Jeffrey Hunter

1.1. Childhood and Upbringing

Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His family had Scottish ancestry. After 1930, he was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended and graduated from Whitefish Bay High School. During his high school years, he was actively involved in school sports and began acting in local theater and radio productions. From 1942 to 1945, he spent his summers performing in minor roles for the Northport Players, a touring summer-stock theater company from New York. His professional radio debut came during his senior year, playing a G.I. on a program titled Those Who Serve.

1.2. Military Service and College

After graduating from high school in 1945, Hunter joined the United States Navy during World War II. He completed a naval radar course at the Radio Technical School and was assigned to the Communications Division at the Headquarters of the Ninth Naval District in Great Lakes, Illinois. Despite serving during the war, he did not experience battle duty due to a broken arch bone sustained from a high school football injury.

Following his military service, Hunter attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1949. While there, he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He participated in two NU stage productions, including Ruth Gordon's Years Ago, and also performed with the NU Theatre summer-stock company in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, in 1947, appearing in plays such as Too Many Husbands and The Merchant of Venice. He further honed his skills doing radio work with the NU Radio Workshop and Radio Guild, and spent summers working with the NBC Radio Institute in Chicago.

Hunter's first film role came in 1949 while he was still at Northwestern. He was among several students cast in David Bradley's 1950 version of Julius Caesar, which notably starred a young Charlton Heston as Mark Antony. After graduating from Northwestern on August 26, 1949, he moved to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to pursue a master's degree in radio. In 1950, while performing in a college production of All My Sons, he was spotted by talent scouts from both 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures. Paramount offered him an option after a screen test, but Darryl F. Zanuck of Fox countered with a long-term contract, which Hunter accepted. On June 1, 1950, the studio changed his name to "Jeffrey Hunter".

2.1. Hollywood Debut

Hunter's talent was recognized while he was studying at UCLA, where he was performing in a college production of All My Sons. This performance caught the attention of talent scouts from both 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures. After a successful screen test with Paramount, Fox's head, Darryl F. Zanuck, offered him a long-term contract. Hunter accepted the offer, and on June 1, 1950, his birth name, Henry Herman McKinnies Jr., was officially changed to "Jeffrey Hunter" for his stage career.

2.2. Initial Roles at Fox

Under his new contract with 20th Century Fox, Hunter quickly began appearing in films. His first role for the studio was a small part in Fourteen Hours (1951), directed by Henry Hathaway and filmed in New York City. In this film, he and Debra Paget played young individuals who connect while observing a man contemplating a jump from a ledge. He also had a brief, two-minute scene in Call Me Mister (1951) and portrayed a "campus Casanova" in the Jeanne Crain drama, Take Care of My Little Girl (1952), directed by Jean Negulesco.

Hunter was then given a more substantial role in the all-male war film The Frogmen (1951), directed by Lewis Milestone, where he supported seasoned actors Richard Widmark and Dana Andrews. Among his fellow supporting cast members was Robert Wagner, another young actor under contract to Fox at the time. Hunter and Wagner would go on to appear in several films together, often competing for the same parts. Hunter's role in The Frogmen received favorable reviews, helping to establish his presence in Hollywood.

3.1. Early Leading Roles

Following the positive reception of his role in The Frogmen, Jeffrey Hunter began to secure leading roles. His first significant lead was in Red Skies of Montana (1952), a film about smokejumpers, where he was billed third alongside Richard Widmark. He then took on a more conventional male juvenile lead in Belles on Their Toes (1953), a sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen, which reunited him with Jeanne Crain.

20th Century Fox gave Hunter his first starring role in Lure of the Wilderness (1952), a remake of Swamp Water, directed by Jean Negulesco and co-starring Jean Peters. After supporting Clifton Webb and Ginger Rogers in Dreamboat (1952), he received what was considered his best role yet: the starring part in the war film Sailor of the King (1953). Based on C. S. Forester's book Brown on Resolution, this film was financed by Fox but was largely a British production. Hunter was cast as a Canadian to explain his accent, which led to some initial difficulties with British film unions.

Sailor of the King achieved minor success, as did Three Young Texans (1954), a Western he made with Mitzi Gaynor. However, Princess of the Nile (1954), an "Eastern" co-starring Debra Paget, was not particularly successful, and Hunter struggled to transition into a top-tier star. A notable disappointment was losing the title role in Prince Valiant to Robert Wagner, a setback Hunter later described as "terrible."

3.2. Career Lull and Loan-outs

Despite his early successes, Jeffrey Hunter experienced a period where his career at 20th Century Fox slowed down. He was lent out by Fox, along with Debra Paget, to Allied Artists to play the abolitionist Owen Brown in Seven Angry Men (1955), which starred Raymond Massey.

