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One thing Bob's kids will be is honest. Bob is — to the point of rudeness, sometimes. Occasionally people refuse to believe that he means what he says. "Bob, you're a character," they say. Mitchum grins, repeats what he said, and gets fired.
There are many facets of the Mitchum personality not often mentioned — such as his intellectual inclinations, his generosity to his family and co-workers, his real popularity with those who know him well — including stars who've worked with him.
■ A few months ago Robert Mitchum received what might be considered a surprising and flattering offer: a two-week engagement with Britain's Stratfordon-Avon company, to play King Richard. Except that nothing surprises Mitch very much, and flattery will get you nowhere with him. Predictably, he declined the bid.
"Demmit, Bob," said Charles Laugh ton, who was then directing him, "you ought to do it. It would be the first time they had a living, breathing actor in the role in quarter of a century!"
Mitch's big shoulders shrugged lazily. "What would it prove? That I can do Shakespeare? For two weeks? I'd rather be a bum."
Than an actor? "Than anything," Robert corrected; he had already dismissed the honor, if such it was, and gone on to other things. "I've worked at just about everything a man can do to earn a living, and the longer I think about it, the more I'm convinced that I just don't like to work."
Yes, but you can't not work when you have a wife and three children. Bob snorted derisively. "Look, I can be a bum and still make half a million dollars a year to take care of my family. Don't you see? I am a bum. And I have nothing to prove, so why should I go to England to play Richard when I'd rather travel with my wife? . . . Besides, if I worked myself to death at acting, the same people would be saying I was wasting myself. No matter what I did, they'd still say it. Why bother, since being a bum is more natural?"
There are these people who believe Mitchum is an undeveloped genius. Like Mr. Laughton, who found nothing odd in the idea of his playing Shakespeare.
Like young (Continued on page 95)