Robert Charles Derman Mitchum is a popular American actor, screenwriter, producer, singer and composer of the last century. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) unveiled a list of the 50 greatest actors and actresses in Hollywood history, with Mitchum ranking 23rd.
In the creative biography of the artist, there are more than a hundred roles in television and film projects. He has also appeared on the screen many times in popular entertainment shows, documentaries and Oscars, Golden Globes, People's Choice Awards.
In 1946, Mitchum was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in The Story of Private Joe. In 1958, he received attention for his work in the film "God knows, Mr. Allison" and the actor became a nominee for the British Academy Award. At the 1993 San Sebastian Film Festival, he received the special Donostia Award for Excellence in Film.
Biography facts
Robert was born in the United States in the summer of 1917. His father, James Thomas, was Irish by birth. He worked first at a shipyard and then at the railroad. Mom - Anne Harriet, was born in Norway and emigrated to America with her family.
Sister Annette Marie was 3 years older than Robert. In her youth, the girl joined a touring theater troupe and began performing on stage under the name Julie Mitchum. Later, after moving to California, she starred in several films. In the 1950s, she hosted her own television program in Los Angeles. She died in 2003 at the age of 88.
The younger brother, John, was born six months after the death of his father, who died in a train accident in 1919. He, like his brother and sister, became an actor. He starred in many famous films of the last century. He was fond of music, sang beautifully and played the guitar. John passed away in November 2001 in Los Angeles. The cause of death was a stroke.
Robert's father died when he was only 2 years old. A few years later, my mother remarried. Her chosen one was Hugh Cunningham Morris, a former officer in the Royal Navy of Great Britain. In 1927, they had a daughter, Carol, who became the fourth child in the family.
Robert did not want to go to school and never received a full education. He was a naughty child and started running away from home early. Several times he was caught and returned to his family. At the age of 14, the boy was accused of vagrancy and was sentenced to prison. But Robert managed to escape again.
The young man traveled around the country and worked in various places. For some time he even was an assistant to the famous astrologer Carroll Reiter. Then he played in amateur boxing fights, had many fights and became the winner 27 times.
In 1936, Mitchum visited his sister in Long Beach. She persuaded him to join the theater guild. Robert had a wonderful voice, he knew how to play the guitar, wrote poetry and prose, was an excellent storyteller. He wrote several songs and monologues for his sister's performances and a number of small plays for the theater.
Having married Dorothy Spence in 1940, Robert decided to leave Long Beach. He returned to his hometown, and then went with his wife to California. There he found a job as a mechanic for the aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Aircraft. Heavy loads, constant noise and non-observance of safety precautions led to the fact that Robert temporarily lost his hearing, and then his sight. As a result, he lost his job and recovered his health for a long time.
After 2 years, Robert first appeared on the screen. After he worked in film and television until his death.
Mitchum passed away in 1997. The actor was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent therapy and rehabilitation, but could not cope with the disease. Perhaps the cause of the disease was addiction to smoking. He died of lung cancer and emphysema at the age of 79 at a Santa Barbara clinic a few weeks before his birthday. According to the will of the actor, the body was cremated, and the ashes were scattered.
Creative career
Since 1942, Mitchum began his career in cinema. At first, he was offered only small episodic roles. Only a year later, the artist began acting in films that brought him worldwide fame and fame.
Many film critics consider him one of the best representatives of the "Golden Age of Hollywood", the icon and soul of film noir. It is believed that he was underestimated, even though the name of Mitchum was included in the list of fifty best actors and actresses - legends of American cinema, as well as in the list of the greatest villains on the screen. Robert himself considered his work to be extremely simple, not requiring much effort. He was always surprised to hear other opinions of his colleagues. For this, many celebrities disliked him and constantly criticized him.
Mitchum became the star of the screen pretty quickly. He has starred in film noir, westerns and romantic dramas. His slightly lazy style and unique look proved to be very appealing to the audience. Even after receiving a short prison sentence for possession of marijuana in 1948, the actor did not lose his popularity. It seemed that this incident made Robert even more famous, fully justifying his nickname "bad boy".
Later, the charges were completely dropped from him, and the actor himself said more than once that he was framed. Many of his relatives claimed that he really was not connected with drugs, but he never gave up alcohol and cigarettes, had a difficult character and participated in fights.
In the 1980s, Mitchum almost stopped acting and switched to television, thereby only increasing an army of fans around the world. His most recent work was the role of George Stevens in the 1997 drama James Dean: Race to Destiny.
During his many years of career in cinema, the actor has played more than a hundred roles in films and TV series, including: "The Story of Private Joe", "Undercurrent", "Medallion", "Hunted", "Crossfire", "Crave Me", "From of the Past "," Big Deception "," Holiday Romance "," Unbridled "," The River Does Not Flow Backward "," Home from the Hill "," Tramps "," Cape of Fear "," Eldorado "," Mystery Ceremony "," Young, Young Billy "," Ryan's Daughter "," Yakuza "," Midway "," The Last Tycoon "," Iron Cross "," Winds of War "," North and South "," New Christmas Tale "," Cape of Fear ", "Dead Man".
Personal life
Mitchum married actress Dorothy Spence in March 1940. They raised three children and lived together for 57 years until Robert's death. Dorothy survived her husband by 17 years and passed away in 2014.
Two sons - James and Christopher - became actors, and daughter Petrina Day - a writer. Grandchildren Bentley, Price and Carrie also chose the acting profession, and Kayan became successful in the modeling business.
