MovieChat Forums > A Kiss Before Dying (1956) Discussion > Jeffrey Hunter

Jeffrey Hunter

posted 17 years ago by philipphs
15 replies | jump to latest

Jeffrey Hunter,with those glasses looked like he would have made a great Clark Kent / Superman.Anybody kow if he was ever offered the role?

[–] hobnob53 17 years ago

Yes. No.

But of course he did star in the original "Star Trek" pilot that didn't sell, but ended up as the two-parter "The Menagerie" in the series's first season. Typical of his fate from the early 60s on, when good roles mostly disappeared and he had mainly poor parts and bad luck the rest of the decade...followed by his untimely passing in 1969. Very sad, and a far cry from the future he seemed to have before him in the mid-50s.

By the way, he and Robert Wagner were both contract players at Fox (as were Virginia Letih and Joanne Woodward, among the reasons "A Kiss Before Dying" has been called "The best 20th Century Fox movie never released by 20th Century Fox"), and in the ealy 50s both competed for fan mail from women moviegoers as the major new "hunks" at the studio. This started the notion that the two were rivals, but in fact they were good friends and co-starred six times, and Robert Wagner has always spoken highly of Jeff Hunter and was deeply distressed at his early death.

[–] roger-624 17 years ago

And don't forget that it was a good thing that Jeffrey Hunter rescued rescued Robert Wagner's future wife Natalie Wood from those renegade Indians in the Searchers ;)

[–] lizardkxng 17 years ago

Jeffrey Hunter took the part of playing Jesus in King of Kings, a big no no for his acting career. I thing Star Trek was the last thing remembered after that poor career decision. I think he could have been a big star.

[–] dawnm5 17 years ago

He was great in King of Kings. I really liked his take on Jesus. It's hard to believe that it's the same guy from this movie.

Why was it a "big no no for his career", The movie was wonderful.

[–] c7c7c7r 17 years ago

In 1960, Hunter was in "Hell to Eternity", which has got to be one of the bloodiest war movies ever made. Especially for 1960. Peckinpah and Scorsese probably watched it as often as possible. It used to be on TV back in the 60s but has since disappeared, unlike "Here to Eternity".

[–] wtl471629 17 years ago

Jeffrey Hunter was a promising actor but somehow never hit the big time that he was capable of doing. He made good movies but never great ones. He starred with Robert Wagner in several other movies besides this one which include: 1951 The Grogmen which starred Richard Widmark and Dana Andrews, 1955 White Feather, 1957 The True Story of Jesse James (Jeffrey was Frank and Robert was Jesse), 1958 In Love and War and 1962 The Longest Day (I am not sure they were in the same scenes together though).

Had Jeffrey lived he probably would have been a regular guest star (and maybe even a regular supporting cast member) in Robert Wagner's great tv series Hart to Hart.

[–] jackbuckley278 17 years ago

I just saw "Kiss" tonight on Retroplex. Really good! I'd heard the title off and on over the years but had never seen a single frame of it. Also didn't realize it was based on an acclaimed novel of the same name, until tonight. I just finished watching it about 20 minutes ago. Wagner was effectively chilling in his role as collegiate Bud. I, too, thought that Jeffrey Hunter looked like Clark Kent when I saw him. I liked him in the role of the police chief's underling, but I thought his pipe smoking habit was a bit overdone--an unnecessary attempt to make him look like an intellectual or professorial or something. I got used to and accepted it, but it seemed like a too-obvious character ploy. Anyway, I got to thinking after reading these postings that I've always liked Jeffrey Hunter, though I have no clear recollection of his presence in most of the films I've seen him in over the years. As for "Kings of Kings", which I originally saw as a child in a downtown theater here, I thought he made a very believable and effective Jesus, and he certainly was made to look the part! I'm not aware that it doomed his career. I imagine the film was a pretty big hit, no doubt released at Easter. Religious or Biblical films of this type were still being made and remained popular with audiences during this period of time in the early 60's, so I don't see how it could've hurt him. Anyway, "Kiss" is a gripping and suspenseful film, almost Hitchcockian in nature. Try to catch it if you haven't already!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] clore_2 13 years ago

I liked him in the role of the police chief's underling, but I thought his pipe smoking habit was a bit overdone--an unnecessary attempt to make him look like an intellectual or professorial or something. I got used to and accepted it, but it seemed like a too-obvious character ploy.

