Robert Mitchell (organist)

Mitchell's Victorian-era mother found the new art form of silent film "cheap and vulgar". In 1932 Mitchell won a scholarship to the Eastman School of Music, where he studied piano. He stayed in New York City performing gigs that varied from church accompaniment to speakeasies and radio. ==Robert Mitchell Boys Choir==

Returning to Los Angeles, he started the Mitchell Singing Boys (also known as the St. Brendan's Church Boys Choir, Bob Mitchell's Singing Boys or simply Mitchell Boyschoir, from 1934 to 2000). The choir performed in over 100 films, including 1944's Best Picture winner Going My Way with Bing Crosby, Carefree with Fred Astaire, Angels with Dirty Faces with Pat O'Brien, and ''The Bishop's Wife'' with Cary Grant. In December 1949 Mitchell was honored on the television series, This Is Your Life, for his work with the choir. On Christmas Eve 1953, the choir appeared on ''Where's Raymond?,'' an American Broadcasting Company sitcom starring Ray Bolger. On Christmas night 1954, the choir appeared as the only guest on NBC's ''The Donald O'Connor Show'' and in December, 1971, they were reunited with Bing Crosby on the crooner's televised Christmas special, Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas. A directory of the film soundtracks that incorporated performances of the boys' choir lists 70 films from That Girl from Paris (1936) through All Night Long (1981). The Choir itself appears in at least six of these films. ==Other work==

From 1962 to 1966 Mitchell played the organ for the Los Angeles Dodgers. ==Silent movie revival==

From 1992 until his death in 2009 Mitchell regularly accompanied silent films in revival houses, particularly in California. He performed at The Orpheum and played a weekly stint at The Silent Movie Theatre, playing some of the original scores he had in the 1920s. True to his art Mitchell noted, "I never play anything that wasn't published before the picture was made," he says, "but I don't know how many people would actually know that." Mitchell's accompaniments were well known, and he received wild acclaim for his performances. Mitchell performed until May 2009. After a bout with pneumonia his health began to decline. Mitchell hated missing a performance and according to a friend he tried to check himself out of the hospital weeks before his death so he could perform. The Silent Movie Theatre noted, "You don't really replace somebody like Bob Mitchell." Surrounded by a few close friends and listening to a recording of one of his performances, Mitchell died on July 4, 2009, at the age of 96. His funeral was held at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles on July 10, 2009. He is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. ==Awards==

Mitchell received many awards during his lifetime. He received the Silver Medal awarded at the Royal Palace in Monte Carlo by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco. He also received a Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor awarded volunteers by local councils of the Boy Scouts of America. The American Melkite Archimandrite acclaimed Mitchell as a "Knight of Malta" with a medal. He also received an Honorary Plaque in the Amphitheater of Temple Ahavat Shalom, Northridge, California, as well as the "Pro Papa et Ecclesia" Certificate from Pope John Paul II. ==References==