A great 1945 war film called The story of GI Joe led to Robert Mitchum's only Oscar nomination, although the celebrated actor deserved at least one more. Mitchum starred in some of the best film noir of all time, such as The big sleep (1978), Cape Fear (1962), and The Night of the Hunter (1955). Mitchum was so exceptional in his prime that Roger Ebert called him his favorite movie star. Despite his acclaim, Mitchum was only nominated for one Oscar in his career in 1945 The story of GI Joe.
Mitchum's acting career left a legacy as a classic figure in both film noirs and westerns. He starred alongside John Wayne in the western drama El Dorado (1966) and in the classic war film The longest day (1962). He first came to prominence in 1944 Thirty seconds over Tokyo alongside Spencer Tracey and Van Johnson. Because of his overwhelming influence on the Western and film noir genres, it is quite surprising that he only has one Oscar nomination - Supporting Acor for his role as Lieutenant Walker in The story of GI Joe – and zero Oscar wins.
The GI Joe Story Was Robert Mitchum's Only Oscar Nomination (and Well Deserved)
He lost the award to James Dunn for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The story of GI Joe It may not be Robert Micthum's best film, but it is the only film he starred in that received individual recognition from the Academy. Directed by William A. Wellman, The story of GI Joe was nominated for a total of four Oscars in 1946, including Best Screenplay, Best Screenplay and Best Original Song. The film received an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, well below some of Micthum's best films, such as The lustful men, Persecutedand Eddie Coyle's friends.
Even though the film isn't among Mitchum's best films of all time, the actor still deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He finally lost the Oscar to James Dunn for his role as Johnny Nolan in A tree grows in Brooklynthe directorial debut of a dramatic film by Elia Kazan from East of Eden and By the sea acclaim. In retrospect, it's understandable how Mitchum – and other actors like John Dall for The corn is green and Michael Chekhov for Fascinated – lost the award that year.
Robert Mitchum had two 1947 films for which he could have been nominated
He stood out in Crossfire and Out of the Past
Mitchum could have been nominated for another Oscar at several points in your career. However, two films from 1947 could also be in contention to give the acclaimed actor his first Oscar. Any Cross-firewhich received several nominations but did not include Mitchum, or Out of the pastwhich is an all-time great film noir, could have been Mitchum's best Oscar bet. Of course, Mitchum's villainous roles in The Night of the Hunter and Cape Fear should have been recognized by the Academy. Instead of, The story of GI Joe it remains his only Academy nomination.