James Mitchum (born May 8, 1941) is an American
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
.
Mitchum was born in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, the elder son of actor
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...
(whom he closely resembles) and his wife, Dorothy Spence. His brother is actor
Christopher Mitchum
Christopher Mitchum (born October 16, 1943) is an American film actor, screenwriter, and businessman. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of film star Robert Mitchum and Dorothy Mitchum. He is the younger brother of actor Jam ...
, and he is the uncle of actor
Bentley Mitchum
Bentley Mitchum (born February 22, 1967) is an American actor who has appeared in about 40 films and TV series, including Sundance grand jury prize winner ''Ruby in Paradise'', ''The Man in the Moon'', ''The Wonder Years'', ''Conviction'', '' Su ...
. His only child was born during his marriage to actress
Wende Wagner
Wende Wagner, also known as Wendy Wagner (December 6, 1941February 26, 1997) was an American actress best known for her roles in ''The Green Hornet'' and '' Rio Conchos''.
Life and career
Born to a U.S. Navy commander and swimming and diving c ...
(1941-1997).
Film career
James Mitchum had his first role, which was small and unbilled, at the age of eight in the
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
''
Colorado Territory
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado.
The territory was organized in the ...
'' (1949) with
Joel McCrea
Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...
,
Virginia Mayo
Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones; November 30, 1920 – January 17, 2005) was an American actress and dancer. She was in a series of comedy films with Danny Kaye and was Warner Brothers' biggest box-office money-maker in the late 1940s. ...
, and
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone (born Mary Dorothy Maloney; January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress.
Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years, she played small roles, mainly in B-movies, with the exception of a supporting role ...
. His credited debut was in ''
Thunder Road'' (1958), in which he played his father's much younger brother, a role written for
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, who was eager to do it until his manager demanded too much money. This film became a drive-in cult favorite, revived in the 1970s and ’80s. Curiously, he was again credited as being "introduced" in the ''
Have Gun Will Travel'' flashback episode "Genesis" (season 6, episode 1, 1962).
He has appeared in more than 30 films including ''
The Beat Generation
''The Beat Generation'' is a 1959 American crime film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Steve Cochran and Mamie Van Doren, with Ray Danton, Fay Spain, Maggie Hayes, Jackie Coogan, Louis Armstrong, James Mitchum, Vampira, and Ray Anthony. It i ...
'' in 1959; ''
The Victors
"The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan. Michigan student Louis Elbel wrote the song in 1898 after the football team's victory over the University of Chicago, which clinched an undefeated season and the Western Conferen ...
'' in 1963; as a surfer named Eskimo in ''
Ride the Wild Surf
''Ride the Wild Surf'' is a 1964 American romantic drama film. It was filmed in 1963 and distributed in 1964. Unlike the beach party movies of the era, this was a departure from the typical Hollywood approach to surfing as it was a drama, not a ...
'' in 1964; ''
In Harm's Way
''In Harm's Way'' is a 1965 American epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Patricia Neal, with a supporting cast featuring Henry Fonda in a lengthy cameo, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanle ...
'' (1965) with
John Wayne,
Kirk Douglas, and
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics.
Born and ra ...
.
In 1965 Mitchum had the lead in a
spaghetti western ''
Grand Canyon Massacre
''Grand Canyon Massacre'' (Italian: ''Massacro al Grande Canyon'', lit. "Massacre at Grand Canyon") is a 1964 Italian Spaghetti Western filmed in Croatia starring James Mitchum, Milla Sannoner, and George Ardisson. It was directed by Sergio Co ...
'', the following year was ''
Ambush Bay
''Ambush Bay'' is a 1966 American war film directed by Ron Winston and starring Hugh O'Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum. It was filmed on location in the Philippines.
Plot
Prior to the 1944 American Philippines Campaign (1944–45), invasi ...
'' (1966) with
Hugh O'Brien
Hugh O'Brien (July 13, 1827 – August 1, 1895) was the 31st mayor of Boston, from 1884 to 1888. O'Brien is notable as Boston's first Irish and Catholic mayor, having emigrated from Ireland to America in the early 1830s. O'Brien was the editor ...
and
Mickey Rooney, in which he received third billing of three names above the title. He played the villain in ''
The Invincible Six
''The Invincible Six'' is a 1970 American-Iranian adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Stuart Whitman, Elke Sommer, Curd Jürgens, and Ian Ogilvy. Six international criminals attempt to steal the crown jewels of Iran, but i ...
'' (1970), then appeared in ''
Two-Lane Blacktop
''Two-Lane Blacktop'' is a 1971 American road movie directed by Monte Hellman, written by Rudy Wurlitzer and starring songwriter James Taylor, the Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates, and Laurie Bird.
Plot
Two street racers, the Dr ...
'' (1971); and ''
The Last Movie
''The Last Movie'' is a 1971 metafictional drama film directed and edited by Dennis Hopper, who also stars in the leading role as a horse wrangler named after the state of Kansas. It is written by Stewart Stern, based on a story by Hopper and Ste ...
'' (1971).
In 1975, he returned to lead roles when he starred in the movie ''
Moonrunners
''Moonrunners'' is a 1975 action comedy film starring James Mitchum, about a Southern family who runs bootleg liquor. It was reworked four years later into the popular long-running television series ''The Dukes of Hazzard'', and the two product ...
,'' where he played the character Grady Hagg in the influence for the television series ''
The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...
''. He was also in ''
Zebra Force
''The Zebra Force'' (''Codename: Zebra'', USA title) is a 1976 American film directed by Joe Tornatore. The film is about a group of Vietnam War veterans who declare war on Los Angeles drug dealers and the Mafia. The film is also known as ''Code ...
'' and ''
Trackdown'' co-starring Karen Lamm and Erik Estrada in 1976; ''
The Ransom'' (a k a ''Assault on Paradise'') (1977); ''Blackout'' (1978); ''
Monstroid'' (1980); ' (1982); ''Code Name Zebra'' (1987); ''Hollywood Cop'' (1987); ''
Jake Spanner, Private Eye'' (1989); and ''
Fatal Mission'' (1990).
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchum, James
American male film actors
1941 births
Living people
Male actors from Los Angeles
Mitchum family