The golden boy of Hollywood’s golden age has shattered his own carefully crafted image with a confession that rewrites six decades of film history. Tab Hunter, the all-American heartthrob who made teenage girls swoon in the 1950s, has revealed the devastating truth he buried for more than 40 years, a truth that cost him his peace, his family’s stability, and nearly his sanity.
At 86, Hunter admitted what many suspected but few dared to speak aloud. He was gay, living a double life under the brutal thumb of a studio system that would have destroyed him if his secret had ever fully surfaced. The confession, detailed in his memoir and a subsequent documentary, paints a portrait of a man trapped between his own identity and a society that labeled homosexuality a mental illness, a crime punishable by electric shock therapy, forced sterilization, and even lobotomies.
Hunter was born Arthur Gelien on July 11, 1931, in a New York City hospital, abandoned by his father before he even had a name. His mother, Gertrude, a 20-year-old German immigrant, was left to raise two sons alone in an era when single mothers faced poverty and social scorn. The birth certificate simply read “male,” a cold start to a life that would be defined by hiding.
Growing up in a strict Catholic household without a father’s affection, Arthur felt adrift from the start. He was bashful, shunned attention, and learned to shove bad feelings away. When the family moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s, his golden blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and towering athletic physique drew relentless attention from girls at school, forcing him to hide in vacant classrooms and lockers to escape.
But this attention only deepened his unease, because Arthur quickly realized he was drawn to men.
In the 1950s, homosexuality was viewed as a mental disease, a crime punishable by harsh penalties. Doctors suggested horrible therapies including electric shocks, induced vomiting, forced sterilization, and even lobotomies. With no role models, Arthur experimented with guys a few times before being plagued with guilt, wondering whether he was possessed by demons.
He once confessed to a priest seeking aid and salvation, but was met with severe reprimands and banishment, leaving him feeling beyond redemption.
That sadness, that grief, is a wound that many in our generation can still recognize, having grown up in a world where personal secrets could ruin a life and love was labeled a terrible sin. Arthur worked several jobs to survive, selling orange juice at Orange Julius, welding metal in a factory, making milkshakes at a Rexall drugstore where he served celebrities like Roddy McDowall, who later became a close friend after Arthur discovered he was also gay.
He worked at the Warner Brothers Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, where he met Carol Burnett, a young woman likewise striving to find her way. They both disliked their harassing employer and resigned simultaneously, promising never to return. Arthur adored movies, particularly adventure flicks starring noble male actors such as Tyrone Power.
These films prompted him to drop out of school at 15, lie about his age, and join the Coast Guard in search of a true adventure to break free from his mundane existence and inner anguish.
But the truth was terrible. He was assigned to a meteorological station in the Pacific, surrounded by nothing but vast ocean and solitude. Later, he was sent to Connecticut for training near New York.
He searched for his father, a man he had never met, attempting to fill the gap in his heart. He knocked on the last known address, but an angry woman replied, and his father sat behind her in the shadows, refusing to meet with him. The door slammed shut, leaving Arthur with an even greater sense of rejection.
Back in Los Angeles, Arthur sought male companionship with caution, aware of the tremendous hazard society posed, which could result in incarceration or forced therapy. He nearly avoided a vehicle collision after being approached by a drunk man and fleeing in terror. But his brother Walt introduced him to horseback riding at Griffith Park.
Arthur was afraid, his pulse racing as he rode a horse, but he eventually found tranquility. Caring for animals and doing physical work gave him a sense of belonging he had never had before.
One day while bicycling in the park, Arthur encountered Dick Clayton, a small actor who noticed potential in his appearance. Dick asked whether he had ever tried acting. Arthur dismissed it as a foolish concept.
He was simply a horse-loving kid, not a star. But Dick persevered, becoming a friend and urging Arthur to complete high school. After graduation, Arthur decided to attempt acting.
Dick presented him to agent Henry Wilson at a lavish Hollywood dinner.
Henry, known for representing gorgeous guys such as Lana Turner, Natalie Wood, Rock Hudson, and Anne Southern, noticed Arthur and was determined to make him famous. Henry liked giving his customers masculine nicknames, and he selected Tab from a bill that sounded rough, and Hunter from Arthur’s favorite breed of horse. Arthur Gelien disliked the new name, but Henry didn’t care.
Arthur changed his name to Tab Hunter after leaving the party. It was a fascinating transition from a youngster shoveling manure to a future celebrity.
