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Cameron Mitchell as Happy
Loman in
"Death of a Salesman" |
Cameron
Mitchell was born in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, a tiny farm village in York
County. He was the fourth of seven children of the Reverend Charles
Michael Mitzell, minister of the Reformed Lutheran Church. For
generations, men of the Mitzell family have been identified with the church.
One exception was an officer in the army of General George Washington.
Cameron's
interest in dramatics began through participation in church pageants in
early childhood, but in high school he became star pitcher on the baseball team.
He didn't completely ignore acting, however, due largely to the persistent
encouragement of his high school French teacher.
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In his senior year, when he reached
the crossroads of choosing a career -- to the great disappointment of his father
-- young Mitzell decided against following family tradition, and elected to
become an actor. Before leaving home for New York, he called on his French
teacher. As he left, the elderly woman pressed some money into his hand to
help him through dramatic school. |
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In New York, Cameron immediately landed
a job in the theater. He became an usher in a triple-feature movie house
on 42nd Street at $7.80 per week. At night he attended the Theater School
of Dramatic Arts. He also launched an ambitious campaign of letter
writing, grinding them out by the hundreds to producers, critics and agents. |
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One day, after seeing Alfred Lunt
and Lynn Fontanne in "The Guardsman", an eminently successful film, the
apprentice actor addressed a brash, upbraiding letter of criticism to
Lunt. Three days later he had a reply from Lunt's secretary
instructing him to appear at Lunt's office. After delivering a
severe lecture on his shameful letter, the secretary listened to the young
man read. She was deeply moved, and brought the entire incident to
the attention of the Lunts. Result:
Cameron made his professional debut with the Lunts on Broadway in Shakespeare's
"Taming of the Shrew". Secondary result was the change of name from
Mitzell to Mitchell. This change was made at the suggestion of Lynne
Fontanne, and it stuck.
Mitchell's next big assignment came in the war. He served in the
South Pacific as an officer in the Air Force. Upon his discharge he
resumed his career and was soon on the way up with a contract to M.G.M. He appeared in a succession of films for that studio,
including "Command Decision", "Homecoming", and "Cass Timberlane". |
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In 1948, he
returned to Broadway for the role of Happy Loman in the original cast of "Death of a Salesman".
After a two-year run, during which he received the Theater World Award as "the
most promising theater personality of the year", and was the New York Critics
runner-up for "Best Young Actor of the Season", he repeated his role for the
screen. |
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A long term
contract at 20th Century-Fox followed, and Mitchell's stature grew with
each new performance. Among films he made are "How to Marry a
Millionaire", "Love Me or Leave Me", the voice of Christ in "The Robe",
"Carousel", and the role of champion fighter Barney Ross in "Monkey on My
Back". Acting honors garnered during this period include the Motion
Picture Herald's Laurel Award for best supporting actor in "Love Me or
Leave Me" and two nominations in the Audience Awards Poll.
For the
past three years, the peripatetic Mitchell has divided his time between
making films in Europe and the Orient, appearing on the American stage,
and starring in such quality TV shows as "Playhouse 90", "The
Untouchables", and "Desilu Playhouse". |
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In the
recent west coast stage version of "The Kind and I", Mitchell took on an
almost insurmountable challenge by appearing in the role originated by Yul Brynner. He converted it into a
personal triumph with a stunning, original interpretation that brought unanimous
rave reviews.
Future projects in the planning stages for this protean player encompass a
new TV series, the London version of "The Music Man", and a world tour of
"The King and I", sponsored by the State Department. |
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Cameron Mitchell in the stage
production of
"The King and I" for which he won critical acclaim. |
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