Tab Hunter Confidential Page #5

It was against the law.

It was considered

a mental disease.

There were very

devastating consequences.

You couldn't have a

life being gay back

in the '50s Tab would

be foolish not to hide,

or he would not have a career.

What do you think of your

dinner date here, Tab?

She's very lovely, I must say.

ANNOUNCER:
Isn't She?

Oh.

The public saw me as one

person, and I was another.

I didn't feel good about myself.

Hollywood's most eligible

bachelor, Mr. Tab Hunter!

TAB HUNTER:
I never felt that

I deserve a lot of that stuff

that was happening.

You were rewarded for

pretending that you

were someone you're not.

Henry Wilson was a good agent,

but people outgrow one another.

Then Dick Clayton

became an agent.

I signed with him immediately

because I could trust him,

and he was family.

I told Henry I was leaving him.

He was furious.

Henry was very, very upset.

In fact, because of

that, I'm sure it's

why he turned over that story to

"Confdential" magazine on me.

In the 1950s the magazine that

you had to be most concerned

about was "Confdential."

Oh, "Confdential" was

the talk of Hollywood

because everyone was

afraid that if there

was a skeleton in the

closet, it would be released.

God knows I love you.

But I won't let Ned

nor Kay or anyone else

run our lives, Cary.

"Confdential"

magazine, they had

some information

on Rock that was

very damaging to his career.

And they were going to print it.

Rock Hudson was the biggest

star that Henry Wilson ever had.

He built Rock, and that

was his meal ticket.

He was gonna protect that.

To save Rock, Henry

gave "Confdential"

the story about me when I'd

been arrested when I was just

staring out in the business.

Inside the magazine

the aricle read,

"Tab Hunter caught at a

limp-wristed pajama pary."

I would say I was

thrown under the bus.

When the magazine

came out, I was

sure that my career was over.

I took Natalie to

the Academy Awards.

That was about the

time-- a little

after the "Confdential"

had come out.

The press of the world was

there photographing us.

And one guy yelled out,

smile pretty this way, Tab.

This is for the nex issue

of "Confdential" magazine.

Jack Warner, god

bless him, he turned

me right back to the cameras

and said, just remember this.

Today's headlines,

tomorrow's toilet paper.

Everybody was nervous.

But in those days they

could cover those things up.

So if you are a money

maker for a studio,

they are going to

protect that image

like there is no tomorrow.

The press knew just

about everhing,

and they kept it to themselves

when it was to their advantage

and to the advantage

of the studios.

It was a gentleman's agreement--

just keep it out of the press

and don't make waves.

Jack Warner and

I never discussed

my sexuality whatsoever.

I was making a lot

of money for them.

As long as I didn't destroy this

image that they were creating,

that was imporant to them.

They created this persona.

That was your job

to be that persona.

You played the

game, so to speak,

if that's what they want.

I did sign a contract,

and I was willing to do

whatever they wanted me to

do to fulfll that contract.

Don't you ever

think about marriage?

All the time, Ernie.

That's what keeps me single.

I thought of marriage

a number of times

because it's expected of you.

When I did the flm

"Lafayette Escadrille,"

that's when I frst

met Etchika Choureau.

She stopped me

dead in my tracks.

She was gorgeous.

And we hit it off immediately.

She didn't speak

a word of English.

My French was just awful.

I can't remember

what we talked about because

he did not speak one word of French

and I only spoke three words of English.

I don't know how we communicated...

undoubtedly with our eyes.

But in any case,

we got on like a house on fre.

And he was irresistible.

I usually can think of

a lot of things to say.

Suddenly I can't say anything.

We had wonderful

times together,

and I was drawn closer

and closer to her.

Yes, I had heard

that Tab was homosexual.

I think it was a soul-searching

period of time about his sexuality.

It must have been very painful for him.

You know, actors often...always...

have two faces.

I did feel discomfor, and I

did feel a little bit of guilt

also.

But I did seriously think

of marrying Etchika.

I was fattered

to have been chosen, of course.

If I was to marry Tab,

it would have been for love.

I would inevitably have never

accepted to share

him with someone else.

And I cerainly

would not have married him

to protect him

and hide his homosexuality.

I think Tab was too good of a man.

He would have never accepted

such a thing.

It would have been a lovely story

if it could have been rewritten.

She went back to Paris.

I just couldn't commit to her.

It wouldn't have been

right to be with Etchika.

I felt that if you were with

a man, you were sinning.

And if you were with a

woman, you'd be lying.

Tony and I met at the pool

of the Chateau Marmont.

He was in California doing

"Friendly Persuasion."

I don't want to die.

I don't know if I could

kill anyone if I tried.

He was a good actor.

ANNOUNCER:
What is there

about Tony Perkins that

made the young people

of America acclaim him

as their star of the future?

I'd been in the

business longer,

but I respected the fact that

he'd done Broadway plays.

I thought he was

very intelligent,

and he was just fun to be with.

We just kind of hit it off.

[MUSIC- ANTHONY PERKINS,

"MOONLIGHT SWIM"]

And I went up to

his room with him.

That's when Tony and I got

together for the frst time.

And that's when we

stared seeing each other.

When I frst saw Tab

and Tony I knew that they

were more than friends.

It was pretty obvious.

I had a wonderful

relationship with him.

I did trust him.

I was comforable with him.

Tony and Tab were

totally different.

Tony was East Coast.

Tab was West Coast.

Tab was very macho.

Tony was very

sensitive, introvered.

Well, I would see

him quite a lot.

And he would stay to my place,

lived there for a while,

got an aparment

around the corner.

And then I would go back East.

I'd say with Tony at his place.

I knew that he was

very dedicated to being

an actor in Hollywood.

And the most promising

male star of tomorrow

is the fne young

actor, Tony Perkins.

TAB HUNTER:
Tony was very

concerned about his image

and doing the right thing.

They would go to a lot of

pains not to be seen together.

TAB HUNTER:
At frst, when

Tony and I used to go out,

we would go out together.

But he would get recognized.

I would get recognized.

He felt very uncomforable.

I always did too because

the idea of two young actors

around together might

star some talk.

(SINGING) Yes, I'm in love.

Don't tell a soul.

TAB HUNTER (SPEAKING):

Natalie Wood

and I would go to a premiere.

Then we'd go to

Ciro's afterwards.

We'd be photographed dancing.

Then we would leave, and

she'd go out the back door.

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