Robert Mitchum was born on August 6, 1917 as Robert Charles Durman Mitchum in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was laid to rest at almost 80 on July 1, 1997 in Santa Barbara, California from long cancer and emphysema.

Mitchum adventured away from home during his teen years and at the age of 14 was arrested for vagrancy and spent time on a Georgia chain gang, from which he escaped. He also spent time for marijuana usage in 1949. Both incidences and a British Army Major for a step-dad were believed to be the reasons for his contempt for authority and enhanced his “bad boy” image.

Mitchum the first acting role (uncredited) was in The Human Comedy (1943). He also acted under the name of Bob Mitchum. In 1945 Mitchum received his first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lt. Walker in Story of G.I. Joe (1945).

Mitchum even co-wrote and composed an oratorio that was produced by Orson Welles at the Hollywood Bowl. Mitchum and Gary Gray recorded songs for the movie Rachel and the Stranger and recorded an album That Man Robert Mitchum . . . Sings. It included a son that became a hit for Dean Martin titled “Little Old Wine Drinker Me.”

Mitchum later did two mini series for TV titled The Winds of War (1983) and it sequel War and Remembrance (1988).

Mitchum isn’t the only actor in his family. His brother John Mitchum also acted on TV and in movies. Two of his sons, James and Christopher and a daughter Trini joined the ranks as actors. It hasn’t stopped there, you can you can catch his grandson Bentley and granddaughter Carrie also as actors. Mitchum was a grandfather in-law to Casper Van Dien who is married to his granddaughter Carrie. Casper and Carrie’s children Cappy and Grace Van Dien are his great grandchildren and another generation of actors in his family.

You can catch the following movies and specials on Turner Classic Movies (TCM):
Private Screenings: Robert Mitchum/Jane Russell
Angel Face (1953)
Blood on the Moon (1943)
Cape Fear (1962)
Cry Havoc (1943)
Desire Me (1947)
Girl Rush (1944)
His Kind of Woman (1951)
Holiday Affair (1949)
Home From the Hill (1960)
Macao (1952)
Midway (1976)
My Forbidden Past (1951)
One Minute to Zero (1952)
Out of the Past (1947)
Rachel and the Stranger (1948)
Second Chance (1953)
She Couldn’t Say No (1954)
The Angry Hills (1959)
The Big Steal (1949)
The Locket (1946)
The Lusty Men (1952)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The Racket (1951)
The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
The Sundowners (1960)
The Way West (1947)
The Wrath of God (1972)
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)Thunder Road (1958)
Till the End of Time (1946)
Two for the Seesaw (1962)
Undercurrent (1946)

Calypso Is Like So (2003) is a short stop-motion animated film by Collet’s French as a tribute to Robert Mitchum that you can also catch on TCM. Happy viewing!

For more information on the specialty channel TCM go to:
Turner Classic Movies (TCM){Offsite link}