Jim Mitchell was born at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, to parents Douglas, a research engineer, and Linda, a high-school English teacher. However, his father decided to leave his job and relocate the family to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, at the age of six months to pursue an oil and gas producing, ranching, and farming business with his grandfather, Orville Anderson Mitchell.
Jim spent his early years drilling oil and gas wells, performing well maintenance, salvaging equipment, and buying and selling oil properties. He also worked on cattle ranches, baled hay, and did blacksmithing and welding. When not engaged in these activities, he would repair and refinish antique furniture for his grandmother, Nora Vickers Mitchell, a well-known antique dealer.
Growing up, Jim was fascinated with Hollywood, thanks to his great-uncle Floyd Blackman, who had acted in silent films and later worked as a cameraman. He also knew actors Gretchen Wyler and Ben Johnson, who were friends of his paternal grandmother.
Jim's first film job was as a Production Assistant on Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" (1996) in Burns, Kansas. He arrived on set by bluffing his way past security, replacing his Oklahoma license plate with expired California plates, and introducing himself as a late-arriving crew member. He spent his first day working on the film, getting caught by security the next day, but was saved from being fired by an Assistant Director and continued working on the film.
Jim's hometown, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, has a rich history of producing film stars, including Tom Mix, Sid Jordan, Emmett Dalton, Will Rogers, Clark Gable, Flora Campbell, Nancy Barrett, Terrence Malick, and Larry Sellers.
