Them Ornery Mitchum Boys
At first glance Them Ornery Mitchum Boys might appear to be just another sensational Hollywood insider's biography. The reader soon discovers, however, that John Mitchum's memoirs, are a delightful collection of anecdotes, photos, poetry, and other tidbits accumulated during his life and that of his famous, slightly-older brother Robert. Organized into nine "books," each consisting of scores of brief sections, Them Ornery Mitchum Boys offers a funny, revealing look into the lives of two very colorful men. John Mitchum appears to have a great deal of love and respect for Brother Robert, but he pulls no punches in describing either their scrapes or their successes. In a somewhat rambling but thoroughly enjoyable style, John recounts his own career as a character actor, singer, guitarist, composer, and raconteur that paralleled Robert's rise to movie stardom. Through the younger Mitchurn's insights and stories of the famous and the unknown who have touched the brothers' lives, a portrait of Robert emerges that may surprise the reader. The sleepy-eyed star is revealed to also be a skillful but largely unsung poet and singer possessing a caring, generous, and fiercely loyal heart beneath that tough, intensely private exterior. And John himself, every bit as complex as his brother, endears himself to the reader as a charming, often ornery cuss with a fine sense of humor and a gift for telling a great story. There are terrific stories of influential personalities packed into these pages-some of them verified by John, others passed on as legend. 'Me main attraction of Them Ornery Mitchum Boys, however, is the Mitchum Brothers themselves, a pair of enigmatic men whose lives and times make entertaining reading. Highly recommended. --FromIndependent Publisher