John Mitchum

John Newman Mitchum was the September child of a Norwegian mother and an IrishBlackfoot father whom he never knew as he was killed in a tragic train yard accident in 1919 His twoyearsolder brother Robert filled the role as best as he could while their older sister Annette studied the lively arts and eventually joined a traveling vaudeville team Born in Bridgeport Connecticut the young family moved to Rising Sun Delaware where farm life didnt agree with the young boys Scarce opportunities took them to New York City where the streets of Hells kitchen taught the brothers to fight a skill they developed so well they earned the moniker them ornery Mitchum boys Eventually when the Great Depression deepened the family was forced to separate with the intention of meeting up with sister Annette who had married a sailor and moved to California changing her name to Julie The teenage boys set out with little more than clean handkerchiefs to find their way across the country by the only means they could hitchhiking and riding the rails Their somewhat aimless journey took them to places they had never been where their Eastern accents were not welcome so they quickly learned that accurately mimicking the local dialect would keep them out of troublesome of the time While brother Robert fairly quickly discovered his place in Hollywood legend John sought his destiny on the high seas professionally boxing or conducting a choir When the opportunity for acting came along John found his perfect niche as a character actor mostly playing heavies since he was an imposing figure of a man Johns roles had him playing alongside a wide range of celebrities from Humphrey Bogart in Knock On Any Door 1949 to Gladys Knight in Pipe Dreams 1976 Clint Eastwood of Dirty Harry 1971 to John Wayne in Chisum 1970 appearing in 58 films overall It was during production of Chisum that John Wayne offered his voice for an anthology of Johns poetry that seeks to uplift US culture America Why I Love Her a recording for which Mitchum was nominated for a Grammy in 1973 John was a consummate storyteller as was his brother Robert and with his fascination with US history in particular he was everready to regale anyone with a thoughtful interesting and insightful anecdote especially if a guitar was available It was the wedding of music and history that brought him to create the recording Our Land Our Heritage with Dan Blocker big Hoss from Bonanza in 1964 Mitchum had some recurring roles throughout his television career such as Pickalong from Riverboat or Hoffenmueller from FTroop over 150 appearances in all during the span of a halfcentury career The brothers Mitchum legacy has been wellpreserved in his often hilarious autobiography Them Ornery Mitchum Boys published in 1989 The subjects range from brother Robert escaping a Georgia chaingang to his poontang interview from John surviving an attacking whale on a threemasted schooner to his adventures riding the rails developing a great love and respect for the people of the United States