Robert Mitchum... An All-American Icon

Robert Mitchum.  Who was this tall, dark haired actor with the deep resonating voice?  His was not a flashy style, but rather, he seemed to express an attitude of “Here I am, take me or leave me.”  Fortunately the American movie goers decided not only to take him, but to elevate him to one of its elite.  We loved him and appreciated his ability to make acting look so easy.   His own attitude about his acting was that it was no big deal.   Mitchum was a natural.  Yet the pathway to his success was not nearly so smooth.  
Mitchum’s first acting performance was in the low budget “Hopalong Cassidy” series where he played a villain in a couple films.  He continued being in westerns for a few years until catching a big break during the making of “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.”  Director Mervyn LeRoy signed Mitchum to a seven-year contract with RKO Radio Pictures.  The Story of G.I. Joe was Mitchum’s first movie to receive much attention as it was nominated for 4 Oscar awards. 

Mitchum was most known for his film noir genre.  He was in multiple movies of this genre including “When Strangers Marry,” “Undercurrent,” “The Locket,” “Crossfire,” “Blood on the Moon,” and “The Big Steal.”

Mitchum could play either the good guy or the bad guy role.  He was comfortable in playing the role of detective, soldier, cowboy, or criminal.  He had a laid back persona, yet in a quiet way he seemed to always take command of the situation and the screen.  He was not a conformist, but rather lived his life seeking no one’s approval but his own.  His sad eyes made him seem more genuine and believable in his roles. 

Over the course of his 50+ year acting career, Mitchum was in over 100 different films/television shows.  While being nominated for several Academy Awards, Mitchum only won one Golden Globe Award and a few other less known awards.  Even though he may not have many awards, he is still credited as being the 23^rd best male actor of all time according to the American Film Institute. 

According to the American Film Institute, Mitchum’s best acting performances were as villains.  His most popular is as the slimy Max Cady, a recently released prisoner out for revenge in 1962’s original film, “Cape Fear.”  Robert DeNiro’s portrayal in the 1991 remake was magnificent.  While many did not realize it, Mitchum created a monster in his original portrayal of Max Cady that DeNiro built upon. 

During Mitchum’s acting career, he got in trouble with the law in 1948.  He was arrested for the possession of Marijuana.  This tarnished his image a bit, but at the same time made him more believable in many of his movie characters.  He stepped out of character to star in a Christmas movie called “Holiday Affair.”  While it is not as well-known as “It’s A Wonderful Life,” it still makes for a good movie.  I feel like this promoted a nice guy image for him.  Ladies seemed to like him whether he was friendly or indifferent.

While seeming like a drifter in his days before acting, he was able to maintain a long term acting career and marriage that lasted 57 years until his death.  Smoking and alcohol contributed to his death in 1997 of lung cancer.  Robert Mitchum is an icon and his movies will be cherished for many years to come.

In tonight’s film, “Out of the Past,” Mitchum portrays a hired detective.  He is a laid back, easy going person with a hidden past.  His character is contrasted by co-star, Kirk Douglas’s portrayal of a flashy, arrogant control freak.  One woman, as usual in this type of film, turns on a little heat. 

-Garret Gleckler