Robert Mitchum

Father of James Mitchum , Christopher Mitchum , and Trina Mitchum.

Brother of John Mitchum and Julie Mitchum.

Grandfather of actors Bentley Mitchum and Price Mitchum , actress Carrie Mitchum and male model Kian Mitchum.

Sidelines: Played the saxophone and wrote poetry.

In 1947, he and Gary Gray recorded the songs from Rachel and the Stranger for Delta Records soundtrack album. In 1968, he recorded another album, entitled "That Man Robert Mitchum... Sings". It included the track "Little Old Wine Drinker Me", which later became a hit for Dean Martin. In 1998, these songs were released on CD as "Robert Mitchum Sings".

Briefly served in the United States Army during World War II, with service number 39 744 068, from April 12 - October 11, 1945, after he was drafted. According to Lee Servers 2001 biography, "Robert Mitchum: Baby I Dont Care", Mitchum said he served as a medic at an induction department, checking recruits genitals for venereal disease (a "pecker checker"). Always the iconoclast, although he did not want to join the military, he served honorably and was discharged as a Private First Class and received the World War II Victory Medal.

Was one of four actors (with Jack Nicholson , Bette Davis , and Faye Dunaway ) to have two villainous roles ranked in the American Film Institutes 100 years of The Greatest Heroes and Villains, as Max Cady in Cape Fear at #28 and as Reverend Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter at #29.

He was accused of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial after an interview he gave to Barry Rehfeld of "Esquire" magazine promoting "The Winds of War" at his home in February 1983. Mitchum wrote an apologetic letter on 9 March 1983 to Herbert Luft, the Jewish Telegraphic Agencys Hollywood columnist. Mitchum claimed he had recited views expressed by the bigoted football coach he had played in That Championship Season , which Rehfeld "mistakenly believed to be my own. From that point on, he approached me as the character in the script and in playing the devils advocate in a prankish attempt to string him along we compounded a tragedy of errors." Mitchum added he was "truly sorry that this misunderstanding has upset so many people, especially since it is so foreign to my principle. The attendant misfortune is that it has brought me a spate of mail from people and organizations who are encouraged to believe that I share their bigotry and discrimination.".

Carefully maintained a facade of indifference, always lazily insisting that he made movies just so he could get laid, score some pot, and make money, and cared nothing about art. This is surely true of some films, which he likely picked to make money, but certain directors and films seemed to secretly pique his interest, including his work with Charles Laughton , John Huston and Howard Hawks.

He was voted the 61st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Was mentioned by name as part of The Velvet Underground song "New Age" (from the 1970 album "Loaded").

In the 1950s, he was selected by Howard Hughes to appear in a series of films he was producing. Hughes considered Mitchum a "friend," but (as a paranoid recluse) hardly met the actor. Mitchum was halfway put off and halfway amused by the "crazy old man" and clearly saw that he was a surrogate for Hughes as the strapping actor "romanced" young starlets on screen.

Michael Madsen called Mitchum his "role model" and inspiration to take up acting as a profession.

Was close friends with Richard Egan , and served as a pallbearer at his funeral in 1987.

Was named #23 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the American Film Institute.

Great-grandfather of Allexanne Mitchum , Cappy Van Dien and Grace Van Dien.

Turned down the lead role of Gen. George S. Patton in Patton , allegedly because he believed he would ruin the film due to his indifference. During a Turner Classic Movies interview with Robert Osborne , Mitchum said that he knew the movie could be a great one due to the script, but that the studio would want to concentrate on battles and tanks moving around on screen rather than on the character of Patton. Mitchum believed that with himself in the role, the movie would turn out mediocre; what was needed was a passionate actor who would fight his corner to keep the focus on Patton, an actor like George C. Scott , whom Mitchum recommended to the producers.

Treated for alcoholism at the Betty Ford Center in 1984.

Died one day before his The Big Sleep co-star James Stewart.

Biography in: "American National Biography." Supplement 1, pp. 414-416. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Although he had numerous affairs throughout his marriage, he remained with wife Dorothy Mitchum for nearly 60 years.

Addressed the Republican National Convention in 1992.