Henry secured Tab a little role in The Lawless in 1950 with only one line that was eliminated, but he received $500, a fortune in comparison to his previous work. That’s when he decided the new name wasn’t so horrible, and he could use the money to pursue his passion for horses while also supporting his partner Ronnie Robertson, a figure skater with the world’s fastest spin. But Henry only submitted a few auditions, largely using Tab as a date for meals and clubs.
Tab skillfully avoided this by accompanying a female acquaintance who understood the truth.
In October 1952, Terry invited Tab to a gathering in Walnut Park. Tab assumed it was simply a pleasant gathering, but it was actually a homosexual men’s meetup. When authorities searched the house, he hid in the kitchen, foraging for free food.
In the 1950s, LGBT meetings were deemed illegal with obscene and lascivious actions linked to larceny. Some claim a visitor invited an undercover officer from a pub. Others report that neighbors called because they disliked homosexuality.
Regardless, Tab and the others were arrested.
Normally, they would face fines, jail time, and public shame in the press, which would damage their careers. Tab was concerned about his mother and his burgeoning profession. Fortunately, a visitor contacted lawyer Greg Boatzer, a studio attorney who handled controversies.
Boatzer reduced the charge to disturbing the peace, which carried a minor fine, probation, and no news publicity. Tab pledged to keep it a secret. That was his first controversy, a dark mystery that almost destroyed everything.
But his career stalled, and Tab dismissed Henry, who was upset and disseminated false allegations such as Tab being named after a sleeping pill for being dull in bed. It was a feud fraught with mystery and treachery. Tab auditioned for Island of Desire at United Artists in 1952, accompanied by new agent Dick Clayton.
Screenwriter Stephanie Nordley urged him to take off his shirt before casting him as a sailor opposite the beautiful Linda Darnell. The movie was released. Critics blasted his performance, but female fans adored his body.
Fan mail came in. Publications featured him on covers and linked him to Debbie Reynolds. Directors took note, and Tab won tough soldier roles in Battlecry 1955 and The Girl He Left Behind 1956, often shirtless.
Battlecry, based on Leon Uris’s novel and filmed at Camp Pendleton, was Warner’s biggest blockbuster in 1955, generating $8 million, the third highest of the year. Tab was aware of his poor acting ability, so he left Hollywood to study theater in the small town of Taft.
Marilyn Erskine, the lead actress, first dismissed him as a clumsy oaf, but extensive character emotion and audience connection training transformed him. The show was a success touring California and helping Tab develop. Marilyn was impressed and brought him to her lover Eddie Fischer, the singer known for Oh My Papa.
Eddie knew Warner was casting Battlecry, which required a gorgeous guy to portray complicated emotions. James Dean and Paul Newman both auditioned, but Tab’s chemistry earned the part.
Warner contracted him for six months at $500 per week. Tab wowed during filming in Puerto Rico, and Life magazine named him a budding star. Jack Warner took notice and signed him to a seven-year contract, promising to make him a star like Bette Davis or Humphrey Bogart.
Tab starred in The Sea Chase with John Wayne in 1955, playing a German captain in World War II, and Track of the Cat with Robert Mitchum in 1954. He also starred in The Burning Hills in 1956 with Natalie Wood.
Natalie mentored Tab, and they became close friends while also sharing studio constraints. To conceal his sexuality, the studio created a relationship, sending them on fake dates and leaking made-up love stories such as Tab handing Natalie roses or dancing under the moonlight. Tab despised the charade, but agreed since his mother had a mental breakdown in the 1950s and was receiving electric shock therapy.
He paid her a visit, seeing her shorn head and aching body as she pleaded, “Why did you do this to me?”
Doctors indicated stress had a role. So Tab promised to care for her for the rest of her life, including filming a PSA on mental health, which was unusual for a celebrity at the time, stressing empathy for sufferers. Being homosexual remained a significant hardship.
Tab was diagnosed with a mental disorder, and he felt guilty about living two lives. The secret deepened when Howard Rushmore, editor of Confidential, a tabloid sponsored by rich Republicans who detested gays and progressives who opposed interracial marriage, attacked celebrities such as Rock Hudson.
They had images of Rock with men, but Agent Henry Wilson, who was still resentful at Tab, struck a deal to spare Rock and exposed Tab. Confidential published a report on Tab’s arrest in 1950 during a “limp wrist pajama party,” characterizing it as two dozen of the gayest guys the cops had ever seen. Tab was startled, believing his career was over.
