Robert Mitchum made a name for himself in western and noir roles, and his last great western appearance was a major turning point in the genre’s history. Mitchum was one of the most dynamic actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and he brought gritty realism to an era known for its staged and larger-than-life quality.
Mitchum’s unique look and stunning baritone made him a perfect anti-hero, and he headlined many classic noir films that took advantage of his one-of-a-kind qualities. In his heyday of the ’40s and ’50s, westerns were reaching their peak in popularity. Mitchum was no stranger to the Old West genre, but his appearances were usually in darker examples of western cinema.
Noir and western combined in many classic B-movies, and Mitchum’s cowboy roles were nearly as hard-boiled as his turns in iconic noir flicks. He usually played morally questionable gunslingers that went against the usual swaggering bravado of mainstream westerns. Even as he aged, Mitchum would continue to return to the genre periodically.
One of Mitchum’s final roles came in a western, and it helped to bring the genre back to prominence after more than a decade of decline. His role might have been small, but it was important because it represented a changing of the guard. The movie was already great, but Mitchum’s appearance added even more credibility to the modern classic.
Tombstone Was Robert Mitchum’s Last Great Western
Tombstone is one of the most beloved films of the ’90s, but its true importance pertains to its genre. Westerns declined throughout the ’70s and ’80s, and were nearly ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the 1990s. The epic recounts the life of Wyatt Earp, and the Gunfight at the OK Corral in particular. That tale had already been told, but Tombstone was different.
The next year, the Kevin Costner film Wyatt Earp was released, but it was a box office failure.
Robert Mitchum provided narration, which added his name to a cast that also included Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, and Sam Elliott. It would be Mitchum’s second-to-last appearance in a western, though his final film in the genre was hardly mainstream. Jim Jarmusch’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man could be classified as an acid western, and is a surreal story that subverts every trope.
On the other hand, Tombstone works so well because it is both a tribute to classic westerns and a stylized approach to those very same tropes. There’s a slightly exaggerated quality that hearkens back to Golden Age cinema, but it has grittier visuals that make it feel more modern and accessible. It also has dazzling and memorable action sequences.
Along with movies like Unforgiven, Tombstone helped to launch westerns back into prominence because it blazed a new path. Several movies followed throughout the 1990s that took a page from Tombstone‘s playbook. The decade has a distinct flavor in its westerns, but that can be tracked directly back to Tombstone, and director George Cosmatos’ choices.
Robert Mitchum’s Tombstone Narration Was A Pᴀssing Of The Torch For Westerns
By 1993, many of the biggest stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age had either pᴀssed away or faded into obscurity. This left westerns with a batch of young heroes who had to take up the mantle from their celebrated predecessors. In that way, Robert Mitchum’s narration can be seen as a pᴀssing of the torch from one generation to the next.
Not only was Mitchum’s voice pleasing, it was important that a legend of the genre be on hand to usher in new icons. Russell and Elliott are beloved for their western roles now, and it’s largely because of Tombstone. Being a faceless narrator makes the transition especially effective, because Mitchum is more of an observer than a participant.
The narration also contributes to the stylized nature of the film, and isn’t something usually seen in westerns. It frames Earp’s story as a larger-than-life tale, which instantly lets the audience know they’re in for something more than a stodgy recounting of the historical record. The movie also uses the narration effectively, instead of making it a cheap narrative device.
Robert Mitchum’s Eventual Role In Tombstone Turned Out Better Than The Original Plan
Though Robert Mitchum’s appearance in Tombstone seemed like a stroke of genius, it was actually plan B. Mitchum was supposed to play a different part in Tombstone, but sustained an injury while falling off a horse that made him unable to continue in the film. He was then switched to the narrator part, which kept the legend in the film.
He was supposed to play Old Man Clanton, the father of Ike Clanton, who is a prominent part of the movie. With the loss of Mitchum, the part of Old Man Clanton was completely nixed from script, and he wasn’t recast. Ultimately, this twist of fate would end up being one of the best decisions in the entire production.
Relegating the legend to a minor role would have wasted him, and wasn’t befitting his status in westerns. Robert Mitchum was at the end of his career, but he was still at the height of his powers as an actor. By giving him the narration role, it put a perfect punctuation mark on his decades-long time in the movies.
