Editing Robert Mitchum (section)

==Acting career==
===Getting established===
[[File:Robert Dorothy Mitchum.jpg|thumb|right|Robert and Dorothy Mitchum (1948)]]
[[File:Robert Mitchum and sons 1946.jpg|thumb|right|Mitchum with his sons (1946)]]
[[File:Robert Mitchum på Fornebu - L0056 879Fo30141701030132.jpg|thumb|right|Dorothy and Robert Mitchum (1955)]]

By 1937, Mitchum had settled in [[Long Beach, California]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=14}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Jeff |title=Actor Robert Mitchum dead at 79 |url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/entertainment/local/1997/07/02/actor-robert-mitchum-dead-at/50613012007/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=New Bedford Standard-Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-10-21 |title=FILM AND TV STAR ROBERT MITCHUM DIES AT AGE 79 - The Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/07/02/film-and-tv-star-robert-mitchum-dies-at-age-79/2c7c3de9-3293-4d7c-bee6-3124b3d73d4c/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021220634/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/07/02/film-and-tv-star-robert-mitchum-dies-at-age-79/2c7c3de9-3293-4d7c-bee6-3124b3d73d4c/ |archive-date=October 21, 2017 }}</ref> His older sister, [[Julie Mitchum|Julie]], tried to return to show business and became a member of the Players Guild, a local theater group.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=41}} Often accompanying her home after her rehearsals, he took an interest in the group's productions and became acquainted with her colleagues.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=14}}{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=119}} With his mother's encouragement,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=205}} Mitchum joined the Players Guild and made his stage debut in August 1937.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=26, 206–7}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=43–44}} He continued appearing in their productions{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=207–9}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=44–45}} and also wrote two children's plays.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=208, 218}}<ref name="parkinson2016">{{cite web |last1=Parkinson |first1=David |title=Robert Mitchum: 10 Essential Films |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/robert-mitchum-10-essential-films |website=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201010728/https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/robert-mitchum-10-essential-films |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |date=August 5, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> After Julie began working as a cabaret singer, he started writing lyrics for her and other performers.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=46–47}} In 1939, he wrote and composed an oratorio that was presented at a Jewish-refugee-benefit show, produced and directed by [[Orson Welles]].<ref name="time1968"/>{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=35}}

In late 1939, Mitchum was hired by astrologer [[Carroll Righter]] as an assistant for an Eastern Seaboard tour.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=120–121}}{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=45–46}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=48–49}}{{refn|group=note| Some sources report that Mitchum once worked as a ghostwriter for Righter.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=35–36}}<ref name="SatEvePost"/><ref name="thr2014"/> However, in a 1991 interview, Mitchum denied such rumors, saying that he had never done any writing for Righter.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=120–121}}}} He returned to Delaware to marry Dorothy Spence in 1940 during this trip and then moved back to California with her.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=49–50}}<ref name="ap"/> He quit his work as a writer for cabaret acts after a promised payment failed to materialize.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=38}} Intending to provide a steady income for his family after his wife became pregnant, Mitchum took a job as a sheet metal worker at the [[Lockheed Aircraft Corporation]] during [[World War II]].{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=38–39}}{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=48–49}} He acted part-time for a while, and his last stage appearance before his entrance into films was in 1941.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=40}}{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=209}}{{refn|group=note|Mitchum's first child was born on the opening night of a local theater production he appeared in.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=40}}{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=209}}}} The noise of the machinery at Lockheed damaged his hearing.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Obituary – Robert Mitchum Actor played tough guys | newspaper = [[The Ottawa Citizen]] | location = [[Ottawa]], Ontario | date = July 2, 1997 | page = A-11 | id = {{ProQuest|240116189}}}}</ref> Assigned to a graveyard shift, he suffered from chronic insomnia and went temporarily blind. Told by his doctors that his illness was caused by job-related anxieties, he left Lockheed.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=49–51}}<ref name="SatEvePost"/><ref name="thomas1993">{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Bob |title=Robert Mitchum - The Sleepy-Eyed Tough Guy |url=https://www.deseret.com/1993/11/25/19078475/robert-mitchum-the-sleepy-eyed-tough-guy/ |access-date=July 12, 2024 |work=[[Deseret News]] |date=November 25, 1993 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202222133/https://www.deseret.com/1993/11/25/19078475/robert-mitchum-the-sleepy-eyed-tough-guy/ |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Mitchum then sought work as a film actor.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=55–56}} An agent he knew from his work in theater got him an interview with [[Harry Sherman]], the producer of [[United Artists]]' ''[[Hopalong Cassidy (film series)|Hopalong Cassidy]]'' Western film series, which starred [[William Boyd (actor)|William Boyd]].{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=44–46}}{{sfn|Freese|2020|p=12}} In June 1942, Mitchum began his film career with a part as a minor villain in ''[[Border Patrol (1943 film)|Border Patrol]]'', the first of seven Hopalong Cassidy films he made that were released in 1943.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=59–65}}{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=13–17}} That year, he appeared in a total of 19 films.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=121}} His first non-Western was ''[[Follow the Band]]'', a musical at [[Universal Pictures|Universal]],{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=37}} and he went uncredited as a soldier in ''[[The Human Comedy (film)|The Human Comedy]]'', a major [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] picture starring [[Mickey Rooney]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=38–39}} Other films in which he played supporting parts included a [[Laurel and Hardy]] comedy, ''[[The Dancing Masters]]'',{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=44}} and two war films starring [[Randolph Scott]], ''[[Corvette K-225]]''{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=42}} and [[Gung Ho! (1943 film)|''Gung Ho!'']].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=45–46}}<ref>{{Citation | title = Bugs Bunny-War Bonds | date = 1943 | url = https://archive.org/details/GungHo-1943Trailer | access-date = September 21, 2017}}</ref> [[Harry Cohn]] offered him a studio contract after viewing his performance in [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]]'s musical ''[[Doughboys in Ireland]]''. Mitchum, however, declined the offer.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=55–56}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=69–70}}

Mitchum's first important role was in ''[[When Strangers Marry]]'', a thriller directed by [[William Castle]] and released by [[Monogram Pictures|Monogram]] in 1944.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=49}}{{sfn|Marill|1978|pp=80–81}}{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=48–49}} Opposite [[Dean Jagger]] and [[Kim Hunter]], he played a salesman who helps his former girlfriend solve a murder mystery. Mitchum received positive reviews for his performance, and in retrospect, the film is considered a fine example of B movies.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=48–49}}  That same year, he was cast in a small role in the war film ''[[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]]'', starring [[Van Johnson]] and [[Robert Walker (actor, born 1918)|Robert Walker]] and featuring [[Spencer Tracy]] in a guest performance.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=49–50}} Director [[Mervyn LeRoy]] was impressed by Mitchum's talent and recommended him to [[RKO Pictures|RKO]].{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=64–65}}

On May 25, 1944, Mitchum signed a seven-year contract with RKO at an initial salary of $350 per week, effective June 1. [[David O. Selznick]]'s [[Vanguard Films]] bought a piece of the contract.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=56, 65}} Mitchum's first film for RKO was ''[[Girl Rush]]'' (1944), a comedy starring [[Brown and Carney]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=50–51}} He was groomed for B-Western stardom in two [[Zane Grey]] adaptations, ''[[Nevada (1944 film)|Nevada]]'' (1944){{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=35–37}} and ''[[West of the Pecos (1945 film)|West of the Pecos]]'' (1945),{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=41–43}} with the former marking his first time receiving star billing.{{sfn|Eells|1984|p=67}} Both films did well at the box office{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=51}} and received positive reviews from critics.{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=41–43}}

