Jim Mitchum obit

Jim Mitchum Dies: ‘Thunder Road’ Actor And Son Of Robert Mitchum Was 84

 He was not on the list.

Jim Mitchum, the actor son of Hollywood great Robert Mitchum who at 16 starred with his father in the 1958 cult classic Thunder Road, died following a lengthy illness September 20 at his ranch home in Skull Valley, Arizona. He was 84.

His death was announced today by a family spokesperson, who noted that Mitchum’s wife Pamela was at his side along with the couple’s beloved poodle.

Born in Los Angeles May 8, 1941, to the Night of the Hunter actor and Dorothy Spence Mitchum, Jim Mitchum made his film debut at age 8 in the Raoul Walsh Western Colorado Territory. Despite his mother’s wish to keep the boy out of the Hollywood spotlight, his resemblance at 16 to his father was such that he was cast as Robert’s younger brother in Thunder Road. Robert Mitchum produced the film about Southern whiskey runners pitted against federal agents and organized crime.

In Thunder Road, Jim Mitchum (who also was sometimes credited under the name James Mitchum) played an auto mechanic, leading to a real-life interest in stock car racing and working for a while on Elvis Presley’s hot rods. The younger Mitchum became friends with Presley and briefly attempted a singing career, recording the 1961 single “Lonely Birthday,” which was not a hit.

While his singing career failed, Mitchum would turn more seriously to acting, appearing in 11 films and television series throughout the 1960s, most notably The Victors (1963), a WWII drama starring George Peppard, Albert Finney and Mitchum’s friend George Hamilton; Ride the Wild Surf (1964), co-starring Fabian and Shelley Fabares; In Harm’s Way (1965) with John Wayne and Kirk Douglas; and Ambush Bay (1966) with Hugh O’Brien and Mickey Rooney.

In 1971, Mitchum had a cameo in Monte Hellman’s drive-in classic Two-Lane Blacktop starring James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, and that Mitchum was among the friends of Dennis Hopper (including Peter Fonda and Kris Kristoffrson) invited to Peru to film The Last Movie, a notorious flop. During the shoot, Mitchum filmed a short making-of documentary called The Last Movie Movie.

Among his notable subsequent credits was Moonrunners (1975), which inspired the TV series The Dukes of Hazard.

Mitchum retired from acting in 1994 (three years before his father’s death). In his later life he was a breeder of Quarter Horses at his ranch in Skull Valley and developed a line of premium moonshine, traditional corn whiskey and Robert’s Rye whiskey, in homage to his father’s films, Thunder Road and Out of the Past.

Mitchum’s marriage in 1968 to actress Wende Wagner ended in divorce 10 years later. He married Vivian Ferrand in 1985 and divorced in 1995. He had met Arizona English professor Pamela K. Smith in 1993 and began a friendship that developed into a romance. They married in 2025.

In addition to his wife, Mitchum is survived by brother Christoper Mitchum, sister Petrine Day Mitchum, daughter Ana Liljeback, son Will Spence Mitchum, stepdaughter Tiffany Mitchum Greene, son Brian Price Mitchum, daughter Caitlin Ann Mitchum, and a large extended family including in-laws, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

 

Actor

Kely McClung in Stickfighter (1994)

Stickfighter

5.2

Mule (uncredited)

1994

 

Genghis Khan: The Story of a Lifetime (1992)

Genghis Khan: The Story of a Lifetime

6.6

1992

 

Tia Carrere and Peter Fonda in Enemy (1990)

Enemy

4.3

Maj. Bauer

1990

 

Beyond Kilimanjaro, Across the River of Blood (1990)

Beyond Kilimanjaro, Across the River of Blood

5.0

Frank

1990

 

Wings Hauser in Marked for Murder (1990)

Marked for Murder

4.5

Video

Rainier

1990

 

Jake Spanner, Private Eye (1989)

Jake Spanner, Private Eye

6.4

TV Movie

Lieutenant Kevin Spanner (as Jim Mitchum)

1989

 

Gianfranco Couyoumdjian, Richard Hatch, Robert Marius, Antonio Marsina, James Mitchum, and Anthony Sawyer in Colli di cuoio (1989)

Colli di cuoio

5.6

Sergeant Martin

1989

 

Raiders of the Magic Ivory (1988)

Raiders of the Magic Ivory

4.4

Sugar

1988

 

Mercenary Fighters (1988)

