For the Boys Blogathon

Participating blogs:
As Time Goes By
Backlots
Bette’s Classic Movie Blog
Blame Mame
Comet Over Hollywood
Dear Mr. Gable
Frankly, My Dear
Hollywood Revue, The
Jeremy Gurto
lilliangish.net
Most Beautiful Fraud in the World, The
Noir and Chick Flicks
Pussy Goes Grr
Sinamatic Salve-ation
Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence
Tales of the Easily Distracted
True Classics
Undy a Hundy

What I think men most like about the western/film noir actor Robert Mitchum, is how he swaggered through the wildness of his youth and became very independent man. Without a doubt, one of Mr. Mitchum's best films is also his favorite performance, The Night of the Hunter (1955). His performance as Reverend Harry Powell, is considered by many to be one of the most suspenseful of his career.

The film begins when family man Ben Harper, is sentenced to hang for his part in a robbery in which two men were killed. Before he is caught he hides the stolen money, telling only his son John, where the money is.

Reverend Harry Powell, a serial killer and posing as preacher with the two words "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed across his knuckles, shares a prison cell with Harper. While Harper sleeping, Powell over hears him say: "And a little child shall lead them."

Powell, now believes that Harper's children, are the only ones who know the secret of where the money is and to win their trust, marries their mother, Willa. Powell, asks the children about the money and John becomes suspicious of Powell and does not trust him. Willa, overhears her new husband questioning the children and now that she knows the truth, he kills her.

After Powell dumps her body, you see a beautiful/horrific under water scene of her sitting in the car at the bottom of the pond. He learns where the money is and the children escape down the river with the money. The river scene is one of many moments of pure beauty and the music keeps you drifting along.



 They find safety with an eccentric old woman named, Rachel Cooper. Powell, eventually catches up with them, but Rachel knows that he is evil and takes matters into her own hands.

The cat and mouse game, between Reverend Harry Powell and young John, will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat.

She Couldn't Say No (1954) .

She Couldn't Say No(1954). Cast: Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.

After returning to her childhood home in Progress, Arkansas from England, where oil heiress Corby Lane lived for many years. Corby,is on a mission to repay the town for paying for the life-saving operation when she was a baby. She sets out to look for Dr. Robert Sellers, her childhood physician. Finding the Doc not at home, Corby pushes the "emergency only", causing alarm to go off. Doc, who is out fishing at the near by river, has just caught the famous prized fish named Hercules, hears the noise, thinking that there is an emergency, races back to his house without his fish.

Corby is surprised to see how young the Doc is, introduces herself as "Miss Johnson" who is on her way to California. Corby, then asks Doc what he would do if she gave him $5,000? He tells her that he would lock her up as a lunatic. Doc takes Corby over to Mrs. McMurty's boardinghouse. Then invites her to Harley's Tavern, to try to trick her into revealing her true identity. Corby's plans soon backfires when, the town becomes the destination for every fortune seeker from miles around.

To tell you the truth what caught my attention to this movie was the paring of Jean Simmons and Robert Mitchum. I thought the film was clever and very entertaining.

Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979), When he moved to New York he quickly found himself landing roles in Broadway productions. He landed a role in the film, Tobacco Road, he developed the country character that he would later be typecast throughout his career.

He played a long string of supporting role characters as wise rural types, as in, The Red Badge of Courage (1951), The Lusty Men (1952),The Kettles in The Ozarks (1955) The Last Command (1955), The Tall T (1957) and El Dorado (1967).

In 1952, he earned an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor in the western, The Big Sky.

Throughout the '50s, '60s, and '70s, Hunnicutt made nearly 40 guest appearances on American television programs such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Perry Mason, and The Twilight Zone.