Following the filming of the two Westerns, RKO lent Mitchum to independent producer Lester Cowan for a prominent supporting actor role in ''[[The Story of G.I. Joe]]'' (1945), directed by [[William A. Wellman]].{{sfn|Marill|1978|p=26}} He portrayed a war-weary officer based on Captain [[Henry T. Waskow]], who remains resolute despite the troubles he faces.<ref>{{AFI film|24602|G.I. Joe}}</ref> The film, which followed the life of an ordinary soldier through the eyes of journalist [[Ernie Pyle]], played by [[Burgess Meredith]], became an instant critical and commercial success.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=54–56}}<ref>{{cite news |title=British Exhibition Chill Continues Against 'GI Joe' and 'Objective Burma' |url=https://archive.org/details/variety163-1946-09/page/n2/mode/1up |access-date=July 17, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=September 4, 1946 |pages=3, 27}}</ref> General [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] called it the greatest war picture he had ever seen.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The New Pictures, Jul. 23, 1945 |url=https://time.com/archive/6605976/the-new-pictures-jul-23-1945/ |access-date=July 17, 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 23, 1945 }}</ref> Before its release, Mitchum was drafted into the [[United States Army]], serving at [[Fort MacArthur]], California, as a medic.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=70–75}} ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' was nominated for four [[18th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The 18th Academy Awards {{!}} 1946 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1946 |website=[[Academy Awards]] |date=April 9, 2024 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520004844/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1946 |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> including Mitchum's only nomination for an Academy Award, for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref name="champlin1997">{{cite news |last1=Champlin |first1=Charles |title=Mitchum: Hollywood's Enduring Bad Boy |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-02-ca-8843-story.html |access-date=July 17, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 2, 1997}}</ref> The film established Mitchum as a star,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=54–56}} and nearly three decades later, [[Andrew Sarris]] described his performance as "extraordinarily haunting" in ''[[The Village Voice]]''.<ref name="sarris">{{cite news |last=Sarris |first=Andrew |title=He Does Something Different |work=[[The Village Voice]] |date=July 26, 1973 |pages=61–62}}</ref>

In 1946, Mitchum appeared in ''[[Till the End of Time (film)|Till the End of Time]]'',  [[Edward Dmytryk]]'s box office hit about returning Marine [[veteran]]s, with [[Dorothy McGuire]] and [[Guy Madison]],{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=56–57}}{{sfn|Jewell|2016|p=51}} before migrating to a genre that came to define his career and screen persona: [[film noir]].<ref name="Biography"/>

===Film noir===
[[File:Robert mitchum.jpg|right|thumb|Mitchum in his film noir days]]
[[File:OutOfThePastMitchumGreer.jpg|thumb|right|With [[Jane Greer]] in ''[[Out of the Past]]'' (1947)]]

Mitchum ultimately became best known for his work in film noir.<ref name="Biography"/> He was cast as the second lead in two noirs in 1946. On a loan-out to MGM, he costarred with [[Katharine Hepburn]] and [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] in [[Vincente Minnelli]]'s ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]'', playing a troubled, sensitive man entangled in the affairs of his tycoon brother and his brother's suspicious wife.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=57–58}} At RKO, he appeared in [[John Brahm]]'s ''[[The Locket (1946 film)|The Locket]]'', playing a bitter ex-boyfriend to [[Laraine Day]]'s [[femme fatale]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=58–59}} The latter, noted for its use of multi-layered flashbacks, has become a [[cult film|cult classic]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Frank |title=The Locket |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81665/the-locket/#articles-reviews?articleId=78405 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114190502/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81665/the-locket#articles-reviews?articleId=78405 |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |date=June 28, 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Mitchum's career took a significant turn in 1947.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=15}}  He was loaned to [[Warner Bros.]] for [[Raoul Walsh]]'s ''[[Pursued]]'', costarring [[Teresa Wright]], playing a character who attempts to recall his past and find those responsible for killing his family. It was his first high-budget Western{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=59–60}} and is generally considered the first noir Western in American cinema.{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=46–47}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tobias |first1=Scott |title=Pursued |url=https://www.avclub.com/pursued-1798174557 |access-date=July 18, 2024 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=October 10, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Imogen Sara |title=Noir on the Range |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4278-noir-on-the-range |website=[[The Criterion Collection]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005150754/https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4278-noir-on-the-range |archive-date=October 5, 2023 |date=October 31, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Edward Dmytryk's ''[[Crossfire (film)|Crossfire]]'', costarring [[Robert Young (actor)|Robert Young]] and [[Robert Ryan]], featured Mitchum as a member of a group of returned World War II soldiers embroiled in a murder investigation for an act committed by an [[anti-semite]] in their ranks.{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=222}} With a modest budget,<ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-Bigotry Pix Snare $5,000,000 Domestic Profit |url=https://archive.org/details/variety171-1948-07/mode/1up |access-date=July 25, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=July 7, 1948 |pages=1, 40}}</ref> the picture became RKO's most profitable film of 1947{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=222}} and earned five [[20th Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 20th Academy Awards {{!}} 1948 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1948 |website=[[Academy Awards]] |date=October 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404055517/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1948 |archive-date=April 4, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Desire Me]]'', a loan-out to MGM, costarring [[Greer Garson]], was Mitchum's least successful film of the year. A troubled production and box office disaster,<ref>{{cite web |last1=LoBianco |first1=Lorraine |title=Desire Me |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/109/desire-me#articles-reviews?articleId=82770 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114190849/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/109/Desire-Me/#articles-reviews?articleId=82770 |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |date=September 29, 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Glancy |first1=H. Mark |title=MGM film grosses, 1924–1948: The Eddie Mannix Ledger |journal=[[Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television]] |date=1992 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=127–44|doi=10.1080/01439689200260081 }}</ref> it is often cited as the first major Hollywood film released without a credited director.<ref>{{AFI film|25139|Desire Me}}</ref>

Following the success of ''Pursued'' and ''Crossfire'', Mitchum was signed to a new seven-year contract with RKO and David O. Selznick,{{sfn|Server|2001|p=140}} which immediately increased his salary from $1,500 to $3,000 per week.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=88–89}} He rounded out 1947 with ''[[Out of the Past]]'' (also known as ''Build My Gallows High''),<ref>{{AFI film|25288|Out of the Past}}</ref>  landing his first starring role in a major RKO production.{{sfn|Jewell|2016|p=74}} Directed by [[Jacques Tourneur]], costarring [[Jane Greer]] and [[Kirk Douglas]], and featuring the cinematography of [[Nicholas Musuraca]], the picture cast Mitchum as a small-town gas-station owner and former private investigator whose unfinished business with a gambler and a femme fatale comes back to haunt him.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=64–66}} RKO leaders, who were initially unimpressed with the finished film, were surprised to see it become a moderate success at the box office.{{sfn|Jewell|2016|p=74}} Mitchum received generally favorable reviews for his performance, with ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} [[Bosley Crowther]] finding him "magnificently cheeky and self-assured."{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=64–66}} The film's reception solidified his status as a leading man at his home studio.{{sfn|Jewell|2016|p=74}} Today, ''Out of the Past'' is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all film noirs,<ref name="ebertootp">{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Out of the Past |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-out-of-the-past-1947 |access-date=July 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725105415/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-out-of-the-past-1947 |archive-date=July 25, 2023 |date=July 18, 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="phipps">{{cite web |last=Phipps |first=Keith |title=Out of the Past |url=https://thedissolve.com/reviews/1070-out-of-the-past/ |website=[[The Dissolve]] |access-date=July 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917003649/https://thedissolve.com/reviews/1070-out-of-the-past/ |archive-date=September 17, 2014 |date=September 15, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="tcmootp">{{cite web |last1=Feaster |first1=Felicia |last2=Miller |first2=John M. |title=The Essentials - Out of the Past |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/361/out-of-the-past/#articles-reviews?articleId=372715 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502232512/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/361/out-of-the-past/#articles-reviews?articleId=372715 |archive-date=May 2, 2023 |date=January 18, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> featuring Mitchum in his signature role as the genre's fatalistic anti-hero.<ref name="schickel1997">{{cite magazine |last1=Schickel |first1=Richard |title=Eternally Cool: Robert Mitchum (1917-1997) |url=https://time.com/archive/6731132/eternally-cool-robert-mitchum-1917-1997/ |access-date=July 18, 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 14, 1997}}</ref><ref name="ross2016"/><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Nashawaty |first1=Chris |title=Out of the Past |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/08/29/out-past-2/ |access-date=July 24, 2024 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=August 29, 2014}}</ref>

