Date of Birth
11 July 1931,
New York, New York, USA
Birth Name
Arthur Andrew Kelm
Nickname
the Sigh Guy
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini Biography
He enlisted in the Coast Guard at age 15 (he lied about his age) and, at 18 made his film debut in The Lawless (1950). He had no previous acting experience. Though his acting was stiff and unimaginative, 1950s teenagers adored his blond, boy-next-door appearance and physique. His best-known early film was Battle Cry (1955). The role most remembered today is the part of Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees! (1958). In 1960-1 he had his own TV series "The Tab Hunter Show" (1960), and he appeared regularly as George Shumway in TV's "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (1976). He co-starred three times with female impersonator Divine: Polyester (1981), Out of the Dark (1989), and Lust in the Dust (1985). He wrote the story for his most recent (his 32nd) movie Dark Horse (1992), directed by David Hemmings.
in the racially trenchant drama
The Lawless (1950) starring
Gail Russell and
Macdonald Carey. His only line in the movie was eventually cut upon release. It didn't seem to make a difference for he co-starred in his very next film, the British-made
Saturday Island (1952) co-starring a somewhat older (by ten years)
Linda Darnell, which was set during WWII on a deserted, tropical South Seas isle. His shirt remained off for a good portion of the film, which certainly did not go unnoticed by his ever-growing legion of female (and male) fans. Signed by Warner Bros., stardom was clinched a few years later with another WWII epic
Battle Cry (1955), based on the
Leon Uris novel, in which he again played a boyish soldier sharing torrid scenes with an older woman (this time
Dorothy Malone, playing a love-starved Navy wife). Thoroughly primed as one of Hollywood's top beefcake commodities, the tabloid magazines had a field day initiating an aggressive campaign to "out" Hunter as gay, which would have ruined him. To combat the destructive tactics, Tab was seen escorting a number of Hollywood's lovelies at premieres and parties. In the meantime he was seldom out of his military fatigues on film, keeping his fans satisfied in such popular dramas as
The Sea Chase (1955),
The Burning Hills (1956) and
The Girl He Left Behind (1956)--the last two opposite the equally popular
Natalie Wood.
At around this time Hunter managed to parlay his boy-next-door film celebrity into a singing career. He topped the charts for over a month with the single "Young Love" in 1957 and produced other "top 40" singles as well. Like other fortunate celebrity-based singers such as
Shelley Fabares and
Paul Petersen, his musical reign was brief. Out of it, however, came the most notable success of his film career top-billing as baseball fan Joe Hardy in the classic Faustian musical
Damn Yankees! (1958) opposite
Gwen Verdon and
Ray Walston, who recreated their devil-making
Broadway roles. Musically Tab may have been overshadowed but he brought with him major star power and the film became a crowd pleaser. He continued on with the
William A. Wellman-directed
Lafayette Escadrille (1958) as, yet again, a wholesome soldier, this time in World War I. More spicy love scenes came with
That Kind of Woman (1959), an adult comedy-drama which focused on soldier Hunter and va-va-voom mistress
Sophia Loren demonstrating some sexual chemistry on a train.
Seldom a favorite with the film critics, the 1960s brought about a career change for Tab. He begged out of his restrictive contract with Warners and ultimately paid the price. With no studio to protect him, he was at the mercy of several trumped-up lawsuits. Worse yet, handsome
Troy Donahue had replaced him as the new beefcake on the block. With no film offers coming his way, he starred in his own series
"The Tab Hunter Show" (1960), a rather featherweight sitcom that centered around his swinging bachelor pad. The series last only one season. On the positive side he clocked in with over 200 TV programs over the long stretch and was nominated for an Emmy
award for his outstanding performance opposite
Geraldine Page in a Playhouse 90 episode. Following the sparkling film comedy
The Pleasure of His Company (1961) opposite
Debbie Reynolds, the quality of his films fell off drastically as he found himself top-lining such innocuous fare as
Operation Bikini (1963),
Ride the Wild Surf (1964) (1965),
The City Under the Sea (1965) [aka War-Gods of the Deep], and
Birds Do It (1966) both here and overseas. As for stage, a brief chance to star on
Broadway happened in 1964 alongside the highly volatile
Tallulah Bankhead in
Tennessee Williams's "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore." It lasted five performances. He then started to travel the dinner theater circuit.
Enduring a severe lull, Tab bounced back in the 1980s and 1990s -- more mature, less wholesome, but ever the looker. He gamely spoofed his old clean-cut image by appearing in delightfully tasteless
John Waters' films as a romantic dangling carrot to heavyset transvestite "actress"
Divine.
Polyester (1981) was the first mainstream hit for Waters and Tab went on to team up with
Allan Glaser to co-produce and co-star a Waters-like western spoof
Lust in the Dust (1985). He is still working as a film producer at age 70+ in Southern California. Tab also "came out" with a tell-all memoir on his Hollywood years in October of 2005.
Trivia
Had a #1 hit record, "Young Love", in 1956.
Born at 3:00am EDT
His bare chest was chosen to adorn the cover of Donald Reuter's book: "Shirtless! The Hollywood Male Physique."
He co-executive produced and hosted the cable television series Hollywood on Horses (1989) (V).
Following the likes of Richard Chamberlain, Tab released his tell-all 2005 memoir revealing his homosexuality. The book entitled "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star" outlines a late 1950s relationship with actor Anthony Perkins that lasted several years. Other briefer flings mentioned included dancer Rudolf Nureyev, actor Scott Marlowe and ice-skater Ronnie Robertson. The book was actually written in 2003 but held in release for two years.
Was once arrested following an L.A. raid on a "pajama party" in Walnut Park in 1950. Tab was eventually fined $50 for a reduced "disorderly conduct" charge after originally being charged with "idle, lewd or dissolute conduct."
The name "Tab Hunter" came from agent Henry Willson who wanted to "tab" the actor wannabe with a catchy new name. "Hunter" came from his skills as a horseman who rode hunters and jumpers.
Had a lifelong love for horses.
The younger of two boys, older brother Walt died in Vietnam in 1965 leaving seven children.
On December 23, 1980, he suffered a heart attack at age 49 while skiing in Taos, New Mexico. In March, 1991 he suffered a stroke. He recovered from both.
Of his performance in 'Damn Yankees', director Stanley Donen observed: "He could't sing, he couldn't dance, he couldn't act. He was a triple threat.
Personal Quotes
"The star thing is over. I've knocked around quite a bit in the past few years and now I'm just another actor looking for work. Acting is what I know and what I do best...I'm trying to find a new niche...something to help erase that bland image the studios gave me in the Fifties. I'm looking for roles that will establish me as a more mature actor." - in a 1971 interview
"It's like the French Riveria without the French. I thank God everyday I'm able to be there." (commecting on his love for Montecito, California).
[on Gary Cooper] Coop was a lovely guy. His sense of humor was kind of within. He'd do something he knew was funny. He laughed inwardly. It was a delight! He's say things, then chuckle within himself. He was wonderful, low-key, like Fred Astaire, an absolute gentleman. These are quality, quality people. They have their own atmosphere about them. Coop's was very laid-back and easy.
Natalie Wood and Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter had made sure to ...
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