Roberts father, James Thomas Mitchum, was born in Lane, Williamsburg, South Carolina. James had English ancestry. Roberts mother, Ann Harriet (Gunderson), was Norwegian, from Kristiania, Oslo, Norway. Robert is sometimes described as having Native American ancestry on his fathers side. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented.

He was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea by wife Dorothy Mitchum and neighbor Jane Russell. At Mitchums insistence, no memorial service was held.

His driving license from 1950 gave his height as 6 even, one inch less than usually reported. However, Mitchum described himself as being exactly six feet tall in interviews.

His vocal support for the Vietnam War failed to affect his appeal with American youth, and in 1968, a poll of teenagers declared him the coolest celebrity. Mitchum responded that they must have missed his recent films.

During a break in filming "War and Remembrance" in August 1987, Mitchum replaced his friend John Huston as an aging millionaire in Mr. North after Huston, who suffered from emphysema, was hospitalized with pneumonia. In October 1987, Mitchum filled in for Edward Woodward , who was recovering from a heart attack, in a special two-part episode of "The Equalizer" .

His arrest for marijuana possession in the late 1940s was one of the first times a major actor had been jailed for this crime. According to Lee Servers 2001 biography, "Robert Mitchum: Baby I Dont Care", he was still smoking pot into his old age.

Was the defendant in FTC (Federal Taxation Commissioner) vs. Mitchum , a famous taxation case in Australia, in relation to income earned in Australia while working there on The Sundowners .

He was a huge fan of Elvis Presley s early music, and wanted Presley to star with him in Thunder Road . Unfortunately, Tom Parker s demands for Presleys salary could not be met in this independent production, which Mitchum was financing himself.

In 1981, he fired his secretary, Reva Frederick, when he closed his office. Mitchum was subsequently sued as she claimed he owed her a pension back-dated to 1961. There was no paperwork to support this claim, and she dropped her suit when evidence was discovered that she had stolen millions of dollars from Mitchum over the years. As part of the "deal", he agreed not to prosecute. During the course of these events, Ms. Fredrick suffered a stroke from which she never fully recovered.

He was persuaded by his manager Antonio Consentino , a die-hard Republican, to campaign for George Bush in the 1992 presidential election. He also narrated a biographical film of the President for the Republican National Convention, and attended a fundraiser at Bob Hope s house in Hollywood.

His performance as Reverend Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter is ranked #71 on Premiere magazines 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Mitchum once said that Reverend Harry Powell, the murderous villain he played in The Night of the Hunter , was his favorite role.

He seriously considered retiring from acting in 1968 due to concerns over the quality of his recent movies. After a years absence, during which he spent much of the time driving around America visiting old friends and staying in motels, he was lured back to star in Ryans Daughter .

Visited his son Christopher Mitchum on the set of Rio Lobo . Director Howard Hawks asked the elder Mitchum to reprise his El Dorado role as a drunken sheriff, but Mitchum claimed he was now retired. John Wayne responded, "Mitch has been retiring ever since the first day I met him.".

He was fired from Blood Alley , allegedly for getting drunk and arguing with a crew member whom he then proceeded to throw into a nearby river, a charge Mitchum always denied.

Turned down the leading role in Sam Peckinpah s masterpiece The Wild Bunch , which went to his old friend William Holden , and made 5 Card Stud . His excuse was they were both westerns.

5 Card Stud , the showdown between Hollywoods two deities of indifference, produced no sparks on or off the screen. Dean Martin remained in his trailer watching television after filming was completed, and delivered his lines as though he had memorized them phonetically. The only excitement came when a massive camera collapsed and nearly hammered Mitchum into the ground. Instead, the star moved casually aside while thousands of dollars worth of equipment smashed around him.

Had a longstanding dislike of fellow tough guy actors Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower would never allow any of Mitchums movies to be played in the White House, due to the actors marijuana possession conviction.

Replaced Burt Lancaster in Marias Lovers after the elder actor was forced to undergo emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery.

After two weeks of shooting on the movie Tombstone , the studio fired writer Kevin Jarre and hired George P. Cosmatos. He, with Kurt Russell s input, cut a number of scenes (for actors) and changed them to new action scenes, weakening a beautifully written script. Part of what was cut was the old man Ikes character. As Mitchum had already signed the contract, they had him do the voice-over instead.

