From The Hollywood Reporter:
Tab Hunter, the chiseled 1950s heartthrob who portrayed Joe Hardy in the "Damn Yankees!" movie, had a No. 1 record and starred in two outlandish films with the drag queen Divine, has died. He was 86.
Hunter died Sunday night in Santa Barbara from a blood clot that caused a heart attack, Allan Glaser, his romantic partner of more than three decades, told The Hollywood Reporter, describing his passing as "unexpected and sudden." A Facebook page linked to the star also announced his passing with a message that read: "SAD NEWS: Tab passed away tonight three days shy of his 87th birthday. Please honor his memory by saying a prayer on his behalf. He would have liked that."
After decades of silence, the leading man confirmed long-standing rumors about his homosexuality in his autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star", published in 2005.
Hunter said he had been told by Glaser that someone was planning to write a book about him. "I thought, 'Look, get it from the horse's mouth and not from some horse's ass after I'm dead and gone,'" he told THR's Scott Feinberg in 2015. "I didn't want someone putting a spin on my life."
I'm not that familiar with Tab Hunter's career; even with his
ventures into Toobworld, I only know him from a ‘Burke’s Law’ murder case and as
George Shumway on 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' (probably the most outrageous
example of recasting by reason of plastic surgery ever!) As for movies?
"Damn Yankees!" and "Polyester," that's it.
Still he contributed quite a lot to the world of the Toob and I'm sure there are several of his characters from his 1970s output that still walk the Earth Prime-Time.
All of the summaries, save for my own "O'Bservations", are from the IMDb unless otherwise specified.
EARTH PRIME-TIME
The Tab Hunter Show
32 episodes
Paul Morgan
Paul Morgan makes his living through his cartoon strip "Bachelor at Large", which largely describes his amorous adventures in and around California's Malibu Beach. His boss John, best friend Peter, and housekeeper Thelma each take different views of his romantic romps.
There were always beautiful woman around to keep Tab on his
toes. Some of the beauties Tab encountered were Gena Rowlands, Elizabeth
Montgomery, Tuesday Weld, Suzanne Pleshette, Mary Tyler Moore, Joanna Barnes,
Patricia Crowley, Diana Millay, Linda Cristal, Mary Murphy, Joan Staley, and
Lori Nelson.
Combat!
- The Celebrity (1962)
... Del Packer
A top professional baseball player
joins the squad and becomes a liability when he freezes up during combat, and a
member is shot.
Saints and Sinners
- Three Columns of Anger (1962)
... Sergeant Eddie Manzak
When a soldier gets attacked in the street, the story proves to be more complicated than it appears to be.
Burke's Law
- Who Killed Andy Zygmunt? (1964)
... Barney Blake
Pop artist Andy Zygmunt is fatally impaled on the spikes of
one of his creations. The discovery that he blackmailed people into buying his
works provides a motive and five suspects: his last four customers and the
possessor of a missing fifth work.
O'Bservation
- Barney Blake's twin brother Arnold will be showing up later in this list.
The Virginian
- The Gift (1970)
... Cart Banner
Jim Horn becomes involved with a roving saloon singer who had
a similar involvement with Trampas three years earlier. A train payroll robber
dying in her room complicates their lives when she is assumed to hold the
missing money.
O'Bservation
Tab Hunter, the chiseled 1950s heartthrob who portrayed Joe Hardy in the "Damn Yankees!" movie, had a No. 1 record and starred in two outlandish films with the drag queen Divine, has died. He was 86.
Hunter died Sunday night in Santa Barbara from a blood clot that caused a heart attack, Allan Glaser, his romantic partner of more than three decades, told The Hollywood Reporter, describing his passing as "unexpected and sudden." A Facebook page linked to the star also announced his passing with a message that read: "SAD NEWS: Tab passed away tonight three days shy of his 87th birthday. Please honor his memory by saying a prayer on his behalf. He would have liked that."
After decades of silence, the leading man confirmed long-standing rumors about his homosexuality in his autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star", published in 2005.
