John Mitchum (September 6, 1919 – November 29, 2001) was 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 (), lit ...

from the 1940s to the 1970s in film and television. The younger brother of the 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 ...

, he was credited as Jack Mitchum early in his career.

Early years

Mitchum was born in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequo ...

, to Ann Harriet Mitchum (née Gunderson) and James Thomas Mitchum, who had been killed in a railyard accident seven months earlier. He was the younger brother of Julie Mitchum and

. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, 361st Harbor Craft Company, in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

Career

Mitchum initially appeared unbilled in (e.g., ''

Flying Leathernecks ''Flying Leathernecks'' is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, (who had produced ''Sands of Iwo Jima'') and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits an ...

'', RKO 1951) and extra roles before gradually receiving bigger character parts. He supported his more famous brother on several occasions, and became known as the friendly, food-loving Inspector Frank DiGiorgio in the first three '' Dirty Harry films''. His character was killed in the third film, '' The Enforcer''. In 1957, he had a short appearance on ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' as a dueling cowboy in the episode “Sweet and Sour” (S2E23). He returned two years later portraying “Joe” in “The Constable” (S4E37). In 1958, Mitchum was cast in two episodes of the

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

'' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'', starring David Janssen. He played Joe in the episode "Short Haul" and Jimmy Logan in "Bungalow Murder". On September 15, 1959, Mitchum appeared in the premiere episode "Stage Stop" of 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 ...

series '' Laramie''. Mitchum was cast in 1960 as Pickalong in 10 episodes of the Western series ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

'', starring

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

. The same year, he appeared in the Western series '' The Rebel'', starring Nick Adams. He also appeared as Hal Swanson in the 1960 episode "Silver Killers" of the Western series ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second s ...

''. Mitcham appeared in the 1960 Tales of Wells Fargo episode, "A Show for Silver Lode", in the role of a Wells Fargo station agent. From 1965 to 1967, Mitchum had the recurring role of Trooper Hoffenmueller in 11 episodes of the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

'' F Troop'', starring

Forrest Tucker Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker worked as a vaudeville straight man at the age of fifteen. A mentor provided fund ...

, Larry Storch, and

Ken Berry Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series '' F Troop'', '' The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and '' Mama's Family''. He also ap ...

. In the 1967 episode of ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'' "Surf's Up! Joker's Under!", he guest-starred as the character Hot Dog Harrigan. Mitchum was a writer, poet, singer, and guitar player. An autobiography/biography about his life and career and that of his brother Robert was published in 1998, called ''Them Ornery Mitchum Boys''. He composed the piece "America, Why I Love Her", which

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

included in his book and album of the same name. The piece and a short film with Wayne's narration were aired at many television stations at sign-off time before stations began broadcasting 24 hours a day in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Wayne is often mistakenly credited with composing the piece.

Personal life

Mitchum was married three times, first to Joy Hallward, older sister of

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

femme fatale Gloria Grahame. Mitchum died on November 29, 2001, after complications of three strokes. He was 82.

Selected filmography

With Clint Eastwood

* '' Paint Your Wagon'' (1969) – Jacob Woodling * ''

Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir action thriller film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the ''Dirty Harry'' series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department (SFP ...

'' (1971) – Frank De Georgio * '' High Plains Drifter'' (1973) – Warden * '' Magnum Force'' (1973) – Frank De Georgio * '' The Outlaw Josey Wales'' (1976) – Al * '' The Enforcer'' (1976) – Frank De Georgio

Other appearances

* '' The Prairie'' (1947) – Asa Bush * '' Shed No Tears'' (1948) – Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Knock on Any Door ''Knock on Any Door'' is a 1949 American courtroom trial film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart. The picture gave actor John Derek his breakthrough role, and was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Willard Motley ...

'' (1949) – Jury Member (uncredited) * ''

The Devil's Sleep ''The Devil's Sleep'' is a 1949 exploitation film directed by W. Merle Connell and produced by George Weiss. Connell had previously directed a number of American burlesque films.pp.267-268 Shteir, Rachel ''Striptease: The Untold History of the G ...

'' (1949) – Interne * '' When Willie Comes Marching Home'' (1950) – Schreves (scenes deleted) * ''

In a Lonely Place ''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation of ...

'' (1950) – Bar Patron (uncredited) * '' Born to Be Bad'' (1950) – Guest (uncredited) * '' Right Cross'' (1950) – Sixth Reporter (uncredited) * ''

'' (1951) – Lt. Black (uncredited) * ''

Submarine Command ''Submarine Command'' is a 1951 American war film directed by John Farrow and starring William Holden, Don Taylor, Nancy Olson, William Bendix, and Darryl Hickman. It is notable for being one of the first films to touch on post traumatic stress ...

'' (1951) – Bert (uncredited) * '' The Pace That Thrills'' (1952) – Blackie Meyers * ''

One Minute to Zero ''One Minute to Zero'' is a 1952 American romantic war film starring Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth, set during the opening phases of the Korean War, and produced by Howard Hughes as his last film as producer. Victor Young's score for the film incl ...

'' (1952) – Artillery Spotter (uncredited) * '' The Lusty Men'' (1952) – Jack Nemo (uncredited) * '' Stalag 17'' (1953) – Prisoner of War (uncredited) * '' Lucy Gallant'' (1955) – One of Casey's Air Force Buddies (uncredited) * '' The Rawhide Years'' (1955) – Card Player (uncredited) * '' Perils of the Wilderness'' (1956) – Brent * '' The Bold and the Brave'' (1956) – G.I. in Bar (uncredited) * ''

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of ...

'' (1956) – Onlooker at Stan's Suicide Attempt (uncredited) * ''

The Man Is Armed ''The Man Is Armed'' is a 1956 film noir crime film directed by Franklin Adreon starring Dane Clark, William Talman, May Wynn and Robert Horton. Plot Framed by another man, truck driver Johnny Morrison serves a year in prison. After his rel ...