Mercenary Fighters

4.6

Wilson Jeffords

1988

 

Code Name Zebra (1987)

Code Name Zebra

4.1

Frank Barnes (as Jim Mitchum)

1987

 

David Goss in Hollywood Cop (1987)

Hollywood Cop

4.1

Feliciano (as Jim Mitchum)

1987

 

Im Dschungel ist der Teufel los (1982)

Im Dschungel ist der Teufel los

2.7

Butch Donovan (as Jim Mitchum)

1982

 

Monstroid (1980)

Monstroid

2.7

Bill Travis (as Jim Mitchum)

1980

 

Blackout (1978)

Blackout

4.8

Dan Evans (as Jim Mitchum)

1978

 

The Ransom (1977)

The Ransom

5.1

Tracker (as Jim Mitchum)

1977

 

Erik Estrada and James Mitchum in Trackdown (1976)

Trackdown

6.1

Jim Calhoun

1976

 

Moonrunners (1975)

Moonrunners

5.9

Grady Hagg

1975

 

The Last Movie (1971)

The Last Movie

6.1

Art (as Jim Mitchum)

1971

 

Laurie Bird, Warren Oates, James Taylor, and Dennis Wilson in Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

Two-Lane Blacktop

7.2

Man #2 at Race Track (as Jim Mitcham)

1971

 

Curd Jürgens, Elke Sommer, and Stuart Whitman in The Invincible Six (1970)

The Invincible Six

5.2

Nazar

1970

 

Leif Erickson, Linda Cristal, Henry Darrow, Cameron Mitchell, and Mark Slade in The High Chaparral (1967)

The High Chaparral

7.6

TV Series

Johnny Keogh

1969

1 episode

 

Ambush Bay (1966)

Ambush Bay

5.5

Pvt. James Grenier

1966

 

Joseph Cotten, James Mitchum, and Gordon Scott in The Tramplers (1965)

The Tramplers

5.8

Hoby Cordeen

1965

 

Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, and Elke Sommer in The Money Trap (1965)

The Money Trap

6.2

Detective Wolski

1965

 

In Harm's Way (1965)

In Harm's Way

7.3

Ensign Griggs

1965

 

Barbara Eden, Shelley Fabares, Tab Hunter, Fabian, and Peter Brown in Ride the Wild Surf (1964)

Ride the Wild Surf

5.8

Eskimo

1964

 

Massacre at Grand Canyon (1964)

Massacre at Grand Canyon

4.8

Wes Evans

1964

 

Senta Berger, Romy Schneider, Melina Mercouri, Jeanne Moreau, Rosanna Schiaffino, and Elke Sommer in The Victors (1963)

The Victors

6.9

Pvt. Robert Grogan (as Jim Mitchum)

1963

 

Gary Conway, Alana Ladd, Jody McCrea, James Mitchum, and Chill Wills in Young Guns of Texas (1962)

Young Guns of Texas

4.9

Morgan Coe

1962

 

Have Gun - Will Travel (1957)

Have Gun - Will Travel

8.4

TV Series

Roderick Jefferson

1962

1 episode

 

Robert Mitchum, Martha Hyer, France Nuyen, Louis Nye, and Jack Webb in The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961)

The Last Time I Saw Archie

5.7

Corporal

1961

 

Paul Anka and Mamie Van Doren in Girls Town (1959)

Girls Town

3.8

Charley Boy (as Jim Mitchum)

1959

 

Mamie Van Doren in The Beat Generation (1959)

The Beat Generation

5.5

Art Jester (as Jim Mitchum)

1959

 

Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)

Thunder Road

6.5

Robin Doolin

1958

 

Colorado Territory (1949)

Colorado Territory

7.2

Child (uncredited)

1949

 

Self

The 18th Rudolph Valentino Awards

TV Special

Self

1990

 

Mondo Hollywood: Hollywood Laid Bare! (1967)

Mondo Hollywood: Hollywood Laid Bare!

6.1

Self (uncredited)

1967

 

Dream Girl of '67 (1966)

Dream Girl of '67

6.0

TV Series

Self - Bachelor Judge

1967

10 episodes

 

Sandra Dee and Ricky Nelson in The Juke Box Jury (1953)

The Juke Box Jury

TV Series

Self

1959

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Robert Mitchum, le mauvais garçon d'Hollywood (2018)

Robert Mitchum, le mauvais garçon d'Hollywood

6.5

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2018