Tab Hunter
About
Biography
Filmography
Notes
While Hunter was under contract to Warner Bros., Jack Warner's influence won him the part of Joe Hardy in 'Damn Yankees', much to the consternation of George Abbott who had championed the role's originator, Stephen Douglass. "I felt like an outsider. To make matters worse, there was a musician's strike, so everyone sang to their own recordings, but I had to sing to Stephen Douglass' singing."Hunter doesn't miss the film industry, but he does say there was something special about the bygone days of the studio system. "It was wonderful. They pushed people in those days. Jack Warner was supportive of the people he had under contract. If Warner said you were starting a new film, that was your job and you had to be there. Those kind of people are gone. Now the conglomerates rule the industry."---Tab Hunter in Variety, July 18-24, 1994.
"I was doing a scene with Sophia Loren, and Sidney Lumet said, "Tab, you're playing it safe. If you're going to play it safe, stay in bed all day long. It's the safest place to be." And I said, "Sidney, I will never forget that."---Tab Hunter quoted to Los Angeles Magazine, November 2004.
Biography
Tab Hunter parlayed his all-American blond good looks and wholesomeness into screen stardom, becoming an idol for 1950s teenagers who adored his boy-next-door persona and physique. He was cast in Joseph Losey's "The Lawless" (1950), despite having no previous acting experience, and earned his first starring role in 1952's "Island of Desire" opposite Linda Darnell. He went on to play the ingénue for the likes of Raoul Walsh ("Battle Cry," 1955), William Wellman ("Lafayette Escadrille," aka "Hellbent for Glory," 1958) and Sidney Lumet ("That Kind of Woman," 1959). He also launched a recording career, and had a hit record in 1957 with the song "Young Love," which appeared at #1 on the Billboard charts for six straight weeks and sold over one million copies. Hunter appeared in "Gunman's Walk" (1958), as well as performed the song "I'm a Runaway" in the film. Later that year he delivered his memorable portrayal of long-suffering Washington Senators fan Joe Hardy in George Abbott and Stanley Donen's Faustian musical, "Damn Yankees," and appeared opposite Geraldine Page in the Emmy-nominated "Portrait of a Murderer" installment of "Playhouse 90." In the 1960s, he starred in pictures such as "Operation Bikini" (1963) and "Ride the Wild Surf" (1964), and appeared in Tony Richardson's "The Loved One" (1965). During this time, he also starred in his own series on NBC, and, in 1964, performed on Broadway opposite Tallulah Bankhead in the Tennessee Williams play "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore." Hunter returned to the big screen in the 1970s with John Huston's "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" (1972), then attempted to reinvent himself in parts satirizing his popular image, including a role in the showbiz satire "Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood" (1978) and "Grease 2" (1982). Perhaps his finest performance was as the lonely Venice Beach psychopath of Curtis Hanson's directing debut, "The Arousers" (1973), but he also acted in three movies with Divine, most notably John Waters' "Polyester" (1981). Hunter produced Paul Bartel's Western spoof "Lust in the Dust" (1984), as well as starred opposite Divine, and picked up a story credit for David Hemmings' "Dark Horse" (1992). In later years, he was often featured as an interview subject in documentaries about Hollywood figures, including "Wild Bill, Hollywood Maverick: The Life and Times of William A. Wellman" (1995) and "I Am Divine" (2013), and on TV in "Sophia Loren: Actress Italian Style" (A&E, 1997) and "Natalie Wood: The E! True Hollywood Story" (1997). In 2005, Hunter released his autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential," which became a New York Times bestseller. The book was the basis for a documentary film in 2015, produced by Allan Glaser and directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, which premiered at the South by Southwest festival and subsequently played at a number of other festivals and screenings, and received a theatrical release in October of that year. Both the book and film dealt extensively with Hunter's status as a deeply closeted gay man in a period of extreme homophobia in American culture. Tab Hunter died of a heart attack caused by deep vein thrombosis on July 8, 2018, He was 86.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1950