Though respectful of Robert De Niro s talent, Mitchum was amused by the young Method actors habit of remaining in character all day as film studio chief Monroe Stahr during the filming of The Last Tycoon . Mitchum gave De Niro the nickname "Kid Monroe", and made many jokes about him with the older actors on the set like Ray Milland and Dana Andrews.

Many critics were unconvinced by the 65-year-old Mitchum winning World War II in "The Winds of War" . When the producers made a sequel, "War and Remembrance" , they worried that a 70-year-old Mitchum would be even less convincing and considered replacing him with James Coburn. Eventually they decided that what they would gain in fewer wrinkles, they would lose in Mitchums formidable screen presence and charisma.

Presented with a Peoples Choice Award backstage by Charlton Heston for "War and Remembrance" during the 1989 ceremony in Beverly Hills, California.

Turned down Gene Hackman s role as drug-busting policeman Popeye Doyle in The French Connection because he found the story offensive.

While filming El Dorado Mitchum was amused by co-star John Wayne s attempts to play his screen persona to the hilt in real life. He recalled that Wayne wore four-inch lifts to increase his height and had the roof of his car raised so he could drive wearing his Stetson.

Mitchum was in poor health while filming "The Winds of War" , and once again there was talk of retirement. He filmed Marias Lovers despite suffering from a solid case of pneumonia.

He claimed his famous eyes were the result of a combination of injuries from his boxing days and chronic insomnia, which he suffered from throughout his life.

In 1959, the Mitchums moved out of Hollywood and into a farm they had bought on the Maryland shore of Chesapeake Bay, near the town of Trappe. In 1965, the family returned to Hollywood, largely at wife Dorothy Mitchum s insistence, and moved into a modest, ivy-covered mansion in Bel Air. Mitchum also purchased a 76-acre ranch near Los Angeles, mostly as a home for his growing collection of quarter horses.

The 60-year-old Mitchum impressed Oliver Reed , Britains legendary hellraiser, by drinking a whole bottle of gin in 55 minutes on the set of The Big Sleep .

Is mentioned in the Queens of the Stone Age song "The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died", off their 2007 album "Era Vulgaris".

Early in his career many newspapers and fan magazines promoted him as a "new" Clark Gable , perhaps because both actors had strongly masculine images and powerful, distinctive voices. With Out of the Past however, Mitchum proved that he was a great star in his own right.

Was mentioned in the song "One More Arrow" by Elton John.

Was the inspiration for the Kurt Busiek s Astro City character "Steeljack".

Is the subject of the song "Robert Mitchum" by Swedish singer Olle Ljungstrm , available on his album "Vrldens Rddaste Man" (translates "The Worlds Most Terrified Man").

Mitchum was cast by Howard Hughes in Holiday Affair because Hughes felt that Mitchum needed to "soften" his image after his marijuana conviction and prison sentence.

Turned down the role that eventually went to Tony Curtis in The Defiant Ones . Mitchum, a real-life veteran of a Southern chain gang, did not believe the premise that a black man and a white man would be chained together and said that such a thing would never happen in the South. Over the years, this reason was corrupted to the point where many people now believe Mitchum turned down the role because he did not want to be chained to a black man, an absolute falsehood. Curtis repeated the inaccurate story in his autobiography, but later recanted after Mitchums real reason was explained to him.

Dwight Whitney wrote in "TV Guide" on June 7, 1969 about Mitchum that there is the "suggestion, implicit in every utterance, that within the body of this movie-star lies imprisoned the soul of a poet.".

According to Mitchum biographer John Belton, during the shooting of Undercurrent Katharine Hepburn told Mitchum, "You know you cant act, and if you hadnt been good-looking, you would have never gotten a picture. Im tired of playing with people who have nothing to offer.".

As a teenager, Mitchum was sentenced to a Georgia chain gang on a charge of vagrancy.

Was announced as co star with Spencer Tracy and Paul Newman in the Jerry Wald production of "The Enemy Within", based on the book by Attorney General Robert Kennedy, which at 1962/63 was in preparation for Twentieth Century Fox.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6240 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 25, 1984.

