Robert Mitchum

With his wife Dorothy in Nice (ph: Edward Quinn)

Jack Lemmon & Robert Mitchum

The Big Sleep (1978)

 

Grizzled American private detective in England investigates a complicated case of blackmail turned murder involving a rich but honest elderly general, his two loose socialite daughters, a pornographer and a gangster.

From memory: This adaptation of the classic Raymond Chandler is an attempt to repeat the success of the excellent Farewell, My Lovely of three years earlier and does achieve to find its tone, pace and downbeat humor, but is simply just not as good as the previous film.

Halliwell (no star): "Straight remake of the 1946 film, curiously and ineffectively set in London."

Maltin**: "...less a remake of the Hawks classic than a more faithful rendering of the Chandler novel, albeit updated and set in London. If you get by that, it's tolerable with a strong cast, fresh locations, and thankful lack of camp." 

 

 

Pursued (1947)

 

A boy haunted by nightmares about the night his entire family was murdered is brought up by a neighboring family in the 1880s. He falls for his lovely adoptive sister but his nasty adoptive brother and mysterious uncle want him dead. 

Dark noir Western reaps ups the passions in a mysterious, violent family feud with a doomed Robert Mitchum caught in its midst; compelling with beautiful black-and-white cinematography.

Halliwell*: "Glum, good-looking revenge Western."

Maltin***: "Grim, passionate Western noir, a family saga of love, hate, revenge, and a hint of incest...Stunning photography..." 

Where Danger Lives (1950)

A young doctor falls in love with a disturbed young woman, becomes involved in the death of her husband, and has to flee with her to the Mexican border.

Midnight Ride (1990)

A house wife just left her cop husband, when she picks up a hitchhiker she'll wish she never did as she's plunged into a nightmare and the grip of a psychotic killer.

Mediocre slasher drama consists mostly of a long drawn out chase;  casting Mark Hamill as a psychotic teenage killer is a nice touch, though.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

On the set: Robert Mitchum, Charles Laughton and Lilian Gish

The Wonderful Country (1959)

A honorable drifter constantly on the run finds his enemies closing in around him.

Fairly good Western with a convoluted and highly construed, noir-tinged plot; Robert Mitchum makes it worth the watch.

Halliwell (no star): "Complexly plotted Western offering a range of familiar exploits."

Maltin**1/2: "Brooding Western..."

Macao (1952)

An American in exile in Macao, has a chance to restore his name by helping capture an international crime lord.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Cape Fear (1962)

A lawyer's family is stalked by a man he once helped put in jail.

Classic high tension thriller with Robert Mitchum delivering one of the best deranged villain performances in cinema history; however, the right-wing flavoring of the story stains the otherwise good impression of the movie as a whole.

Halliwell (no star): "Unpleasant and drawn out suspenser with characters of cardboard and situations from stock."

Maltin***: "Mitchum is memorably (and believably) creepy...Dated only on its lack of explicitness, but still daring for its time."

Robert Mitchum

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mitchum

El Dorado (1966)

A gunfighter for hire joins forces with an old friend, a sheriff, and together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler, helps a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water.

Sleepy and slow-paced Western which is constantly on the verge of forgetting the plot; nevertheless, the movie is quite entertaining thanks to the director's grip holding it altogether and the casts' easygoing professionalism.

Halliwell*: "Easy-going, semi-somnolent, generally likable but disappointing Western...an old man's movie all round."

Maltin***: "Typically smooth Hawks mix of comedy and action, with zesty Leigh Brackett script and exemplary performances, espacially by Mitchum, Caan as young gambler who can't shoot, and George as ultra-cool hired gun."

Thunder Road (1958)

A veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business.

Offbeat crime thriller, slow-paced, well-played, and with a touch of Noir.

Halliwell*: "Downbeat but actionful crime melodrama with an unusual background and plenty of car chases."

Maltin***:"...cult favorite that even today continues to play in drive-ins; for many this remains the definitive moonshine picture. Jim Mitchum makes screen debut playing Bob's brother; the elder Mitchum got a hit record out of the title tune, which he also wrote!"

Out of the Past (1947)

On the set: Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

On the set: Charles Laughton & Robert Mitchum