Hunter said he had been told by Glaser that someone was planning to write a book about him. "I thought, 'Look, get it from the horse's mouth and not from some horse's ass after I'm dead and gone,'" he told THR's Scott Feinberg in 2015. "I didn't want someone putting a spin on my life."
Still he contributed quite a lot to the world of the Toob and I'm sure there are several of his characters from his 1970s output that still walk the Earth Prime-Time.
All of the summaries, save for my own "O'Bservations", are from the IMDb unless otherwise specified.
EARTH PRIME-TIME
32 episodes
Paul Morgan
Paul Morgan makes his living through his cartoon strip "Bachelor at Large", which largely describes his amorous adventures in and around California's Malibu Beach. His boss John, best friend Peter, and housekeeper Thelma each take different views of his romantic romps.
- The Celebrity (1962)
... Del Packer
Saints and Sinners
- Three Columns of Anger (1962)
... Sergeant Eddie Manzak
When a soldier gets attacked in the street, the story proves to be more complicated than it appears to be.
Burke's Law
- Who Killed Andy Zygmunt? (1964)
... Barney Blake
O'Bservation
- Barney Blake's twin brother Arnold will be showing up later in this list.
The Virginian
- The Gift (1970)
... Cart Banner
Probably not from 'The Virginian'
But a horse is a horse.....
O'Bservation
- Carl Banner is probably the first Tab Hunter character on the Toobworld timeline.
San Francisco International Airport
- San Francisco International (1970)
... Stayczek
Pilot for the TV series, stars Pernell Roberts as Jim Conred, who runs an airport, much to the chagrin of his boss, "his way." In this, two plots run - a kid whose parents are splitting up decides to take off in a little red prop plane (and Conrad talks him down), and thieves played by the handsome Tab Hunter and his truly ugly sidekicks try to steal a money shipment. Roberts was replaced by Lloyd Bridges when the show went to series.
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
- Starting Over Again (1972)
From TV Guide:
Tab Hunter stars as a disc jockey who kills his wife and pins it on someone else; James Stacy plays the sportscaster caught in the frame.
Cannon
- Treasure of San Ignacio (1972)
... Bob Neal
"Treasure of San Ignacio" is an episode of Cannon starring William Conrad, Tab Hunter, and Alejandro Rey. Cannon calls on a retired detective to help him recover religious relics stolen in an armed robbery of a church in Mexico.
Circle of Fear
- The Ghost of Potter's Field (1973)
... Bob Herrick
While at Potter's Field cemetery doing research for a story, reporter Bob Herrick sees a ghost that resembles him. He shakes the matter off, assuming that he's seeing things because he's over-tired. But when he encounters the same ghost in his office, and at his apartment, he begins to worry. While his friends John Walsh and Mark Riceman scoff, his girlfriend Nisa King realizes that this is a doppelganger who is trying to take over Bob's life by isolating him from his friends. As the doppelganger grows stronger, presenting great danger to Bob and his friends, Bob tries to find out whose spirit the doppelganger is in order to prevent it from taking over.
The Six Million Dollar Man
- The Cross-Country Kidnap (1975)
... Arnold Blake
OSI computer programmer Liza Leitman who also competes in
Olympic horse racing, is under threat of being kidnapped. Though she refuses to
have any of Oscar's 'dwarfs' shadowing her, Oscar sends Steve Austin to tail
her anyway.
O'Bservation
San Francisco International Airport
- San Francisco International (1970)
... Stayczek
Pilot for the TV series, stars Pernell Roberts as Jim Conred, who runs an airport, much to the chagrin of his boss, "his way." In this, two plots run - a kid whose parents are splitting up decides to take off in a little red prop plane (and Conrad talks him down), and thieves played by the handsome Tab Hunter and his truly ugly sidekicks try to steal a money shipment. Roberts was replaced by Lloyd Bridges when the show went to series.
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
- Starting Over Again (1972)
From TV Guide:
Tab Hunter stars as a disc jockey who kills his wife and pins it on someone else; James Stacy plays the sportscaster caught in the frame.
