Although he did not score well with the critics, Tab Hunter managed to parlay 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. After lying about his age to join the Coast Guard at 15, he found his way into Joseph Losey's "The Lawless" (1950), despite having no previous acting experience, and went on to play the ingenue for the likes of Raoul Walsh ("Battle Cry" 1955), William Wellman ("Hell Bent For Glory" 1958) and Sidney Lumet ("That Kind of Woman" 1959). Hunter's first credit as a song performer came in "Gunman's Walk" (1958), and 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". By the early 60s, he was starring in low-brow fare like "Operation Bikini" (1963) and "Ride the Wild Surf" (1964), but he did contribute a small bit to Tony Richardson's "The Loved One" (1965).
Hunter disappeared from the screen for five years, returning for John Huston's "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" (1972), then attempted to reinvent himself in parts running counter to his popular image. 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). He had his own TV series, "The Tab Hunter Show" (NBC, 1960-61), and a regular role during the last year of the syndicated soap send-up "Fernwood Tonight/Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman". In recent years, he has been 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 on TV in "Sophia Loren: Actress Italian Style" (A&E, 1997) and "Natalie Wood: The E! True Hollywood Story" (1997).
- Also Credited As:
Arthur Andrew Gelien
- Born:
July 11, 1931 in New York City, New York, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Producer, Singer, Writer
Milestones
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1946 At 15, lied about his age and joined the Coast Guard (date approximate)
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1950 Feature film debut at age 18 in Joseph Losey s Lawless , despite no previous acting experience
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1953 First of back-to-back movies with director E A Dupont, The Steel Lady ; followed by Return to Treasure Island (1954)
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1954 First film with director William Wellman, Track of the Cat
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1955 Played wholesome soldier in Raoul Walsh s World War II pic Battle Cry
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1955 Supported John Wayne and Lana Turner as fresh-faced Cadet Wesser in John Farrow s The Sea Chase
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1956 Starred opposite Natalie Wood in two movies, The Burning Hills and The Girl He Left Behind
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1958 Acted the title role in Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates (NBC)
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1958 Delivered a memorable turn as Joe Hardy in George Abbott and Stanley Donen s Faustian tale, Damn Yankees , based on the stage musical; song performer ( Goodbye Old Girl and Two Lost Souls )
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1958 First credit as song performer ( I m a Runaway ), Gunman s Walk
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1958 Reteamed with Wellman for Hell Bent for Glory
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1959 Played young soldier in love with Sophia Loren in Sidney Lumet s That Kind of Woman
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1959 Starred in CBS special, Meet Me in St Louis , with Jane Powell, Walter Pidgeon and Myrna Loy, among others
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1961 Fit the part as Debbie Reynolds fiance in The Pleasure of His Company , based on the Broadway play
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1963 Acted opposite Frankie Avalon in Operation Bikini
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1964 Fabian replaced Avalon for Ride the Wild Surf
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1965 Appeared in Tony Richardson s The Loved One , based on the Evelyn Waugh novel
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1972 Provided humorous caricature for John Huston s The Life and times of Judge Roy Bean
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1973 Turned in topnotch performance as lonely Venice Beach psychopath in Curtis Hanson s directing debut, The Arousers
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1978 Reteamed with Fabian for NBC movie Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold
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1979 Acted in TV remake of 1953 film starring Dan Dailey and Anne Bancroft, The Kid From Left Field , starring Gary Coleman in his TV-movie debut
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1981 First film with Divine, John Waters Polyester
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1983 Reteamed with Hanson as song performer ( Young Love ) for Losin It
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1984 Producing debut, Paul Bartel s Lust in the Dust ; second time acting with Divine
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1989 Last film with Divine, Michael Schroeder s Out of the Dark ; played small bit as taxi driver
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1992 Received story credit on David Hemmings Dark Horse ; also acted
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1995 Appeared as himself in Wild Bill, Hollywood Maverick: The Life and Times of William A Wellman
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1997 Interviewed for A&E biography, Sophia Loren: Actress Italian Style
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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
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Starred as swinging young bachelor Paul Morgan in NBC sitcom The Tab Hunter Show