James Mitchell (actor)

Infobox actor
name = James Mitchell

---

imagesize =
caption = James Mitchell with Anne Bancroft
birthdate = Birth date and age|1920|2|29
birthplace = Sacramento, California, United States
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername = Jim Mitchell
occupation = Dancer, Actor
spouse =
children =
website =

James Mitchell (born February 29, 1920 in Sacramento, California) is an American dancer and actor. Although he is best-known to television audiences as Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera "All My Children" (1979 – present), theatre and dance historians remember him as one of Agnes de Mille's leading dancers. Mitchell's skill at combining dance and acting was considered something of a novelty; in 1959, the critic Olga Maynard singled him out as "an important example of the new dancer-actor-singer in American ballet", pointing to his interpretive abilities and "masculine" technique. [Olga Maynard, "The American Ballet" (Philadelphia: Macrae Smith, 1959), 149.]

Early life

Mitchell's parents emigrated from England to Northern California, where they operated a fruit farm in Turlock. In 1923, Mitchell's mother, Edith, left his father and returned to England with Mitchell's brother and sister; she and Mitchell had no further contact. Unable to run a farm while single-handedly raising his remaining son, Mitchell's father fostered him out for several years to vaudevillians Gene and Katherine King. After Mitchell's mother died, however, his father remarried and brought both of his sons, but not his daughter, back to Turlock. At age seventeen, Mitchell left Turlock for Los Angeles, where he remained close to the Kings. [ Early life: virtually identical accounts with more or less detail in Meredith Brown, “James Mitchell: Dancing His Way into Your Heart,” "Soap Opera Digest" 5.17 (28 October 1980): 40-41; Robert Schork, “Flying High,” "Soap Opera Magazine" 7.45 (18 November 1997): 21-23; “Rebecca Herbst & James Mitchell,” "Soapography" (aired 2 September 2006).]

Career

While studying drama at Los Angeles City College, Mitchell was introduced to modern dance at the school of the famed teacher and choreographer, Lester Horton. After receiving his associate's degree, he joined Horton's company, where he remained for nearly four years. While working with Horton, Mitchell became a close friend of dancer Bella Lewitzky; in the 1970s, he became President of the Board of Directors of her Dance Foundation, and afterwards remained a “major longtime […] supporter” of hers. [cite web|url=http://www.dance90210.com/bellasegal.html| title=Lewitzky Closes an Era with a Warning for the Future|publisher=|accessdate=2007-07-07|date=1994] In 1944, Horton took Mitchell to New York with him to form a new dance company, but the venture abruptly collapsed.

As it happened, the failure of Horton's company was a significant turning point in Mitchell's career: while struggling to find either acting or dancing roles in New York, he successfully auditioned for Agnes de Mille, who was choreographing her first musical since "Oklahoma!". Mitchell, who did not study ballet until he was in his mid-twenties [Saul Goodman, "Brief Biographies: James Mitchell," "Dance Magazine" 29.8 (August 1955): 36.] , was at a loss when faced with de Mille's ballet combination. Much later, describing his approach to the audition, Mitchell said, "Well, I really hadn't too much familiarity with that but I threw myself across the floor and about the third or fourth pass, Agnes cried 'Stop' and summoned me over and said 'Where on earth did you get your dance training?'". [James Mitchell, "Dance Magazine Awards 1978," "Dance Magazine" 52.7 (July 1978): 79. Transcript.] De Mille nevertheless offered Mitchell the dual position of principal dancer and assistant choreographer. Given the option between touring with Helen Hayes and dancing for de Mille, Mitchell chose de Mille. [Michael Portantiere, "From the Scrapbook of James Mitchell", "In Theater" 87 (24 May 1999): 30.] "Bloomer Girl" (1944) began an important artistic partnership with de Mille that lasted from 1944 to 1969 and spanned theater, film, television, and concert dance. De Mille's biographer, Carol Easton, describes him as the “quintessential male de Mille dancer” and de Mille's “closest confidant” in her artistic life. [Carol Easton, "No Intermissions: The Life of Agnes de Mille", new ed. (New York: Da Capo, 2000), 233, 258. ISBN 978-0306809750] In one of her autobiographical volumes, de Mille herself said of Mitchell that he had "probably the strongest arms in the business, and the adagio style developed by him and his partners has become since a valued addition to ballet vocabulary." [Agnes de Mille, "And Promenade Home" (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1958), 195. Dance teacher and historian Shelley C. Berg comments that "Mitchell's ability to execute strenuous lifts has made his parts in de Mille ballets a particular challenge for dancers later performing his roles." Berg, "Saving a Legacy: Agnes de Mille's 'Gold Rush,'" "Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research" 19.1 (Summer 2001): 89 n. 56.]

