James Mitchell was an American actor and dancer of English descent, born in 1920 in Sacramento, California. His parents, English immigrants, operated a fruit farm in Turlock, California, where Mitchell grew up. After his parents separated in 1923, his mother returned to England with his siblings, leaving Mitchell in the care of vaudevillians Gene and Katherine King.
Mitchell's interest in show business led him to leave Turlock in 1937 to pursue an acting education at Los Angeles City College. He was trained in modern dance by renowned choreographer Lester Horton and formally joined Horton's dance company, the Lester Horton Dancers, in 1932.
In 1944, Horton dissolved his dance company and moved to New York City, taking Mitchell with him. Mitchell struggled to find acting or dancing jobs in New York City, where there were many available performers. He eventually applied for a job as a dancer in the musical "Bloomer Girl" (1944),where Agnes de Mille was the choreographer. De Mille was impressed by Mitchell's style and offered him the dual position of principal dancer and assistant choreographer in the show.
Mitchell's professional relationship with de Mille lasted from 1944 to 1969. He remained primarily a theatrical actor in the 1940s, appearing in film musicals and westerns. He was eventually offered a contract with Warner Brothers and appeared in two films, including the Western "Colorado Territory" (1949).
Mitchell was next signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),where he played supporting roles in films from 1949 to 1955. His film appearances included the film noir "Border Incident" (1949),the Western "Stars in My Crown" (1950),and the musical comedy "The Band Wagon" (1953).
In 1956, Mitchell gained his first lead role in a film, playing gunfighter Terrall Butler in the Western "The Peacemaker" (1956). It was a low-budget production by independent producer Hal R. Makelim, and the film eventually only had a limited release. It was Mitchell's last film role for decades.
Mitchell was able to find steady work as an actor in television productions. In 1964, he gained the recurring role of corrupt Captain Lloyd Griffin in the soap opera "The Edge of Night" (1956-1975). He eventually gained the lead role of professor of literature Julian Hathaway in another soap opera, "Where the Heart Is" (1969-1973).
For much of the 1970s, Mitchell was reduced to sporadic guest star appearances in television. He financially supported himself as an acting teacher at Juilliard, Yale University, and Drake University. He was eventually offered the new role of businessman Palmer Cortlandt in the soap opera "All My Children", a role he played for 31 years.
By 2008, Mitchell was forced to reduce his television appearances due to health problems. He was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an obstructive lung disease characterized by long-term breathing problems and poor airflow. He formally retired from acting in 2009, but made return appearances in 2010. He died in January 2010, his death caused by his chronic disease and complications by pneumonia, at the age of 89.
