Mitchum, Robert Charles Duran

▪ 1998

      American actor (b. Aug. 6, 1917, Bridgeport, Conn.—d. July 1, 1997, Santa Barbara, Calif.), portrayed roles in a series of movies in the late 1940s that constructed an image for him as Hollywood's ultimate tough guy. His notorious offscreen exploits nourished this persona until the real-life Mitchum and the Hollywood movie star merged into one screen legend. During the Depression Mitchum attended Haaren High School in New York City's Hell's Kitchen but was expelled. Around age 15 he took to the open road to roam the country, experiencing a series of misadventures that included serving time on a Georgia chain gang. He became interested in the theatrical arts in 1936 after his sister, Julie, suggested he join her as part of the Long Beach (Calif.) Theatre Guild. His Hollywood career began in 1943 when he landed a bit part in the Hopalong Cassidy western movie Hoppy Serves a Writ. Other small parts followed, and RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., signed him to a contract in 1944. A career highlight was his Academy Award-nominated performance in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). In 1948 he was arrested for marijuana possession. What could have been a career-destroying scandal turned into a boon for Mitchum, who evoked sympathy from the press and public by handling the situation with dignity and honesty. The conviction was later overturned and stricken from his record. Mitchum, an insomniac who developed a trademark sleepy-eyed appearance, was a fixture in films and television for over 50 years. He often was cast in offbeat or villainous roles, notably in The Night of the Hunter (1955), Thunder Road (1958), and Cape Fear (1962). He also starred as a cynical, unlucky private eye in a series of gritty films noirs, including Out of the Past (1947), and portrayed Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and The Big Sleep (1978). Some of his other film credits include Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), El Dorado (1967), and Mr. North (1988). Besides acting in motion pictures, Mitchum also composed and recorded the 1958 hit song "The Ballad of Thunder Road " and starred in the television miniseries "The Winds of War."

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