While he's sitting next to Virginia Leith, he has the pipe in his hand and turns it sideways and even nearly upside-down over her white dress. Not one ash managed to escape.

It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me

[–] MikeAnsaraFan 13 years ago

Just finished watching this movie for the zillionth time and was thinking the same thing about Jeffrey Hunter...how he reminded me of Clark Kent. I reckon he would have made a great Superman.

[–] corriganville 11 years ago

I don't know if this had anything to do with Jeffrey Hunter's career fizzling but back when 'King of Kings' was filmed, an actor portraying Jesus & showing his face was a big no-no to the Catholic Church. I went to Catholic elementary school & I remember the nuns making a big deal that you never see Jesus's face in 'Ben Hur' but disavowing themselves of 'King of Kings' for that transgression. Subsequently our school walked over to the theater to see 'Ben Hur' but did not do so for 'King of Kings'. Back then the Catholic Church wielded some clout so who knows how it affected JH's career. After seeing him in 'The Searchers' and 'Sergeant Rutledge' I certainly thought he would have kept getting good parts.

[–] cookiela2001 14 years ago

<< Jeffrey Hunter was a promising actor but somehow never hit the big time that he was capable of doing. >>

I had never heard of him before. Very cute.

Wish he'd been able to liven up the film with more humor, though. That character's practically the only one who has an opportunity to be funny.

[–] powersroc 13 years ago

Jeff portrayed Martin Pawley in John Ford's 1956 western The Searchers. The Searchers is considered one of the greatest westerns ever made.He was also in The Longest Day(1962). While it was more of a cameo role,the movie is a fine adaptation of the book.So I wouldn't say he was never in any great movies with those credits to his name.

[–] powersroc 13 years ago

I always liked Jeff Hunter & I'm sorry that he did not have a longer film career & more challenging roles.His film career,just like Robert Wagner,was more or less drying up by the mid-60s.Wagner was shrewd enough to realize this & made the jump to television where he had great success with It Takes A Thief & Hart to Hart,as well as producing Charlie's Angels.Jeff did the western TV show Temple Houston & was a guest star on various TV series.As fans know he did the first pilot for Star Trek,The Cage.NBC liked it but still ordered a second pilot.This was unheard of in TV back then & to this day to have a second pilot.They still wanted Jeff in the lead role as Captain Chris Pike for the second pilot.He turned it down,according to reports he was still actively trying to pursue a film career over TV.I think that was a mistake on his part.Had he done Star Trek it would have revived his career.True,the show only ran for three seasons & was not a huge hit at that time.However,once it was in syndication it caught fire like never before.Then the Trek films with the original cast started in 1979,& would result in six movies for the 1966 TV cast.If Jeff had accepted the series he would have eventually had his movie career back too with the Trek films & become part of the legend that is Star Trek.

[–] deforest-1 11 years ago

Wow, a guest star in a Robert Wagner tv series? High hopes indeed. If Jeffrey Hunter never hit the big time, what would you call Wagner's career? Wagner never took central roles in huge movies like "The Searchers" and "King of KIngs" -- he obviously wasn't capable of it because not half the actor Hunter was. From the evidence, it seems Hunter was in the lead at Fox and then the studio began promoting Wagner over him as beefcake because preppy looks and persnickety manner were about all Wagner had going for him. Despite the dissing by Fox, Hunter made it soloing into the Sixties, whereas Wagner himself credits Paul Newman with (temporarily) saving his career by inviting him to "feature" in Newman's movies ("Winning", etc).