Robert Mitchum Was Holding On To A Dark Personal History

Nov 03, 2020

Robert Mitchum is Hollywood's first bad boy, wooing women with his nonchalance and cool demeanor since the 1940s. But although his laissez-faire attitude to acting and life wasn't a secret during his career, there were some things the heartthrob kept out of the public eye, including jail time and more.

Born into a traditional working-class family in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1917, Robert's family hailed from Ireland on his father's side and Norway on his mother's. His father worked at the shipyard and railroad before he died in a tragic accident when Robert was just one year old. This impacted the family profoundly, especially Robert, who acted out as a child by being a prankster, getting into fistfights, and general mischievousness. 

In his early adolescent years, he moved in with his sister in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, before leaving and traveling throughout the country, hopping on railroad cars. At the age of 14, he was even arrested for vagrancy and was put on a chain gang, but managed to escape before returning to his family.

Finding Love Early

After reuniting with his family, who were based in Delaware at this point, Robert would meet Dorothy Spence, who he would eventually marry in 1940. The couple stayed married for the duration of their lives, making their union 57 years long. 

The pair then headed out to California and amid a number of odd jobs that Robert did—including coal mining, semi-professional boxing, and machine operating during WWII—Robert eventually gave in to show business. 

After scoring a few roles as an extra, Robert made his mark on Hollywood in 1945's The Story of G.I. Joe, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 

Frequently appearing in Film Noir movies in the '50s and '60s, Robert became a popular face on the screen. Film critic Roger Ebert would later describe him as "the soul of film noir." His smooth demeanor and sleepy eyes were affecting whether he was playing the hero or the villain. Apparently, Mitchum claimed his sleepy eyes were due to a combination of injuries "from his boxing days and chronic insomnia, which he suffered from throughout his life," according to IMDB. 

Remember Robert's delinquent youth? Well, it seems his personal life off-screen didn't change all that much, despite his ascendence to Hollywood fame. Mitchum would get into trouble with the law even as a famous actor—he was thrown into county jail for a week in 1948, followed by serving time at a prison farm in California. 

To everyone's surprise, though, Mitchum's films released after his arrest ended up being his biggest box office hits! A sure sign that his bad-boy persona only fed into the allure of his celebrity. Mitchum was known to reference the incident, once saying:

“The only difference between me and my fellow actors is that I’ve spent more time in jail."

But that's not where the trouble ends. Mitchum was fired from the 1955 film Bloody Alley after arriving in a bad mood and trashing the set because there wasn't a car prepared for him. Further stories of his take-no-prisoners approach were rampant and only added to his rough image.

By 1970 Mitchum was going through a challenging time in his personal life and fell into depression. This occurred during the filming of Ryan's Daughter, but his friend and screenwriter Robert Bolt supported him in his time of need and ultimately Mitchum recovered.

People speculated that Robert was unhappy in his career as an actor, as he often made comments that movies bored him or that there wasn't so much talent needed to do his chosen profession. However, Robert was well aware of how lucky he was, saying:

“I got a great life out of the movies. I’ve been all over the world and met the most fantastic people. I don’t really deserve all that I have gotten. It’s a privileged life, and I know it."

Eventually, his rough and tumble lifestyle caught up with him when he died on July 1st, 1997, from complications related to lung cancer and emphysema. He was survived by Dorothy and their three children. 

Are you a fan of Robert Mitchum? Were you aware of the darkness in his personal life, not only on screen? Tell us your thoughts in the comments and be sure to pass this on to any fans of Hollywood's Golden Age!