Mitchell's work with de Mille:
* "Bloomer Girl" (Broadway, 1944): principal male dancer; assistant choreographer
* "Brigadoon" (Broadway, 1947): Harry Beaton; assistant choreographer
* "Paint Your Wagon" (Broadway, 1951): Pete Billings; assistant choreographer
* "Come Summer" (Broadway, 1969): assistant director
* American Ballet Theatre (1950-51, 1955, 1956): "Rodeo" (Head Wrangler — ABT premiere cast), "Fall River Legend" (Pastor), "Rib of Eve" (Husband — world premiere cast)
* Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre (1953-54): principal dancer
* Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1964): "Bitter Weird" (Bridegroom)
* "Oklahoma!" (film, 1955): Dream Curly (excerpted in "That's Dancing!")
* "Omnibus" (TV, 1956): featured dancer, “Art of Ballet”; featured dancer, “Art of Choreography”
* "Bloomer Girl" (TV, 1956): The Returned Soldier
* "Gold Rush" (TV, 1958): Miner

Mitchell's other close associations were with Gower Champion, Eugene Loring (with whom he also trained), and Jerome Robbins:

Gower Champion:
* "Carnival!" (Broadway, 1961; national tour, 1962; West End, 1963): Marco the Magnificent
* "Mack & Mabel" (Broadway, 1974): William Desmond Taylor
* "Annie Get Your Gun" (tour, 1977): assistant director

Eugene Loring:
* "The Toast of New Orleans" (film, 1950): Pierre — “The Tina-Lina” with Rita Moreno
* "Deep in My Heart" (film, 1954): Specialty dancer — “One Alone” with Cyd Charisse
* "Ford Startime: Meet Cyd Charisse" (TV, 1959): Partnered Cyd Charisse
* "The Perry Como Show" (TV, 1963): Partnered Cyd Charisse
* The 38th Academy Awards (TV, 1966): Partnered Cyd Charisse

Jerome Robbins:
* "Billion Dollar Baby" (Broadway, 1946): Rocky Who Dances
* American Ballet Theatre (1950-51): "Facsimile"
* American Theatre Laboratory (1967-69): instructor and company member

Mitchell worked consistently on stage in both musicals and straight dramas until the late 1970s, including numerous regional theatre roles across the country. His other significant credits include Broadway appearances in "Carousel", "First Impressions", and "The Deputy"; off-Broadway appearances in "Winkelberg", "The Threepenny Opera", "Livin’ the Life", and "The Father"; "L'Histoire du Soldat" at New York City Opera; and national tours of "The Rainmaker" (with future "All My Children" co-star Frances Heflin), "The King and I", "Funny Girl", and "The Threepenny Opera".

As a film performer, Mitchell had only moderate success. In the early 1940s, he did both chorus dancing and extra work in a number of minor musicals and westerns. On the strength of his award-winning performance in "Brigadoon", Mitchell was scouted by producer Michael Curtiz and signed to a contract at Warner Brothers. Curtiz initially intended to put Mitchell in a picture with Doris Day that never materialized. [Thomas F. Brady, "Stewart is Sought for Role by Curtiz", "New York Times" 20-9-1947: Amusements 12.] After several months, Mitchell eventually made two films for Warner Brothers, including Raoul Walsh's "Colorado Territory", before following Curtiz to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. At MGM, he played supporting roles in six films between 1949-55, most notably Anthony Mann's "Border Incident", Jacques Tourneur's "Stars in My Crown", and Vincente Minnelli's "The Band Wagon" — an experience he loathed so much that he still refuses to see the film [cite web|url=http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/7159| title=Dream Curly|publisher=|accessdate=2007-07-07|date=2007-11-21] — but he did not work for the studio again after appearing in the infamously over-budgeted flop "The Prodigal" (1955). Mitchell's film career ended abruptly after he starred in Hal R. Makelim's Western "The Peacemaker" (1956), the only time he was ever billed above the title. After that, it took over two decades before he made his next and what proved to be his final appearance on the big screen, "The Turning Point" (1977).

