Published: 12:00 AM, Thu Jan 19, 2012
Movie heartthrob Tab Hunter to star in 'Love Letters" in Pinehurst
The pop charts of 1957 were filled with the likes of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly ... and Tab Hunter.
Hunter had a No. 1 single with the romantic ballad "Young Love," which, for a time, rivaled the King of Rock 'n' Roll in the hearts of teeny-boppers everywhere.
It was a heady time for Hunter. His all-American, blond good looks illuminated hit movies such as "Damn Yankees," "Battle Cry" and "That Kind of Woman."
Even after his teen idol days were over, Hunter continued his screen presence in movies, including 1972's "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean." In 1981, he threw a curve ball when he starred in shockmeister John Waters' movie "Polyester."
Hunter returned to public consciousness in 2005, with the publication of his autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star." In the book, he acknowledged his homosexuality and detailed the efforts of Hollywood studio heads to cover it up.
Hunter, now 80, will be in Pinehurst this weekend to star in "Love Letters," the first production of the new Judson Theatre Company. Joyce DeWitt of "Three's Company" fame also stars in the play, which follows a couple's relationship over the years through the letters they write to each other. It will be staged at Owens Auditorium on the campus of Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst.
Next weekend, Jamie Farr of "M*A*S*H" fame will star in a Judson Theatre Company production of "Tuesdays With Morrie."
Hunter spoke with Weekender by phone from his Santa Barbara, Calif., home. Here are excerpts:
Weekender: Tell us about "Love Letters."
Hunter: It's a wonderful story of two people that just grow up together. It's a relationship of how close they become through the years. It's got a lot of humor, and it's also a good relationship story.
Weekender: What is your character like?
Hunter: I think he's a little square. I think I kind of fit, probably, into that mold. But there's so much that one wishes they had said to someone, and there's so much that's unsaid, you can put it down in writing, but you never say these things. I think there's a lot of that going on between the two.
Weekender: What's it like working with Joyce DeWitt?
Hunter: She's a great character. We did a play together many years ago, Neil Simon's "Chapter Two." And it was a good play, and it was wonderful to work with her, and we've become friends over the years. I don't see her very often anymore, but I'm really looking forward to seeing and working with Joyce.
Weekender: You've starred in dozens of movies. Do you have a favorite?
Hunter: Well, there are different ones I like for different reasons. I loved working in the Sophia Loren film, "That Kind of Woman." I loved working with Natalie Wood, because she was one of my favorites. She was just a kid, it was terrific. I enjoyed working with Van Heflin a lot. We did a few films.
Weekender: What was it like having a No. 1 pop single with "Young Love" at a time when Elvis Presley dominated the charts?
Hunter: I cut the record on a Friday, and by Monday I heard it on the car radio, and within a couple of weeks it was climbing up the charts and became No. 1, which totally blew me away. I had no idea that something like this would happen. You know, I confine my singing to the shower, where you sound pretty good with the echo, and the church and occasionally hum a tune here or there. But I had no idea and I was scared to death, a nervous wreck doing that.
Not only did I do that, but I did some albums after that, and it was because of my recording on Dot (Records) that Warner Brothers started Warner Brothers Records. I was under contract to Warner Brothers, and they really got on my case for doing that recording for Dot. They said, "We own you for everything." I said, "I didn't know that, you don't have a record company." And they started Warner Brothers Records.
Weekender: A lot of people were taken aback when you starred in John Waters' "Polyester." Why did you decide to do that?
Hunter: John was one of the great characters. I was thrilled when he asked me to join him on that. I was doing a play in Indianapolis, and he called me and said, "I'd love to send you this script and see if you could do it if you have the time." And I had a few weeks off between theater engagements, so I read it, and I said, "That sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to do it."
Weekender: Was it a good experience?
Hunter: It was a wonderful experience. It was a lot of hard work. You know John is a very dedicated man, but it was a real thrill working for John and with (actor) Divine. It was certainly offbeat for all the type stuff I had done.
Weekender: What kind of reaction have you gotten from your autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential?"
Hunter: I've gotten some very, very good reaction from that. Because it's all about the journey we take through life and how you grow. I've got nothing to hide; that was the trip. And either people get your message or they don't, but as Geraldine Page once said to me, "Just remember, Tab, if people don't like you, that's their problem, not yours."
Staff writer Rodger Mullen can be reached at mullenr@fayobserver.com or 486-3561.