On September 1, 1948, during the rise of his career, Mitchum was arrested for possession of [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] with actress [[Lila Leeds]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-QtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EE8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1737,716525&dq=marijuana&hl=en |title=Robert Mitchum Arrested with Two Movie Actresses in Marijuana Party Raid |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402094831/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-QtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EE8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1737,716525&dq=marijuana&hl=en |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|date=September 2, 1948|url-status=live}}</ref> While RKO could have cited the morals clause and canceled his contract, the studio chose to stand by him.{{sfn|Jewell|2016|pp=89–90}} He served for 50 days, split between the Los Angeles County Jail and a [[Castaic, California]], [[prison farm]], and was released on March 30, 1949.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=116–23}} ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' photographers were permitted to take photos of him mopping up in his prison uniform.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Movies of 1948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gU0EAAAAMBAJ&q=mitchum |access-date=July 18, 2024 |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=March 14, 1949 |page=54}}</ref> He later told reporters that jail was "like Palm Springs, but without the riff-raff."{{sfn|Carson|1978}}<ref name="schickel1997"/>{{Refn|group=note|The arrest inspired the exploitation film ''[[She Shoulda Said No!]]'' (1949), which starred Leeds.<ref>{{AFI film|26174|Wild Weed}}</ref>}} Mitchum's conviction was later overturned by the Los Angeles court and district attorney's office on January 31, 1951, after being exposed as a setup.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mitchum Conviction Expunged |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 1, 1951 |page=21|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/02/01/archives/mitchum-conviction-expunged.html|url-access=subscription|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref>{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=94–97}}

Despite Mitchum's legal troubles, his popularity was not harmed.{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=226}}<ref name="ross2016">{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Graeme |title=The reluctant movie star: 10 essential Robert Mitchum films |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/the-reluctant-movie-star-10-essential-robert-mitchum-films-a7875106.html |access-date=July 18, 2024 |work=[[The Independent]] |date=August 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110093250/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/the-reluctant-movie-star-10-essential-robert-mitchum-films-a7875106.html |archive-date=November 10, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> His upcoming film, ''[[Rachel and the Stranger]]'', was rushed into release to take advantage of the publicity surrounding the arrest and became one of RKO's top grossers of 1948.{{sfn|Jewell|2016|pp=89–90}}<ref name="afirachel">{{AFI film|25688|Rachel and the Stranger}}</ref> Costarring with [[Loretta Young]] and [[William Holden]], he played a mountain man competing for the hand of the indentured servant and wife of a recent widower.<ref name="afirachel"/> That same year, he appeared in [[Robert Wise]]'s noir Western ''[[Blood on the Moon]]'' with [[Barbara Bel Geddes]], playing a cowboy caught in a conflict between cattle owners and homesteaders.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nixon |first1=Rob |title=Blood On The Moon |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69139/blood-on-the-moon#articles-reviews?articleId=31562 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707000416/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69139/blood-on-the-moon#articles-reviews?articleId=31562 |archive-date=July 7, 2024 |date=July 28, 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> His performance received rave reviews, with critics noting his screen image as a quiet yet menacing drifter and pointing out that his presence enhanced the film's quality.{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=63–64}}

Mitchum starred in three films in 1949. ''[[The Red Pony (1949 film)|The Red Pony]]'', the film adaptation of [[John Steinbeck]]'s [[The Red Pony|novella]], directed by [[Lewis Milestone]] and costarring [[Myrna Loy]], was his first color film. A loan-out to [[Republic Pictures]], it featured him as a trusted cowhand to a ranching family.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=69–70}} Back at RKO in
''[[The Big Steal]]'', an early [[Don Siegel]] film, he returned to film noir in a reunion with Jane Greer, playing an army lieutenant who chases a thief with the help of the thief's fiancée.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=70–72}} It was a box office success.{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=234}} He was cast against type in the romantic comedy ''[[Holiday Affair]]'' opposite [[Janet Leigh]].<ref name="hatcm"/> Although the film failed at the box office at the time,{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=234}} it is now identified as a Christmas classic with annual showings on television.<ref name="hatcm">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Frank |title=Holiday Affair |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78191/holiday-affair#articles-reviews?articleId=12744 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208031215/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78191/Holiday-Affair/#articles-reviews?articleId=12744 |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |date=November 28, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

By the end of the 1940s, Mitchum had become RKO's biggest star.{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=226}}{{sfn|Longworth|2018|p=331}} Before the filming of ''Holiday Affair'', RKO studio head [[Howard Hughes]] bought Selznick's share of his contract for $400,000.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=124–25}}<ref name="hatcm"/>

===Mainstream stardom in the 1950s and 1960s===
[[File:Robert Mitchum Jane Russell His Kind of Woman 1951.jpg|right|thumb|Mitchum with [[Jane Russell]] in ''[[His Kind of Woman]]'' (1951)]]
[[File:Robert Mitchum på Fornebu - L0056 879Fo30141701030138.jpg|thumb|right|Mitchum with his wife Dorothy (1955)]]
[[File:Robert Mitchum Deborah Kerr Heaven Knows Mr. Allison 1957 (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|Mitchum with [[Deborah Kerr]] in ''[[Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison]]'' (1957)]]
[[File:Robert Mitchum.jpg|thumb|right|Mitchum in ''[[The Sundowners (1960 film)|The Sundowners]]'' (1960)]]
[[Image:Robertmitchum.JPG|thumb|Mitchum as [[Max Cady]] in ''[[Cape Fear (1962 film)|Cape Fear]]'' (1962)]]

Mitchum appeared in a string of film noirs in the early 1950s. In ''[[Where Danger Lives]]'' (1950), he played a doctor who comes between a mentally unbalanced [[Faith Domergue]] and a cuckolded [[Claude Rains]]. The film received mixed reviews from critics.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=73–74}} He and [[Ava Gardner]] played star-crossed lovers in ''[[My Forbidden Past]]'' (1951), a box office flop.{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=256}} The script was so disappointing that he publicly complained about it during the making of the film.{{sfn|Eells|1984|p=125}} The next three films he starred in were all troubled productions. ''[[His Kind of Woman]]'' (1951) starred Mitchum as a down-on-his-luck gambler lured to a Mexican resort by mobsters<ref>{{AFI film|50139|His Kind of Woman}}</ref> and paired him for the first time with [[Jane Russell]], RKO's top female star at the time.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=209}} [[Richard Fleischer]] was brought on by Howard Hughes for extensive reshooting of [[John Farrow]]'s original cut.{{sfn|Fleischer|1993|pp=49–77}} ''[[The Racket (1951 film)|The Racket]]'' (1951), a noir remake of the [[The Racket (1928 film)|1928 silent crime drama of the same name]], featured him as a police captain fighting corruption in his precinct.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=76–77}} Four other directors contributed to the project alongside the credited [[John Cromwell (director)|John Cromwell]].<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Muller, Eddie |date=2006 |title=''The Racket'' DVD commentary |type=DVD |publisher=[[Warner Home Video]]}}</ref> ''[[Macao (film)|Macao]]'' (1952) reunited him with Russell, casting him as a victim of mistaken identity at an exotic resort casino.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=78–79}} Director [[Josef von Sternberg]] was forced off the set by Hughes and replaced by [[Nicholas Ray]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Macao |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/films/macao/ |website=[[Film at Lincoln Center]] |access-date=July 27, 2024}}</ref> While ''The Racket'' was one of RKO's most successful films of 1951,{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=254}} both ''His Kind of Woman'' and ''Macao'' cost so much that they lost money.{{sfn|Jewell|2016|p=135}}

