Partner Allan Glaser
Queer Places:
9080 Shoreham Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018) was an
American actor, television host, pop singer, film producer, and author. He
starred in more than 40 films and was a well-known Hollywood star and heart
throb of the 1950s and 1960s, known for his Golden Blond Californian
surfer-boy looks. At his height he had his own television show The Tab
Hunter Show and a hit single with Young Love.
Hunter's autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star (2005), co-written with Eddie Muller, became a New York Times best-seller[23] as did the paperback edition in 2007. The book was nominated for several writing awards. It re-entered the New York Times Best Seller list for a third time on June 28, 2015 during the release of the documentary film based on the book.
In the book, he acknowledged that he was gay, confirming rumors that had circulated since the height of his fame. According to William L. Hamilton of The New York Times, detailed reports about Hunter's alleged romances with close friends Debbie Reynolds and Natalie Wood were strictly the fodder of studio publicity departments. As Wood and Hunter embarked on a well-publicized but fictitious romance, promoting his apparent heterosexuality while promoting their films, insiders developed their own headline for the item: "Natalie Wood and Tab Wouldn't."[24]
Hunter became close enough with Etchika Choureau, his co-star in Lafayette Escadrille, and Joan Perry, widow of Harry Cohn, to contemplate marriage, but he thought he never could maintain a marriage, and remained merely a platonic friend of both women.
During Hollywood's studio era, Hunter says, " [life] was difficult for me, because I was living two lives at that time. A private life of my own, which I never discussed, never talked about to anyone. And then my Hollywood life, which was just trying to learn my craft and succeed..." The star emphasized that the word 'gay' "wasn't even around in those days, and if anyone ever confronted me with it, I'd just kinda freak out. I was in total denial. I was just not comfortable in that Hollywood scene, other than the work process."[25] "There was a lot written about my sexuality, and the press was pretty darn cruel", the actor says, but what "moviegoers wanted to hold in their hearts were the boy-next-door marines, cowboys and swoon-bait sweethearts I portrayed."[24]
In the late 1950s, Hunter built a small house in Palm Desert, California, with close friend and agent Richard Clayton.[3]
Hunter had long-term relationships with actors Anthony Perkins and Scott Marlowe, and champion figure skater Ronnie Robertson, before settling down with his partner of over 35 years, film producer Allan Glaser.[26] While serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, his brother Walter was killed in action in South Vietnam on October 28, 1965.
Hunter was raised in his mother's Catholic faith which he practiced for most of his life.[27][28][29] His mother died aged 92, and was buried at Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Hunter has a star for his contributions to the music industry on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6320 Hollywood Blvd.[30]
In 2007, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[31]
Hunter died from complications of deep vein thrombosis that caused cardiac arrest on July 8, 2018, three days before his 87th birthday.[32] According to his partner Glaser, Hunter's death was "sudden and unexpected".[33]
My published books:
