TAB HUNTER (1931 - 2018)

Just three days shy of what would have been his eighty-seventh birthday, Tab Hunter, the handsome actor and pop singer, passed away unexpectedly from complications of a blood clot which caused cardiac arrest on July 8th. While he was Warner Bros.’ most popular male movie star during the years of 1955 to 1959, the teen hearttrob had to keep secret that he was actually gay. This news most certainly would have derailed his career at the time but he eventually came out publicly with his 2005 memoir, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star". This book was later used as the basis for a well-received 2015 documentary of the same name. A film project in development had just recently been announced with J.J. Abrams and actor, Zachary Quinto as producers involving Hunter's intimate relationship with fellow closeted actor, Anthony Perkins.

Born Arthur Kelm, he first became interested in becoming a figure skater as a young man before his striking good looks lead him to Hollywood's attention. Henry Willson, an agent who had a reputation for specializing in "pretty boy" actors, renamed him "Tab Hunter" and Kelm soon began with several minor parts in movies and bigger roles on the stage before landing a contract with Warner Bros. Hunter (along with James Dean and Natalie Wood) was one of the last few actors signed under exclusive contract with the studio and slowly worked his way up from supporting parts to starring roles. Some of his best known early films include the movie version of the Broadway hit musical, "Damn Yankees" (but the film was often referred to during it's initial release as "What Lola Wants" to placate the prudish), "Battle Cry", "The Burning Hills", "The Sea Chase" and "That Kind of Woman" with Sophia Loren.

Hunter later expressed how difficult and complicated it was for him during the peak of his fame as he was living two separate lives. His public life involved him playing the studio game of being partnered with beautiful women for publicity photos, creating the appearance of them "dating". While privately Hunter could be more his true self, within very strict limits.

By the late 1960's and 1970's, Hunter's career had cooled down considerably but he continued to work doing Broadway, summer stock, dinner theater, television and even a few spaghetti westerns. John Waters was responsible for Hunter's brief late career resurgence when he cast him opposite Divine in the 1981 cult classic, "Polyester" and Paul Bartel re-teamed them in the comedy-western, "Lust In The Dust" in 1985.

Hunter is survived by Paul Glaser, a film producer, and they had been together since 1983.

Much of Mr. Hunter's film work has received little attention of late but here are a few trailers of some of the actor's movies that will remind people why he became a major star.