Following the [[Korean War]] drama ''[[One Minute to Zero]]'' (1952) with [[Ann Blyth]],<ref>{{AFI film|50606|One Minute To Zero}}</ref> which was one of RKO's biggest pictures of the year,{{sfn|Jewell|2016|p=125}} Mitchum returned to the Western genre. He starred as a veteran rodeo champion in ''[[The Lusty Men]]'' (also 1952), directed by Nicholas Ray and costarring [[Susan Hayward]] and [[Arthur Kennedy]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=80–82}} His performance was lauded by critics, with ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' and ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' calling it his best to date.{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=74–75}} [[Manny Farber]] wrote in ''[[The Nation]]'', "Mitchum is the most convincing cowboy I've seen in horse opry, meeting every situation with the lonely, distant calm of a master cliché-dodger."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Farber |first1=Manny |title=Films |url=https://archive.org/details/nation175julnewy/page/n517/mode/2up |access-date=July 19, 2024 |work=[[The Nation]] |date=November 8, 1952 |page=435}}</ref>

In 1953, Mitchum starred in [[Otto Preminger]]'s ''[[Angel Face (1953 film)|Angel Face]]'',{{refn|group=note|According to the AFI Catalog, ''Angel Face'' had previews in 1952 and was released in 1953.<ref>{{AFI film|50392|Angel Face}}</ref>}} the first of his three films with [[Jean Simmons]]. He played an ambulance driver who allows a murderously insane heiress to fatally seduce him. The initial reviews were mixed,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=82–83}} but the film is now recognized as a noir classic.<ref name="brody2010"/>{{sfn|Capua|2022|p=59}} [[Jean-Luc Godard]] named it as one of the best ten American sound pictures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Angel Face |url=https://tiff.net/events/angel-face |website=[[Toronto International Film Festival]] |access-date=July 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127202223/https://www.tiff.net/events/angel-face |archive-date=January 27, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> In a retrospective review in 2010, [[Richard Brody]] wrote in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' that "the ever-cool Mitchum radiates heat without warmth."<ref name="brody2010">{{cite magazine |last1=Brody |first1=Richard |title=Angel Face |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/angel-face |access-date=July 19, 2024 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=February 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928050202/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/angel-face |archive-date=September 28, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In exchange for Hayward's appearance in ''The Lusty Men'', Mitchum was loaned to [[20th Century Fox]] for ''[[White Witch Doctor]]'' (1953) opposite Hayward,{{sfn|Marill|1978|p=124}} playing a hunter who falls in love with a nurse in Africa. Although director [[Henry Hathaway]] was impressed by Mitchum's performance, the critics were not.{{sfn|Marill|1978|pp=128–29}} Back at RKO, Mitchum appeared in the studio's first [[3D film|3-D production]], ''[[Second Chance (1953 film)|Second Chance]]'' (also 1953), playing a boxer whose girlfriend is trailed by a mobster in Mexico.{{sfn|Jewell|Harbin|1982|p=274}} The film, directed by [[Rudolph Maté]] and costarring [[Linda Darnell]] and [[Jack Palance]], was a box office success<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Frank |title=Second Chance |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1051/second-chance/#articles-reviews?articleId=103609 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222091047/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1051/second-chance/#articles-reviews?articleId=103609 |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |date=September 23, 2005 |url-status=live |access-date=July 19, 2024}}</ref> and received fairly positive reviews.{{sfn|Marill|1978|p=131}} However, Mitchum had not liked the script{{sfn|Marill|1978|p=131}} and was increasingly dissatisfied with the projects assigned to him by RKO.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=165–66}}

In 1954, Mitchum reteamed with Simmons in the romantic comedy ''[[She Couldn't Say No (1954 film)|She Couldn't Say No]]'', his last film released by RKO.<ref name="afiscsn">{{AFI film|51348|She Couldn't Say No}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The film was not the last film Mitchum made for RKO, but the last that was released.<ref name="afiscsn"/> It had been completed in 1952, right before ''Angel Face'', but Hughes shelved it for a long time before releasing it in the United Kingdom in 1953 and in the United States in 1954.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=236–37}}{{sfn|Capua|2022|pp=55–56}}}} It was often considered the studio's failed attempt to revive the [[screwball comedy|screwball genre]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=85–86}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Landazuri |first1=Margarita |title=She Couldn't Say No |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/14336/she-couldnt-say-no#articles-reviews?articleId=103610 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203214245/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/14336/she-couldnt-say-no#articles-reviews?articleId=103610 |archive-date=February 3, 2024 |date=September 23, 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref> That same year, he was loaned out for two films. At 20th Century Fox, he costarred with [[Marilyn Monroe]] in Preminger's Western'' [[River of No Return]]'',{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=76–77}} which was a box office hit.<ref>{{cite news |title=1954 Boxoffice champs |url=https://archive.org/details/variety197-1955-01-05/page/n57/mode/2up |access-date=July 19, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 5, 1955 |page=59}}</ref> In William A. Wellman's psychological drama ''[[Track of the Cat (film)|Track of the Cat]]'' for [[Batjac Productions|Wayne/Fellows Productions]], [[John Wayne]]'s independent production company, he played the bullying brother of Teresa Wright and [[Tab Hunter]].{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=174–75}}{{sfn|Freese|2020|p=85}} Mitchum recalled the film, which was shot in the deep snow at [[Mount Rainier]], as his toughest location shooting experience.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=133}} The film was not a success on release, which Wellman described in his autobiography as "a flop artistically, financially, and Wellmanly."{{sfn|Wellman|1974|p=99}} However, it is now recognized as a unique masterpiece by some critics, noted for its color-drained visual style, the story that evokes [[Eugene O'Neill]] and [[Carl Theodor Dreyer]], and Mitchum's menacing performance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tatara |first1=Paul |title=Track of the Cat |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/93751/track-of-the-cat#articles-reviews?articleId=136000 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708222119/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/93751/track-of-the-cat/#articles-reviews?articleId=136000 |archive-date=July 8, 2023 |date=March 14, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosenbaum |first1=Jonathan |title=Track of the Cat |url=https://chicagoreader.com/film/track-of-the-cat-2/ |website=[[Chicago Reader]] |access-date=July 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202204031/https://chicagoreader.com/film/track-of-the-cat-2/ |archive-date=February 2, 2024 |date=October 26, 1985 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="parkinson2016"/>

Mitchum left RKO after his contract expired on August 15, 1954.{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=175–76}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=259, 263}}

As a freelancer, Mitchum appeared in three films in 1955. The first was [[Stanley Kramer]]'s melodrama ''[[Not as a Stranger]]'' costarring [[Olivia de Havilland]] and [[Frank Sinatra]], in which he starred as an idealistic young doctor who marries an older nurse only to question his morality many years later.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=90–91}} The picture was one of the ten highest-grossing films of the year,<ref>{{cite news |title=1955's Top Film Grossers |url=https://archive.org/details/variety201-1956-01/page/n674/mode/1up |access-date=July 20, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 25, 1956}}</ref> but critical reactions were mixed, with [[Leslie Halliwell]] pointing out that all of the actors were too old for their characters.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=90–91}}