Hunter then played an Indian chief, Little Dog, in the Western White Feather (1955), essentially supporting Robert Wagner. While it was a moderate box office hit, Hunter recalled feeling restless afterward, with no immediate films scheduled. To take control of his career, he co-founded a production company, Hunter Enterprises, with a friend, Bill Hayes, and produced a documentary titled The Living Swamp. He also began appearing regularly on television, notably in an episode of Climax! with Margaret O'Brien. Back at Fox, he supported Anthony Quinn in Seven Cities of Gold (1955).

He was then lent to United Artists alongside fellow Fox contract players Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward for A Kiss Before Dying (1956). In this film, Wagner had the more compelling role as a killer, while Hunter played the more conventional leading man. The movie's release was delayed for a year.

3.3. Revitalization with The Searchers

Jeffrey Hunter's career received a significant boost when he successfully lobbied director John Ford to cast him as the second lead, Martin Pawley, in the now-classic Western The Searchers (1956), starring John Wayne. This role became one of his most iconic and is widely considered a turning point in his career.

Following The Searchers, Disney borrowed Hunter to play William Allen Fuller in the Civil War action movie The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), opposite Fess Parker. Ironically, Parker later revealed that Ford had originally wanted him for Hunter's role in The Searchers, but Disney refused the loan-out, a missed opportunity Parker cited as his biggest career setback.

The success of both The Searchers and The Great Locomotive Chase rekindled 20th Century Fox's interest in Hunter. The studio re-signed him, granting him the right to make one "outside" film per year. He subsequently supported Robert Ryan in the Western The Proud Ones (1956). Hunter then moved to Universal Studios to support another veteran star, Fred MacMurray, in the Western Gun for a Coward (1957), a role originally intended for James Dean. Back at Fox, Hunter was reunited with Robert Wagner as the James brothers in The True Story of Jesse James (1957), directed by Nicholas Ray, with Hunter playing Frank James. Although mildly popular, the film was considered a critical disappointment.

Fox continued to give him leading roles, including The Way to the Gold (1957), another Western. This low-budget production proved profitable. He was also one of several leads in Fox's exploration of young people's lives, No Down Payment (1957), which, while not a major hit, garnered critical acclaim for director Martin Ritt's early work. Fox also sent Hunter to Britain to star as an American in the British war film Count Five and Die (1957).

3.4. Post-Searchers Roles

In October 1957, Jeffrey Hunter began filming for the Universal film If I Should Die (later titled Appointment with a Shadow). However, he collapsed after his first day on set and was replaced by George Nader. He was subsequently off-screen for 14 months due to illness, which was diagnosed as hepatitis.

Upon his return, John Ford cast him in another film, The Last Hurrah (1958), starring Spencer Tracy. Hunter also made a cameo appearance as himself in the Pat Boone musical at Fox, Mardi Gras (1958). He then starred in the war film In Love and War (1958), co-starring with several other Fox contract players, including Robert Wagner, which proved popular.

Hunter also ventured into production, forming Mexico Films and making a film in Mexico titled The Holy City, The Sacred City, which struggled to find a release. John Ford utilized Hunter for a third and final time as the lead in the Western legal drama Sergeant Rutledge (1960), starring Woody Strode, though the film was not a major success. Hunter then appeared in the urban thriller Key Witness (1960), directed by Phil Karlson. After this film, 20th Century Fox did not renew his contract.

4.1. Major Film Roles of the 1960s

After his contract with 20th Century Fox ended, Jeffrey Hunter's career continued with significant film roles. His next film was Hell to Eternity (1960), directed by Phil Karlson, in which Hunter played Guy Gabaldon. This film was a box office hit, and Gabaldon later honored Hunter by naming one of his sons Jeffrey Hunter Gabaldon.

Nicholas Ray cast Hunter in the challenging and iconic role of Jesus Christ in the $8 million epic King of Kings (1961), produced by Samuel Bronston. Hunter, who was 33 at the time, felt a strong connection to the role, stating, "Christ was a carpenter and 33 years old, and I am 33, and I suppose my physical measurements fitted the description in the New Testament. At the time of His death, He was robust, and not a delicate man." The portrayal was met with mixed critical reactions, ranging from praise to ridicule, largely due to Hunter's youthful, matinee-idol appearance. However, the film was a box-office success and remains one of Hunter's most enduring and remembered roles. He later reflected on the profound impact of the role, noting that he continued to receive thousands of letters from viewers who found beauty and inspiration in his performance.

