Robert Mitchum Interview | Cinema Showcase (March 16, 1978)

Jim Whaley sits down with screen legend Robert Mitchum on WPBA-Atlanta's "Cinema Showcase." Mitchum discusses his career, as well as his newest film, the 1978 British adaptation of "The Big Sleep."
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[@moviefan8533]

The coolest son of a bitch who ever lived. And the interviewer was great. Prepared. Knew what questions to ask and wasn’t rattled.

[@shawnbarron2455]

This interview shows why Mitchum was so great. He was a man you could see in a deep philosophical conversation about the meaning of life and then ten minutes later be winning a bar fight.

[@zyxmyk]

He was a lot smarter than he sometimes pretended to be. This is the real guy.

[@lenhummel5614]

Robert Mitchum was truly Mr.Cool, a brilliant natural actor, and incredibly handsome. When he spoke his mind he was REAL.

[@solarrobot]

There will never be another Robert Mitchum!

[@Msnando09]

What a man ! Such a cool dude.

[@pipeandslippersman]

what a find! mitch fans assemble!

[@marlon1171]

What a great legendary actor Robert was..

[@paulakpacente]

I LOVED Mitchum from the first time I saw him---in about 1966. Not only was he a fine actor, but I had a crush on him. To me he was the epitome of "cool".

[@narellecox8480]

This was a great find. A marvellous interview. I am a real Robert Mitchem fan, he will always me my No 1.

[@OtisBlue22]

Just goes to show how easy Mr Mitchum could be with the right interviewer. A cracking interview. 👌👌👌

[@diannetilton861]

Better than any actor today!

[@es7614]

Bob Mitchum is a national treasure.

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

Mitchum looks great here. It's a shame he wasn't put in more films.

[@EmilyHartley25989]

He’s so hot and so cool at the same time!

[@philjames6206]

Probably my favourite actor. I hope he had wardrobes stuffed full of awards for 'Night Of The Hunter', 'Cape Fear', and 'The Friends Of Eddie Coyle'. Super-cool.

[@GaylordBuzzard]

One of the most fascinating characters ever. Extremely intelligent and literate. Had almost total recall. He could read a script once or twice at the most and know his part and everybody else's. On set he could be very kind and cooperative, supportive and friend of everybody. He could also get drunk and be vile, rude and uncoperative, almost as if he wanted to deny his basic refinement.

[@fifthbusiness1678]

And you know this how? I don’t mean to be rude, but have you seen this behaviour first hand?

[@GaylordBuzzard]

@@fifthbusiness1678 Not first hand. Read it in his bio. I did have a brief encounter with him decades ago in Santa Barbara. During the gas crisis of 1974 we were in line at the pumps. He said, "Long line." I said, "Yes." Not exactly long lost friends but better than nothing.

[@glamdolly30]

@@fifthbusiness1678 You don't think people are entitled to make informed judgements about other people (even the most famous of them like Robert Mitchum whose lives and behaviours are well documented), unless they met them personally??? By your logic, everyone would have to withhold judgement on Adolf Hitler!

[@flashtheoriginal]

In a true "lets talk movies" setting, as opposed to another "lets interview a superstar" piece, Robert Mitchum looks so at ease. Informative, interested, interesting, enthusiastic, responsive. The man oozed class. Terrific interviewer too . Really knows his stuff and has an engaging style Great stuff, thanks for posting.

[@claudiocorleone7856]

Mr Mitchum was not only an amazing actor but a good dresser and always a good interview.

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

My grandfather had a very similar voice as Mitchum, very deep but with a NE England accent. Like Mitchum he was a lifelong smoker.

[@robparous1753]

What a class act

[@DrVonChilla]

....and right before your eyes, ladies & gentlemen, is the very definition of the Alpha Male. He was born with every possible gift that can be given a man. When they made Robert Mitchum, they broke the mold. Holy shizzle....!! 😄

[@glamdolly30]

Absolutely right - and happily married to one woman only, from boy to man. What a man!

[@TheJer1963]

For the love of God KZbin please put the movie Thunder Road up for us. Been years since I saw it on TCM.

[@vintagegirl1961]

Robert MItchum movies! ok.ru/video/c1468579

[@johnruggles7739]

Ain't you gotta Dvd player?

[@babyirene3188]

Wow. Excellent

[@voiskumbeaver3285]

Interesting seeing Mitchum acting with James Stewart, remembering they died within a day of each other in 1997.

[@allengreene9954]

And it’s crazy how Jimmy and Bob were different in terms of how they carried themselves. Jimmy was basically Mr. Rogers while Bob was the Rebel-Bad Boy. Yet Both of Them Left Huge Marks on the Acting World👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@Buffaloc]

Mitchum was an original. He was very intelligent and someone who knew him said that he was constantly reading.

[@johnsewell6593]

Mitchum had just turned 60 here. One Cool Customer - if I may be so bold.. .. !

