Tab Hunter Confidential Page #3

Well, I didn't see that.

And so I was a little bit

concerned because that's such

an imporant par of the play.

We did a read through.

And after we

fnished the reading

she agreed to do it with me.

She said, OK, young man, we've

got a lot of work ahead of us.

Let's get to it.

Well, I wanted him to be

comforable within himself

that he can do this.

Tad had that desire

to really be good.

I saw an actor who

grew and grew, getting

better and better and better.

TAB HUNTER:
The only thing

I really could rely on

were my instincts

and my feelings.

And they won't lead

you too far astray.

And Tab was just fabulous.

He was George.

The play was exremely well

received, got good notices--

the frst good notices I

ever received in my life.

From that, it sor

of whet the appetite.

I came away from that

experience realizing

that I wanted to be an actor.

The studios ran Hollywood.

Hollywood was MGM,

Paramount, 20th Century

Fox, Warner Brothers.

It was just a society in

unto itself, Warner Brothers.

It was the best studio,

so we were very proud.

But you did not cross

to cross Jack Warner.

Colonel Warner- Colonel Jack

Warner, ladies and gentlemen.

You know, Warner was

quite a character.

He really was.

He looked like Lucifer with

a little mustache of his.

Ha, you son-of-a-b*tch.

(LAUGHING)

When you had a guy like

Jack Warner on your side,

you had the whole

Warner Brothers

operation on your side.

You were in business.

The studio contract

was really good

because of the security of it.

At Warner Brothers,

they had acting classes,

singing, dancing.

And I said, Henry, I

really need to go to work.

And Henry sent out wired

to different producers

saying Tab Hunter's available.

And he arranged for me to

meet, casting

director of Warner Brothers.

And I got a call

from the studio.

They took out an

option that they

might put me under contract.

And your frst picture will

be with John Wayne in and Lana

Turner in "The Sea Chase!"

, more coffee.

Yes, sir.

All I had to say in

the flm was, yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Everybody, sir.

"The Sea Change" was

an all right flm,

but I had nothing to do in it.

I was very disappointed.

Jack Warner was looking

at rushes of the flm,

and a director by the

name of William Wellman,

"Wild Bill" Wellman, happened

to see a couple of my scenes

and said, I want that

kid for my nex picture.

And the nex picture

was "Track of the Cat"

with Rober Mitchum.

The place is just

crawling with dreams.

Do you have any, kid'?

I go along Mitch very well.

He had great sense of

humor and was full of hell.

I really like him a lot.

Well, the frst big flm

I did at Warner Brothers

was a flm called "Battle Cry."

"Battle Cry" was the biggest

picture Warner's had that year.

They tested me nine times for

the role of Danny Forrester.

Sorry, I-- I felt

kind of itchy.

I wasn't the only one

who tested for that role.

Kiss me.

Can't hear.

Warner's tested Jimmy Dean

and Paul Newman for the role.

They still couldn't

make up their mind.

So they said, well, we'll

give this kid one more test.

The morning I left

to go to the test

my mother stopped

me at the door,

and she said, think positive.

See yourself in this role.

And she said, if it's

meant to be, it will be.

I thought I was so bad

in that test I went home

and was ready to kill myself.

And that was the test

that got me the role.

Give me a cheeseburger

and a cup of coffee.

And, uh, how about a

piece that apple pie too.

I just liked the role.

It reminded me of my brother.

He was a very straightforward,

decent human being.

Any guy in the world would be

lucky to have you for a wife.

The flm was very successful.

It was a major hit

for Warner Brothers.

ANNOUNCER:
"Battle

Cry," the Warner

Brothers story of the Marines,

having its world premier.

I stared getting so much

recognition for doing it

that I was offered the

seven-year contract

with Warner Brothers.

I thought, whoa.

Tab Hunter!

And when that came on, it

was like you struck a match,

and off it went.

ANNOUNCER:
Hollywood pays

tribute to bright, new stars

of tomorrow.

Awards go to blue-eyed

and blond Tab Hunter.

They translated everhing

into box offce receipts.

Jack Warner saw

box-offce gold in Tab.

Once I was under

contract to them,

all this publicity

came out on me,

and the publicity

exceeded the product.

ANNOUNCER:
Actor Tab

Hunter signs autographs

in the time-honored way.

They were selling

the All-American boy.

Take him home to mother.

It was a nice wholesome image.

How do you feel

about dancing tonight?

Are you ready'?

A little awkward,

but I guess I'm ready.

He was everhere.

We were being bombarded

with Tab's presence.

And I was delighted because he

was so exciting to be watching.

ANNOUNCER:
America's

favorite sweethears,

Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood.

Natalie Wood was the

sweetest little thing

that ever came down the road.

I loved her.

She was like my kid sister.

You really got it

made, haven't you?

TAB HUNTER:
She had

been a very successful

in "Rebel Without a

Cause" with Jimmy Dean,

and I had been successful

in "Battle Cry."

Warner Brothers put us together.

They wanted to make us

into the new "dream team."

We went along with

it, of course.

ANNOUNCER:
Tab

Hunter, Natalie Wood.

And they had a

great time together.

She adored him.

I never met a gal

with such spunk.

ROBERT WAGNER:
He was on

fre, and she was on fre.

They traveled a lot together.

They went on tours together.

TAB HUNTER:
Oh, my gosh,

there were thousands

and thousands of kids.

He looked like he loved

being a movie star,

and he was a good one.

ANNOUNCER:
Warner Brothers stars

Natalie Wood and tab Hunter

plant a Christmas parade for the

annual Toys for Tots campaign.

But I knew Tab

frst from his music.

TAB HUNTER:
The

recording career came

about when Randy Wood

of Dot Records said,

how would you like to record?

I said, I'd love it.

Randy had me come over there.

I cut the record.

Randy yelled out, that's it.

It's gonna be a hit.

(SINGING)--for every

boy and girl there's just

one love in this

whole world, and I-hi

kno-ho I-hi-I found mine.

It became the number

one song in the nation.

(SINGING) Young love.

Young love.

First love.

First love.

When "Young Love" hit

number one on the pop chars,

it knocked Elvis

out of number one

and stays for a month

and a half at the top

of the national chars.

Jack Warner blew his stack.

He said, we own

you for everhing.

He had totally prohibited

me from recording

for Dot any longer.

And I said, but Mr. Warner, you

don't have a recording company.

And he said, well, we do now.

And, they stared Warner

Brothers Records for me.

[MUSIC- TAB HUNTER, "NINETY NINE

WAYS"]

Tab had a real genuine

reporing career.

He was not a one-hit wonder.

He released dozens of

singles and albums.

It was phenomenal, and it

was noticed by everyone.

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