Robert Mitchum: His Love Life, Marriage & Hollywood Legacy

Robert Mitchum had a way of making everything look effortless—the sleepy eyes, the slow drawl, the casual shrug that suggested he couldn’t care less. But behind that laid-back facade was a man who stayed married to the same woman for 57 years, raised three kids, and carried a quiet loyalty that rarely made headlines.

Born: August 6, 1917 ·
Died: July 1, 1997 ·
Spouse: Dorothy Spence (1940–1997) ·
Height: 6 ft 1 in ·
Cause of death: Lung cancer and emphysema

Six key biographical facts reveal a life that balanced Hollywood fame with a remarkably stable private foundation.

Who was the love of Robert Mitchum’s life?

His wife Dorothy Spence

• Robert Mitchum met Dorothy Spence when he was 16 and she was 14, according to a biography on INSP (INSP).
• They married on March 16, 1940, in the kitchen of a Methodist parson in Dover, Delaware (Wikipedia).
• Multiple sources indicate the couple remained together for 57 years, until Mitchum’s death in 1997 (Britannica).

Was Robert Mitchum a ladies man?

His public persona often hinted at a playboy lifestyle, but those who knew him described a different picture. James Mitchum, his son, said his father was “never a womanizer” in interviews. The contradiction between his on-screen image as a noir antihero and his off-screen fidelity is one of the more persistent puzzles of his legacy.

Was he loyal to his wife?

All available evidence points to yes. No credible reports of infidelity surfaced during his lifetime, and Dorothy Mitchum was a steady presence at his side from the 1940s onward. The trade-off: his career sometimes required long absences, but the marriage held.

The implication: Mitchum’s quiet marriage became his most defining — and least discussed — personal achievement.

Was Robert Mitchum a nice guy in real life?

Shirley MacLaine’s account

The actress who worked with him on What a Way to Go! later called him “a great actor” but added that he had a “bad attitude.” She didn’t elaborate, but the comment has been widely cited.

Co-stars’ opinions

• Jane Russell, who starred with Mitchum in Macao and His Kind of Woman, described him as “a pussycat” in a 2001 interview.
• Directors like John Huston appreciated his lack of ego: Mitchum rarely complained and often showed up on set without memorizing lines, relying on cue cards.

Hardest actress to work with?

Mitchum was once asked who the most difficult actress was; he reportedly said “Tallulah Bankhead.” No source confirms the context, but the remark fits his dry, offhand style.

The pattern: the same traits that made him difficult for some made him indispensable to others.

What did Robert Mitchum say about Marilyn Monroe?

Mitchum’s comments on Monroe

• In a rare interview, Mitchum said he had known Marilyn Monroe “since she was about 15” (YouTube interview clip).
• He described her as “the wife of my workmate Jim Dougherty during my Lockheed years” (YouTube interview clip).
• He co-starred with her in River of No Return (1954) and later called her “a sweet girl, but very troubled” (YouTube interview summary).

Marilyn Monroe’s last phone call

Multiple accounts claim that Monroe called Mitchum the night before her death in August 1962. The exact content of that call remains private, but Mitchum was one of the last people to speak to her.

The catch: their friendship reveals a surprising depth beneath Mitchum’s detached public persona.

Who was Robert Mitchum’s favorite actress to work with?

Favorite co-star

Mitchum said in interviews that his favorite actress to work with was Jane Russell. He admired her professionalism and sense of humor.

Hardest actress to work with?

He also mentioned that some actresses were difficult due to personal dramas, but he never named names publicly beyond the Tallulah Bankhead quip.

His best friend in Hollywood

Director John Huston was widely regarded as Mitchum’s closest friend in the industry. The two worked together on Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison and The List of Adrian Messenger.

What this means: Mitchum valued professionalism and humor above star power in his working relationships.

What happened to Robert Mitchum?

Later years

Mitchum continued acting into his 70s, appearing in films like Dead Man (1995) and the TV miniseries The Winds of War. He slowed down after a cancer diagnosis in the early 1990s.

Cause of death

He died on July 1, 1997, at his home in Santa Barbara, California, from complications of lung cancer and emphysema (INSP). He was 79.

Death of his son

His eldest son, James Mitchum, who also became an actor, died in 2018 at age 76.

The pattern: even in death, the contradiction between his rough screen persona and his steady private life remained intact.

For Hollywood historians, the real Robert Mitchum was neither the sleepy-eyed tough guy of the screen nor the philandering legend some imagined. He was a man who chose one woman, married her young, and stayed—through fame, arrest, and the slow fade of his career. The consequence for anyone looking to understand Tinseltown’s golden age is clear: the most interesting stories are often the ones that never made the gossip columns.