He was voted the 61st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Great-grandfather of Cappy Van Dien & Grace Van Dien. Grandfather in-law of their father Casper Van Dien.

Grandfather of male model Kian Mitchum.

Actor Michael Madsen called him his "role model" and inspiration to take up acting as a profession.

His mother was Norwegian and his father was Scots-Irish on his father's side and Native American Blackfoot on his mother's side.

Father of James Mitchum, Christopher Mitchum, and Trini Mitchum

Grandfather of actress Carrie Mitchum.

Was a close friend of Richard Egan, and served as a pallbearer at his funeral in 1987.

Brother of John Mitchum and Julie Mitchum.

Is mentioned in Queens of the Stone Age's song "The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died," off their 2007 album Era Vulgaris.

Mentioned by name as part of the Velvet Underground song "New Age" (from the 1970 album "Loaded").

Biography in: "American National Biography." Supplement 1, pp. 414-416. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Was named #23 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the American Film Institute.

Grandfather of actor Bentley Mitchum.

The 60-year-old Mitchum impressed Oliver Reed, Britain`s legendary hellraiser, by drinking a whole bottle of gin in 55 minutes on the set of The Big Sleep (1978).

In 1959, the Mitchums moved out of Hollywood and into a farm they had bought on the Maryland shore of Chesapeake Bay, near the town of Trappe. In 1965, the family returned to Hollywood, largely at Dorothy`s insistence, and moved into a modest, ivy-covered mansion in Bel Air. Mitchum also purchased a 76-acre ranch near Los Angeles, mostly as a home for his growing collection of quarter horses.

He claimed his famous eyes were the result of a combination of injuries from his boxing days and chronic insomnia, which he suffered from throughout his life.

Mitchum was in poor health while filming "The Winds of War" (1983) (mini), and once again there was talk of retirement. He filmed Maria`s Lovers (1984) despite suffering from a solid case of pneumonia.

While filming El Dorado (1966) Mitchum was amused by co-star John Wayne`s attempts to play his screen persona to the hilt in real life. He recalled that Wayne wore 4-inch lifts to increase his height and had the roof of his car raised so he could drive wearing his Stetson.

Turned down Gene Hackman`s role as drug-busting cop Popeye Doyle in The French Connection (1971) because he found the story offensive.

Presented with a People`s Choice Award backstage by Charlton Heston for "War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini) during the 1989 ceremony in Beverly Hills, California.

Many critics were unconvinced by the 65-year-old Mitchum winning World War II in "The Winds of War" (1983) (mini). When the producers made a second series, "War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini), they worried that a 70-year-old Mitchum would be even less convincing and considered replacing him with James Coburn. Eventually however they decided that what they would gain in fewer wrinkles, they would lose in Mitchum`s formidable screen presence and charisma.

Though respectful of Robert De Niro`s talent, Mitchum was amused by the young Method actor`s habit of remaining in character all day as film studio chief Monroe Stahr during the filming of The Last Tycoon (1976). Mitchum gave De Niro the nickname "Kid Monroe", and made many jokes about him with the older actors on the set like Ray Milland and Dana Andrews.

His mother was Norwegian and his father was Scots-Irish on his father`s side and Native American Blackfoot on his mother`s side

Was supposed to play Old Man Clanton in Tombstone (1993), but his back gave out on the first day of filming. Mitchum narrated the film instead.

Replaced Burt Lancaster in Maria`s Lovers (1984) after the elder actor was forced to undergo emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery.

Turned down Burt Lancaster`s role as an aging gangster in Atlantic City (1980). Mitchum had just had a face-lift and told the producers he was only playing forty-five.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower would never allow any of Mitchum`s movies to be played in the White House, due to the actor`s convictions for drugs.

He had a longstanding dislike of fellow tough guy actors Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson.

5 Card Stud (1968), the showdown between Hollywood`s two deities of indifference, produced no sparks on or off the screen. Dean Martin remained in his trailer watching television after filming was completed, and delivered his lines as though he had memorized them phonetically. The only excitement came when a massive camera collapsed and nearly hammered Mitchum into the ground. Instead, the star moved casually aside while thousands of dollars worth of equipment smashed around him.

Turned down the leading role in Sam Peckinpah`s masterpiece The Wild Bunch (1969), which went to his old friend William Holden, and made 5 Card Stud (1968). His excuse was they were both westerns.

He was fired from Blood Alley (1955), allegedly for alcoholism, something he later denied.

Visited his son Christopher Mitchum on the set of Rio Lobo (1970). Director Howard Hawks asked the elder Mitchum to reprise his El Dorado (1966) role as a drunken sheriff, but Mitchum claimed he was now retired. John Wayne responded, "Mitch has been retiring ever since the first day I met him."

He seriously considered retiring from acting in 1968 due to concerns over the quality of his recent movies. After a year`s absence, during which he spent much of the time driving around America visiting old friends and staying in motels, he was lured back to star in Ryan`s Daughter (1970).

Mitchum once said that the character, Reverend Harry Powell, the character villain whom he played in The Night of the Hunter (1955), was his favorite role.

His performance as Rev. Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter (1955) is ranked #71 on Premiere Magazine`s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

He was persuaded by his manager Antonio Consentino, a die-hard Republican, to campaign for George Bush in the 1992 presidential election. He also narrated a biographical film of the President for the Republican National Convention, and attended a fund-raiser at Bob Hope`s house in Hollywood.