As of November 2013, Mitchum remains the subject of a documentary, still in progress after some 20 years, by Bruce Weber , which was screened at the Venice Film Festival in August 2013.

While at RKO Radio Pictures, Mitchum became the first male movie star to refuse to shave his chest for shirtless roles. In order to avoid that, he allowed himself to develop a pot belly to avoid having to take his shirt off at all.

Mitchum refused to be interviewed for George Eells biography of the actor.

In 1975 he was offered his high school diploma if he attended a ceremony at his old school. Mitchum did not attend the ceremony, but the diploma was still posted to him.

Became good friends with legendary animal trainer Ralph Helfer s famous African Lion Zamba while filming the movie Rampage .

One of the lesser-known aspects of Mitchums career were his forays into music, both as singer and composer. Critic Greg Adams writes that "Unlike most celebrity vocalists, Robert Mitchum actually had musical talent." Mitchums voice was often used instead of that of a professional singer when his character sang in his films. Notable productions featuring Mitchums own singing voice included Rachel and the Stranger , River of No Return and The Night of the Hunter . After hearing traditional calypso music and meeting artists such as Mighty Sparrow and Lord Invader while filming Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison in the Caribbean island of Tobago, he recorded Calypso - is like so... in 1957. On the album, he emulated the calypso sound and style, even adopting the styles unique pronunciations and slang. A year later, he recorded a song he had written for the film Thunder Road , titled "The Ballad of Thunder Road". The country-style song became a modest hit for Mitchum, reaching No. 69 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart. The song was included as a bonus track on a successful reissue of Calypso... and helped market the film to a wider audience.

Was said to have been a candidate for the role of Samson in Samson and Delilah .

Mitchum wrote an oratorio that was produced and directed by Orson Welles at the Hollywood Bowl in the 1940s.

In his 1973 autobiography "Anything for a Quiet Life" Jack Hawkins wrote that Mitchum would drink 49 glasses of rum before having dinner when they were filming Rampage .

By the time of the counterculture movement Mitchum had developed hawkish views on the Vietnam War, and he was accused of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks to the press.

In a review "The Winds of War" one TV critic said Mitchum moved "as if he were on castors".

Movies bore me; especially my own.

[on his acting talents] Listen. I got three expressions: looking left,looking right and looking straight ahead.

Make up some more if you want to.

I never take any notice of reviews - unless a critic has thought up some,new way of describing me. That old one about my lizard eyes and,anteater nose and the way I sleep my way through pictures is so,hackneyed now.

Years ago, I saved up a million dollars from acting, a lot of money in,those days, and I spent it all on a horse farm in Tucson. Now when I go,down there, I look at that place and I realize my whole acting career,adds up to a million dollars worth of horse shit.

I have two acting styles: with and without a horse.

I never changed anything, except my socks and my underwear. And I never,did anything to glorify myself or improve my lot. I took what came and,did the best I could with it.

I kept the same suit for six years - and the same dialog. We just,changed the title of the picture and the leading lady.

I came back from the war and ugly heroes were in.

[asked why, in his mid-60s, he took on the arduous task of an 18-hour,mini-series, "The Winds of War" (1983) ] It promised a year of,free lunches.

How do I keep fit? I lay down a lot.

Life would be kind if I could live it with Deborah around.

[1983] Stars today are just masturbation images.

[on The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) ] How the hell did I get,into this picture anyway? I kept reading in the papers that I was going,to do it, but when they sent me the script I just tossed it on the heap,with the rest of them. But somehow, one Monday morning, here I was. How,the hell do these things happen to a man?,Just after we shot Secret Ceremony (1968) , lesbianism came in. . .

People make too much of acting. You are not helping anyone like being a,doctor or even a musician. In the final analysis, you have exalted no,one but yourself.

These kids only want to talk about acting method and motivation; in my,day all we talked about was screwing and overtime.

[asked what he looks for in a script before accepting a job] Days off.

They got so they wanted me to take some of my clothes off in the,pictures. I objected to this, so I put on some weight and looked like a,Bulgarian wrestler when I took my shirt off. Only two pictures in that,time made any sense whatever. I complained and they told me frankly,that they had a certain amount of baloney to sell and I was the boy to,do it.