'' (1956) – Officer * ''

Man in the Vault ''Man in the Vault'' is a 1956 film noir about a locksmith, played by William Campbell, who is forced to help gangsters commit a robbery. The screenplay by Burt Kennedy was based on the novel ''The Lock and the Key'' by Frank Gruber. The film was ...

'' (1956) – Andy (uncredited) * '' 5 Steps to Danger'' (1957) – Deputy * ''

Operation Mad Ball ''Operation Mad Ball'' is a 1957 military comedy from Columbia Pictures, produced by Jed Harris, directed by Richard Quine, that stars Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Kathryn Grant, Arthur O'Connell, and Mickey Rooney. The screenplay is by Blake Edw ...

'' (1957) – Enlisted Man (uncredited) * '' Black Patch'' (1957) – Saloon Dealer (uncredited) * '' Death in Small Doses'' (1957) – Truck Consignment Man (uncredited) * ''

Ride Out for Revenge ''Ride Out for Revenge'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Bernard Girard and starring Rory Calhoun, Gloria Grahame, Lloyd Bridges and Joanne Gilbert. Plot Chief Yellow Wolf and son Little Wolf walk to town (the plight of Yellow W ...

'' (1957) – Sergeant (uncredited) * '' The Tall Stranger'' (1957) – Porter (uncredited) * '' Up in Smoke'' (1957) – Desk Sergeant * '' The Restless Gun'' (1958) in Episode "The Coward" * '' Cole Younger, Gunfighter'' (1958) – Rand City Bartender * ''

Hell's Five Hours ''Hell's Five Hours'' is a 1958 American thriller film written, produced and directed by Jack L. Copeland. The film stars Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, Vic Morrow, Maurice Manson, Robert Foulk and Dan Sheridan. The film was released on April 13, ...

'' (1958) – Roadblock Officer (uncredited) * '' Quantrill's Raiders'' (1958) – Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

The Bonnie Parker Story ''The Bonnie Parker Story'' is a 1958 crime film directed by William Witney. The movie is loosely based on the life of Bonnie Parker, a well-known outlaw of the 1930. The film stars Dorothy Provine as Parker; Parker's actual historical partner, C ...

'' (1958) – John – Saloon Owner / Bartender (uncredited) * '' Revolt in the Big House'' (1958) – Guard (uncredited) * '' Johnny Rocco'' (1958) – Police Detective at Stakeout (uncredited) * '' Guns Girls and Gangsters'' (1959) – Armored Car Guard (uncredited) * ''

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

'' (1959) – Photographer (uncredited) * '' The Gunfight at Dodge City'' (1959) – Rowdy Drunken Cowboy (uncredited) * ''

Battle Flame ''Battle Flame'' is a 1959 American war film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Elwood Ullman. The film stars Scott Brady, Elaine Edwards, Robert Blake, Wayne Heffley, Gordon Jones and Ken Miller. The film was released on July 26, 19 ...

'' (1959) – Maj. Dowling * '' The Sergeant Was a Lady'' (1961) – MP #1 * ''

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

'' (1962) – Hermann Goering * '' The Virginian'' (1963 episode "Echo of Another Day") as Madison * '' Cattle King'' (1963) – Tex * ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'' (1964) – Ad Lib at Church (uncredited) * '' Brainstorm'' (1965) – Guitar-Playing Inmate (uncredited) * ''

Seconds The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...

'' (1966) – Truck Driver (uncredited) * '' The Plainsman'' (1966) – Townsman (uncredited) * ''

Warning Shot In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...

'' (1967) – Reporter at Apartment (uncredited) * ''

The Way West ''The Way West'' is a 1949 western novel by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1950 and became the basis for a film starring Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, and Richard Widmark. The novel is one in the sequence of ...

'' (1967) – Little Henry * ''

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king ...

'' (1967) – Elmer – Jason's Bartender (uncredited) * ''

Three Guns for Texas 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

'' (1968) – George (uncredited) * ''

Bandolero! ''Bandolero!'' is a 1968 American Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring James Stewart, Dean Martin, Raquel Welch and George Kennedy. The story centers on two brothers on the run from a posse, led by a local sheriff who want ...

'' (1968) – Bath House Barber * '' Chisum'' (1970) – Baker * ''

Bigfoot Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims o ...

'' (1970) – Elmer Briggs * ''

One More Train to Rob ''One More Train to Rob'' is a 1971 American comedy western film directed by Andrew McLaglen, starring George Peppard, and featuring Diana Muldaur, John Vernon and France Nuyen. The shooting title for the film was ''Hark''. Plot Set in the O ...

'' (1971) – Guard (uncredited) * ''

Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate ''Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate'' is a 1971 American made-for-television mystery film directed by Ted Post, starring Myrna Loy, Helen Hayes, Mildred Natwick, Sylvia Sidney, John Beradino and Vince Edwards, with the screenplay adapted ...

'' (1971) – Mr. Tubbs * '' Chandler'' (1971) – Rudy, Bartender * ''Bloody Trail'' (1972) – Hoss * ''The World Through the Eyes of Children'' (1975) – Preacher * '' Breakheart Pass'' (1975) – Red Beard * '' Pipe Dreams'' (1976) – Franklin * '' Telefon'' (1977) – Harry Bascom * ''Where's Willie?'' (1978) * '' Jake Spanner, Private Eye'' (1989) – J.P. Spanner

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchum, John 1919 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male musicians American male film actors American male guitarists American male television actors American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people of Norwegian descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent American people of Scottish descent Guitarists from Connecticut Male actors from Bridgeport, Connecticut Male actors from Los Angeles Mitchum family