Cameron Mitchell (actor)
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| Cameron Mitchell | |
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 in the trailer for Love Me or Leave Me (1955) |
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| Born | November 4, 1918 Dallastown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | July 7, 1994 (aged 75) Pacific Palisades, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1945–1994 |
| Spouse |
Johanna Mendel (m. 1940–1960) |
Cameron Mitchell (November 4, 1918 – July 7, 1994[1]) was an American film, television and Broadway actor with close ties to one of Canada's most successful families, and considered, by Lee Strasberg, to be one of the founding members of The Actor's Studio in New York City.
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[edit] Early life and career
Born Cameron MacDowell Mitzel in Dallastown, Pennsylvania to Rev. Charles and Kathryn Mitzel, young Cameron moved to Chicora, Butler County, Pennsylvania in 1921 when his father was accepted as pastor of the St. John's Reformed Church of Donegal Township, Pennsylvania. [2] Mitchell served as a bombardier with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. His film career began with minor roles in films dating back to 1945, including They Were Expendable (with John Wayne and Robert Montgomery, but he quickly rose to young leading man status opposite such stars as Wallace Beery in The Mighty McGurk, Doris Day and James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me, Lana Turner and Spencer Tracy in Cass Timberlane, Clark Gable and Jane Russell in The Tall Men, and Marlon Brando, Merle Oberon, and Jean Simmons in Désirée.
Some of his best known films were the 1951 adaptation of Death of a Salesman (he originated the role of Happy on Broadway), Les Misérables in 1952, the 1953 comedy How to Marry a Millionaire (with Marilyn Monroe), and 1956's film version of Carousel.
During the 1960s, Mitchell starred in numerous Italian horror, fantasy, and thriller films, several of which were directed by Mario Bava, including Erik the Conqueror (1961), Blood and Black Lace (1964), and Knives of the Avenger (1966). He portrayed right-wing General Edwin A. Walker in Prince Jack (1985).
It was on TV where Mitchell had the greatest effect during the latter part of his career, and he is best remembered for starring as Uncle Buck in the 1960s NBC western series, The High Chaparral. He also made an appearance on an episode of Bonanza and ABC's S.W.A.T. He guest starred on the brief The Swiss Family Robinson TV series and the 'Landslide' episode of "Movin' On" in 1975. He appeared on Gene Evans's short-lived Spencer's Pilots on CBS in the fall of 1976. He also provided the voice of Jesus in The Robe.
Between the first and second world wars, during his years as a young actor in Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne's National Theater Company, Fontanne suggested that Cameron's surname sounded "a bit too much like the Hun" and insisted he change it to "Mitchell."
[edit] Personal life
In 1940, Mitchell married Johanna Mendel, the daughter of self-made Canadian business tycoon Fred Mendel. The Mendel family was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where Fred Mendel founded Intercontinental Packers, a major family-owned meat packing operation.
Johanna Mitchell gave birth to their first son, Robert Cameron Mitchell, in New York on July 4, 1941. Although Mitchell and Johanna divorced in 1960, he maintained close ties to Canada. His children by Johanna hold dual US/Canada citizenship. Their daughter, Camille Mitchell, and son, Cameron Mitchell, Jr., are both actors. Another son, Fred Mitchell, was president of Intercontinental Packers for many years working alongside his mother, Johanna Mitchell, who was Chairwoman of the Board. Today the company is known as Mitchell's Gourmet Foods and still operates out of Saskatoon, now owned by Maple Leaf Foods.
Mitchell's children from his second marriage - Jake, Jono, and Kate Mitchell - live in Los Angeles, California.
[edit] Death
After a decades long career in radio, film, and television, Cameron Mitchell died of lung cancer, aged 75, on July 7, 1994, in Pacific Palisades, California.[3] He is buried in Desert Memorial Park[1] in Cathedral City, California.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Palm Springs Cemetery District "Interments of Interest"
- ^ Rev. Mitzel Served St. John's Reformed Church from December 1, 1921 to November 30, 1922. http://www.sjrchurch.org
- ^ Grimes, William (1994-07-09). "Cameron Mitchell, 75, Actor; Created Role in 'Salesman'". nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/09/obituaries/cameron-mitchell-75-actor-created-role-in-salesman.html?pagewanted=1?pagewanted=1. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cameron Mitchell (actor) |
- Cameron Mitchell at the Internet Movie Database
- Cameron Mitchell at AllRovi
- Cameron Mitchell at the Internet Broadway Database
- John "J-Cat" Griffith (June 05, 2002). "Cameron Mitchell". Actor. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6480279. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- Actors from Pennsylvania
- American film actors
- American people of Scottish descent
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- Cancer deaths in California
- Deaths from lung cancer
- People from Perry County, Pennsylvania
- Spaghetti Western actors
- United States Army Air Forces officers
- 1918 births
- 1994 deaths
- Burials at Desert Memorial Park
- Peplum film actors
