That life-worn face, those sagging, sleepy eyes and that devil-may-care attitude. Robert Mitchum's no-nonsense disposition could elevate B-level scripts into the realm of legendary classics. Even when the movie was forgettable, his performance wasn't. His craggy voice and deadpan face made him a favorite film noir player, picking up the mantle that Bogart once carried. Turner Classic Movies salutes this rugged anti-hero on August 6th with a 13 film tribute and a repeat of Private Screenings, an informal conversation with his frequent co-star Jane Russell, hosted by Robert Osborne.

Though Mitchum has played his share of unsentimental heroes - his Oscar® nominated turn in the true-life war drama, The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), is still one of his best - it's his villainous roles that really stand out. Who can forget his chilling, nightmarish performance as the Reverand Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter (1955) or his cold-blooded, homicidal convict Max Cady in Cape Fear (1962)? Martin Scorsese remade the later film in 1991 giving bit parts to original actors Gregory Peck and Mitchum. While the new lead players, Robert DeNiro as Cady and Nick Nolte, got the job done with white-knuckled effectiveness, they lacked the subtlety and psychological tension that Mitchum and Peck brought to the classic original.

Equally memorable are Mitchum's frequent forays into the film noir genre and we're showing three of his best - Crossfire (1947), Where Danger Lives (1950) and Macao (1952). Though his image was strong and silent, Mitchum was also a man of words. He wrote the story and theme song for Thunder Road (1958), the tale of a Korean War veteran who returns home to Tennessee to bootleg liquor. (See August Cult Movie Picks). Mitchum was also one of the few leading men who looked perfectly natural in cowboy gear as evidenced by his underrated performances in a handful of superior Westerns - Blood on the Moon (1948), The Wonderful Country (1959) and The Lusty Men (1952). Another side of Mitchum moviegoers rarely saw was the romantic one; take a look at Desire Me (1947), co-starring Greer Garson, or Two for the Seesaw (1962) with Shirley MacLaine to see Mitchum seduce his female co-stars with his low-key masculine charm. In the mid-50s, Mitchum recorded a record of Calypso-Lounge music that also incorporated his four loves - alcohol, cigarettes, women and song. The songs are a bacchanalian celebration, proof that the subdued Mitch knew how to have some fun.

When Robert Mitchum died in 1997, his passing was over-shadowed by the death of Jimmy Stewart. Such was his life. He was a great actor who never found his perfect role, he was a screen legend and still remains somewhat of a secret. He was a bad boy and a quick wit. Sarcastic as all hell, with an insolent attitude, Mitchum made it seem so easy and that's why he's so fun to watch.

by Jeremy Geltzer