[@danp.1938]

I’ve seen several of his interviews where he seems either annoyed or drunk he is obviously neither here and very sharp and showing intellect

[@patriciaotoole5930]

He's a man wow. He's so bloody honest love that

[@johnruggles7739]

It is tribute to the interviewer's skills that this must be the finest Mitchum interview I have ever seen. Such intelligence, humour, knowledge, his mastery of the English language matches Welles & Ustinov. He clearly relished the opportunity to talk about the business rather than his-self - a rare quality in any actor. Parkinson got him to sing, but this guy got him to reveal the professional actor rather than the Star he was and will always be to me. I have a number of fave actors - Welles, Bogart, Mason, McGoohan, but if forced to choose no 1, Mitchum would nudge the other Robert (Ryan) into 2nd place.

[@irish66]

No, changing it from California to London didn't work. Farewell my lovely was a better movie.

[@dskywalker3397]

The definition of cool.

[@alraune7361]

fine interview, good moderator, great witty Robert M.

[@EF-fc4du]

Fascinating dude.

[@WOMENOFTROY]

Fantastic!

[@Pittie21]

As a UGA Journalism graduate, nice to see this.

[@christianmonturanoii6539]

Great actor

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

Next time Mr. Mitchum is one your show, please ask him about his Photographic Memory. I find that totally fascinating.

[@TrystonL7]

It may be a while

[@glamdolly30]

Hmmm... You'd need a medium to reach him. Mitchum's been dead 27 years!

[@peterb2325]

Great thanks

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Very funny anecdote he tells about Arafat and Zionists. The sad thing is that it wouldn’t be all that many years later that Mitchum descended into real alcoholism. But back in the late ‘70s he was still witty, charming and congenial. And it’s a real treat to be able to watch the actual film clip, which so often isn’t the case with KZbin interviews.

[@plasticweapon]

he "didn't descend into real alcoholism" until after the 70's? i don't know who told you that, but that's bullshit.

[@prefabstories]

Wonderful!

[@christopherg9806]

This interviewer asks serious, interesting questions. I saw Mitchum on Parkinson, and the questions were so shallow and inane. ("Do you get in a lot of fist fights?" etc.) I suppose it's no surprise when the show is called Cinema Showcase, but Jim Whaley is a really good host.

[@glamdolly30]

Michael Parkinson is still a very overrated talk show host. He was simply lucky to be the sole, leading TV chat show in the 'seventies, when visiting Hollywood stars needed a place to park their rear end and plug their new movie.

[@deborahbratcher8327]

They don't make um like him anymore.. Just watched " "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison". One of my favorites.. Thank yoh for so ma y wonderfu! characters..

[@irish66]

Interesting to hear what he says about London and it's multi culture. This not go with the accusations that he was a racist.

[@allengreene9954]

Although Bob could Be VERY COLORFUL when He was Drunk😂😂😂😂

[@mirellasegagni9475]

Un attore bravissimo! Dovrebbero trasmettere. Ancora i suoi ffilm

[@briangervais5311]

Far beyond cool.

[@samludu5916]

What actor would've said the word "disinterested" and then, knowing it was the wrong word, said "uninterested."? Mitchum. If you enjoy this, see his interview with Cavett in 1981.

[@plasticweapon]

'71.

[@davidmolloy1317]

Wow, I never heard of this remake maybe because of the British production. I'll have to see it now!

[@glamdolly30]

'The Big Sleep' was a Michael Winner production, therefore, sadly lived up to its name despite the all-star cast.

[@spb7883]

I was born on that day

[@Hollowshape]

"The magic of movies."

[@servantofzardoz]

Getting a pair of shades like that and waring them in public or on camera is freaky.

[@DrVonChilla]

Stunning stunning STUNNING man. He's Robert Mitchum and the rest of us are not. 😄

[@glamdolly30]

Only a star of Mitchum's rare charisma could pull it off. And he did!

[@royphillips7435]

My number 1 ...Always

[@jimmymalone9139]

ONE TAKE BOB. TOP MAN. FIOR LAOCH (IRISH FOR TRUE LEGEND)

[@cknodel56]

The man is a brain!

[@theendofeverything6356]

Proper 70s sunglasses!

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Very funny anecdote he tells about Arafat and Zionists. It’s unfortunate, but it wasn’t all that many years after this that Mitchum descended into real alcoholism. He was still very bright, charming and congenial in the late ‘70s. And it’s a real treat to be able to actually watch the film clip, which so often is not the case with KZbin interviews.

[@davidfrost779]

Bob was a regular visitor to Britain made at least a dozen films here

[@glamdolly30]

I was charmed by Robert Mitchum's obvious love of England, I had no idea he was an Anglophile. A great shame he drank the Michael Winner Kool Aid - he was a lousy writer/director, and the movie was inevitably panned.

