ePub American Legends: The Life of Andy Griffith by Charles River Editors in History

Description

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading “I never take any notice of reviews - unless a critic has thought up some new way of describing me. That old one about my lizard eyes and anteater nose and the way I sleep my way through pictures is so hackneyed now." – Robert Mitchum A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures; but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ American Legends series; readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute; while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. If one assembled a list of the most iconic actors of the film noir genre; Robert Mitchum would surely rank at the top of the list. With his deadpan façade and slow; monotone verbal delivery; Mitchum encapsulated the disillusioned hero of the postwar crime genre. In many of his most famous movies from the postwar era; including Out of the Past (1947) and Angel Face (1952); Mitchum plays anti-heroes who are victims of circumstance; but even as he is placed in situations beyond his control; he maintains a cool; if dispassionate countenance. Mitchum was; in short; neither a hero nor a villain but someone who seemed to defy the often-simplistic distinctions between protagonist and antagonist; hero and villain. Even so; for someone who put on such a cool façade; Mitchum certainly experienced a great deal of hardship. From the death of his father; James; to his rough adolescence—much of which was spent traveling on railcars during the throes of the Great Depression—Robert Mitchum lived the part of the hard-luck antiheroes he portrayed onscreen. Up until his adult life; there was little indication that he would grow up to become anything more than a working-class factory worker; let alone a world-famous movie star. It is telling that Mitchum remained within the confines of the gritty noir and western genres; to imagine him acting in a romantic comedy would be antithetical to the reputation that he built. Mitchum was; to be sure; one of the premier A-list stars of the 1940s and 1950s; but he was a leading man in the hypermasculine mold of Humphrey Bogart rather than the more diverse skill set of Henry Fonda or Jimmy Stewart. In any event; one of the great mysteries of Robert Mitchum’s career is that for all the poor luck that his characters experienced; he still was able to affect a debonair sensibility that made him identifiable–a man to which viewers were irresistibly attracted; even if his characters did not necessarily warrant such a response. This biography looks at the process that led from Robert Mitchum rising from impoverished Depression-era youth to leading Hollywood celebrity. Mitchum’s harsh childhood; including the premature death of his father and his dangerous life on the road; are discussed; as well as the process that saw him ascend through the acting industry. Important themes from Mitchum’s films are discussed (including postwar masculinity and the role of the antihero); as is the cultural climate in which he worked; which was to a large degree responsible for facilitating his rise to fame. American Legends: The Life of Robert Mitchum looks at the life and career of one of America’s most famous film noir actors. Along with pictures of important people; places; and events; you will learn about Robert Mitchum like never before; in no time at all.