Jeffrey Hunter
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings
, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers
, and as Capt. Christopher Pike
in the original pilot episode of Star Trek
.
and raised, after 1930, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Whitefish Bay High School
. He began acting in local theater and radio in his early teens. He served stateside in the United States Navy
, in World War II
, then studied theatre at Northwestern University
, 1946–1949.
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In 1950, while a graduate student in radio at the University of California, Los Angeles
and appearing in a college play, he was spotted by talent scouts and offered a two-year motion picture contract by 20th Century-Fox
that was eventually extended to 1959. He made his Hollywood debut in Fourteen Hours
, had star billing by Red Skies of Montana
(1952), and first billing in Sailor of the King
(1953).
A loan-out to co-star with John Wayne
in the title roles of the now-classic western The Searchers
began the first of three pictures he made with director John Ford
; the other two being The Last Hurrah
(1958) and Sergeant Rutledge
(1960).
Ford also recommended Hunter to director Nicholas Ray
for the role of Jesus
in the Biblical film King of Kings (1961), a difficult part met by critical reaction that ranged from praise to ridicule (Hunter's youthful matinee idol looks resulted in the film being derided as "I Was a Teenage Jesus"). Among an all-star cast in the World War II battle epic The Longest Day
, he provided a climactic heroic act of leading an ultimately successful attempt to breach the defense wall atop Normandy's Omaha Beach
but dying in the process.
Having guest-starred on television dramas since the mid-1950s, Hunter was now offered a two-year contract by Warner Brothers that included starring as circuit-riding Texas lawyer
Temple Lea Houston, the youngest son of Sam Houston
, in the NBC
series Temple Houston
(1963–64), which Hunter's production company co-produced.
Although Temple Houston did not survive its first season, Hunter accepted the lead role of Captain Christopher Pike
in "The Cage
", the first pilot episode of Star Trek
. Hunter declined to film a second Star Trek pilot requested by NBC
in 1965, and decided to concentrate on motion pictures such as Brainstorm
. Later that year, Hunter filmed the pilot for another NBC series, the espionage thriller Journey Into Fear, which the network did not pick up.
With the demise of the studio contract system in the early 1960s and the outsourcing
of much feature production, Hunter, like many other leading men of the 1950s, had to find work in B movie
s produced in Europe
, Hong Kong
, and Mexico
, with the occasional television guest part in Hollywood.
(1950–1955) with whom he had a son, Christopher, in 1952. From 1957 to 1967, he was married to model Dusty Bartlett. He adopted her son, Steele, and the couple had two other children, Todd and Scott. In February 1969, he married actress Emily McLaughlin
.
while flying back to the U.S. from Spain after filming Viva America! While recovering at his home, Hunter suffered another stroke, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs and sustain a skull fracture. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on May 27, 1969.
Hunter was interred in Sylmar, California's Glen Haven Memorial Park.
King of Kings
King of Kings is a title that has been used by several monarchies and empires throughout history. The title originates in the Ancient Near East. It is broadly the equivalent of the later title Emperor....
, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers
The Searchers (film)
The Searchers is a 1956 American Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, and set during the Texas–Indian Wars...
, and as Capt. Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike (Star Trek)
Christopher Pike is a character in the Star Trek franchise. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the original Star Trek pilot episode, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that...
in the original pilot episode of Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
.
Early life
Hunter was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and raised, after 1930, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Whitefish Bay High School
Whitefish Bay High School
Whitefish Bay High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, United States. Approximately 950 students attend the school from September through June, in grades 9 through 12...
. He began acting in local theater and radio in his early teens. He served stateside in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, then studied theatre at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, 1946–1949.
Acting career
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
and appearing in a college play, he was spotted by talent scouts and offered a two-year motion picture contract by 20th Century-Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
that was eventually extended to 1959. He made his Hollywood debut in Fourteen Hours
Fourteen Hours
Fourteen Hours is a 1951 drama film directed by Henry Hathaway, which tells the story of a New York police officer trying to stop a despondent man from jumping to his death from the fifteenth floor of a hotel....
, had star billing by Red Skies of Montana
Red Skies of Montana
Red Skies of Montana is a 1952 adventure drama in which smoke jumper Cliff Mason, Richard Widmark, attempts to save his crew while being over-run by a forest fire, not only to save his men, but to redeem himself after his last fire when he was the only survivor.The film was very loosely based on...
(1952), and first billing in Sailor of the King
Sailor of the King
Sailor of the King is a 1953 war film based on the novel Brown on Resolution by C. S. Forester and filmed in the Mediterranean Sea...
(1953).
A loan-out to co-star with John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
in the title roles of the now-classic western The Searchers
The Searchers (film)
The Searchers is a 1956 American Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, and set during the Texas–Indian Wars...
began the first of three pictures he made with director John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
; the other two being The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a significant 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United States for 20 weeks, and was also on lists for...
(1958) and Sergeant Rutledge
Sergeant Rutledge
Sergeant Rutledge is a 1960 Western and military courtroom drama starring Woody Strode and Jeffrey Hunter. It was directed by John Ford and shot on location in Monument Valley, Utah....