Made feature film debut at age 18 in Joseph Losey's "Lawless" despite no previous acting experience
1953
First of back-to-back movies with director E A Dupont, "The Steel Lady" followed by "Return to Treasure Island" (1954)
1954
First film with director William Wellman, "Track of the Cat"
1955
Played wholesome soldier in Raoul Walsh's World War II pic "Battle Cry"
1955
Supported John Wayne and Lana Turner as fresh-faced Cadet Wesser in John Farrow's "The Sea Chase"
1956
Starred opposite Natalie Wood in two movies, "The Burning Hills" and "The Girl He Left Behind"
1958
Acted the title role in "Hallmark Hall of Fame" production of "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates" (NBC)
1958
Reteamed with Wellman for "Hell Bent for Glory"
1958
Delivered a memorable turn as Joe Hardy in George Abbott and Stanley Donen's Faustian tale "Damn Yankees," based on the stage musical; performed the songs "Goodbye Old Girl" and "Two Lost Souls"
1958
First credit as song performer, "I'm a Runaway" for "Gunman's Walk"
1959
Played young soldier in love with Sophia Loren in Sidney Lumet's "That Kind of Woman"
1959
Starred in CBS special "Meet Me in St Louis" with Jane Powell, Walter Pidgeon, and Myrna Loy
1960
Starred as swinging young bachelor Paul Morgan on NBC sitcom "The Tab Hunter Show"
1961
Fit the part as Debbie Reynolds' fiancé in "The Pleasure of His Company," based on the Broadway play
1963
Acted opposite Frankie Avalon in "Operation Bikini"
1964
Fabian replaced Avalon for "Ride the Wild Surf"
1965
Appeared in Tony Richardson's "The Loved One," based on the Evelyn Waugh novel
1972
Provided humorous caricature for John Huston's "The Life and times of Judge Roy Bean"
1973
Turned in topnotch performance as lonely Venice Beach psychopath in Curtis Hanson's directing debut "The Arousers"
1977
Replaced Philip Bruns as George Shumway in "Forever Fernwood," the successor to the syndicated soap spoof "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman"; plastic surgery was the explanation for the character's radically changed looks
1978
Reteamed with Fabian for NBC movie "Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold"
1979
Acted in NBC remake of 1953 film starring Dan Dailey and Anne Bancroft "The Kid From Left Field" opposite Gary Coleman in his TV movie debut
1981
First film with Divine, John Waters' "Polyester"
1982
Appeared in the musical sequel "Grease 2"
1983
Reteamed with Hanson as song performer ("Young Love") for "Losin' It"
1984
Producing debut, Paul Bartel's "Lust in the Dust"; second time acting with Divine
1989
Last film with Divine, Michael Schroeder's "Out of the Dark"; played small bit as taxi driver
1992
Received story credit on David Hemmings' "Dark Horse"; also acted and produced
1995
Appeared as himself in "Wild Bill, Hollywood Maverick: The Life and Times of William A Wellman"
1997
Interviewed for A&E biography "Sophia Loren: Actress Italian Style"
1998
Narrated the documentary "The Best of Hollywood"
2006
Released best-selling autobiography <i>Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star</i>
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Bibliography
Notes
While Hunter was under contract to Warner Bros., Jack Warner's influence won him the part of Joe Hardy in 'Damn Yankees', much to the consternation of George Abbott who had championed the role's originator, Stephen Douglass. "I felt like an outsider. To make matters worse, there was a musician's strike, so everyone sang to their own recordings, but I had to sing to Stephen Douglass' singing."Hunter doesn't miss the film industry, but he does say there was something special about the bygone days of the studio system. "It was wonderful. They pushed people in those days. Jack Warner was supportive of the people he had under contract. If Warner said you were starting a new film, that was your job and you had to be there. Those kind of people are gone. Now the conglomerates rule the industry."---Tab Hunter in Variety, July 18-24, 1994.
"I was doing a scene with Sophia Loren, and Sidney Lumet said, "Tab, you're playing it safe. If you're going to play it safe, stay in bed all day long. It's the safest place to be." And I said, "Sidney, I will never forget that."---Tab Hunter quoted to Los Angeles Magazine, November 2004.