Mitchum's second film in 1955 was ''[[The Night of the Hunter (film)|The Night of the Hunter]]'', [[Charles Laughton]]'s only film as a director. Based on a novel by [[Davis Grubb]], the noir thriller starred Mitchum as a serial killer posing as a preacher to find money hidden by his cellmate in the man's home.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=91–94}} A commercial failure on release,<ref name="malcolm1999"/> the film is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.{{sfn|Couchman|2009|p=xix}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Sight and Sound Poll 2022: The Night of the Hunter (1955) |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/313424b8-8d3b-5180-86ef-2887a36a393a/the-night-of-the-hunter |website=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=July 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518024548/https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/313424b8-8d3b-5180-86ef-2887a36a393a/the-night-of-the-hunter |archive-date=May 18, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=100 plus beaux films du monde |url=https://www.cahiersducinema.com/article1337.html |website=[[Cahiers du Cinéma]] |access-date=July 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501035402/https://www.cahiersducinema.com/article1337.html |archive-date=May 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |language=fr}}</ref> Mitchum's performance as [[Preacher Harry Powell]] is considered by many one of the best of his career,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=91–94}}<ref name="bfinoh">{{cite web |title=Sight and Sound Poll 2012: The Night of the Hunter (1955) |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b185765 |website=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=August 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505114335/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b185765 |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="malcolm1999">{{cite web |last1=Malcolm |first1=Derek |title=Big Bad Bob |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/apr/08/features11.g24 |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=August 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508033245/https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/apr/08/features11.g24 |archive-date=May 8, 2014 |date=April 7, 1999 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nixon |first1=Rob |last2=Stafford |first2=Jeff |title=The Essentials - The Night of the Hunter |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17678/the-night-of-the-hunter/#articles-reviews?articleId=191066 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=August 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616074146/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17678/the-night-of-the-hunter/#articles-reviews?articleId=191066 |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |date=January 4, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Ramon|first=Alexander|url=https://popmatters.com/pm/feature/108754-part-2-the-dark-side/P2|title=Part 2: The Dark Side: 100 Essential Male Film Performances|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218072657/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/108754-part-2-the-dark-side/P2 |archive-date=February 18, 2010|website=[[PopMatters]]|date=July 28, 2009|access-date=December 21, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ebert1996">{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19961124/REVIEWS08/401010344/1023|title=Great Movie: The Night of the Hunter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207070242/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19961124%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010344%2F1023 |archive-date=December 7, 2008|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=April 20, 2010|date=November 24, 1996|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the image of him with the words "HATE" and "LOVE" tattooed on his knuckles has left an enduring impact on popular culture, frequently referenced in various media.{{sfn|Couchman|2009|pp=217–19}} In a 1985 review for the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'', [[Dave Kehr]] described the Preacher as "the role that most fully exploits his [Mitchum's] ferocious sexuality."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |title=The Night of the Hunter |url=https://chicagoreader.com/film/the-night-of-the-hunter/ |access-date=July 21, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Reader]] |date=October 26, 1985 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026101653/https://chicagoreader.com/film/the-night-of-the-hunter/ |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] wrote in the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' in 1996, "Nobody who has seen ''The Night of the Hunter'' has forgotten it, or Mitchum's voice coiling down those basement stairs: 'Chillll{{nbsp}}... dren?'"<ref name="ebert1996"/>

Before accepting the lead in the Western ''[[Man with the Gun]]'', his final release of 1955,<ref>{{AFI film|51584|Man with the Gun}}</ref>{{sfn|Server|2001|p=284}} Mitchum made headlines for having been fired from ''[[Blood Alley]]'' (1955) at the request of director William A. Wellman.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=120}} Reportedly, he had thrown the film's transportation manager into [[San Francisco Bay]], a story he denied.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=120}}{{sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=132–33}}{{refn|group=note| Crew members [[Andrew V. McLaglen]] and [[Sam O'Steen]] had provided various versions of the incident. McLaglen recalled that while Mitchum did have a conflict with the transportation manager, the press story that he threw him into the water was not true. Mitchum then made insulting remarks towards Wellman, and [[Robert Fellows]], Wayne's production partner, "picked up on an opportunity" to cast Wayne instead.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=282–83}} O'Steen said that Mitchum showed up on-set after a night of drinking and tore apart a studio office when they did not have a car ready for him. He walked off the set on the third day of filming, claiming that he could not work with Wellman.{{sfn|O'Steen|O'Steen|2001|p=11}}}} Producer John Wayne eventually took the role himself.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=417}}

On March 8, 1955, Mitchum formed DRM Productions, named after his and his wife's initials, and signed a five-film deal with United Artists; four ultimately were produced.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=142, 208}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=287, 298, 337, 346}} The first was ''[[Bandido (1956 film)|Bandido]]'', in which he played an American adventurer who sides with the rebels and is attracted to the wife of a gunrunner working for the army during the [[Mexican Revolution]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=96–97}} A commercial success,{{sfn|Fleischer|1993|p=140}} it was his second film released in 1956, following the poorly received color noir ''[[Foreign Intrigue]]''.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=95–96}}

Mitchum made two films back to back in [[Trinidad and Tobago]] that were released in 1957. [[John Huston]]'s World War II drama ''[[Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison]]'' cast him as a Marine corporal stranded on a Pacific Island with a nun, played by [[Deborah Kerr]], as his sole companion, until [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] soldiers arrive and establish a base. In this character study, they struggle with the elements, the  garrison, and their growing feelings for one another.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=97–99}} It was the first of his four films with Kerr, his favorite leading lady.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=33}} Their performances and chemistry were praised by critics, many of whom highlighted the tenderness he brought to his character.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=97–99}} The film was nominated for two [[30th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]], Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 30th Academy Awards {{!}} 1958 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1958 |website=[[Academy Awards]] |date=October 4, 2014 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520040330/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1958 |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> For his role, Mitchum was nominated for a [[11th British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]] for Best Foreign Actor.<ref name="bafta">{{cite web |title=BAFTA Awards Database: Film {{!}} Foreign Actor in 1958 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1958/film/foreign-actor |website=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |access-date=August 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202041659/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1958/film/foreign-actor |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Robert Parrish]]'s ''[[Fire Down Below (1957 film)|Fire Down Below]]'', he and [[Jack Lemmon]] played two tramp boat owners in the Caribbean whose friendship is challenged when passenger [[Rita Hayworth]] arrives on the scene. The film received mixed reviews{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=99–100}} and failed at the box office.<ref>{{cite news |title=Warwick Shrinks Overhead & Sked, Per Columbia |url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-10/page/n249/mode/1up |access-date=July 22, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=October 23, 1957 |page=4}}</ref>

