Robert Mitchum, Hollywood’s original bad boy Could anyone ever forget about him? Mitchum, in my perspective, was cool before it was popular to be cool.
Robert Mitchum was a fantastic actor who could be frightening when playing the villain or inspirational when playing the hero.
To me, he ranks among Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, John Wayne, and Burt Lancaster as one of the best cinematic actors of all time.
I recall Mitchum having the most piercing eyes, as if they could see straight through you. But Mitchum wasn’t only a terrific actor; he also made some excellent albums.
The 1958 film “Thunder Road” exemplifies Mitchum’s versatility; in the classic drama/crime thriller, he acted, directed, co-wrote, composed the title song, and sang it!
But there’s another side to Mitchum that not everyone is aware of. Behind his lovely façade and excellent features was a tortured and disturbed mind that had been through numerous scandals and tragedies.
Robert Mitchum was born in 1917 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, into a standard working-class American family.
His father, James Thomas Mitchum, was of Irish ancestry and worked in the shipyard and on the railroad; he was one of the men who actually created our nation. Ann Gunderson, Robert’s mother, was a Norwegian immigrant with a Scandinavian name.
Unfortunately, a tragic event would rock Robert’s upbringing. Robert’s father perished in a strange accident when he was just 18 months old. While working at a railyard in Charleston, South Carolina, the older Mitchum was cruelly crushed to death by two boxcars.
Ann had to raise Robert and his siblings on her own for several years after her husband died. However, his mother later married Major Hugh Cunningham Morris, a former Royal Naval Reserve officer. Robert’s stepfather was a British officer.
But neither his stepfather nor his mother could keep Mitchum under control.
He was a wild boy, and as a consequence, he was transferred to live with his grandparents in Felton, Delaware, when he was 12 years old. Mitchum was also expelled from multiple high schools because he often clashed with school officials. He even got into a confrontation with his school administrator once.
He moved in with his elder sister in New York’s famed Hell’s Kitchen area after being relocated multiple times.
However, the issues persisted. Mitchum was 14 years old when an officer noticed him in Savannah, Georgia, and arrested him for vagrancy. Following that, Robert was forced to work for a chain gang. But he claims he was able to flee and hitchhike his way back to his grandparents in Delaware.
Mrs. Robert Mitchum
Back in Delaware, Robert met Dorothy, the love of his life.
She lived next door to his grandparents, and the pair married in 1940. Robert and Dorothy Mitchum remained married for the rest of their lives.
Following the wedding, Robert and Dorothy relocated to California, where Robert had established himself in the entertainment business. He had previously worked as a coal miner and as a semi-professional boxer.
Mitchum felt he needed consistent work after the birth of the couple’s first son, James. During WWII, he worked as a machine operator for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, but the continual, loud noise from the machines ruined his hearing.
Robert also had a mental breakdown as a result of work stress, which caused him to become temporarily blind. Maybe that’s when he recognized he wasn’t cut out for a typical 9-to-5 job.
In any event, Robert started to seek a return to the film business. He appeared as an extra and assisted performers in a number of projects. His big break came as a soldier in the American war picture “The Story of G.I. Joe” (1945).
Robert Mitchum rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s after acting in numerous great film noirs. He was dubbed ‘the essence of cinema noir’ at times.
The audience adored him as the silky, drawling, careless antihero hero with sleepy eyes; he was fantastic in every role he performed. And, by the way, his drowsy eyes were not a ploy. Astigmatism in both eyes was induced by persistent sleeplessness and an injury sustained during a boxing fight.
Simply put, Robert saw that you didn’t have to scream like a lion to command respect.
Mitchum made one of his most famous and greatest performances in the thriller “The Night of the Hunter” in 1955 as a malevolent, fake preacher. The picture is now regarded as one of the finest in Hollywood history.
“I really wanted to take it all the way,” he said. “I wanted to frighten people to death.” That was accomplished via the book. It was 10 times scarier than the photo. But Charles had impeccable taste. ‘I earn my life reading the Bible,’ he continued repeating. This is something I can’t do. ‘ As it was, it was okay, I think.”
Real-life villain
As it turned out, Robert’s on-screen bad boy was not too far off from his troubled real life.
As he once put it, “the only difference between me and my fellow actors is that I’ve spent more time in jail.”
Mitchum had his first Hollywood incident in 1948, when he was arrested for marijuana possession, a major thing at the time despite the fact that he was a known marijuana user.
Mich was imprisoned in county jail for a week, which he characterized as “like Palm Springs, but without the riff-raff.” Following that, he was sentenced to 43 days in a California prison.