In 1981, he fired his secretary, Reva Frederick, when he closed his office. Mitchum was subsequently sued as she claimed he owed her a pension back-dated to 1961. There was no paperwork to support this claim, and she dropped her suit when evidence was discovered that she had stolen millions of dollars from Mitchum over the years. As part of the "deal," he agreed not to prosecute. During the course of these events, Ms. Fredrick suffered a stroke from which she never fully recovered.

He was a huge fan of Elvis Presley`s early music, and wanted Presley to star with him in Thunder Road (1958). Unfortunately, Tom Parker`s demands for Presley`s salary could not be met in this independent production, which Mitchum was financing himself.

Was the defendant in FTC (Federal Taxation Commissioner) v Mitchum (1965), a famous taxation case in Australia, in relation to income earned in Australia while working there on the film _The Sundowners_.

His arrest for marijuana possession in the late 1940s was one of the first times a major actor had been jailed for this crime. According to Lee Server`s 2001 biography, "Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don`t Care," he was still smoking pot into his old age.

Referenced by name in the song "The Fun Machine Took a Sh-t and Died" by Queens of the Stone Age.

During a break in filming "War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini) in August 1987, Mitchum replaced his friend John Huston as an aging millionaire in Mr. North (1988) after Huston, who suffered from emphysema, was hospitalized with pneumonia. In October 1987, Mitchum filled in for Edward Woodward, who was recovering from a heart attack, in a special two-part episode of "The Equalizer" (1985).

His vocal support for the Vietnam War failed to affect his appeal with American youth, and in 1968, a poll of teenagers declared him the coolest celebrity. Mitchum responded that they must have missed his recent films.

His driving license from 1950 gave his height as 6` even, one inch less that was always reported.

Turned down Tony Curtis` role in The Defiant Ones (1958). Mitchum, a real-life veteran of a Southern chain gang, claimed to disbelieve the premise that a black and white man would be chained together. He said such a thing would never happen in the South. Over the years, this reason was corrupted to the point where many people now believe Mitchum turned down the role because he didn`t want to be chained to a black man, an absolute falsehood.

He was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea by Dorothy and neighbor Jane Russell. At Mitchum`s insistence, no memorial service was held.

He was of Scottish, Norwegian, Irish, and possibly Native-American descent.

Addressed the Republican National Convention in 1992.

Although he had numerous affairs throughout his marriage, he remained with Dorothy for nearly sixty years.

Died one day before his The Big Sleep (1978) co-star James Stewart.

Treated for alcoholism at the Betty Ford Center in 1984.

Turned down the lead role of Gen. George S. Patton Jr. in Patton (1970), allegedly because he believed he would ruin the film due to his indifference. During a Turner Classic Movies interview with Robert Osborne, Mitchum said that he knew the movie could be a great one due to the script, but that the studio would want to concentrate on battles and tanks moving around on screen rather than on the character of Patton. Mitchum believed that with himself in the role, the movie would turn out mediocre; what was needed was a passionate actor who would fight his corner to keep the focus on Patton, an actor like George C. Scott, whom Mitchum recommended to the producers.

In the 1950s, Mitchum was selected by Howard Hughes to appear in a series of films he was producing. Hughes considered Mitchum a "friend," but (as a paranoid recluse) hardly met the actor. Mitchum was half-way put-off and half-way amused by the "crazy, old man" and clearly saw that he was a surrogate for Hughes as the strapping actor "romanced" young starlets on screen.

He got into trouble for some anti-semitic remarks he made in an interview promoting "The Winds of War" (1983) (mini) at his home in 1983. Although these were apparently in jest, as he had close Jewish friends, he refused to apologize, undoubtedly because that would spoil his "bad boy" image.

Carefully maintained a facade of indifference, always lazily insisting that he made movies just so he could get laid, score some pot, and make money, and cared nothing about art. This is surely true of some films, which he likely picked to make money, but certain directors and films seemed to secretly pique his interest, including his work with Charles Laughton, John Huston, and Howard Hawks.

Because Charles Laughton had a personal dislike for children, Mitchum actually directed his child co-stars for the whole shoot of The Night of the Hunter (1955).

Was one of four actors (with Jack Nicholson, Bette Davis, and Faye Dunaway) to have two villainous roles ranked in the American Film Institute`s 100 years of The Greatest Heroes and Villains, as Max Cady in Cape Fear (1962) at #28 and as Reverend Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter (1955) at #29.

Briefly served in the United States Army during World War II, under service number 39 744 068, from April 12, 1945, to October 11, 1945, after he was drafted. According to Lee Server`s 2001 biography, "Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don`t Care," Mitchum said he served as a medic at an induction department, checking recruits` genitals for venereal disease (a "pecker checker"). Always the iconoclast, although he did not want to join the military, he served honorably and was discharged as a Private First Class and received the World War II Victory Medal.

In 1947, he and Gary Gray recorded the songs from "Rachel and the Stranger" for Delta records` soundtrack album. In 1968, he recorded another album, entitled "That Man Robert Mitchum ... Sings". It included the track, "Little Old Wine Drinker Me", which later became a hit for Dean Martin. In 1998, these songs were released on CD as "Robert Mitchum Sings."

Sidelines: Played the saxophone and wrote poetry.