James Mitchum

James Mitchum is the eldest son of actor Robert Mitchum. He is also the brother of actor Christopher Mitchum and the uncle of actor Bentley Mitchum.^[1] His first child was born of his marriage to Wende Wagner, an actress who died of cancer in 1997.

Film career

He had his first role which was small and unbilled at the age of 8 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 '70s and '80s. Curiously, he was again credited as being "introduced" in the Have Gun Will Travel episode "Genesis" (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),^[2] Ambush Bay (1966), High Chaparral in 1969, and The Invincible Six in 1970.

In 1975 he starred in the movie Moonrunners, where he played the character Grady Hagg, this movie was the influence for the T.V. show The Dukes of Hazzard. He was also in Zebra Force, and Trackdown co-starring Karen Lamm and Erik Estrada in 1976, Crazy Jungle Adventure in 1982, Hollywood Cop in 1987, Jake Spanner, Private Eye in 1987 and Fatal Mission in 1990.^[3]

References

External links

• James Mitchum at the Internet Movie Database