Warner responded with great press. Tab dated women, was the kid next door, looked after his mother, and had male friends, not lovers. They even complimented his penmanship.
At the audience awards, he received the prize for most promising new male personality. Jack Warner directly intervened when a photographer mocked today’s headline as tomorrow’s toilet paper. The press regarded Confidential as cheap gossip, and Hollywood knew better than to cross Tab or Warner.
It was an emotional moment rescued from the edge, but Tab discovered the power of studios and the cost of secrecy. Tab dated Anthony Perkins, the Broadway star of Tea and Sympathy, who played a potentially gay youngster after meeting in a West Hollywood hotel pool.
Their two-year affair was charming yet hazardous, laced with mystery. Paramount considered signing Perkins for $15 million because they needed a straightforward image. They disguised themselves by attending movies separately, sitting together when the lights dimmed, driving in different cars, and living close enough to slip over at night.
Studios encouraged female dating, matching Tab with Natalie Wood or Debbie Reynolds. But insiders knew Dorothy, a neighbor who was assisting Tab’s mother, uncovered missing money and threatened him over his male buddies.
Tab was enraged, but he paid to protect his mother, who he felt had been misled by someone close. Tab had an ambition of appearing in musicals, and he was given the opportunity to do so in Damn Yankees in 1958. However, director George Abbott ordered him to imitate Ray Walston’s Broadway character, which left him feeling disappointed and like he was following in the footsteps of someone else.
He played Lieutenant William Fowler in the Mexican-American War picture They Came to Cordura, released in 1959.
The film explored the concepts of cowardice and valor, and he received accolades for his more profound acting. Gunman’s Walk, a western directed by Van Heflin and released in 1958, depicted Tab as a defiant son. The film was about familial violence.
Tab’s voice was commended by a DJ during The Burning Hills, which led to Dot Records producing Young Love, which became a number one hit, surpassed Elvis for six weeks, sold two million copies, was certified gold by the RIAA, and had an impact on rock and roll.
In a fit of rage over the fact that Dot, a subsidiary of Paramount, made a profit, Jack Warner prohibited recordings and established Warner Brothers Records. Tab was forced to work on television, which he considered to be a step in the wrong direction. He refused, was suspended, and then pleaded to be let go.
Warner requested $100,000. Tab agreed, and he paid with 25 percent of his profits. He felt liberated yet frightened.
When Tab left Warner, he was unable to see West Side Story.
Tab continued to be in debt, and he worked in low-budget films such as Operation Bikini in 1963, variety shows, and dinner theater. These activities were demanding and lonely since they required him to perform for one to 500 people before going to a hotel by himself. Together with John, he relocated to Virginia, where he pretended to be John’s secretary, raised horses, and lived a simple life.
He gradually reduced his job to dinner theater, and elderly audiences reminded him that he had once been a prominent figure.
The tabloids made fun of him for begging for work through various advertising and spreading tales about individuals who had overdosed on LSD or abused their dogs. Even though he prevailed in the litigation, his reputation suffered and he became known as the boy next door. In 1957, the state of California filed a lawsuit against Confidential, threatening to bring celebrities like Tab to testify.
He dreaded taking an oath which may have resulted in him confessing his sexual orientation or lying.
During the trial that lasted for six weeks, celebrities such as Francesa De Scaffa came very close to taking their own lives. In the end, a settlement was reached. The case was dismissed and Confidential put an end to the chatter.
As another enigma of the time period, Tab did not testify, maybe because his attorneys were concerned that his sexuality might influence the judge’s decision. His career saw a further decline. The comedy The Tab Hunter Show, which ran from 1960 to 1961, was a failure.
As a result of their connection with John, they decided to part ways. John used love letters as a kind of extortion to obtain $10,000 from Tab. Tab paid, feeling deceived once more.
Then they received the word that Walt had passed away in Vietnam, and Tab mourned alone in a horse stall in San Francisco, lamenting the loss of the brother who had protected him. Poor films such as One Ton Ton the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, released in 1971, were among his works.
At the beginning of the 1980s, John Waters phoned the eccentric director of Pink Flamingos after Tab had finished his dinner theater performance in Chapter 2 in Indianapolis. With Divine, a 350-pound drag queen, and the gimmick scratch and sniff cards for audiences ranging from flowers to excrement, Waters introduced Polyester in 1981. Divine was a devotee of Tab.