Cannon
- Treasure of San Ignacio (1972)
... Bob Neal
"Treasure of San Ignacio" is an episode of Cannon starring William Conrad, Tab Hunter, and Alejandro Rey. Cannon calls on a retired detective to help him recover religious relics stolen in an armed robbery of a church in Mexico.
Circle of Fear
- The Ghost of Potter's Field (1973)
... Bob Herrick
While at Potter's Field cemetery doing research for a story, reporter Bob Herrick sees a ghost that resembles him. He shakes the matter off, assuming that he's seeing things because he's over-tired. But when he encounters the same ghost in his office, and at his apartment, he begins to worry. While his friends John Walsh and Mark Riceman scoff, his girlfriend Nisa King realizes that this is a doppelganger who is trying to take over Bob's life by isolating him from his friends. As the doppelganger grows stronger, presenting great danger to Bob and his friends, Bob tries to find out whose spirit the doppelganger is in order to prevent it from taking over.
The Six Million Dollar Man
- The Cross-Country Kidnap (1975)
... Arnold Blake
O'Bservation
- Arnold Blake is the twin brother of Barney Blake from that 'Burke's Law' murder case listed above.
Ellery Queen
- The Adventure of the Black Falcon (1976)
... John Randall
Letting a fine wine "breathe" proves deadly for the
wine's owner Nick Kingston, who leaves it unattended for a killer to poison it.
The vintner, who's hosting a party upstairs, comes back only to collapse. He
tries to implicate the killer but breaks the wine cellar's only pencil, so he
crawls to a wine rack and grabs a bottle, smashing it on the floor. The
shattered bottle bears the label Black Falcon, indicating it was tied to World
War One. But how?
Hartman, Mary Hartman
George Shumway #2 (1977-1978)
&
Forever Fernwood
George Schumway (post-plastic surgery)
O'Bservation
- For me, this was the most audacious recastaway ever in the history of Toobworld, especially as it was splained away with the most mundane of reasons for recasting - plastic surgery. (I think it's mainly because the show toyed with the idea of incest in having Cathy Shumway now sexually attracted to her own father.)
McMillan & Wife
- Greed (1976)
... Roger Thornton
In an episode which introduces Mildred's sister Agatha to the cast (Nancy Walker had already committed to her own series for the following season, and Agatha was to become the new housekeeper), the McMillans, Mildred and Agatha go to visit a woman relative of Mildred and Agatha, a very wealthy woman who's dying -- but not quickly enough to suit one of her nephews, who's in debt to a loansharking company later described as "just this side of Murder, Incorporated."
Threatened with death if he doesn't come up with
the money right away, the nephew smothers the old lady in her bed. But when the
will is read, the nephew isn't the prime beneficiary -- a young great-niece is.
Someone soon guns down the niece, and the nephew (who's next in line for the
money) is the prime suspect. But when Agatha sneaks onto the nephew's pleasure
boat to investigate him, someone plants a firebomb onto the boat. The nephew
agrees to save Agatha and gives her a life jacket, but can't get off himself
before the engine explodes. Next, the McMillans discover that the murdered
"great-niece" was an impersonator -- so Sally poses as the great-niece
herself and shows up on the doorstep of the old lady's countrified financial
manager, hoping he has some clues.
The Love Boat
- Take My Granddaughter, Please (1977)
... Dave King
Ruth Gordon is the meddling grandmother to exasperated Patty
Duke Astin and she is determined to marry off her granddaughter and quickly.
Police Woman
- Blind Terror (1978)
... Martin Quinn
Sandra Dee is a blind mom in the desert whom Pepper is
protecting. But, being the desert, Angie's also got big dark sunglasses, so
when the mob shows up to grab Sandy while she's inside, they mistake one for
the other, chasing Pepper into the yucca, baby in tow.
O'Bservation
- I would not be surprised if the name of Hunter's character was meant as an-joke centered around mega-producer Quinn Martin.