Upon returning to Hollywood, Hunter intentionally sought out diverse roles, such as a psychopathic killer in an episode of Checkmate and the lead in the heist thriller Man-Trap (1961), directed by actor Edmond O'Brien. At Universal Studios, he starred in No Man Is an Island (1962), which told the story of George Ray Tweed. He also joined an all-star cast in the 20th Century Fox World War II battle epic The Longest Day (1962). Hunter delivered a climactic heroic moment in the film, portraying Sergeant John H. Fuller, who is killed while leading a successful attempt to breach the defense wall atop Omaha Beach in Normandy.

4.2. Television Work and International Films

Having made guest appearances on television dramas since the mid-1950s, Jeffrey Hunter expanded his presence in the medium during the 1960s. He traveled to Italy to film Gold for the Caesars (1963) with director André de Toth. While set to co-star with Spencer Tracy and James Stewart in The Long Flight, he received a significant offer for a television show.

Warner Bros. studio head Jack L. Warner offered Hunter a two-year contract, which included a starring role as circuit-riding Texas lawyer Temple Lea Houston, the youngest son of Sam Houston, in the NBC series Temple Houston (1963-1964). Hunter's own production company co-produced the series, which ran for 26 episodes.

In 1964, Hunter accepted the lead role of Captain Christopher Pike in "The Cage", the first pilot episode of Star Trek, completed in early 1965 (with a copyright date of 1964). However, Hunter declined to appear in a second Star Trek pilot requested by NBC in 1965, choosing instead to concentrate on film roles. He publicly stated his preference for motion pictures and his expectation to remain busy in them. His decision to decline a second pilot was met with understanding from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who expressed his respect for Hunter's choice and maintained high regard for him. Later in 1965, Hunter filmed the pilot for another NBC series, the espionage thriller Journey into Fear, which the network ultimately rejected.

With the decline of the studio contract system in the early 1960s and the rise of outsourced feature production, Hunter, like many leading men of his era, found work in B movies produced in Italy, Hong Kong, and Mexico, alongside occasional television guest appearances in Hollywood. His later films included the William Conrad thriller Brainstorm (1965), the Western Murieta (1965), the spy film Dimension 5 (1965), the Hong Kong-filmed but unreleased Strange Portrait (1966), and A Witch Without a Broom (1967), a comedy fantasy set in Spain. He guest-starred on television series such as Insight, Daniel Boone, and The F.B.I..

After a cameo in A Guide for the Married Man (1967), Hunter took the lead role in The Christmas Kid (1967), a Western shot in Spain for Sidney W. Pink. He also appeared in Custer of the West (1968), also filmed in Spain. Back in Hollywood, Hunter supported Bob Hope in The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968). He continued to work in low-budget films, such as the spaghetti Western Find a Place to Die (1968), in which he played the lead. His final Italian films included Sexy Susan Sins Again (1968) and Cry Chicago (1969), and he was set to make A Band of Brothers with Vince Edwards before his untimely death.

5.1. Marriages and Family

Jeffrey Hunter was married three times. His first marriage, from 1950 to 1955, was to actress Barbara Rush, with whom he had a son, Christopher, born in 1952. From 1957 to 1967, Hunter was married to model Dusty Bartlett. During this marriage, he adopted her son, Steele, and they had two more children together, Todd and Scott. In February 1969, just three months before his death, he married actress Emily McLaughlin.

5.2. Political Affiliation

Hunter was a registered Republican.

7.1. Critical Reception and Honors

Jeffrey Hunter was widely recognized for his striking good looks, which led to him being described as "the acme of young American manhood" by Marilyn Monroe, who noted his "all-encompassing type of magnetism" and his devotion to his family, as well as his athletic appearance. He achieved idol status alongside his 20th Century Fox colleague Robert Wagner, and his performances often garnered critical attention.

His portrayal of Jesus Christ in King of Kings (1961) was a particularly significant role, though it met with a range of critical reactions from praise to ridicule, partly due to his youthful appearance in the role. Despite this, the film was a box office success, and Hunter himself expressed deep pride in the role, noting the continued positive feedback he received from viewers.

For his contributions to the television industry, Jeffrey Hunter was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6918 Hollywood Boulevard.

7.2. Controversies and Career Challenges

Despite his early success and leading man status, Jeffrey Hunter's career faced several challenges and perceived downturns. His disappointment at losing the title role in Prince Valiant to Robert Wagner marked an early career setback. He also experienced a significant 14-month absence from the screen due to illness, diagnosed as hepatitis, in 1957.

As the studio contract system declined in the early 1960s, and with much feature film production being outsourced, Hunter, like many actors of his generation, found himself working more in B movies produced internationally (in Italy, Hong Kong, and Mexico) and taking on more television guest roles. While his role in the Star Trek pilot as Captain Christopher Pike is now iconic, his decision to decline a second pilot in favor of pursuing film roles was a significant career choice at the time. His later career was characterized by a mix of supporting roles in larger productions and leading roles in lower-budget international films, reflecting the changing landscape of the film industry.