Tab was hesitant. When he read the script, he thought, “What’s to lose?” Despite the fact that his friends told him it would harm his reputation, he said, “My professional life is over.”
When they were filming in Baltimore for three weeks without a trailer and in the middle of the night eating cold pizza, it felt like they were among family, and Tab had a sense of liberation. Polyester was a very popular material. Tab was extolled by critics for his ability to elevate it, and the New York Times referred to him as adorable.
Reborn, he was able to communicate with a new generation and experience inspiration. Tab, together with puppet Wayland Flowers, adopted the camp known as Madame’s Place in 1982.
Lust in the Dust was written by him. There was a western parody featuring Divine that was shot in New Mexico in 1985. The two of them fell in love when he met Allan Glaser, who was an executive at Fox.
Allan decided to stop producing, which was a hazardous step, but he did so because he believed in a brighter future. The movie came to be regarded as a cult classic by Variety, which described it as sassy, irreverent, and highly humorous.
In the midst of social stigma and anxieties of blacklisting gays due to kissing issues, Tab was there for the death of Rock Hudson in 1985, which was caused by AIDS. When Anthony Perkins passed away in 1992, he had been promised a pardon by Tab, but Perkins turned down the opportunity. Their final encounter was marked by a sense of sorrow.
During the 1990s, Tab retired in order to farm horses, where he discovered the joys of simple life and felt the closest to God when working with a shovel of manure.
Tab Hunter Confidential was written by him once he became aware of an unofficial biographical writing. Eddie Mueller, a New York Times bestseller, was interviewed in 2005 and frankly discussed his sexuality as well as his life, beginning with his upbringing and ending with love. A documentary that was produced in 2015 by Jeffrey Schwarz and featured interviews with John Waters, Clint Eastwood, and Debbie Reynolds was recognized with accolades.
Tab tied the knot with Allan in 2015, and he passed away on July 8, 2018, at the age of 86 due to a blood clot.
The golden period of Hollywood in the 1950s is represented by Tab Hunter. Studios such as Warner Brothers created stars out of nothing, controlling every part of their life until they were established. Tab was ensnared in the image of the ideal boy next door by Jack Warner, who acted like a controlling parent when it came to preserving his possessions while restricting his independence.
Tab lived in a state of guilt and hid in order to have a chance at survival because society considered homosexuality to be a mental disease and a criminal offense.
The journey that Tab has taken from being a sex icon to being an abandoned youngster with no father and an ill mother, then sliding to dinner theater and B movies, and finally rising again by courageously accepting his truth is something that we can all appreciate. Despite the fact that it is late, it is a lesson on perseverance and genuineness. This narrative brings to mind the changes that have taken place in society from the time when being homosexual meant being sent to jail or receiving electric shocks to the present day when same-sex marriage and pride month are celebrated.
Tab motivates you to be yourself in your life, to discover delights in the simplest of things like tending to horses, and to persevere in the face of life’s betrayals. The narrative of Tab is replete with a sense of mystery and excitement. In the year 1950, who was it who actually called the attorney to save him?
For what reason did Henry Wilson’s resentment result in betrayal? It is a mystery how he was able to avoid being destroyed by the Confidential scandal, but he triumphed over it and found happiness with Allan and horses, resulting in an emotional and motivational conclusion.
Recent posts such as those at David Lambert Art commemorating Tab’s birthday with a Damn Yankees photo or at Divine Official remembering Tab and Divine in Polyester as a wonderful couple demonstrate that his legacy continues to live on. In order to emphasize the complexity of his political beliefs, Bruce Lee referred to him as a homosexual Republican dreamboat. Despite being a staunch Republican, Tab lived his life in a real manner.
These posts, bridging the gap between the past and the present with antique images and poignant comments, demonstrate that Tab continues to be an inspiration to the LGBTQ plus community as well as old Hollywood fans.
Tab played Danny Forester, a Marine serving in World War II, in the film Battlecry, which was released in 1955 and grossed $8 million. The film was based on Leon Uris’s novel. The connection that he shared with Tab Raymond was appreciated, and he also featured with Aldo Ray and Van Heflin.
Although he acknowledged that his early acting was lacking, he decided to pursue a career in theater, which was a courageous choice at the height of his career. In the 1958 film Damn Yankees, Tab played the role of Joe Hardy, a man who sells his soul to play baseball.