Mitchum appeared in one more film in 1957, [[Dick Powell]]'s World War II submarine film ''[[The Enemy Below]]'', in which he played the captain of a US Navy destroyer who matches wits with a wily German [[U-boat]] skipper, portrayed by [[Curt Jurgens]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=100–101}} The following year, he starred in his second DRM production, ''[[Thunder Road (1958 film)|Thunder Road]]''. The film was loosely based on an incident in which a driver transporting moonshine was said to have fatally crashed on [[Kingston Pike]] in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]], somewhere between Bearden Hill and Morrell Road. According to ''[[Metro Pulse]]'' writer Jack Renfro, the incident occurred in 1952 and may have been witnessed by [[James Agee]], who passed the story on to Mitchum.{{sfn|Clavin|2010|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=e9c_MzMA8kYC&dq=Robert+Mitchum+James+Agee+Thunder+Road&pg=PA143 143]}}{{Additional citation needed|date=August 2023|reason=Additional citation needed for detail about the incident and the Metro Pulse source}} He produced, co-wrote the screenplay for,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=101–3}} and is rumored to have directed much of the film,{{sfn|Server|2001|p=328}}{{sfn|Clavin|2010|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=e9c_MzMA8kYC&dq=Robert+Mitchum+James+Agee+Thunder+Road&pg=PA143 143]}} which featured his son [[James Mitchum|James]] playing his younger brother.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=101–3}}{{refn|group=note|According to Mitchum{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=139}} and his son James,<ref>{{cite news |title=A Q&A with actor James Mitchum |url=https://archive.knoxnews.com/entertainment/life/a-qa-with-actor-james-mitchum-ep-411507392-359868941.html/ |access-date=August 22, 2023 |work=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]] |date=June 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401175159/https://archive.knoxnews.com/entertainment/life/a-qa-with-actor-james-mitchum-ep-411507392-359868941.html/ |archive-date=April 1, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Elvis Presley]] was to have played the lead, but his manager, [[Colonel Tom Parker]], wanted him to focus on musicals, and Mitchum went on to star himself. However, some other sources say it was the part of Mitchum's character's brother that Elvis was considered for.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=323–24}}<ref name="tcmtr">{{cite web |last1=Stafford |first1=Jeff |title=Thunder Road |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17809/thunder-road/#articles-reviews?articleId=12700 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421100525/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17809/thunder-road/#articles-reviews?articleId=12700 |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |date=August 25, 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="thr2014">{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Mike |title=Dorothy Mitchum, Widow of Actor Robert Mitchum, Dies at 94 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dorothy-mitchum-dead-widow-actor-696584/ |access-date=August 22, 2023 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=April 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208083204/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dorothy-mitchum-dead-widow-actor-696584/ |archive-date=February 8, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Clavin|2010|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=e9c_MzMA8kYC&dq=Robert+Mitchum+James+Agee+Thunder+Road&pg=PA143 143]}} Elvis' friend [[George Klein (DJ)|George Klein]] recalled that Mitchum, who wrote the film's story, thought he and Elvis could do the film together, and Elvis was very excited about it. (Klein did not specify which role was intended for Elvis.){{sfn|Klein|Crisafulli|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=HvfQid71l-QC&q=thunder+road++elvis+presley&pg=PA78 78]}}}} He also co-wrote the theme song, "[[The Ballad of Thunder Road]]," with [[Don Raye]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=214}}{{sfn|Server|2001|p=325}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Don Raye |url=https://www.songhall.org/profile/Don_Raye |website=[[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] |access-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621131711/https://www.songhall.org/profile/Don_Raye |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film was frequently shown in drive-in and third-house theaters in the 1960s{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=101–3}} and has since earned the reputation as the definitive road movie,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |title=Thunder Road |url=https://chicagoreader.com/film/thunder-road/ |access-date=August 1, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Reader]] |date=October 26, 1985}}</ref><ref name="tcmtr"/> with a particularly significant following in the South.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=331}} According to [[Geoff Andrew]] in his review for ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'', ''Thunder Road'' stands out for "a stunningly laconic performance from Mitchum, white-hot night-time road scenes, and an affectionate but unsentimental vision of backwoods America."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Andrew |first1=Geoff |title=Thunder Road |url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/thunder-road |access-date=August 1, 2024 |work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |date=September 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606070255/https://www.timeout.com/movies/thunder-road |archive-date=June 6, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Mitchum followed ''Thunder Road'' with his second film directed by Dick Powell, ''[[The Hunters (1958 film)|The Hunters]]'' (1958), in which he played a flying ace who is smitten with the wife of a pilot under his command during the Korean War.<ref>{{AFI film|52600|The Hunters}}</ref> He was initially offered the role of Colonel [[Dean Hess]] in another Korean War drama, ''[[Battle Hymn (film)|Battle Hymn]]'' (1957), but the casting choice was vetoed by Hess himself, who cited Mitchum's marijuana scandal.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=134}} In 1959, Mitchum appeared in [[Robert Aldrich]]'s thriller ''[[The Angry Hills (film)|The Angry Hills]]'' as an American war correspondent entrusted with a list of [[Greek resistance]] leaders during World War II,<ref>{{AFI film|52813|The Angry Hills}}</ref> before starring in his third DRM production, ''[[The Wonderful Country (film)|The Wonderful Country]]''. Opposite [[Julie London]], he portrayed an American expatriate gunslinger in Mexico who returns to the States for an arms deal and falls for the wife of an army major. Largely ignored by audiences and critics at the time, the film is now more highly regarded. Mitchum's performance is considered by some critics one of his best and most overlooked.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fristoe |first1=Roger |title=The Wonderful Country |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/21281/the-wonderful-country#articles-reviews?articleId=31560 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114184508/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/21281/the-wonderful-country#articles-reviews?articleId=31560 |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |date=August 5, 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Mitchum starred in four films in 1960. In Vincente Minnelli's melodrama ''[[Home from the Hill (film)|Home from the Hill]]'', opposite [[Eleanor Parker]], he played the intimidating, philandering patriarch of a powerful Texan family. The film opened to positive reviews,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Frank |title=Home from the Hill |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78248/home-from-the-hill#articles-reviews?articleId=103612 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715161430/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78248/home-from-the-hill#articles-reviews?articleId=103612 |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |date=September 23, 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref> and modern critics have cited it as one of Minnelli's masterpieces and highly praised Mitchum's performance.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Brody |first1=Richard |title=Home with Minnelli, "Home from the Hill" |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/home-with-minnelli-home-from-the-hill |access-date=July 22, 2024 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=October 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226054128/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/home-with-minnelli-home-from-the-hill |archive-date=December 26, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |title=New DVDs: 'Robert Mitchum: The Signature Collection,' 'Van Gogh' and 'Corsair' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/movies/homevideo/30dvd.html |access-date=July 22, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 30, 2007 |url-access=limited}}</ref> He and Kerr were reunited for [[Fred Zinnemann]]'s ''[[The Sundowners (1960 film)|The Sundowners]]'', playing an Australian husband and wife struggling in the sheep industry during the [[The Great Depression|Depression]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=112–14}}{{refn|group=note| Although entitled to top billing, Mitchum ceded it to Kerr at her request. He stated that he had accepted the role only because Kerr would be his costar.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=152}}}} The film was hailed for its freshness and warmth{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=112–14}} and received five [[33rd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]] nominations.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 33rd Academy Awards {{!}} 1961 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1961 |website=[[Academy Awards]] |date=October 5, 2014 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520030704/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1961 |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Mitchum's performance was universally acclaimed,{{sfn|Server|2001|p=352}} with ''Variety'' commenting that he "projects a great deal of feeling with what appears to be a minimum of effort."{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=112–14}} ''[[A Terrible Beauty (1960 film)|The Night Fighters]]'' (also known as ''A Terrible Beauty''), his last DRM production, cast him as an [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|IRA]] member who becomes disillusioned with the organization during World War II.<ref name="tcmnf">{{cite web|last=Mateas|first=Lisa|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/161075|title=The Night Fighters|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074514/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/161075%7C0/The-Night-Fighters.html |archive-date=December 6, 2017|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=March 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was teamed with former leading ladies Kerr and Simmons, as well as [[Cary Grant]], for [[Stanley Donen]]'s romantic comedy ''[[The Grass Is Greener]]'', playing an American millionaire who seduces a British countess.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=111–12}} While ''The Night Fighters''<ref name="tcmnf"/> and ''The Grass Is Greener''{{sfn|Capua|2022|p=118}} were commercial and critical failures, Mitchum earned the year's [[National Board of Review]] award for Best Actor for his performances in ''Home from the Hill'' and ''The Sundowners''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Actor {{!}} Archive |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/best-actor/ |website=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411175248/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/best-actor/ |archive-date=April 11, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

After moving to a farm in [[Talbot County, Maryland]], with his family in 1959, Mitchum developed a new passion for quarter horse breeding and, for the next several years, gradually became indifferent to selecting his films,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=19}} also losing interest in his work as a producer.{{sfn|Freese|2020|p=108}} He renamed DRM Productions as Talbot Productions after his new home county.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=29}} He stated that it had since become only a "co-production" company and that he had never really produced any of his own films again.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=142}}

Mitchum turned down John Huston's Western ''[[The Misfits (1961 film)|The Misfits]]'' (1961), claiming that he did not like the script and had found Huston too demanding during their last collaboration, ''Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison.''{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=154}} Instead, he starred as [[Arch Hall Sr.]] in ''[[The Last Time I Saw Archie]]'' (1961), a service comedy directed by [[Jack Webb]]. While he received some positive reviews for his comedic performance,{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=114–15}} the film went unnoticed at the box office.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tatara |first1=Paul |title=The Last Time I Saw Archie |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17196/the-last-time-i-saw-archie#articles-reviews?articleId=161073 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108161934/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17196/the-last-time-i-saw-archie/#articles-reviews?articleId=161073 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |date=April 13, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> He would often call it his favorite film, pointing out that he was paid $400,000 for just four weeks' work and had time off to go home for Christmas and New Year's.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=94, 158}}

