Tab Hunter's Life in Photos

Every generation has a Hollywood "golden boy." A talented star with a chiseled jaw, dashing good looks, and a spark of charm. In the 1950s, Tab Hunter claimed the spot as the boy next door of the big screen. His roles in Battle Cry (1955), The Girl He Left Behind (1956), and Damn Yankees (1958) made Hunter a household name. But it's his much speculated private life and personal struggle with his sexuality that made Hunter a prime tabloid target. Nevertheless, his allure on the silver screen captured the attention of fans all over the world, so let's honor the late star and take a glance behind the flashing bulbs at the life of Tab Hunter.

Arthur Andrew Kelm was born July 11, 1931, to Gertrude and Charles Kelm in Manhattan, New York. Not long after his birth, his parents divorced and Arthur moved with his mother to California, where he was raised.

Arthur joined the United States Coast Guard at 15 after lying about his age. During this period, he spent much of his spare time watching Hollywood movies. After the Coast Guard discovered he had lied about his age, he was discharged, and Hollywood was calling his name.

Not long after the eager actor arrived in Los Angeles, he was introduced to Henry Willson, a powerful Hollywood agent of the time. Willson, who also represented Rock Hudson and Robert Wagner, eventually took Arthur under his wing.

Much like agent Henry Willson came up with a fresh stage name for Rock Hudson, he did the same for young Arthur. And thus, Tab Hunter was born.

In 1955, the Hollywood "boy next door" was scooped up as a contract player for Warner Bros. His first film under the Warner deal was The Sea Chase (1955), a World War II drama also starring John Wayne and Lana Turner.

Not long after Hunter joined Warner Bros., he beat out the likes of James Dean and Paul Newman for a role in the World War II drama Battle Cry in 1955. The film was a box office success and turned Hunter into an overnight star.

In order to hide Hunter's closeted homosexuality, Hollywood studio publicity machines crafted faux relationships for the actor to take part in to derail the prying eye of the tabloids. Most famously, the square-jawed movie star was romantically linked to Natalie Wood, his co-star in The Girl He Left Behind and The Burning Hills, both of which were released in 1956.

Here, Natalie Wood and Tab Hunter pose on the red carpet as they attend the 28th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, CA.

Not only was Hunter a star on the big screen, but he was also able to carry a tune. His first song, a rendition of Young Love, released in 1957, peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

The success of the song prompted Jack Warner to establish Warner Bros. Records, so Hunter could perform music under the same studio of which he held an acting contract.

Here, Hunter can be seen posing next to a typewriter on the living room floor of his cozy Hollywood home. The actor owned several different properties in the Los Angeles region before finally settling down in the Santa Barbara area.

By the end of the 1950s, Hunter was Hollywood's golden boy and his turns in Lafayette Escadrille (1958), Damn Yankees (1958), and They Came to Cordura (1959) made him a bonafide star.

Here, Tab Hunter and Debbie Reynolds meet with a crowd of adoring fans eagerly waiting outside of a movie premiere.

Here, Tab Hunter and Dick Clark chat backstage at The Dick Clark Show, which he appeared on several times. From 1960-1961, Hunter had a show of his own, The Tab Hunter Show, which aired on NBC opposite The Ed Sullivan Show.

Being Hollywood's "golden boy" has its perks. What's one of them? Having A-list co-stars. Among the impressive roster are Debbie Reynolds (The Pleasure of His Company, 1961), Sophia Loren (That Kind of Woman, 1959), and Rita Hayworth (They Came to Cordura, 1959).

While the actor's private life was often the topic of much speculation, Hunter later noted in his autobiography, “You see, people hang labels, tags of false identification, on the people that disturb their own sense of reality too much, like the bells that used to be hung on the necks of lepers.”

The '50s movie star found steady work in the 1980s, with appearances in Grease 2 and Charlie's Angles, among other projects and celebrity events. His final on-screen performance was in the family drama Dark Horse in 1992.

In 2005, the actor's autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, co-written with Eddie Muller, was released. The New York Times best-seller also served as a basis for the documentary Tab Hunter Confidential, which premiered at the South by Southwest film festival in 2015. Both projects covered Hunter's time as a '50s heartthrob, as well as his personal struggle with his sexual identity.

While Hunter's highly publicized relationship with Natalie Wood was a mere studio publicity stunt, his relationship with producer Allan Glaser was very real. The duo coupled up in 1983 and tied the knot in 2013.

Hunter passed away at the age of 86 on July 8, 2018. According to his obituary in The New York Times, Hunter was one of the last surviving stars of the Hollywood studio system.

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