Hawaii Five-0
- Horoscope for Murder (1978)
... Mel Burgess
Four stabbings have taken place in Honolulu, but Five-O
hasn't been able to come up with anything linking the victims, or any
consistent pattern among the killings except the murder weapon used. Then
McGarrett is unexpectedly visited by Agnes DuBois, a young Englishwoman whose
profession is preparing horoscopes. She claims that all of the victims shared
certain astrological characteristics. Though McGarrett and the other members of
Five-O are initially skeptical, they become intrigued when she correctly
predicts the time and place of a fifth murder.
$weepstake$
- Episode #1.7 (1979)
... Chip
In each episode of this series, three persons each buy a sweepstakes ticket and each of them has their own reason for wanting to win the jackpot which is one million dollars. And they all become finalists and when the winner is announced, we see how he/she does after winning the money. And we all also see what happens to the other two after losing the jackpot.
Charlie's Angels
- Nips and Tucks (1980)
... Bill Maddox
When a renowned cosmetic
surgeon is suspected of giving criminals a new face, Tiffany joins his staff as
a nurse while Bosley poses as a rich patient whose wife, played by Kris, wants
him to improve his looks.
Strike Force
- Night Nurse (1981)
... Voorhees
Klein tells Frank that he thinks that something is going on at four different hospitals when there appears to be a high mortality rate. Klein later suffers a heart attack and finds himself in one of the hospitals in question. When Frank goes to the administrator about high death rate, he refuses to let Frank investigate, so he calls several city officials who contacts the commissioner who tells Frank to back off. What they don't know is that the administrator is involved in black market organ scam and his next target is Klein.
Benson
- Death in a Funny Position: Parts 1 & 2 (1982)
... Roy Lucas
The Governor is invited by a businessman to join him on his yacht. So he brings the whole staff. They discover that he has invited some other people. When they're out to sea, the host is killed. So until they make it back, they're all wondering who could have done it. Until that is they learn that everyone on the man's guest list has a grudge against him.
After the owner of the yacht is killed on board, the Governor and all the guests start being suspicious of each other as the likely killer. Benson begins talking to people and finds out what really happened.
The Fall Guy
- Bite of the Wasp (1984)
... Anthony Haley
Colt, Howie and Jody are working on a low-budget film when
the producer suddenly finds themselves extorted for money. The extortionist is
a crooked councilor who has recklessly run up some considerable gambling debts
with the 'syndicate'. Colt decides to mount a 'sting' operation by pretending
to be a contract killer called The Wasp and getting Jody to finagle her way
into the councilor's affections by playing slutty and wearing a series of
skimpy outfits. Stunts include: a couple of car crashes/explosions, land
skiing, a helicopter grab and jumping and crashing Colt's truck.
Masquerade
- Spying Down to Rio (1984)
... Whitney
From a site dedicated to Rod Taylor:An embassy secretary (and NIA agent) is killed after she discovers a spy at the embassy in Rio de Janiero. Lavender and his Operation Masquerade team first chase down guest star Tab Hunter before they trap the ultimate villain, Jeremy Kemp. The climactic scene takes place during a masquerade ball, appropriately enough, with Rod costumed as Uncle Sam.
THE ANTHOLOGY SERIES
O'Bservation - There is nothing that says these stand-alone episodes can't be a part of Earth Prime-Time. But as I've learned from 'The Twilight Zone', you can't take all of the series as a package.
The Ford Television Theatre
- While We're Young (1955)
... Gig Spevvy
O’Bservation
– This was Tab Hunter’s TV debut. A shame he was saddled with the name “Gig Spevvy”.
Conflict
- The People Against McQuade (1956)
... Donald McQuade
A soldier is charged with murder and also on trial in this case is the right to use testimony gained from a person under the influence of sodium pentothal, "truth serum" as court evidence.
Climax!
- Fear Strikes Out (1955)
... Jimmy Piersall
A young major league baseball player, Jimmy Piersall (Tab Hunter), battles mental illness and a harsh upbringing to succeed as a Boston Red Sox outfielder. Based on the memoir of the same title by Piersall. Made into a movie in 1957 starring Anthony Perkins as Piersall.