In 1962, Mitchum costarred with [[Gregory Peck]] in ''[[Cape Fear (1962 film)|Cape Fear]]'', playing an ex-convict seeking revenge on the attorney who testified against him. His performance brought him further renown for playing cold, predatory characters.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=115–17}} However, the film itself received mixed reviews, with some critics citing its lack of engaging storytelling;{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=115–17}} it also failed at the box office.{{sfn|Fishgall|2002|p=227}} [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that Mitchum delivered the "cheekiest, wickedest arrogance and the most relentless aura of sadism that he has ever managed to generate" while noting the disgust and regret provoked by the film itself.<ref>{{cite web|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|title=Screen: Pitiless Shocker:Mitchum Stalks Peck in 'Cape Fear'|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9804E2D6143DE532A2575AC1A9629C946391D6CF|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 14, 2012|date=April 19, 1962}}</ref> [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]] commented in 2006 that the film's "only classic credentials are a terrifying performance by Robert Mitchum and a [[Bernard Herrmann]] score."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosenbaum |first1=Jonathan |title=Cape Fear |url=https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/2006/10/cape-fear/ |website=jonathanrosenbaum.net |access-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030200215/https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/2006/10/cape-fear/ |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |date=October 11, 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> Mitchum followed ''Cape Fear'' with ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'', joining the international ensemble cast of the epic war film about the [[Normandy landings|D-Day landings in Normandy]]. He portrayed General [[Norman Cota]], rallying demoralized troops and blasting a path from [[Omaha Beach]]. The film opened to generally positive reviews,<ref>{{AFI film|23731|The Longest Day}}</ref> was nominated for five [[35th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]], winning two,<ref>{{cite web |title=The 35th Academy Awards {{!}} 1963 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1963 |website=[[Academy Awards]] |date=October 5, 2014 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404055514/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1963 |archive-date=April 4, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> and went on to become the highest-grossing film in the domestic market among 1962 releases.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Jennifer |title=The No. 1 Movie from the Year You Were Born |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-number-one-movie-from-every-year/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |work=[[CBS News]] |date=November 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225022852/https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-number-one-movie-from-every-year/ |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Mitchum's performance was highlighted by critics.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=117–19}}

Mitchum's next five films received mostly negative reviews. He was considered miscast as an indecisive lawyer in Robert Wise's romantic drama ''[[Two for the Seesaw (film)|Two for the Seesaw]]'' (1962), opposite [[Shirley MacLaine]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=119–21}} Two years after turning down ''The Misfits'', he appeared in a cameo in Huston's ''[[The List of Adrian Messenger]]'' (1963), regarded as one of the director's weaker efforts.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=121–22}} ''[[Rampage (1963 film)|Rampage]]'' (1963), an adventure film shot in Hawaii that he made for a family vacation, starred him opposite [[Elsa Martinelli]] and [[Jack Hawkins]] as a big-game trapper vying for the affections of a hunter's girlfriend during an expedition to capture a tiger-leopard hybrid. It was viewed as either absurd or dull by critics.{{sfn|Marill|1978|pp=185–87}} [[Guy Hamilton]]'s courtroom drama ''[[Man in the Middle (film)|Man in the Middle]]'' (1964) cast him as a defense attorney, with his performance perceived as lethargic.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=123–24}} He was reunited with MacLaine as one of her all-star husbands in the comedy ''[[What a Way to Go!]]''. It was one of the ten highest-grossing films of the year,<ref>{{cite news |title=Big Rental Pictures of 1964 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 6, 1965 |page=39}}</ref> but critics found it disjointed and overlong.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=124–26}}

In 1965, Mitchum starred in ''[[Mister Moses]]'', opposite [[Carroll Baker]], as a diamond smuggler in Africa who is mistaken for a modern-day Moses and trusted by a tribe to lead them to a promised land.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=126–27}} Mitchum, usually reluctant to participate in publicity events, undertook an extensive tour to promote the film at distributor United Artists' request,{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=233–34}} stating that he believed it was "a pretty good picture."{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=167}} The reviews were fairly positive, with critics noting his casual charm.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=126–27}}

Following the release of ''Mister Moses'', Mitchum revealed in interviews that he might leave Maryland with his family.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=167}} While he enjoyed the privacy the farm provided, the challenging weather conditions and his wife's feelings of isolation eventually prompted their return to Los Angeles,{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=168–71}}{{sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=146–47}} a move he recalled as the right decision given his film commitments.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=175}} During this time, he went on two [[United Service Organizations|USO]] tours to Vietnam.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=402–6}}

Mitchum returned to the Western genre with two releases in 1967. While the epic ''[[The Way West (film)|The Way West]]'' with Kirk Douglas and [[Richard Widmark]] turned out to be a critical and commercial disappointment,<ref>{{AFI film|23248|The Way West}}</ref>{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=141–42}} ''[[El Dorado (1966 film)|El Dorado]]'' with John Wayne was a major success.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=400}}{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=528}} The film, considered a quasi-remake of director [[Howard Hawks]]'s ''[[Rio Bravo (film)|Rio Bravo]]'' (1959),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vishnevetsky |first1=Ignatiy |title=Howard Hawks takes a second shot at Rio Bravo |url=https://www.avclub.com/howard-hawks-takes-a-second-shot-at-rio-bravo-1798269004 |access-date=July 30, 2024 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=May 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710143219/https://www.avclub.com/howard-hawks-takes-a-second-shot-at-rio-bravo-1798269004 |archive-date=July 10, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> cast Mitchum as a drunken sheriff who, together with his gunslinger friend, helps a rancher fight a corrupt land baron.<ref>{{AFI film|23714|El Dorado}}</ref> At the time of filming, rumors about Mitchum's professional attitude, Wayne's health, and Hawks's age raised doubts about the film's prospects.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|pp=526–27}} However, it became a box office hit domestically and internationally.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=400}} ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called it Hawks's best film since ''Rio Bravo''.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=528}} ''The New York Times''{{'}} [[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] described Mitchum's performance as "simply wonderful,"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Howard |title=Wayne, Mitchum Root 'n' Toot in 'El Dorado,' a Crisp Western |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/06/29/archives/wayne-mitchum-root-n-toot-in-el-dorado-a-crisp-western.html |access-date=July 30, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 29, 1967 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421165301/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/06/29/archives/wayne-mitchum-root-n-toot-in-el-dorado-a-crisp-western.html |archive-date=April 21, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> and the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''{{'}} [[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] wrote, "Mitchum delivered one of the loveliest hangover sequences on record."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crust |first1=Kevin |title=What The Times' critics said about eight of Robert Mitchum's best-known roles |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-robert-mitchum-critics-sidebar-20170804-story.html |access-date=July 30, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619094756/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-robert-mitchum-critics-sidebar-20170804-story.html |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Over the next two years, Mitchum appeared in six films that received mixed to poor reviews. The Western ''[[Villa Rides]]'' (1968) cast him alongside [[Yul Brynner]]'s [[Pancho Villa]] as a soldier of fortune, a portrayal that critics felt suffered from a weak script.{{sfn|Freese|2020|pp=142, 147–48}} Edward Dmytryk's World War II epic ''[[Anzio (film)|Anzio]]'' (1968) starred him as a cynical war correspondent, with the directing and acting considered uninspired by many.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=131–32}} He turned down ''[[The Wild Bunch]]'' (1969), stating that he did not want to work with director [[Sam Peckinpah]].{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=164}} Instead, he costarred with Dean Martin in Henry Hathaway's ''[[5 Card Stud]]'' (1968), again playing a homicidal preacher. The reviews of his performance were generally favorable, but the film was deemed formulaic.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=133–34}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Canby |first1=Vincent |title=Buddies Out West |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/08/01/archives/buddies-out-west.html |access-date=August 1, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 1, 1968}}</ref> [[Joseph Losey]]'s ''[[Secret Ceremony]]'' (1968), starring [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Mia Farrow]] and featuring him in a guest appearance as an incestuous stepfather, polarized critics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stafford |first1=Jeff |title=Secret Ceremony |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89407/secret-ceremony#articles-reviews?articleId=382639 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=August 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108210533/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89407/secret-ceremony#articles-reviews?articleId=382639 |archive-date=January 8, 2024 |date=March 16, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Mitchum rounded out the decade with two Westerns directed by [[Burt Kennedy]]. ''[[Young Billy Young]]'' (1969) with [[Angie Dickinson]] was coldly received,{{sfn|Marill|1978|pp=207–9}} while ''[[The Good Guys and the Bad Guys]]'' (1969) with [[George Kennedy]] was praised by some for its balance of drama and comedy.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=137–38}}

