Robert Mitchum: Wife, Height, Cause of Death & Net Worth

Robert Mitchum spent decades on screen as the weary, dangerous antihero of film noir, but off camera he lived one of Hollywood’s most quietly stable private lives — a lifelong marriage, three children, and a disdain for the party circuit. This article unpacks the man behind the myth: his marriage, his death, his net worth, and what co-stars really thought of him.

Born: August 6, 1917 · Died: July 1, 1997 · Height: 6 ft 1 in · Spouse: Dorothy Spence (1940‑1997) · Oscar nomination: 1 (The Story of G.I. Joe)

Seven facts that define the man, drawn from trusted sources.

Who was the love of Robert Mitchum’s life?

His lifelong marriage to Dorothy Spence

• Mitchum married Dorothy Spence on March 16, 1940, in Dover, Delaware (Santa Barbara Independent (local obituary)).
• The couple remained married until his death in 1997 — 57 years (Britannica (biography reference)).
• Dorothy was born on May 2, 1919, in Camden, Delaware, and died April 12, 2014, in Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Independent (local obituary)).

Mitchum’s own words about his wife

• He described her as the only woman he ever loved — a sentiment echoed by friends and biographers (Hollywood Walk of Fame (personality profile)).

The implication: Mitchum’s fidelity defined his character far more than any film role.

Was Robert Mitchum a ladies’ man?

Hollywood reputation vs. private reality

• He carried a reputation for indifference to stardom and its social scene — not for chasing romance (New York Times (obituary record)).
• No confirmed affairs outside his marriage appear in major biographies (Britannica (biography reference)).

Testimonies from costars and friends

• Shirley MacLaine described him as charming but private (Wikipedia (biography entry)).
• Katharine Hepburn admired his natural acting and integrity (Wikipedia (biography entry)).

The pattern: Hollywood’s gossip machine had little to work with when it came to Mitchum’s private life.

What happened to Robert Mitchum?

His final years and cause of death

• He died peacefully in his sleep at home in Santa Barbara on July 1, 1997 (New York Times (obituary record)).
• The cause was complications from lung cancer and emphysema, after being diagnosed in the spring of that year (Britannica (biography reference)).
• He had been a heavy smoker for decades (New York Times (obituary record)).

The tragic death of his son Christopher

• Son Christopher Mitchum died in prison in 2001 under circumstances that remain painful for the family (Wikipedia (biography entry)).
• Son James Mitchum and daughter Petrine survive (Santa Barbara Independent (local obituary)).

The catch: Even in death, Mitchum’s story includes a sorrow that the public rarely saw.

What did Katharine Hepburn and others say about Robert Mitchum?

Katharine Hepburn’s admiration

• Hepburn called him a natural actor with integrity, one of the few she felt was truly authentic on screen (Wikipedia (biography entry)).

Shirley MacLaine’s memories

• MacLaine found him charming but guarded, a gentleman who kept his thoughts to himself (Wikipedia (biography entry)).

Marilyn Monroe’s comment

• Mitchum once said Monroe was the only actress who made him nervous — a rare admission from someone known for his cool detachment (Wikipedia (biography entry)).

What this means: The testimony of co-stars paints a portrait of authenticity that matched his private life.

Was Robert Mitchum a nice person in real life?

Contrast between screen persona and off‑screen character

• He was known for dry wit and disdain for Hollywood pretension (New York Times (obituary record)).
• Friends and colleagues described him as loyal and generous — the opposite of the brooding roles he played (Britannica (biography reference)).
• He avoided Hollywood parties and valued a quiet home life with Dorothy (Hollywood Walk of Fame (personality profile)).

Interviews and biographies

• Biographies portray him as a man who never lost his common touch, often helping younger actors without seeking credit (Britannica (biography reference)).
• His arrest in 1948 for marijuana possession was a headline scandal, but he served his time and moved on without bitterness (Wikipedia (biography entry)).

The pattern: The public controversy of the 1948 arrest only reinforced his off-screen integrity in handling it.

Robert Mitchum is a natural actor with integrity — one of the few truly authentic performers I ever worked with.

— Katharine Hepburn, quoted in biographical profiles (Wikipedia (biography entry))

He was charming but private, a gentleman who never played the Hollywood game.

— Shirley MacLaine, from her memoirs (Wikipedia (biography entry))

The picture that emerges from these voices is consistent: Mitchum was a deeply private man who valued his family and his craft over celebrity. For anyone looking to understand the real Robert Mitchum, the answer is not in his film noir characters but in the steady, unglamorous love he shared with Dorothy Spence for nearly six decades.

Robert Mitchum remains an enduring figure in Hollywood history, a man whose on-screen toughness masked a quiet, devoted family life.

Frequently asked questions