[@crispychip360]

Anyone know what that song is called at the end of the video

[@bill2953]

It's known as bumper music. Ask your app.

[@geokaker9630]

wow

[@CliffBronson1212]

"Whenever I'm invited" 😅

[@JesusEmmanuelChrist]

Funny guy.

[@SvenSveetheart]

Steve Stalzle is a cool guy.

[@brianthomas9071]

How IRONIC, MITCHUM & STEWART died on the same day in 1997

[@redjacc7581]

might have been Kew Gardens

[@glamdolly30]

The conservatory scene with James Stewart was filmed at Avery Hill Park and Winter Gardens in Greenwich, and the exterior shots are Knebworth House in Hertfordshire.

[@freddiem8801]

I love watching Robert Mitchum, but I have to say I find it very rude when people wear sunglasses whilst being interviewed.

[@christianmonturanoii6539]

This is only 10 years before scrooged he aged like 30 years in 10 years lol I can get my big break at 70 today and still look younger than most actors 30nyears younger then I'll be looking 50 when I'm 100 lol

[@glamdolly30]

Mitchum was an alcoholic, that ages you faster than anything. I believe he also had dentures fitted in later life, which alone, aged him dramatically.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

WHY THE SHADES ? A black eye ....(?).

[@glamdolly30]

Oversized shades were something of a trademark for Robert Mitchum when off-duty from acting. I believe he felt they gave him some measure of psychological privacy, from the scrutiny of celebrity he did not relish.

[@nigollllll]

Fantastic. Miss him in films

[@hackbritton3233]

Robert obviously has some he will talk to and some he won't. ok this one he will and I wish he hadn't. and I would say that to Robert Mitchum with out any question.

[@fifthbusiness1678]

Uh huh ...

[@skivvywaver]

Who was in charge of toupees ?

[@JoeBilello1969]

This guy was one of those old-time sociopaths and the reason behind those glasses in every interview is beyond me, not unless he was hiding bloodshot eyes😮

[@glamdolly30]

You don't understand why stars, subjected to unnatural levels of public scrutiny, often choose to wear sunglasses?

[@JoeBilello1969]

@@glamdolly30 My guess is that it's a subconscious way of hiding some deep-rooted secrets, they don't even realize it themselves and if you listened to a great many of his interviews and read up on his history, he had a lot of insecurities coupled with a possible guilt complex regarding his "stardom". It's all they can do to create a barrier between themselves and the masses, as a criminal psychology major, that would be my diagnosis. Did you ever notice how many of these professional poker players wear them? It's so people can't read their facial expressions, or so they believe, they believe that they're giving something about themselves away. Well ya know what they say, "The Eyes Are A Window Into The Soul". Roy Orbison started wearing them after his wife's death, Elvis was hardly ever without them, there's an obvious pattern there. I've put them on now and then when I've been high. You dont find it odd or a bit ridiculous for someone to sit down for an interview wearing sunglasses, especially on something like "The Tonight Show"?, yeah, there's definitely something deep going on with that. Mitcham was definitely a very disturbed guy🤔

[@jimmymalone9139]

HARRY ANDREWS BUTLER

[@allengreene9954]

Robert Mitchum could be the real Father or Robert De Niro and Michael Madsen😮😮😮😮😮

[@plasticweapon]

what??

[@NYVoice]

Madson got his swag by watching Mitch.

[@allengreene9954]

@@plasticweapon. Bobby D, Sylvester Stallone, Mike Madsen and Clint Eastwood all said Bob was one of Their Favorites. Mike said that Bob was His Idol and His Role Model and He Modeled His Career and Acting Style after Mitch.

[@allengreene9954]

@@NYVoice. Yep. Said Bob was His Idol and His Role Model👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@glamdolly30]

@@allengreene9954 Every actor worth a damn learns from those who went before.

[@LazlosPlane]

What's with the sunglasses?

[@allengreene9954]

He was Bob Mitchum. He could get away with it 🤷🏿🤷🏿🤷🏿🤷🏿🤷🏿

[@glamdolly30]

I believe his trademark oversized shades were a reaction the the crazy level of scrutiny he got as a star, which he was not comfortable with.

[@glamdolly30]

Mitchum was a great man, actor and star. A shame he got involved with this sub-standard movie, directed (and, unforgivably, written), by the deadly hand of Michael Winner. The reviews at the time were real stinkers - the general view was the plot was hard to follow, the all-star cast were simply going through the motions, and transplanting the action to London made no sense at all. Mitchum was 60 when he played Phillip Marlowe for the second time, in the book the character was 33. Slightly odd to see a twenty-something woman coming on to him in that early clip from the movie.

[@philo5096]

He always wore sunglasses indoors, wonder why.

[@glamdolly30]

Same reason every star wore 'em - privacy and protection - psychological, of course. That level of unrelenting public scrutiny is hard to handle 24 -7.