Tab Hunter Confidential

Old thread on it if you're interested.

The problem with this movie is the fact Tab Hunter isn't interesting enough for a feature length documentary. He's a rather dull but pretty actor who had an ok career and gets love from the gay community for officially coming out when he's old.

At most, he's worth about 45 minutes worth of documentary time.

I forgot to mention that Reverend Mother Dolores Hart is in it, in full kit. Please make a novena for me, Mother Dolores.

The tall, skinny blonde that I liked from Tab's era was Troy Donahue. Hubba hubba hubba.

I liked the documentary. I didn't realize Hunter had a recording career pushed by a big studio.

I've only seen Lust in the Dust and Grease 2 featuring Tab Hunter, to my knowledge.

The stuff about Anthony Perkins made me disappointed in Perkins.

[quote]I liked the documentary. I didn't realize Hunter had a recording career pushed by a big studio.

In the book (his autobiography of the same name) he makes it clear that he was approached by the head of Dot Records to start recording, and it was only AFTER his first record ("Young Love") went to #1 that his studio (WB) got involved -- in fact, they tried to shut it down and demanded royalties from Dot. Then they started up up Warner Bros. records and Tab was one of their first artists.

[quote] The problem with this movie is the fact Tab Hunter isn't interesting enough for a feature length documentary. He's a rather dull but pretty actor who had an ok career and gets love from the gay community for officially coming out when he's old. At most, he's worth about 45 minutes worth of documentary time.

The documentary is a real soozefest, and contrary to Op's claim, it contains virtually no interesting dish.

He is terrific as a villain in the western Gunman's Walk. A real surprise, sort of like Keanu's villain in The Gift.

So he dated Anthony Perkins? Tony and Tab at the Marmont?

The most boring documentary I've ever seen. He's a moron with no perspective and nothing to say. And he dishes about virtually nothing.

I thought that documentary was a real lost opportunity. Nothing got under the beautifully manicured surface. What was it- about 2 or 3 long term bfs- what about the hook ups? Off topic I think back to the Marlene Dietrich documentary from years ago. That old broad was stretched out to the point where it was almost cruel! Tab was never so uncomfortable-and that's the lost opportunity.

Tab hunter and Troy Donahue were not skinny. Except to the obese. Are you obese?

By the standards of the day, he wasn't skinny at all. AT ALL. He was full fledged muscular if not stocky.

He was on What's My Line and let's just say Rose Nyland would be a genius compare to him. He was STUPID.

I liked it, he seems like a nice down to earth guy

Are there nude photos of Miss Hunter presenting hole?

He never says whether he was a top or a bottom. He hooked up with Perkins, Nureyev, a skater named Ronnie Robertson, some guy named Noordlag, and eventually a guy named Glaser. Are they still together? They were at the end of the book, and Glaser was much younger than Tab.

Perkins, Nureyev, and Robertson all died of AIDS.

Brett Halsey's take on Henry Willson was interesting. He referred to him as The Devil. I wonder what happened there?!

To answer the OP's question about George Abbott and the film of Damn Yankees! Abbott had directed the stage show and was brought onto the film to assist Stanley Donen because of that. Tab had a hard time with Abbott, but Abbott was equally horrible to Gwen Verdon.

R17 yes, they are still together

They were meeting Candice Bergen and Jane Fonda last week

Wow, R21 didn't realize that was Candice Bergen, thought it was Rose-Marie

Abbott did the same with Pajama Game, which is a much more successful film adaptation than Damn Yankees, which falls flat.

Was an okay singer.

I loved the documentary. Since Tab and Alan produced it, they had the right to maintain propriety. Tab seemed like he never was a 'sordid' type anyhow, since his mother seemed to have struck the fear of God in him.

Yes, he does have great DNA. Even more precious than looks or IQ is health and longevity. At first I thought, what a shame that he didn't reproduce, but then I read his brother who died in Vietnam had about eight kids, so the Hunter (or his original surname's) DNA will continue.

