Robert Mitchum as a poet

It’s known that Mitchum wrote poetry on his different movie stages, are his poems compiled in a book ??, is it available in the USA ?? …

I’ve never heard that they were. It’d be an interesting document to have, maybe.

Michael Madsen has also written poetry. I don’t want to be uncharitable, but it’s pretty much what you’d expect.

He sings too. He cut a few albums, but I don’t know anything about his poetry.

Joseph Losey said Mitchum wrote poems but refused to show them to anyone.

Well, when you’re stoned and waiting around on a movie set, there’s much worse things than write poetry! He’s one of my favorite actors, maybe my most favorite, and I’d be interested in reading some of it out of curiosity, but I’m glad he never quit his day job.

The thought of Mitchum trying to become a real poet reminds me of John Malkovich giving up acting for puppeteering in Being John Malkovich.

that would be a true delight to read those lil’ gems.

How about Jimmy Stewart’s poetry? I remember SNL spoofing them some time in the 1980s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNJjIwlHk8
http://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Stewart-His-Poems-James/dp/0517573822

How about Jimmy Stewart’s poetry? I remember SNL spoofing them some time in the 1980s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNJjIwlHk8
http://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Stewart-His-Poems-James/dp/0517573822

For what it is worth, both Shirley MacLaine (who had a relationship with him) and Jane Russell thought that he was brilliant. That probably doesn’t mean much. He certainly had enough life experience for ten lives.

Mitchum is one of my favorites and I’ve always been interested in his poetry but have never read anything. I know Viggo Mortensen is also a poet. The poems he recites in GI Jane are his own.

Hell, who doesn’t like to get smashed on booze and pot and write some poetry before shooting a scene?

Day in the life of Robert Mitchum: Wake up, drink beer, write poem, get laid, go to set in limo, get laid in trailer, have another beer, go shoot scene, go back to trailer, drink four beers, get laid again, write a poem about it, shoot another scene, then go home to my loving wife and kids.

Now THAT’S a great life!

My favorite Mitchum poem: “You’ve got to realize that a Steve McQueen performance lends itself to monotony. He doesn’t bring much brains to the party.”

Another quote from Big Bob:

" A significant role for me ?? Seems to be — now !! Charles [Laughton] called me up:’ I’ve a book here about a thoroughly unredeemable shit. ’ And I said: ’ Present !! ’

The calypso album is otherworldly.

I highly recommend Lee Server’s Baby I Don’t Care

There’s another compilation album " That Man" (Bear Family Records / 1995), that includes his marvelous interpretation of “Sunny” …..

Excerpt from
The Love Song of I, Robert Mitcum

Let us go then, you and I,
When the Klieg lamps are spread out against the sky
And I’m as drunk as a patient etherised upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sundry other clichés of film noir set design.
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and avoid the producer’s visit.

Talking of low angles, though.

The hazy smoke that rubs its back upon the window blinds,
the sickly sweet smoke that rubs its muzzle on the windowpanes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Now has everyone curled once about the house, asleep and/or stoned.

I shall wear heavy trench coats, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the femme fatales singing, each to each.

I do not think that Greer will sing to me.

I have seen Jane Russell riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black
because RKO can’t afford Technicolor.

We have lingered in the bottle and the trailer
by these hot girls and older dames, drunk again,
till a director’s voices wakes us, and we drown.

Strange, i once started reworking a bit of that one myself. It should be

“In the room the women come and go
Talking of Leo di Caprio”

anyone got any Kurosawa haikus?

I like that. I almost kept the original line so I could add “Antonioni,”
but the idea was to stay with RKO and noir.
The fun part was deciding which lines NOT to change.
Amazing how many worked without being alterred.

I don’t care he could make what he want, he is the best actor in the world

There’s even poetry in his handwriting. Just check out that signature:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFP8pi_GZTs

ROBERT MITCHUM WAS THE MOST INTRIGUING AND COMPLEX MAN I THINK I’VE EVER READ ABOUT.
HE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN A “STAR” BEYOND HIS BRAVADO, HE SEEMED TO HAVE A VERY TENDER HEART. HE WAS HIGHLY THOUGHT OF BY MOST OF HIS DIRECTORS AND CO-STARS. FRANK SINATRA SAID HE KNEW MORE ABOUT MUSIC THAN ANYONE KNEW. HE ALSO PLAYED MANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. YOU CAN PROBABY TELL HE WAS (AND IS) MY FAVORITE.

Nice Post I already digged this

Another reason to love him. He was so great.

TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF MTCHUM’S DEATH. HE WILL LIVE IN MY HEART FOREVER. REST IN PEACE, OR KEEP ENTERTAINING WHEREVER YOU ARE, BIG BEAUTIUL BOB.

It’s nice to see all the love for Mitchum, it shows he was something special.

Big fan of his and I didn’t even know he could he wrote poetry, sang or played music. Just makes me a bigger fan of his.