Crooked Square (1923), Thin Ice (1922), Lights Out (1922), and The Drums of Jeopardy (1922). He first worked in films in 1911 with George Beban in New York. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1930 and 1940, frequently as a villain. He often portrayed people of color, such as Surat Khan in The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936, opposite Errol Flynn), the Chinese smuggler Sam Kee in Lazy River (1934), and the Sultan of Padaya in Sophie Lang Goes West (1937). On December 3, 1940, Gordon died at Hollywood Hospital in Los Angeles, California, after having his leg amputated the previous day because of a blood clot.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — C. Henry Gordon • Birth Name — Henry Racke • Born — 17 June 1883 • Birthplace — New York City, New York • Died — 3 December 1940 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1922–1940 • Spouse — Mrs. Gordon (?-1940) (his death)
Filmography
Filmography
• A Devil with Women (1930) as Minor Role (uncredited) • Renegades (1930) as Captain Mordiconi • Once a Sinner (1931) as Serge Ratoff • Charlie Chan Carries On (1931) as John Ross • The Black Camel (1931) as Huntley Van Horn (uncredited) • Hush Money (1931) as Jack Curtis • A Woman of Experience (1931) as Captain Muller • Young as You Feel (1931) as Harry Lamson • Honor of the Family (1931) as Renard • Mata Hari (1932) as Dubois • The Gay Caballero (1932) as Don Paco Morales • Scarface (1932) as Police Inspector Ben Guarino • Doomed Battalion (1932) as Italian General • State's Attorney (1932) as Attorney Grey • The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932) as Detective Martin • Roar of the Dragon (1932) as Voronsky • The Washington Masquerade (1932) as Hinsdale • Miss Pinkerton (1932) as Dr. Stuart • Thirteen Women (1932) as Swami Yogadachi • Hell's Highway (1932) as "Blacksnake" Skinner • The Crooked Circle (1932) as Yoganda • Kongo (1932) as Gregg Whitehall • Rasputin and the Empress (1932) as Grand Duke Igor • Whistling in the Dark (1933) as Lombardo • The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933) as State's Attorney • Clear All Wires! (1933) as Commissar • Gabriel Over the White House (1933) as Nick Diamond • Made on Broadway (1933) as Mayor Tom Starling • Storm at Daybreak (1933) as Panto Nikitch • The Devil's in Love (1933) as Capt. Radak, Chief of Police • Turn Back the Clock (1933) as Dave Holmes • Penthouse (1933) as Jim Crelliman • Stage Mother (1933) as Ricco • Night Flight (1933) as Daudet • Broadway Thru a Keyhole (1933) as Tim Crowley • The Chief (1933) as Paul Clayton • Advice to the Forlorn (1933) as Kane • The Women in His Life (1934) as Tony Perez • Fugitive Lovers (1934) as Detective Daly • This Side of Heaven (1934) as William Barnes • Lazy River (1934) as Sam Kee • Men in White (1934) as Dr. Cunningham • Stamboul Quest (1934) as Ali Bey • Straight Is the Way (1934) as Sullivan • Hide-Out (1934) as Tony Berrelli aka The Boss • Death on the Diamond (1934) as Joe Karnes • The Great Hotel Murder (1935) as Dr. John M. Temple • Pursuit (1935) as Nick Shawn • The Crusades (1935) as Philip the Second - King of France • Hollywood Extra Girl (1935, Short, Documentary) as Crusades Actor (uncredited) • The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935) as Gordoni • Professional Soldier (1935) as Gino • Under Two Flags (1936) as Lt. Petaine • Hollywood Boulevard (1936) as Jordan Winslow • The Big Game (1936) as Brad Anthony • The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) as Surat Khan • Love Letters of a Star (1936) as Lt. Valcour • Trouble in Morocco (1937) as Captain Nardant • Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) as Arthur Hughes • Trapped by G-Men (1937) as Kilgour • Sophie Lang Goes West (1937) as Sultan of Padaya • Conquest (1937) as Prince Poniatowski • Stand-In (1937) as Nassau • Tarzan's Revenge (1938) as Ben Alleu Bey • The Black Doll (1938) as Nelson Rood • Invisible Enemy (1938) as Nikolai Kamarov • Yellow Jack (1938) as Col. Wiggins, Medical Corp (uncredited) • Adventure in Sahara (1938) as Capt. Savatt • Sharpshooters (1938) as Kolter • Long Shot (1939) as Lew Ralston • The Return of the Cisco Kid (1939) as Mexican Captain • Man of Conquest (1939) as Santa Ana • Trapped in the Sky (1939) as Fornay • Heritage of the Desert (1939) as Henry Holderness • Charlie Chan in City in Darkness (1939) as Prefect of Police J. Romaine • Passport to Alcatraz (1940) as Leon Fenten • Women in Hiding (1940, Short) as Dr. Mansby, Clinic Administrator • Kit Carson (1940) as General Castro • Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) as Dr. Cream • You, the People (1940, Short) as Boss Bailey
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1940
C. Henry Gordon died at Los Angeles.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
New York City.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.C. Henry Gordon, Veteran Actor, Is Dead. Journal Gazette. International News Service. 1. December 4, 1940.
- 2.Amputation Fatal for Actor. The Bakersfield Californian. 14. December 3, 1940.
- 3.C. Henry Gordon, Movie Villain, Dies in Hollywood. Wisconsin State Journal. United Press. 2. December 4, 1940.
- 4.Rankin, Ruth. Ladies Love Villains. Photoplay. XLIV. 2. 72, 100–101. July 1933.
- 5.Dier, C. L. (1932). The Lady of the Gardens, Mary Elitch Long. United States: Hollycrofters, Incorporated, Limited.
- 6.The Broadway League. C. Henry Gordon. Internet Broadway Database.
- 7.C. Henry Gordon. New York Daily News. Associated Press. C 7. December 4, 1940.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Byun Young-jooPerson
- C M VijayPerson
- C. Aubrey SmithPerson
- C. B. ZamanPerson
- C. J. SandersPerson
- C. Jay CoxPerson
- C. M. Pennington-RichardsPerson
- C. R. SimhaPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by C. Henry Gordon?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.