The Doc is a bit better than his book, but both are a bit elliptical--he wrote the book because someone else was planning to write a book that would have exposed some of his past--probably the affair with Tony "Psycho" Perkins and some other problems. So he wrote his book and there are big gaps of times and things unmentioned, or underexplored (like Henry Willson). The relationship with his brother was papered-over and it's not really clear how he's made a living for the last 3 or 4 decades.

R17, it was Ronnie Robinson, son of boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.

The film gives the impression that Tab became unemployable in Hollywood but if you look at his IMDb page you can see that he worked steadily over the decades. Maybe some of the projects were of a poor quality but it was still work.

R27 No, dear.

Tab? As in the drink?

The book was such better than the film.

A few years back, I saw Tab interviewed by a local movie critic at a Book Fair (at the time when his book was coming out). He still looked good, but just as important seemed like a nice guy. He came across as a surviver, at peace with himself.

Or Tab book club.

Met Tab at a gathering in Palm Springs 3 or 4 years ago. Still looked good, friendly, briefly stopped to talk to me. Joked he was in Palm Springs before Palm Canyon had palm trees. Nice encounter.

The negative posts here are simply sickening. I have enjoyed the documentary very much, not because he is a great actor (he is not) nor even a singer (he is not). He is a decent and classy (not the kiss and tell) gay man who have a relatively long career and have done more to the gay causes by coming out (even if late), than any of you "done nothing with my life" whining wankers!

I liked the documentary. He was beautiful but didn't have an easy life, abandoned by his dad in childhood, then rejected by him again as a young adult, realizing that he was gay, living with the constant fear of being outed, then being outed by your old boss who did it to spite you and to spare his new prodigy (in a time when it could destroy a person's career), the death of his brother, having to commit his mother to an institution. He's been through a lot. But he's still positive. He said that no one should judge Perkins negatively for marrying a woman later in life. That was a kind thing to do.

The best part of the doc for me: they showed a clip (TV? movie?) of a young Jean Stapleton spazzing out at the thought of meeting Tab!

Martin Sheen laugh at R35

R36 - that was from Damn Yankees!

We don't look to Hollywood actors to be boring facsimiles of ourselves.There's nothing wrong with wanting a little more "spice" from a Tab Hunter retelling of his life.

Scott Marlowe was mentioned in his book but not in the documentary.

The documentary was GREAT!

Scott Marlowe--hot guy

Years ago I saw That Kind of Woman, with Tab and Sophia Loren, directed by Sidney Lumet. I'd like to take another look.

R 37 , you have just entered a Twilight Zone!

R20, I think Abbott lived to 106 and was active to the end. Probably the vinegar in his veins.

Tab Hunter signed my Odorama card at the Los Angeles premiere of "Polyester."

We've known Allan and Tab for several years, and can honestly say that you will never meet a nicer, kinder, less cynical, happier couple than them. They enjoy their life, and share their happiness freely.

If you ever hear a bad word about them, it is from a sad person.

I would love to meet them. I didn't know anything about Hunter, really, until I watched the documentary last night. He seems like a truly decent person. He had a strict German upbringing and is religious so of course he is not going to gossip about who he had sexual encounters with years ago. But my guess is there may not have been as many as we'd like to think. He has been in three long-term relationships and that speaks volumes about his character. I don't think he was necessarily the type who slept with every Tom, Dick and Harry. Anyway, I came away with a newfound respect for him.

[quote] He has been in three long-term relationships and that speaks volumes about his character.

Not necessarily.

[quote] I don't think he was necessarily the type who slept with every Tom, Dick and Harry. Anyway, I came away with a newfound respect for him.

The documentary is extremely boring. He seems like the type who omits all of the more interesting (and perhaps more salacious) details when interviewed about his life.

I thought the art and music direction were terrific.

That is supposition on your part, r48. And obviously, not all of us find the documentary "extremely boring." Not everything has to judged on the level of Real Housewives tawdriness.