Millard Mitchell (August 14, 1903 – October 13, 1953) was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

whose credits include roughly 30 feature films and two television appearances. He appeared as a bit player in eight films between 1931 and 1936. Mitchell returned to film work in 1942 after a six-year absence. Between 1942 and 1953, he was a successful supporting actor. For his performance in the film ''

My Six Convicts ''My Six Convicts'' is a 1952 American film noir crime drama directed by Hugo Fregonese. The screenplay was adapted by Michael Blankfort from the autobiographical book ''My Six Convicts: A Psychologist's Three Years in Fort Leavenworth'', written ...

'' (1952), Mitchell won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year. The formal ...

. He is also remembered for his role as Col. Rufus Plummer in

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

's ''

A Foreign Affair ''A Foreign Affair'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy- drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by D ...

'' (1948), as Gregory Peck's commanding officer in the war drama ''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'' (1949), High-Spade Frankie Wilson in ''

Winchester '73 ''Winchester '73'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Written by Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards, the film is about the journey of a pr ...

'' (1950), as the fictional movie mogul R.F. Simpson in the musical comedy ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...

'' (1952), and as a hapless old prospector in '' The Naked Spur'' (1953). Mitchell appeared frequently on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, often playing a fast-talking Broadway character. He played the starring role in ''

The Great Campaign ''The Great Campaign'' is a 1947 play by Arnold Sundgaard. The play tells the story of a farmer who runs for president of the United States because he objects to the other candidate, who was chosen by a phony politician. However, his son sabotage ...

'' (1947).

Personal life

Mitchell was born to American parents in Havana, Cuba. He married actress Peggy Gould in 1942; the couple had two daughters, Mary Ellis and Margaret. Their daughter Maggie Schpak is a noted Hollywood jewelry designer. Mitchell died at the age of 50 in 1953 from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, and was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Filmography

*''

Secrets of a Secretary ''Secrets of a Secretary'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Abbott, and starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall. The film was stage actress Mary Boland's first role in a talkie. Premise Society girl becomes a ...

'' (1931) - Policeman (uncredited) *''

My Sin ''My Sin'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Abbott, and written by Abbott, Owen Davis, Adelaide Heilbron. It was adapted from the play, ''Her Past'', written by Frederick J. Jackson. The film stars Tallulah Bankhead, Fre ...

'' (1931) - Trooper (uncredited) *'' A Lesson in Love'' (1931) - Freshman (uncredited) *'' The Cheat'' (1931) - Courtroom Spectator (uncredited) *''Dynamite Delaney'' (1936) *''

Mr. and Mrs. North ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' are fictional American amateur detectives. Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, the couple was featured in a series of 26 Mr. and Mrs. North novels, a Broadway play, a motion picture and several radio and television ...

'' (1942) - Detective Mullins *''

Grand Central Murder ''Grand Central Murder'' is a comedy/mystery film released in 1942. It was based on Sue MacVeigh's 1939 novel of the same name, and stars Van Heflin as a private investigator who is one of the suspects in a murder on a private train car in Gran ...

'' (1942) - Arthur Doolin *''

The Mayor of 44th Street ''The Mayor of 44th Street'' is a 1942 film directed by Alfred E. Green. It stars George Murphy and Anne Shirley. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943. Cast * George Murphy as Joe Jonathan * Anne Shirley as Jersey Lee * William Garga ...

'' (1942) - Herman *''

Little Tokyo, U.S.A. ''Little Tokyo, U.S.A.'' is a 1942 American film. Produced in the period just after the United States entered World War II, it was meant to alert Americans to the dangers of foreign agents. It is now controversial for its largely negative portraya ...

'' (1942) - George 'Sleepy' Miles (uncredited) *''

The Big Street ''The Big Street'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, based on the 1940 short story "Little Pinks" by Damon Runyon, who also produced it. It was directed by Irving Reis from a screenplay by Leonard Spigelgass. ...

'' (1942) - Gentleman George (uncredited) *''

Get Hep to Love ''Get Hep to Love'' is a 1942 musical film starring Gloria Jean, Donald O'Connor, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Peggy Ryan. The film was directed by Charles Lamont. Plot Doris Stanley is an adolescent singer ("14 going on 15") billed as an ...

'' (1942) - McCarthy *''

Dixie Dugan ''Dixie Dugan'' is best known as a long-running syndicated newspaper comic strip published from October 21, 1929 to October 8, 1966. The title character was originally modeled after 1920s film actress Louise Brooks and early stories followed Dix ...

'' (1943) - Accident Victim (uncredited) *''

Slightly Dangerous ''Slightly Dangerous'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film starring Lana Turner and Robert Young. The screenplay concerns a bored young woman in a dead-end job who runs away to New York City and ends up impersonating the long-lost daughter of ...

'' (1943) - Baldwin *''

Swell Guy ''Swell Guy'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Sonny Tufts and Ann Blyth. The film's screenplay by Richard Brooks is based on the 1921 play ''The Hero'' by Gilbert Emery. Plot Almost no one in his Califor ...

'' (1946) - Steve *'' Kiss of Death'' (1947) - Detective Shelby (uncredited) *'' A Double Life'' (1947) - Al Cooley *''

'' (1948) - Col. Rufus J. Plummer *''

Thieves' Highway ''Thieves' Highway'' is a 1949 film noir directed by Jules Dassin. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides, based on his novel ''Thieves' Market''. The film was released on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection in 2005. Plot A war-ve ...

'' (1949) - Ed Kinney *''

Everybody Does It ''Everybody Does It'' is a 1949 comedy film starring Paul Douglas, Linda Darnell and Celeste Holm. In the film, a businessman's wife tries to become an opera star, failing miserably due to her lack of talent. When it turns out that her totally unt ...

'' (1949) - Mike Craig *''

'' (1949) - Major General Pritchard *''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewr ...

'' (1950) - Marshall Mark Strett *'' Louisa'' (1950) - Photo of David Norton (uncredited) *''

'' (1950) - High-Spade Frankie Wilson *''

Convicted In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is co ...

'' (1950) - Malloby *''

Mister 880 ''Mister 880'' is a 1950 American light-hearted romantic drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire and Edmund Gwenn, about an amateurish counterfeiter who counterfeits only one dollar bills, and manages ...

'' (1950) - "Mac" McIntire *''

You're in the Navy Now ''You're in the Navy Now'' is a 1951 American war drama film about the United States Navy in the first months of World War II. The film was directed by Henry Hathaway and stars Gary Cooper as a new officer wanting duty at sea but who is instead a ...

'' (1951) - Chief George Larrabee *'' Strictly Dishonorable'' (1951) - Bill Dempsey *''

The Day the Earth Stood Still ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (a.k.a. ''Farewell to the Master'' and ''Journey to the World'') is a 1951 American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Robert Wise. It stars Michael Re ...

'' (1951) - General (uncredited) *''

'' (1952) - James Connie *''

'' (1952) - R. F. Simpson *'' The Naked Spur'' (1953) - Jesse Tate *'' Here Come the Girls'' (1953) - Albert Snodgrass

References

External links

* *
Matinee Classics: Millard Mitchell
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Millard 1903 births 1953 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Deaths from lung cancer in California Male Western (genre) film actors Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Havana Cuban emigrants to the United States