48 thoughts on “Tab Hunter Movies”

1. HI BRUCE

   Thanks for detailed feedback on my Tab Hunter, Robert Cummings and Sinatra posts.

   Joel agree with me! I must have got it wrong for once! Can I retract my admiration of Gunman’s walk? Only kidding, it was a great performance despite Joel liking it.

   I was pleased to see that you used the Saturday Island United Kingdom title for Tab’s movie that was called Island of Desire in the US. I’ve been trying to coax Steve to show some patriotism and use English aka titles in his videos from time to time. “There’ll always be an England while there’s a country lane.”

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2. Tab Hunter was never on any Oracle lists. These are the actors on the 2016 who appeared in a film with him.

   77 KAREN BLACK Out of the Dark (1989)
   107 CHRISTOPHER MCDONALD Grease 2 (1982)
   109 STACY KEACH The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   112 ROD STEIGER The Loved One (1965)
   113 TRACEY WALTER Out of the Dark (1989)
   132 ED BEGLEY JR. Dark Horse (1992/I)
   198 DEAN STOCKWELL Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   225 NED BEATTY The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   274 BRUCE DERN Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   284 CAROL KANE Pandemonium (1982)
   315 GEOFFREY LEWIS Lust in the Dust (1985)
   315 GEOFFREY LEWIS Out of the Dark (1989)
   369 MICHELLE PFEIFFER Grease 2 (1982)
   391 JACQUELINE BISSET The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   413 JAMES COBURN The Loved One (1965)
   434 CLINT EASTWOOD Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
   548 HENRY SILVA Lust in the Dust (1985)
   568 FRANK PESCE Cameron’s Closet (1988)
   592 JOHN GIELGUD The Loved One (1965)
   622 RALPH MORATZ BATTLE CRY (1955)
   650 MIMI ROGERS Dark Horse (1992/I)
   671 WILLIAM SHATNER Operation Bikini (1963)
   762 JACK WARDEN That Kind of Woman (1959)
   807 TERI GARR Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   809 ROBERT MITCHUM Track of the Cat (1954)
   871 HELEN KELLY(I) PANDEMONIUM (1982)
   899 EDIE MCCLURG Pandemonium (1982)
   912 ARTHUR TOVEY Damn Yankees! (1958)
   926 BILL MCKINNEY The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   937 ROBERT EASTON The Loved One (1965)
   937 ROBERT EASTON Timber Tramps (1975)

   The following actors were on the original top 1000 list in 2000 but have since fallen off; all worked with Tab.