Mitchum’s career would survive the incident, and in hindsight, it may have been worth the time and attention. Mitchum became an even larger box-office attraction after the failure.
“The only effect I ever noticed from marijuana was a mild sedative effect, a release of tension when I was overworking.” It never made me raucous or argumentative. “It calmed me down and reduced my activity,” Mitchum subsequently recalled.
fired from the set.
Mitchum, with his lizard-lidded eyes, had a fiery temper at times.
When Mitchum’s bad-boy reputation erupted in full force during the production of “Bloody Alley” in 1955, things got really hot.
Mitchum, who didn’t mind a few sips of alcohol, arrived on set after a long night out. According to accounts, the renowned actor yelled and trashed the studio since there was no automobile waiting for him on set.
The former boxer then approached the film’s transportation manager and hurled him into the neighboring San Francisco Bay.
Robert was sacked from the project, and producer John Wayne was compelled to step in and take over Mitchum’s position.
Secret codes and rituals
Actor Jack Hawkins, who co-starred with Mitchum in the 1963 picture “Rampage,” disclosed on set Mitchum’s dangerous practice.
Mitchum consumed 49 glasses of rum before supper on the set, according to Hawkins’ memoirs.
I’m not sure how he managed to perform his work after so much booze, but Mitchum had innate talents and could survive on his abilities alone. Clearly, Mitchum had little regard for performers who saw their careers as difficult and demanding.
“This is not a difficult job. You read from a script. You take the role if you enjoy it, and the pay is fair. Then you recall your lines. You are punctual. You follow the director’s instructions. You complete it, relax, and then go on to the next section. “That’s all there is to it,” Mitchum added.
It’s reasonable to say Mitchum approached his job with a laid-back attitude. A brief glance at some of his remarks reveals a lot about the man behind the serpent’s twisting grin.
“Listen. ” I have three expressions: looking left, looking right, and looking straight ahead,” Mitchum said of his acting approach.
Here’s yet another masterpiece from Mr. Trouble…
“People say I have a unique walk. I’m simply trying to keep my stomach in.”
Mitchum was well-known among his coworkers for employing “secret” coding with scripts. Mitchum’s co-stars often noticed that he scrawled “n.a.r.” on his screenplays, which evidently indicated “no action required.”
According to film critic Dirk Baecker, Mitchum’s message was a reminder to himself to absorb the world of the tale without acting on it.
Mitchum had a profound psychological crisis while shooting “Ryan Daughter” in 1970. Mitchum became so depressed that he intended to commit suicide when the film was completed.
Screenwriter Robert Bolt, Mitchum’s buddy, learned of the ominous preparations and attempted to persuade him to reconsider. His technique was to fight hard and utilize “tough love.” Bolt effectively urged his pal to “go ahead,” but first he needed to honor his obligation and complete the film.
Bolt also volunteered to cover Mitchum’s burial expenses. Fortunately, Bolt’s strategy seemed to succeed, and, thank God, Mitchum changed his mind.
So, even though the audience adored Mitchum and became acquainted with him via his spectacular interpretations, the renowned antihero kept many secrets and struggled valiantly against his problems.
Many suspected that Robert was dissatisfied with his career as an actor, as he himself said. Some speculated that he despised his own work.
“Movies bore me, especially my own,” Mitchum once said.
In numerous interviews, Mitchum showed his appreciation for his profession.
“I’ve had a fantastic life thanks to the movies.” I’ve traveled the globe and met some of the most amazing individuals. I don’t deserve all I’ve earned. I realize I have a fortunate life. I didn’t create what these young Spielbergs are doing. But I had a fantastic time. Working with all of my generation’s outstanding leading females. Jane Greer with Marilyn Monroe I believe she was the most underappreciated of them all. “I’m working with people like John Huston and Raoul Walsh,” he said.
Mitchum’s rough-and-tumble lifestyle started to take its toll on his physique in the late 1990s. He died on July 1, 1997, only a few days before his 80th birthday.
Mitchum was a habitual smoker who died in Santa Barbara, California, of lung cancer and emphysema complications.
His corpse was burned, and his ashes were scattered in the sea. His wife of 57 years, Dorothy Mitchum, and his children James, Christopher, and Petrine Day survive him. Dorothy, who died in 2014, often accompanied her husband to filming locations.
Rough, defiant, and unstoppable. Robert Mitchum was a terrific actor with a unique appearance. Even when he was older, like in “Winds of War,” it all seemed so natural to him.
Movie actors like Robert Mitchum are hard to come by these days.