O'Bservation
- It's said that Perkins and Hunter were lovers at one time. I wonder if the fact that Perkins nabbed the movie version after Hunter had already played it on TV was a problem between them.
- Mask for the Devil (1957)
O'Bservation
Ellery Queen
- The Adventure of the Black Falcon (1976)
... John Randall
George Shumway #2 (1977-1978)
&
Forever Fernwood
George Schumway (post-plastic surgery)
O'Bservation
- For me, this was the most audacious recastaway ever in the history of Toobworld, especially as it was splained away with the most mundane of reasons for recasting - plastic surgery. (I think it's mainly because the show toyed with the idea of incest in having Cathy Shumway now sexually attracted to her own father.)
McMillan & Wife
- Greed (1976)
... Roger Thornton
In an episode which introduces Mildred's sister Agatha to the cast (Nancy Walker had already committed to her own series for the following season, and Agatha was to become the new housekeeper), the McMillans, Mildred and Agatha go to visit a woman relative of Mildred and Agatha, a very wealthy woman who's dying -- but not quickly enough to suit one of her nephews, who's in debt to a loansharking company later described as "just this side of Murder, Incorporated."
The Love Boat
- Take My Granddaughter, Please (1977)
... Dave King
Police Woman
- Blind Terror (1978)
... Martin Quinn
O'Bservation
- I would not be surprised if the name of Hunter's character was meant as an-joke centered around mega-producer Quinn Martin.
Hawaii Five-0
- Horoscope for Murder (1978)
... Mel Burgess
$weepstake$
- Episode #1.7 (1979)
... Chip
In each episode of this series, three persons each buy a sweepstakes ticket and each of them has their own reason for wanting to win the jackpot which is one million dollars. And they all become finalists and when the winner is announced, we see how he/she does after winning the money. And we all also see what happens to the other two after losing the jackpot.
Charlie's Angels
- Nips and Tucks (1980)
... Bill Maddox
I think she's holding a picture of Mr. Maddox
Strike Force
- Night Nurse (1981)
... Voorhees
Klein tells Frank that he thinks that something is going on at four different hospitals when there appears to be a high mortality rate. Klein later suffers a heart attack and finds himself in one of the hospitals in question. When Frank goes to the administrator about high death rate, he refuses to let Frank investigate, so he calls several city officials who contacts the commissioner who tells Frank to back off. What they don't know is that the administrator is involved in black market organ scam and his next target is Klein.
Benson
- Death in a Funny Position: Parts 1 & 2 (1982)
... Roy Lucas
The Governor is invited by a businessman to join him on his yacht. So he brings the whole staff. They discover that he has invited some other people. When they're out to sea, the host is killed. So until they make it back, they're all wondering who could have done it. Until that is they learn that everyone on the man's guest list has a grudge against him.
After the owner of the yacht is killed on board, the Governor and all the guests start being suspicious of each other as the likely killer. Benson begins talking to people and finds out what really happened.
The Fall Guy
- Bite of the Wasp (1984)
... Anthony Haley
Masquerade
- Spying Down to Rio (1984)
... Whitney
From a site dedicated to Rod Taylor:An embassy secretary (and NIA agent) is killed after she discovers a spy at the embassy in Rio de Janiero. Lavender and his Operation Masquerade team first chase down guest star Tab Hunter before they trap the ultimate villain, Jeremy Kemp. The climactic scene takes place during a masquerade ball, appropriately enough, with Rod costumed as Uncle Sam.
THE ANTHOLOGY SERIES
O'Bservation - There is nothing that says these stand-alone episodes can't be a part of Earth Prime-Time. But as I've learned from 'The Twilight Zone', you can't take all of the series as a package.
The Ford Television Theatre
- While We're Young (1955)
... Gig Spevvy
O’Bservation
– This was Tab Hunter’s TV debut. A shame he was saddled with the name “Gig Spevvy”.