   14 JOHN CARRADINE Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   25 RODDY MCDOWELL The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   43 KEENAN WYNN That Kind of Woman (1959)
   67 PAUL NEWMAN The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   81 LIONEL STANDER The Loved One (1965)
   94 ROBERT MORLEY The Loved One (1965)
   118 WOODY STRODE Lust in the Dust (1985)
   142 JOHN HUSTON The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   146 MIKE MAZURKI Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   151 CESAR ROMERO Lust in the Dust (1985)
   151 CESAR ROMERO Timber Tramps (1975)
   153 JAMES GARNER Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
   153 JAMES GARNER The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
   158 JOSEPH COTTEN Timber Tramps (1975)
   161 PAUL BARTEL Out of the Dark (1989)
   166 SOPHIA LOREN That Kind of Woman (1959)
   169 JOHN DEHNER Gun Belt (1953)
   169 JOHN DEHNER The Steel Lady (1953)
   177 MARCEL DALIO Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
   179 JOHN WAYNE The Sea Chase (1955)
   186 AVA GARDNER The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   192 YVONNE DE CARLO Hostile Guns (1967)
   192 YVONNE DE CARLO Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   222 BESS FLOWERS Battle Cry (1955)
   225 PAUL SMITH (I) The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
   232 ROY JENSON Hostile Guns (1967)
   232 ROY JENSON The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   237 PETER LAWFORD Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   241 BRODERICK CRAWFORD Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   278 KEYE LUKE Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   280 BILLY BARTY Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   287 RICHARD FARNSWORTH The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   289 ANTHONY PERKINS The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   299 FRITZ FELD Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   307 MATT CLARK The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   323 GEORGE SANDERS That Kind of Woman (1959)
   350 L.Q. JONES Battle Cry (1955)
   361 JAMES WHITMORE Battle Cry (1955)
   385 SYDNEY LASSICK Pandemonium (1982)
   394 ALDO RAY Battle Cry (1955)
   394 ALDO RAY Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   395 WALTER PIDGEON Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   404 JACK ELAM Gun Belt (1953)
   420 MAURICE MARSAC Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
   423 BRETT HALSEY Gunman’s Walk (1958)
   423 BRETT HALSEY Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
   423 BRETT HALSEY The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
   424 ZSA ZSA GABOR Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   446 RAY WALSTON Damn Yankees! (1958)
   451 DANA ANDREWS The Loved One (1965)
   481 LILLI PALMER The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
   483 MURRAY HAMILTON The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
   503 RICHARD CONTE They Came to Cordura (1959)
   516 MADELINE KAHN Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   532 JIM BACKUS Operation Bikini (1963)
   532 JIM BACKUS The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
   542 PAUL FIX Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
   542 PAUL FIX The Sea Chase (1955)
   544 LEO GORDON Hostile Guns (1967)
   546 REED MORGAN Hostile Guns (1967)
   554 BUD CORT Out of the Dark (1989)
   562 PAUL BRYAR Gunman’s Walk (1958)
   599 JOHN DOUCETTE The Burning Hills (1956)
   599 JOHN DOUCETTE The Sea Chase (1955)
   611 DON ‘RED’ BARRY Hostile Guns (1967)
   613 JOHN LE MESURIER City in the Sea (1965)
   657 DEBBIE REYNOLDS The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
   663 MILTON BERLE The Loved One (1965)
   663 MILTON BERLE Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   682 RAY TEAL Gunman’s Walk (1958)
   682 RAY TEAL The Burning Hills (1956)
   699 ART CARNEY Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   730 JUDGE REINHOLD Pandemonium (1982)
   731 JOHN HOYT The Lawless (1950)
   732 ARTHUR O’CONNELL Birds Do It (1966)
   742 RICARDO MONTALBAN Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   748 ANTHONY ZERBE The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   768 SAMANTHA EGGAR Dark Horse (1992/I)
   771 MICHAEL SARRAZIN The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   800 MARTHA HYER The Lawless (1950)
   816 CARLETON YOUNG Battle Cry (1955)
   817 JACK CARTER Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   863 ALAN HALE JR. The Sea Chase (1955)
   867 RORY CALHOUN Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   886 PHIL LEEDS Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   891 GREGORY WALCOTT Battle Cry (1955)
   908 LYNNE MARIE STEWART Pandemonium (1982)
   937 FABIAN Ride the Wild Surf (1964)
   959 LEON AMES Timber Tramps (1975)
   961 NICKY BLAIR The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
   963 FRANK FERGUSON Battle Cry (1955)
   963 FRANK FERGUSON The Lawless (1950)
   969 BYRON FOULGER Gun Belt (1953)
   980 VICTOR MATURE Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   982 BILLY BENEDICT Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   996 MARC MCCLURE Pandemonium (1982)

   Tab appeared with 13 Oscar winners;

   ART CARNEY Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   BRODERICK CRAWFORD Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
   DOROTHY MALONE Battle Cry (1955)
   GARY COOPER They Came to Cordura (1959)
   GEORGE SANDERS That Kind of Woman (1959)
   JAMES COBURN The Loved One (1965)
   JOHN GIELGUD The Loved One (1965)
   JOHN WAYNE The Sea Chase (1955)
   PAUL NEWMAN The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
   ROD STEIGER The Loved One (1965)
   SOPHIA LOREN That Kind of Woman (1959)
   TERESA WRIGHT Track of the Cat (1954)
   VAN HEFLIN Battle Cry (1955)
   VAN HEFLIN Gunman’s Walk (1958)
   VAN HEFLIN They Came to Cordura (1959)

