Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was born on 6 August 1917, in Bridgeport, Connecticut USA, to Ann Gunderson of Norwegian descent, and James Mitchum of Scottish-Ulster and Blackfoot Indian descent. He was an actor, director, author, poet, composer and singer, but best known for his starring roles in several classic films noir such as “Out of the Past” and “The Night of the Hunter”, as well as for his role in the film “Cape Fear”. He passed away in 1997.
One of the most memorable leading men of the 20th century, how wealthy was Robert Mitchum? According to sources, Mitchum had amassed a wealth of over $10 million, acquired largely during his acting career which began in the early 1940s.
Robert Mitchum Net Worth $10 Million
Mitchum’s father was accidentally killed when he was still a baby, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather. He was a quite problematic boy, frequently getting into trouble. Leaving both his home and school in his teens, he traveled around the country on railroad cars, taking various jobs, including professional boxing.
In 1936, he moved to Long Beach, California, to live with his sister, working as a ghostwriter and later as a stagehand and occasional extra in a local theater company. He eventually left theater to take a job as a machine operator in an aircraft company.
After suffering a nervous breakdown which led to temporary blindness, Mitchum found employment in the film industry as an extra in 1943, landing numerous roles that year and having modest success in the B-Western genre. He earned his first taste of fame with the role of officer Bill Walker in the 1945 war film “The Story of G.I. Joe”, a great commercial and critical success which brought Mitchum his only Oscar nomination. He was then drafted and served eight months in the military, which stabilized his net worth.
Mitchum’s first major noir was the 1947 “Out of the Past”, in which he played a gas-station owner and former investigator named Jeff Markham, the role which enabled him to achieve a high level of success and recognition, considerably adding to his wealth. However, the actor soon found himself spending over a month in jail, for allegedly possessing marijuana, along with actress Lila Leeds, a conviction which was later quashed, but which apparently brought him publicity which carried over following his release, and he began landing roles in several box-office hits, such as “Rachel and the Stranger”, “The Red Pony” and the film noir “The Big Steal”,adding to his net worth.
The ’50s saw Mitchum starring in films such as “My Forbidden Past”, “The Racket” and “River of No Return”. In 1955 he got the role of a criminal posing as a preacher, Reverend Harry Powell, in the film noir “The Night of the Hunter”. His performance, often considered to be his best role ever, made Mitchum one of the most recognizable faces of his generation, significantly improving his net worth and his popularity with audiences.
His next major part came in 1962, when he portrayed the menacing rapist Max Cady in the psychological thriller “Cape Fear”, furthering his reputation for playing predatory characters. Other notable roles of the decade came with the films “The Longest Day”, “Anzio” and “El Dorado”. All contributed to his wealth.
With the ’70s, Mitchum began appearing in romances and dramas, his most memorable roles being in “Ryan’s Daughter”, “Yakuza”, “Farewell, My Lovely” and “The Big Sleep”. His ’80s roles included the films “Nightkill”, “That Championship Season” and “Scrooged”, and the miniseries “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance”. He continued to appear in films until the mid- ’90s, his last role being in the TV film “James Dean: Race with Destiny”.
Aside from his acting career, Mitchum was also involved in music, both as a singer and composer. In addition to using his singing voice in his film work, he released two albums, the 1957 “Calypso – is like so…” and the 1967 “That Man, Robert Mitchum, Sings”, achieving modest success. He also co-wrote and composed music for an oratorio produced by Orson Welles at the Hollywood Bowl.
In his personal life, Mitchum was married to Dorothy from 1940 until his death. The couple had three children together. Mitchum died in mid-97 of complications of lung cancer and emphysema, being aged 79.