===1970s===
[[File:Robert Mitchum 1976 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|Mitchum in October 1976]]

Mitchum made a departure from his typical screen persona with the 1970 [[David Lean]] film ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'', in which he starred as Charles Shaughnessy, a mild-mannered schoolmaster in [[World War I]]–era Ireland.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=138–40}} At the time of filming, Mitchum was considering retiring from acting and was also concerned about the film's demanding schedule.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=181–82}}{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=244–45}} He initially turned down the script but eventually accepted the role after screenwriter [[Robert Bolt]] approached him again.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=182–83}}{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=244–45}}{{refn|group=note|When Bolt called again, Mitchum said that he could not take the film because he planned to commit suicide. Bolt told him that he could do so after the film was finished and that he would personally pay for his burial.{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|pp=182–83}}{{sfn|Eells|1984|pp=244–45}}<ref>{{cite video | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOSmBytvBxM | title = Robert Mitchum on being an actor in a 1971 interview | website = Youtube.com | date = May 16, 2015 |access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> Mitchum later recalled the phone call, "I'd just finished a film and I needed time to sit around and lick my wounds.{{nbsp}}... When I asked him [Bolt] why he didn't get someone else, he said they'd been through all the actors and still wanted me."{{sfn|Tomkies|1973|p=183}}
}} Though the film was nominated for four Academy Awards (winning two){{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=138–40}} and Mitchum was much publicized as a contender for a [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] nomination, he was not nominated.{{sfn|Marill|1978|p=42}}{{sfn|Eells|1984|p=252}} [[George C. Scott]] won the award for his powerful performance in ''[[Patton (movie)|Patton]]'',{{sfn|Eells|1984|p=252}} a project Mitchum had rejected.{{Sfn|Roberts|2000|pp=112-113}} Mitchum said that ''Patton'' and ''[[Dirty Harry]]'', another picture he turned down, were movies he would not do for any amount of money because he disagreed with the morality of the scripts.{{sfn|Roberts|2000|p=83}}

The 1970s featured Mitchum mainly in crime dramas, to mixed result. ''[[The Friends of Eddie Coyle]]'' (1973) had the actor playing an aging [[Boston]] hoodlum caught between the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|Feds]] and his criminal friends.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=143–44}} [[Sydney Pollack]]'s ''[[The Yakuza]]'' (1974) transplanted the typical film noir story arc to the Japanese underworld.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=144–46}} Mitchum's stint as an aging [[Philip Marlowe]] in the [[Raymond Chandler]] adaptation ''[[Farewell, My Lovely (1975 film)|Farewell, My Lovely]]'' (1975) (a remake of 1944's ''[[Murder, My Sweet]]'') was sufficiently well received by audiences and critics{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=146–49}} for him to reprise the role in 1978's ''[[The Big Sleep (1978 film)|The Big Sleep]]'', a remake of the [[The Big Sleep (1946 film)|1946 film of the same title]].{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=153–54}}

Mitchum also appeared in 1976's ''[[Midway (1976 film)|Midway]]'' about the crucial World War II naval battle.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=149–50}}

===Later work===
In 1982, Mitchum played Coach Delaney in the film adaptation of playwright/actor [[Jason Miller (playwright)|Jason Miller]]'s 1973 [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning play ''[[That Championship Season (1982 film)|That Championship Season]]''.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=157–58}}

Mitchum starred in the 1983 [[miniseries]] ''[[The Winds of War (miniseries)|The Winds of War]]'', based on a [[Herman Wouk]] [[The Winds of War|book of the same title]]. The big-budget production aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], starring Mitchum as naval officer "Pug" Henry and [[Victoria Tennant]] as Pamela Tudsbury, and examined the events leading up to [[United States|America]]'s involvement in [[World War II]]. It was watched by 140 million people over seven days and became the most-watched miniseries up to that point.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Margulies |first1=Lee |title='Winds' Becomes Most-Seen Miniseries |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 16, 1983 |page=G9}}</ref>{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=169–72}} He returned to the role in the 1988 sequel miniseries ''[[War and Remembrance (miniseries)|War and Remembrance]]'',<ref name="Biography"/> which continued the story through the end of the war.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=178–80}}

In 1984, Mitchum entered the [[Betty Ford Center]] in Palm Springs, California, for treatment of alcoholism.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Bob |title=Robert Mitchum: An Irrepressible Patriarch of Actors|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-10-10-8503090269-story.html |access-date=August 1, 2020 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=October 10, 1985 |archive-date=October 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001013818/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-10-10-8503090269-story.html |url-status=live|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

He played George Hazard's father-in-law in the 1985 miniseries ''[[North and South (miniseries)|North and South]]'', which also aired on ABC.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=176–77}}

[[File:Robert Mitchum Cannes.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.65|Mitchum at the [[1991 Cannes Film Festival]]]]

Mitchum starred opposite [[Wilford Brimley]] in the 1986 made-for-TV movie ''Thompson's Run''.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=177–78}}

In 1987, Mitchum was the guest host on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', where he played private eye Philip Marlowe for the last time in the parody sketch "Death Be Not Deadly." The show ran a short comedy film he made (written and directed by his daughter, Petrine) called ''Out of Gas'', a mock sequel to ''Out of the Past'' ([[Jane Greer]] reprised her role from the original film).{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=196}}{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=514–15}} He also was in [[Richard Donner]]'s 1988 comedy ''[[Scrooged]]''.{{sfn|Roberts|1992|pp=162–63}}

In 1991, Mitchum was set to receive a lifetime achievement award from the [[National Board of Review of Motion Pictures]]. He rejected it, however, after learning that he would have to pay for his own transport and accommodations and accept it in person.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=522}}{{refn|group=note|Mitchum had been living in Santa Barbara, California since 1978{{sfn|Server|2001|p=473}} and the ceremony was to be held in New York. The award eventually went to [[Lauren Bacall]] instead.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=522}}}} That same year, he received the [[Telegatto]] award{{sfn|Roberts|1992|p=230}} and, in 1992 the [[Cecil B. DeMille Award]] from the [[Golden Globe Awards]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Beauty and the Beast,' 'Bugsy,' Win Golden Globes |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-19-me-954-story.html |access-date=August 14, 2023 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 19, 1992 |page=B4}}</ref><ref name="goldenglobes">{{cite web |title=Robert Mitchum |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/robert-mitchum |website=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=August 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613083153/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/robert-mitchum |archive-date=June 13, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Biography"/>

Mitchum continued to appear in films until the mid-1990s, such as [[Jim Jarmusch]]'s ''[[Dead Man]]'',{{sfn|Server|2001|p=529}} and he narrated the Western ''[[Tombstone (film)|Tombstone]]''.{{sfn|Server|2001|p=524}} Though he portrayed the antagonist in the original, he played the protagonist police detective in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s remake of ''[[Cape Fear (1991 film)|Cape Fear]]'',{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=521–22}} but the actor gradually slowed his workload. His last film appearance was a small but pivotal role in the television biographical film ''James Dean: Race with Destiny'', playing ''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]'' director [[George Stevens]].{{sfn|Server|2001|p=529}} Mitchum's last starring role was in the 1995 Norwegian movie ''[[Pakten (movie)|Pakten]]''.{{sfn|Server|2001|pp=526–28}}<ref name="Biography"/>