(1960).
Ford also recommended Hunter to director Nicholas Ray
Nicholas Ray
Nicholas Ray was an American film director best known for the movie Rebel Without a Cause....
for the role of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in the Biblical film King of Kings (1961), a difficult part met by critical reaction that ranged from praise to ridicule (Hunter's youthful matinee idol looks resulted in the film being derided as "I Was a Teenage Jesus"). Among an all-star cast in the World War II battle epic The Longest Day
The Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
, he provided a climactic heroic act of leading an ultimately successful attempt to breach the defense wall atop Normandy's Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
but dying in the process.
Having guest-starred on television dramas since the mid-1950s, Hunter was now offered a two-year contract by Warner Brothers that included starring as circuit-riding Texas lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Temple Lea Houston, the youngest son of Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Temple Houston
Temple Houston (TV series)
Temple Houston is a 1963–64 NBC television series which has been called "the first attempt . . . to produce an hour-long Western series with the main character being an attorney in the formal sense." It was the only show Jack Webb sold to a network during his ten months as the head of production at...
(1963–64), which Hunter's production company co-produced.
Christopher Pike (Star Trek)
Christopher Pike is a character in the Star Trek franchise. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the original Star Trek pilot episode, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that...
in "The Cage
The Cage (TOS episode)
"The Cage" is the first pilot episode of the Star Trek: The Original Series science fiction series. It was completed in early 1965 , but not broadcast on television in its complete form until the autumn of 1988. The episode was written by Gene Roddenberry and directed by Robert Butler...
", the first pilot episode of Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
. Hunter declined to film a second Star Trek pilot requested by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1965, and decided to concentrate on motion pictures such as Brainstorm
Brainstorm (1965 film)
Brainstorm, released in 1965, is a late film noir. The film stars Jeffrey Hunter and Anne Francis and was produced and directed by William Conrad, who became better known as an actor in such television series as Cannon and Jake and the Fat Man.-Plot:On a lonely highway, Jim Grayam spots a car...
. Later that year, Hunter filmed the pilot for another NBC series, the espionage thriller Journey Into Fear, which the network did not pick up.
With the demise of the studio contract system in the early 1960s and the outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
of much feature production, Hunter, like many other leading men of the 1950s, had to find work in B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s produced in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, with the occasional television guest part in Hollywood.
Personal life
Hunter's first marriage was to actress Barbara RushBarbara Rush
Barbara Rush is an American stage, film, and television actress.-Career:A student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Barbara Rush performed on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse before signing with Paramount Pictures...
(1950–1955) with whom he had a son, Christopher, in 1952. From 1957 to 1967, he was married to model Dusty Bartlett. He adopted her son, Steele, and the couple had two other children, Todd and Scott. In February 1969, he married actress Emily McLaughlin
Emily McLaughlin
Emily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
.
Death
Hunter suffered a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
while flying back to the U.S. from Spain after filming Viva America! While recovering at his home, Hunter suffered another stroke, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs and sustain a skull fracture. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on May 27, 1969.
Hunter was interred in Sylmar, California's Glen Haven Memorial Park.
Selective filmography
- Julius CaesarJulius Caesar (1950 film)Julius Caesar is a 1950 film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar. It was produced and directed by David Bradley using actors from the Chicago area. Charlton Heston, who had known Bradley since his youth, and who was establishing himself in television and theater in New York, played...
(1950) - Fourteen HoursFourteen HoursFourteen Hours is a 1951 drama film directed by Henry Hathaway, which tells the story of a New York police officer trying to stop a despondent man from jumping to his death from the fifteenth floor of a hotel....
(1951) - Call Me MisterCall Me Mister (film)Call Me Mister is a 1951 musical film released by Twentieth Century-Fox. The feature was directed by Lloyd Bacon, and re-written from the Broadway version by Albert E...
(1951) - Take Care of My Little GirlTake Care of My Little GirlTake Care of My Little Girl is a 1951 drama film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1950 novel of the same name written by Peggy Goodin.-Plot:...
(1951) - The Frogmen (1951)
- Red Skies of MontanaRed Skies of MontanaRed Skies of Montana is a 1952 adventure drama in which smoke jumper Cliff Mason, Richard Widmark, attempts to save his crew while being over-run by a forest fire, not only to save his men, but to redeem himself after his last fire when he was the only survivor.The film was very loosely based on...
(1952) - Lure of the WildernessLure of the WildernessLure of the Wilderness is a 1952 romantic adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, which was shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1941 novel Swamp Water by Vereen Bell, and is a remake of the Jean Renoir's 1941 adaption of the novel featuring Walter Brennan in a smaller version of his...
(1952) - Belles on Their ToesBelles on Their ToesBelles on Their Toes is a 1950 book written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. This book was the follow-up to the 1948 book Cheaper by the Dozen which covered the period before Frank Gilbreth Sr died. Belles on Their Toes was written about the family after the death of...
(1952) - Sailor of the KingSailor of the KingSailor of the King is a 1953 war film based on the novel Brown on Resolution by C. S. Forester and filmed in the Mediterranean Sea...
