James Mitchum (born May 8, 1941) is an American actor.Mitchum was born
in Los Angeles, California, the eldest son of actor Robert Mitchum and
his wife, Dorothy Spence. His brother is actor Christopher Mitchum,
and he is the uncle of actor Bentley Mitchum. His only child was born
during his marriage to Wende Wagner, an actress who died in 1997, of
cancer.James Mitchum had his first role, which was small and unbilled,
at the age of eight in the Western Colorado Territory (1949) with Joel
McCrea, Virginia Mayo, and Dorothy Malone. His credited debut was in
Thunder Road (1958), in which he played his father's much younger
brother, a role written for Elvis Presley, who was eager to do it
until his manager demanded too much money. This film became a drive-in
cult favorite, revived in the 1970s and ’80s. Curiously, he was
again credited as being "introduced" in the Have Gun Will Travel
flashback episode "Genesis" (season 6, episode 1, 1962).He has
appeared in more than 30 films including The Beat Generation in 1959;
The Victors in 1963; as a surfer named Eskimo in Ride the Wild Surf in
1964; In Harm's Way (1965) with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Henry
Fonda; Ambush Bay (1966); The Invincible Six (1970); Two-Lane Blacktop
(1971); and The Last Movie (1971).
in Los Angeles, California, the eldest son of actor Robert Mitchum and
his wife, Dorothy Spence. His brother is actor Christopher Mitchum,
and he is the uncle of actor Bentley Mitchum. His only child was born
during his marriage to Wende Wagner, an actress who died in 1997, of
cancer.James Mitchum had his first role, which was small and unbilled,
at the age of eight in the Western Colorado Territory (1949) with Joel
McCrea, Virginia Mayo, and Dorothy Malone. His credited debut was in
Thunder Road (1958), in which he played his father's much younger
brother, a role written for Elvis Presley, who was eager to do it
until his manager demanded too much money. This film became a drive-in
cult favorite, revived in the 1970s and ’80s. Curiously, he was
again credited as being "introduced" in the Have Gun Will Travel
flashback episode "Genesis" (season 6, episode 1, 1962).He has
appeared in more than 30 films including The Beat Generation in 1959;
The Victors in 1963; as a surfer named Eskimo in Ride the Wild Surf in
1964; In Harm's Way (1965) with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Henry
Fonda; Ambush Bay (1966); The Invincible Six (1970); Two-Lane Blacktop
(1971); and The Last Movie (1971).
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