Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (6th August 1917 - 1st July 1997) was an American film actor, author, composer and singer. He is ranked 23rd on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time. Mitchum rose to prominence for his starring roles in several major works of the film noir style, and is considered a forerunner of the anti-heroes prevalent in film during the 1950s and 1960s. He may be best-remembered for his roles in such films as The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), Crossfire (1947), Out of the Past (1947), The Night of the Hunter (1955), and Cape Fear (1962).