(1953) - Three Young Texans (1954)
- Princess of the Nile (1954)
- White FeatherWhite Feather (1955 film)White Feather is a 1955 Technicolor western film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Wagner. The movie was filmed in Durango, Mexico. The story is based in fact, however, great artistic license is used and none of the characters are real....
(1955) - Seven Angry Men (1955)
- Seven Cities of GoldSeven Cities of Gold (film)Seven Cities Of Gold is a 1955 historical adventure film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Anthony Quinn, Richard Egan and Michael Rennie. It tells the story of the 18th. Century Franciscan priest, Father Junípero Serra and the founding of the first missions in what is now present day...
(1955) - The SearchersThe Searchers (film)The Searchers is a 1956 American Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, and set during the Texas–Indian Wars...
(1956) - A Kiss Before DyingA Kiss Before Dying (1956 film)A Kiss Before Dying is a 1956 American color film noir, directed by Gerd Oswald. The screenplay was written by Lawrence Roman, based on Ira Levin's 1953 novel of the same name, which won the 1954 Edgar Award for "Best First Novel." The drama stars Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Virginia Leith,...
(1956) - The Great Locomotive Chase (1956)
- The Proud OnesThe Proud OnesThe Proud Ones is a 1956 western film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Ryan and Virginia Mayo.-Plot synopsis:Cass Silver , marshal of a small Kansas town, is expecting trouble with the arrival of the first Texas trail herds on the newly completed railroad...
(1956) - Gun for a Coward (1957)
- The Way to the GoldThe Way to the GoldThe Way to the Gold is a 1957 film directed by Robert D. Webb. It stars Jeffrey Hunter and Sheree North.The film is known as Sheree North's debut to a dramatic role; her next feature, No Down Payment, also featured her in a dramatic role...
(1957) - No Down PaymentNo Down PaymentNo Down Payment is a 1957 film directed by Martin Ritt. It was scripted by Philip Yordan, who fronted for a then uncredited and blacklisted Ben Maddow and is based on the novel of the same name by John McPartland...
(1957) - The True Story of Jesse James (1957)
- In Love and WarIn Love and War (1958 film)In Love and War is a 1958 Cinemascope film based on a novel called The Big War by Anton Myrer and directed by Philip Dunne.-Plot summary:The film traces the progress of three Marines on shore leave during WWII, in the Pacific...
(1958) - The Last HurrahThe Last HurrahThe Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a significant 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United States for 20 weeks, and was also on lists for...
(1958) - Count Five and DieCount Five and DieCount Five and Die is a 1957 British war drama produced by Zonic Productions and released in the USA by the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by Victor Vicas, produced by Earnest Gartside with the screenplay by Jack Seddon and David Pursall. It starred Jeffrey Hunter, Nigel...
(1958) - Key Witness (1960)
- Sergeant RutledgeSergeant RutledgeSergeant Rutledge is a 1960 Western and military courtroom drama starring Woody Strode and Jeffrey Hunter. It was directed by John Ford and shot on location in Monument Valley, Utah....
(1960) - Hell to EternityHell to EternityHell to Eternity is a 1960 World War II film starring Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone and directed by Phil Karlson. This film biopic is about the true experiences of Marine hero Pfc...
(1960) - King of Kings (1961)
- No Man Is an IslandNo Man Is an Island (film)No Man Is an Island is a 1962 war film about the exploits of George Ray Tweed, a United States Navy radioman who avoided capture and execution by the Japanese during their years-long World War II occupation of Guam. It stars Jeffrey Hunter as Tweed...
(1962) - The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
(1962) - BrainstormBrainstorm (1965 film)Brainstorm, released in 1965, is a late film noir. The film stars Jeffrey Hunter and Anne Francis and was produced and directed by William Conrad, who became better known as an actor in such television series as Cannon and Jake and the Fat Man.-Plot:On a lonely highway, Jim Grayam spots a car...
(1965) - Star Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
Episodes: The Cage (first pilot episode, 1965), The Menagerie (1966) - The Green HornetThe Green HornetThe Green Hornet is an American radio and television masked vigilante created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell, in 1936. Since his radio debut in the 1930s, the Green Hornet has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media...
(1967) - Custer of the WestCuster of the WestCuster of the West is a 1967 American Western film directed by Robert Siodmak. It tells a highly fictionalised version of the life and death of George Armstrong Custer. It was directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Robert Shaw as Custer, Robert Ryan and Mary Ure...
(1967) - The Christmas KidThe Christmas KidThe Christmas Kid is a 1967 western film directed by Sidney W. Pink and distributed in America by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:...
(1967) - The Private Navy of Sgt. O'FarrellThe Private Navy of Sgt. O'FarrellThe Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell is a 1968 film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller. It was filmed in Puerto Rico in 1967...
(1968) - Find a Place to DieFind a Place to DieFind a Place to Die is a spaghetti western starring Jeffrey Hunter and Pascale Petit. It was directed by Giuliano Carnimeo as Anthony Ascott.-Story:...
(1968) - Super Colt 38 (1969)
- Viva America! (1969)