Conflict
- The People Against McQuade (1956)
... Donald McQuade
A soldier is charged with murder and also on trial in this case is the right to use testimony gained from a person under the influence of sodium pentothal, "truth serum" as court evidence.
Climax!
- Fear Strikes Out (1955)
... Jimmy Piersall
A young major league baseball player, Jimmy Piersall (Tab Hunter), battles mental illness and a harsh upbringing to succeed as a Boston Red Sox outfielder. Based on the memoir of the same title by Piersall. Made into a movie in 1957 starring Anthony Perkins as Piersall.
O'Bservation
- It's said that Perkins and Hunter were lovers at one time. I wonder if the fact that Perkins nabbed the movie version after Hunter had already played it on TV was a problem between them.
O'Bservation
- There appears to be foreign remakes of this, but I can find no information on any of the productions.
Playhouse 90
- Forbidden Area (1956) ... Stanley Smith
Why are so many B-99 bombers from Hibiscus Air Base crashing or simply disappearing? Colonel Price comes up with a terrifying explanation, but will anyone believe him?
- Portrait of a Murderer (1958) ... Donald Bashor
O’Bservation
– Hunter played a serial killer in this live TV drama.
General Electric Theater
- Disaster (1959) ... Daniel
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
- Hacksaw: Parts 1 & 2 (1971)
... Tim Andrews
A girl captures a white stallion to compete in a contest.
MOTW TOOBWORLD
The same situation holds for the TV dimension of made-for-TV movies as with anthology shows. As long as they don't cause Zonks for Earth Prime-Time, I see no reason why they can't be part of the main TV dimension.
Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (1958)
Hans Brinker
O’Bservation
– a musical version of the story by the team that created “Meet Me In St. Louis”. There were several adaptations for television of the book; I reserve judgement as to which one ends up in Earth Prime-Time.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1959)
John Truett
O’Bservation
– This is a carbon copy remake of the 1944 movie musical. (The suggestion is to stick with the original.)
Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold (1978)
Elliot Bender
A naive Texas beauty queen, seeking Hollywood stardom, quickly learns the realities of the business after attending an unethical modeling school.
The Kid from Left Field (1979)
Bill Lorant
O’Bservation
– This is a TV remake of the 1953 movie, made as a showcase for Gary Coleman.
I'm glad he finally was able to live freely in the open as himself; might have been one of the first. A lot of the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood weren't that lucky.
Good night and may God bless, Mr. Hunter....
Playhouse 90
- Forbidden Area (1956) ... Stanley Smith
Why are so many B-99 bombers from Hibiscus Air Base crashing or simply disappearing? Colonel Price comes up with a terrifying explanation, but will anyone believe him?
- Portrait of a Murderer (1958) ... Donald Bashor
O’Bservation
– Hunter played a serial killer in this live TV drama.
General Electric Theater
- Disaster (1959) ... Daniel
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
- Hacksaw: Parts 1 & 2 (1971)
... Tim Andrews
A girl captures a white stallion to compete in a contest.
MOTW TOOBWORLD
The same situation holds for the TV dimension of made-for-TV movies as with anthology shows. As long as they don't cause Zonks for Earth Prime-Time, I see no reason why they can't be part of the main TV dimension.
Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (1958)
Hans Brinker
O’Bservation
– a musical version of the story by the team that created “Meet Me In St. Louis”. There were several adaptations for television of the book; I reserve judgement as to which one ends up in Earth Prime-Time.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1959)
John Truett
O’Bservation
– This is a carbon copy remake of the 1944 movie musical. (The suggestion is to stick with the original.)
Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold (1978)
Elliot Bender
A naive Texas beauty queen, seeking Hollywood stardom, quickly learns the realities of the business after attending an unethical modeling school.
The Kid from Left Field (1979)
Bill Lorant
O’Bservation
– This is a TV remake of the 1953 movie, made as a showcase for Gary Coleman.
I'm glad he finally was able to live freely in the open as himself; might have been one of the first. A lot of the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood weren't that lucky.
Good night and may God bless, Mr. Hunter....
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