Notes on Jeffrey Hunter and His Films
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NOTES ON JEFFREY HUNTER AND HIS FILMS by Jim Meyer "Jeffrey Hunter is beautiful!" a Robert Wagner replied, through his girl friend gurgled to me some 15 secretary, that he and Hunter had been years ago. And indeed he was, as any close friends but that he preferred to man not envious of Hunter's impres- make no further comment. sive 6' 1" height and blue-eyed, brown- David Janssen replied (also haired handsomeness must admit. through a representative) that he and As is well enough known, many Hunter had worked together in only film actors have little more to offer two films and rarely saw each other audiences than handsomeness. But far socially. But Janssen remembered too many critics (men and women Hunter as "a fine actor...completely alike) too quickly tabbed the excep- professional in his approach to his tionally handsome actor "beautiful but work." bland." Two actresses were also contacted: But teen-age girls didn't mind. Anne Francis and Viveca Lindfors, Many didn't care whether he could act. with each of whom Hunter had worked In Jeffrey Hunter they saw (or thought in two films. Neither responded. Per- they saw) a dream prince, a husky haps they never received my letters. young god, who could fulfill their most imaginative fantasies. Less dazzled Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry H. male viewers saw something else: a McKinnies, Jr., on November 24, man who was handsome enough for 1927, in New Orleans, La. His father them to resent, largely, one suspects, (a sales engineer) and his mother because many of them wished that his moved with him, their only child, to good looks belonged to them, and, not Milwaukee when Hank, as the child being able to measure up, consoled was called, was three. Some years themselves by insisting that he later, while in high school. Hank be- couldn't act and wouldn't last long in came interested in theatricals al- films. though football took much of his spare Obviously, Hunter had to work time. twice as hard as many another actor of Maxine Arnold in Photoplay (July, his type to prove he was a good actor. 1956) quotes Mrs. McKinnies: "I al- I believe he succeeded although he ways expected perfection from 'Hank,' never became a superstar. but I wasn't conscious of it at the Did Hunter's good looks make him time. What mothers are? Naturally, I arrogant, overbearing, and hard to work wouldn't do it again. It isn't fair and with? Possibly not, when one recalls I'm sure it put a great strain on him... that Jean Peters, a co-star of his, above all, we wanted him to be a fine once went out of her way to observe person." that his courtesy toward and consider- Hank himself is quoted by Miss ation for her would be remarkable any- Arnold as saying: "I was blessed where but especially in Hollywood. (with a happy, harmonious home life). My efforts to contact two actors My parents are two very devoted peo- who had worked with Hunter more than ple." once brought these results: "We had a big back yard and I was 2 FILMOGRAPH always putting on a carnival or circus. Great Lakes. Honorably discharged in I had a puppet show too and I also did the fall of 1946, he entered Northwest- magic tricks." ern University on his scholarship and The McKinnies family resided in a the GI Bill. He was to become presi- suburb of Milwaukee. When the North dent of his fraternity (Phi Delta Theta) Shore Children's Theater group there and, reportedly, graduated in three needed someone to play a 60-year-old years. man, Hank was induced to take the part. The youngster loved radio and (I will now begin to intersperse a soon was acting in The Children's list of Hunter's films, including main Theater of the Air. credits and my own comments. I have To quote Miss Arnold again: "The left out of consideration any of his record shows that 'Hank' was presi- television appearances.) dent of his class, president of the student body, football hero, recipient 1. JULIUS CAESAR. (Avon Produc- of the Citizenship Award and a schol- tion, 1950.) Directed by David Brad- arship to Northwestern University (Illi- ley. Cast: Charlton Heston, Harold nois). Nor was romance neglected. ... Tasker, David Bradley, Grosvenor As 'Hank' says, 'I've always gone for Glenn, William Russell, Helen Ross, Mary Darr. brunettes.' " A 16mm film directed and enacted During World War II, Hank enlisted by Northwestern University students in the Navy. Having studied radar, he among whom was Jeffrey Hunter (un- asked for sea duty but instead was billed). sent to the Ninth Naval District at Ed (Jeffrey Hunter) vs. Cliff (Richard Widmark) in Red Skies of Montana (1952). This film, originally released as Smoke Jumpers, gave Hunter a large part. FILMOGRAPH 3 Hunter took his