On television, Mitchell was considerably more active, especially in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In addition to working regularly as a dancer, Mitchell played dramatic roles in a number of TV movies and prime-time series, as well as in the anthologies that were once so popular, such as Play of the Week, Gruen Guild Playhouse, and Armstrong Circle Theatre. In 1964, he took his first contract role on a soap opera in "The Edge of Night", as the corrupt Capt. Lloyd Griffin; this was followed by the entire run of "Where the Heart Is" (1969-73), in which he played the male lead, Julian Hathaway. During the late 1970s, he was a guest star on "Lou Grant" and "Charlie's Angels".

Besides performing, Mitchell occasionally worked as a director and choreographer, particularly in the late 1960s and 1970s. He staged musicals at the Paper Mill Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum, and The Muny, among other theatres. In 1956, he and Katherine Litz co-staged "The Enchanted" for American Ballet Theatre.

After "Mack & Mabel" flopped in 1974, Mitchell's performing career nearly ended altogether. He earned a BA from Empire State College and an MFA from Goddard College in order to teach full-time at the college level, and taught movement for actors at Juilliard, Yale University, and Drake University. In 1979, after several years of only occasional work, Mitchell was hired to play the villainous businessman Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera "All My Children". Initially hired for only one year, Mitchell is still on contract with the show as of 2008, although since 2002 his appearances have become increasingly rare. While not senior in terms of his time with "AMC", Mitchell is currently the oldest actor on the show, as well as the third-oldest contract player on daytime television (after Frances Reid of "Days of Our Lives" and Helen Wagner of "As the World Turns").

Awards and nominations

* Theatre World Award, 1947: "Brigadoon"
* Donaldson Award, Best Dancer of the Year, 1947: "Brigadoon"
* Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, 1985, Drake University
* Daytime Emmy Award nominations, Outstanding Actor, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989: "All My Children" [With Jeanne Cooper's award for Outstanding Actress in 2008, Mitchell again became the record holder for most acting nominations without a win.]

ee also

* "All My Children"
* American Ballet Theatre
* Gemze de Lappe
* Agnes de Mille
* Lester Horton
* Jerome Robbins
* A Touch of Magic

References

Further reading

* Easton, Carol. "No Intermissions: The Life of Agnes de Mille." New York: Little, Brown, & Co., 1996. ISBN 0-316-19970-2. (Mitchell is interviewed extensively.)
* Eichenbaum, Rose. "James Mitchell." "The Dancer Within: Intimate Conversations with Great Dancers." Ed. Aron Hirt-Manheimer. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2008. 212-18. ISBN 0-8195-6880-5.
* Gilvey, John Anthony. "Before the Parade Passes By: Gower Champion and the Glorious American Musical." New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-33776-0. (For Mitchell's performance in "Carnival!")
* Lawrence, Greg. "Dance with Demons: The Life of Jerome Robbins." New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2001. ISBN 0-399-14652-0. (For Mitchell's work in "Billion Dollar Baby," American Ballet Theatre, and the American Theatre Laboratory.)
* Mitchell's correspondence with Agnes de Mille is held in the [http://www.nypl.org/research/manuscripts/dance/dandemillecorrwrit.xml#IDAE3TKD Agnes de Mille Collection: Correspondence and Writings] at the New York Public Library. The library also holds a number of other materials relating to Mitchell's stage career, including two silent films of Mitchell performing with the Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre.

External links

*
*
* [http://www.filmreference.com/film/68/James-Mitchell.html Film Reference entry]
* [http://abc.go.com/daytime/allmychildren/bios/61957_1.html Official ABC page]
* [http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/7159 Brief interview about the filming of "Oklahoma!"]
* [http://www.humorinthenews.com/cyd/gallery/shows/meetcyd/index.htm Mitchell and Cyd Charisse in rehearsal (1959)]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/TouchofM1961 "A Touch of Magic" (1961 industrial film) at Archive.org]

Persondata
NAME = Mitchell, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Mitchell, Jim
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Dancer and actor
DATE OF BIRTH = February 29, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH = Sacramento, California
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =