Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American film actor, director, author, composer, and singer. Mitchum rose to prominence for his starring roles in several classic films noir, and is generally considered a forerunner of the anti-heroes prevalent in film during the 1950s and 1960s. His best-known films include The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), Crossfire (1947), Out of the Past (1947), The Night of the Hunter (1955), The Enemy Below (1957), Thunder Road (1958), Cape Fear (1962), and El Dorado (1966).