Given his supposed anti-establishment Rep, it’s Interesting that he was a Goldwater/Reagan Republican. Hepburn’s comment quoted in his obit in the WAPO adds a bit of counterweight to his star status.
“Those movies included the 1946 psychological drama ‘Undercurrent’ with Katharine Hepburn. During the filming of that movie, Hepburn, reportedly frustrated by Mr. Mitchum's persistent pranks and lack of seriousness on the set, told him: ‘You know you can't act, and if you hadn't been good-looking, you would never have gotten a picture. I'm tired of playing with people who have nothing to offer.’
(Hepburn was known to be outspoken. Noteworthy though that she was born into upper middle class wealth and became liberal in her politics as a result of McCarthyism. Fair to say that she was an intellectual and Mitchum not.)
Also, Mitchum was drafted during WWII right after filming “The Life of G.I. Joe” and served only eight months at a CA Army base before being granted a dependency discharge.
It is wholly ridiculous and pure snobbery in the extreme (something Hepburn embraced to a ludicrous degree and which many who worked with her had to endure) to claim Hepburn was an intellectual and Mitchum not. It’s exactly this kind of bigoted idiocy Mitchum railed against so courageously his entire life. He had no truck with and neither do I.
You only need to watch the Dick Cavett interview with her I’ve clipped to see what a haughty arrogant bore she could be, supremely talented though she was. This was a large contributor to her becoming box office poison at one stage in her career due to audiences finding not just the characters she was playing but HER coldly arrogant. Tracy softened her up and made her more attractive both on screen and off.
Hepburn was a strong, agentic, feminist at a time when it was costly to be so and as said a stunningly talented Actress - but she was not half the Creative & Artistic polymath Mitchum was.
My dad was a fan ,styled himself on him ,looked a little like him too .They don't make stars like him anymore sadly .Thanks again for your work Michael.
thanks :) .. you'll like this next bit .. he did many things in his short life. in 1976 he appeared at the Country Music Festival at Wembley where his band won Best Newcomers award - dad was the front man - and he and my mum spent two nights drinking in the hotel bar with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Hamilton, Marty Robbins, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rich etc. - loads of big names my mum tells the story like it's a roll call of famous names.
And they did it all again in 1977 when dad supported Dolly Parton one night in London that year - it was a prize for winning the year before. My mum says that Dolly and my dad got along really well, while for her part my mum and Willie Nelson became buddies that summer ..
very proud of my parents Michael. :) ... must've been a great time.
Loved reading about Robert Mitchum.
Thanks for writing about him.
Given his supposed anti-establishment Rep, it’s Interesting that he was a Goldwater/Reagan Republican. Hepburn’s comment quoted in his obit in the WAPO adds a bit of counterweight to his star status.
“Those movies included the 1946 psychological drama ‘Undercurrent’ with Katharine Hepburn. During the filming of that movie, Hepburn, reportedly frustrated by Mr. Mitchum's persistent pranks and lack of seriousness on the set, told him: ‘You know you can't act, and if you hadn't been good-looking, you would never have gotten a picture. I'm tired of playing with people who have nothing to offer.’
(Hepburn was known to be outspoken. Noteworthy though that she was born into upper middle class wealth and became liberal in her politics as a result of McCarthyism. Fair to say that she was an intellectual and Mitchum not.)
Also, Mitchum was drafted during WWII right after filming “The Life of G.I. Joe” and served only eight months at a CA Army base before being granted a dependency discharge.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/07/02/film-and-tv-star-robert-mitchum-dies-at-age-79/2c7c3de9-3293-4d7c-bee6-3124b3d73d4c/#:~:text=Drafted%20into%20the%20Army%20during,%243%2C000%2Da%2Dweek%20career.
It is wholly ridiculous and pure snobbery in the extreme (something Hepburn embraced to a ludicrous degree and which many who worked with her had to endure) to claim Hepburn was an intellectual and Mitchum not. It’s exactly this kind of bigoted idiocy Mitchum railed against so courageously his entire life. He had no truck with and neither do I.
You only need to watch the Dick Cavett interview with her I’ve clipped to see what a haughty arrogant bore she could be, supremely talented though she was. This was a large contributor to her becoming box office poison at one stage in her career due to audiences finding not just the characters she was playing but HER coldly arrogant. Tracy softened her up and made her more attractive both on screen and off.
Hepburn was a strong, agentic, feminist at a time when it was costly to be so and as said a stunningly talented Actress - but she was not half the Creative & Artistic polymath Mitchum was.
My dad was a fan ,styled himself on him ,looked a little like him too .They don't make stars like him anymore sadly .Thanks again for your work Michael.
Your Dad was obviously a man of taste & style.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Michael🙏🏻👍🏻
Beautiful, man. Hugely enjoyed reading that. Thank you.
My long gone dad, bless him, was a major fan of both Robert Mitchum and Johnny Cash. Says it all about my old man, eh. Me too I guess.
And as Lou Reed put it, ".. when you kissed Robert Mitchum. Gee but I thought you'd never catch him..." The stuff of legends.
Thanks Cliff, glad you enjoyed it. Your Dad had sublime taste of course.😉
thanks :) .. you'll like this next bit .. he did many things in his short life. in 1976 he appeared at the Country Music Festival at Wembley where his band won Best Newcomers award - dad was the front man - and he and my mum spent two nights drinking in the hotel bar with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Hamilton, Marty Robbins, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rich etc. - loads of big names my mum tells the story like it's a roll call of famous names.
And they did it all again in 1977 when dad supported Dolly Parton one night in London that year - it was a prize for winning the year before. My mum says that Dolly and my dad got along really well, while for her part my mum and Willie Nelson became buddies that summer ..
very proud of my parents Michael. :) ... must've been a great time.