master's degree at By March, 1955, Miss Rush asked for the University of California, where he a divorce on grounds of cruelty: "He spent many an evening rehearsing for kept telling me how much better his his role of Chris in the university's mother could cook and keep house." production of All My Sons. The play A. Los Angeles Superior Court judge opened May 7, 1950, and two talent approved an agreement whereby Miss scouts in the audience, one from 20th Rush would retain the couple's home Century-Fox and one from Paramount, and Hunter would pay monthly for the were impressed and wanted to screen- support of Chris, who was then three. test him. (For publication at least, Hunter Things now moved very quickly for refused to criticize Miss Rush: "Bar- the lad who was so fond of saying, bara and I basically disagreed on ev- "Luck is when preparedness meets op- erything...we rarely fought, we just portunity." He signed with 20th Century- disagreed...two careers and long sep- Fox and on December 1, 1950, eloped arations never helped a marriage. Love with the up-and-coming Paramount star- (makes it) necessary for communica- let Barbara Rush. Hank's studio now tion in marriage...both physically and changed his name to Jeffrey Hunter, in name.") and the newlyweds were to become popular with younger moviegoers. 2. FOURTEEN HOURS. (20th Century- (The Hunters' only child, Chris, Fox, 1951.) Directed by Henry Hatha- it was said, kept them together longer way. Cast: Paul Douglas, Richard than what might have been the case. Basehart, Barbara Bel Geddes, How- Above the bay of a Pacific island during World War II, a British sailor (Jeffrey Hunter) has harassed a German man-of-war. (Sailor of the King, a 1953 release.) 4 FILMOGRAPH ard da Silva, Agnes Moorehead, Robert Stevens, Robert Wagner, Harvey Lem- Keith, Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter, beck, Robert Rockwell. Grace Kelly, James Warren, Frank A much better film for Hunter, for Faylen, Jeff Corey, James Millican. which he got first featured billing and His first professional film release the first real test of his talent, as was a stunning drama about a would- a wounded sailor trapped below deck be suicide (Basehart), who wavers 14 with a torpedo which might go off at hours on a window ledge high above a any moment. His fine underplaying jus- New York street, and a kindly cop tified Fox's plans to groom him for (Douglas), who tries to save him. The stardom. It was the first of many films director's most striking accomplish- he was to do with Robert Wagner, ment was his withering visual commen- another rising young actor, who be- tary on the morbidly cruel people who came a good friend and, eventually, a gather on the street below, many of professional rival for the title role in them hoping the young man will jump. Prince Valiant (1954). (Wagner got it.) Two exceptions are two strangers 6. RED SKIES OF MONTANA. (20th (Hunter and Debra Paget) united in Century-Fox, 1952.) Directed by Jo- their sympathy and concern for the seph M. Newman. Cast: Richard Wid- man on the ledge. mark, Constance Smith, Jeffrey Hunter, 3. CALL ME MISTER. (20th Century- Richard Boone, Warren Stevens, James Fox, 1951.) Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Griffith, Joe Sawyer, Gregory Walcott, Cast: Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Dan- Richard Crenna, Robert Adler. ny Thomas, Dale Robertson, Benay Hunter was fine also in this. He Venuta, Richard Boone, Jeffrey Hunter, received his first star billing (third), Frank Fontaine, Harry Von Zell, Dave as a young forest ranger who nurses Willock, Robert Ellis, Jerry Paris. an unjustified grudge against smoke If you happen to catch this Techni- jumper Widmark. The conflict between color musical on television, you can the two was engrossing, and the direc- see Hunter in a two-minute scene as tion excelled in the climactic forest Dan Dailey's barracks buddy—if your fire scenes, stunningly photographed local station doesn't edit the scene in excellent Technicolor. out. Hunter manages a cornpone accent 7. BELLES ON THEIR TOES. (20th remarkably well. Century-Fox, 1952.) Directed by Hen- 4. TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL. ry Levin. Cast: Jeanne Crain, Myrna (20th Century-Fox, 1951.) Directed by Loy, Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter, Ed- Jean Negulesco. Cast: Jeanne Crain, ward Arnold, Hoagy Carmichael, Bar- Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor, Jean bara Bates, Robert Arthur. Peters, Jeffrey Hunter, Betty Lynn, Hunter was reunited with Miss Helen Westcott, Lenka Peterson, Carol Crain in this delightful sequel to Brannon, Natalie Schafer. Cheaper by the Dozen. They played, A story as silly and simpering as respectively, a young doctor and the its title suggests.