He sang Goodbye Old Girl and Two Lost Souls alongside Gwen Verdon. This film was a breakthrough for the music industry. On the other hand, Tab felt confined by imitating the Broadway part, which fueled tensions inside the studio.
Immediately following his departure from Warner, he was cast as Lieutenant William Fowler in the 1959 film They Came to Cordura, which was directed by Fred Zinnemann and featured Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth. The film explored the concepts of fear and heroism, and he received accolades for his subtle performance.
Tab performed the role of a lovely young soldier in the 1959 film That Kind of Woman, which was directed by Sidney Lumet and starred Sophia Loren. Tab’s performance conveyed a depth that went beyond his macho image. A significant emotional component was music.
Young Love was released in 1957 and topped the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It sold one million copies in its first week and had a significant impact on rock and roll with its amorous lyrics.
As a result of Warner’s prohibition, Tab was obliged to make an album with Dot, which included songs such as Red Sails in the Sunset and I’m a Runaway. This led to a disagreement between the two of them. As a result of his performance in the Rod Serling play Forbidden Area, which was directed by John Frankenheimer and shown on Playhouse 90 in 1956, he received recognition for his intense performance.
His comedy, The Tab Hunter Show, which aired from 1960 to 1961 and featured Tab as Paul Morgan, a bachelor cartoonist, attracted a lot of viewers in the United Kingdom, but was not successful in the United States owing to the lackluster scripts.
In his private life, he had a terrible and mysterious life. In 1956, he began a relationship with Anthony Perkins, which lasted for a total of four years, but was kept secret out of fear of controversy. Perkins, who played the lead role in Psycho, was also gay, and the two of them met in private at the theaters or at their houses to discuss their anxieties.
In his memoir, Tab described meeting by the pool at Chateau Marmont, falling profoundly in love with each other, but being separated by the demands of Hollywood, which left them with sorrow.
During Lust in the Dust, they first met in 1983 and they have been living together for the past 35 years. They got married in 2013 and their marriage was confirmed in 2015. Allan contributed to the production of the documentary titled Tab Hunter Confidential, which was released in 2015 and won accolades such as best documentary at Filmout San Diego.
The video featured emotional testimonials from friends. The scandal involving Confidential in 1955 was the pinnacle of sensationalism.
Tab’s arrest at a homosexual pajama party was reported in the magazine, but Warner responded with reports about him dating Natalie Wood and Debbie Reynolds as the magazine was publishing the details. Henry Wilson allegedly compromised Tab in order to preserve Rock Hudson by swapping secrets. According to Tab’s writing, as a result of a deal, Tab was spared from having to testify in the Confidential trial that took place in 1957.
This was a legal enigma of the time.
Post 1960, Tab appeared in a number of low-budget films, including The Golden Arrow in 1962, in which he co-starred with Rosanna Podesta, Ride the Wild Surf in 1964, in which Fabian had the lead part, and television appearances such as Combat in 1964 and The Long Way Home in the 1970s. It was all around the United States that he performed dinner theaters such as The Tender Trap with Don Knotts and Here Lies Jeremy Troy. The scratch and sniff fragrance gimmick was utilized in his reappearance for the 1981 film Waters and Polyester, in which he played the role of Todd Tomorrow kissing Divine.
Tab played the role of Abel Wood in the 1985 film Lust in the Dust, which was a spoof of Duel in the Sun and was produced by Allan. It was a low-budget cult smash. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at number 6320 Hollywood Boulevard and the Golden Boot Award for Western Contributions in 2007 were all honors that Tab received for his legacy.
Because of his book and the documentary that he released on Netflix in 2015, he became an LGBT icon. Three days before his 87th birthday, he passed away due to a blood clot.
He was laid to rest in Santa Barbara Cemetery, and his friends lamented his passing. Tab is an emblem of perseverance. At the age of 74, he courageously came out in the harsh culture of the 1950s.
His narrative is a reflection of progress for older audiences from a period in which being homosexual resulted in jail time and electric shocks to the present day when same-sex marriage and pride are prevalent. Tab demonstrates how to live a genuine life and love completely even at a late age.
How was it that he was able to keep his secrets for such a long time and still emerge victorious? The simple pleasures of childhood, such as spending time with Allan and horses, can motivate us to take on difficult situations. So now you know Tab Hunter was more than a heartthrob.
He was a man who endured, who loved deeply, and who ultimately chose truth over illusion. What do you think? Should Tab have come out earlier, or did he do the right thing waiting?