   Reply

   1. Hey Dan
      1. Thanks for the three lists of trivia.
      2. Only one Bess Flowers movie? Disappointing…..lol.
      3. The current list has lots of very active actors….which should keep him attached to the list for a very longtime.
      4. Taking the Bess Flowers award for most frequent co-star is Brett Halsey on the second list and Van Heflin on the last list.
      5. Even though his total of Oscar winning co-stars is low…..there are some legends here…Wayne, Cooper and Newman.
      Thanks for adding to our Tab Hunter tribute page.

      Reply

3. One of the great pleasures of working at @tcm is meeting actors & filmmakers we all admire.

   It was impossible not to like Tab Hunter – he and his partner Allan were a delight to be around – at the TCM Film Festival & on the cruise. Thoughts are with Allan.

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   1. Great comment on Tab Hunter and his partner Allan.

      Reply

4. Always liked him in “Lafayette Escadrille”, which was terribly remade a few years ago as “Flyboys”.

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   1. Hey Zea…..interesting…I have not seen Lafayette Escadrille….and I did not know Flyboys was a remake…..comments like this, which inform me of new stuff….are one of the best things about having this website.

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5. Tab Hunter got nowhere near the adulation enjoyed by the other new “Young Turks of movies who made their debut in the 1950s and indeed many reviewers were downright hostile to him. “He is as boring now as he was in that long ago Saturday Island” [1952 aka Island of Desire] wrote Margaret Hinksman, Britain’s lead film critic about one of Hunter’s performance s at the end of the fifties

   I was never a Hunter fan but I went to see his 1956 The Girl He Left Behind because I was heavily into fifties pop music and Tab had a huge musical chart hit going the rounds with his recording of the very catchy “Young Love”. Tab’s co-star in Girl He Left Behind was Natalie Wood and as shown above Hunter and Wood had also made The Burning Hills together that year. Apparently Warners were trying to fashion them as a screen team in the way that Hudson/Day became one in the minds of audiences in the 1959-64 period but the Tab/Natalie one never really went anywhere. Bruce’s table above gives The Burning Hills a mere $69 million adjusted gross/53% rating and Girl He Left Behind around the same – $65 million/57% rating. By contrast The 3 Hudson’Day movies had a combined adjusted domestic gross of a staggering quarter of a billion dollars and an average excellent rating of 78%

   I did enjoy Tab in Gunman’s Walk [1958] as Van Heflin’s wayward killer son whom Van himself had to shot at the film’s end. Some critics as well thought that Gunman’s Walk was indeed Hunter’s best role up until then. This is a nice tribute to a deceased actor who had a prolific acting career in cinema and TV and in music as well fro a brief period. Tab also produced for the screen and he wrote the story for Dark Horse the 1992 film that is given a nice 73% rating in Bruce’s table above though unfortunately few went to see it.e

   Reply

   1. Hey Bob
      1. Thanks for the feedback on our Tab Hunter tribute page.
      2. I agree he did not get the critical love……but he was the teen king for almost the entire 1950s.
      3. He and Natalie Wood got along very well….and they went to lots of press events together…he later would do the same thing with Debbie Reynolds.
      4. Good stat breakdown on Tab/Wood versus Rock/Day……probably why few remember the Wood/Hunter team.
      5. Ah…..Gunman’s Walk is the movie that Joel said was his greatest performance…happy day when two of my favorite film historians agree on something…lol.
      6. I have not seen Dark Horse….but it sounds interesting….thanks for the recommendation.
      Good stuff as always.

      Reply

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