The Thinking Machine 29

Every fan of Robert Mitchum has praised his looks, his walk, his voice. Yet, beyond these natural, “cool” attributes, Mitchum was also a skilled actor who honed specific performance techniques. In the special case of Thunder Road (1958) – a film he helped to produce, write and musically score, as well as being its star – the “syntax” of Mitchum’s acting determines everything, from the direction by Arthur Ripley to all other cast members’ dialogue delivery. What is Mitchum’s true, deep “secret”?