About this Item
378 pages, [32] pages of plates, illustrations; 22 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Age toning. First paperback edition. "Art Gelien was just a kid when an agent asked him if he wanted to be in movies. Blessed with extraordinary good looks and enough smarts to know that he had a lot to learn, that kid said yes. Rechristened Tab Hunter, he was launched on a journey that carried him to stardom. First he became a pin-up favorite of teenage girls worldwide and then a number one box-office star; then he recorded a song called 'Young Love' that knocked Elvis Presley off the top of the charts--and all the time he had to keep secret the fact that he was gay. In Tab Hunter Confidential, written with Eddie Muller, Hunter looks back on a life lived without apologies and a career that soared, then crashed, and then later--thanks to popular cult-film auteur John Waters--enjoyed a revival. It is a true Hollywood story, told with humor and insight." - Publisher. Size: 8vo. Seller Inventory # 097069
Bibliographic Details
Title: Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a ...
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Publication Date: 2006
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good
Edition: 1st.
About this title
Henry Willson, famous and infamous agent and creator of stars, named Tab Hunter. He also tagged Rock Hudson, Rory Calhoun, and other young sex symbols. Not all of them were gay, but they came to be known as Harry Willson's boys. (Another book about this time and subject is The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson by Robert Hofler.) Tab Hunter was completely manufactured. He even speaks of himself in the third person in the book.
Before he was 26, Hunter had hit the trifecta: he was a movie star, had a hit single in "Young Love," and was on the first live production of Playhouse 90 on television. His future success looked assured, but such was not the case. It was either feast of famine for the next few years. He was never a solid A-list leading man, but had his share of famous co-stars and leading ladies nevertheless.
While he was struggling with his true identity and trying to stay afloat financially, his mother had a complete breakdown and he was forced to hospitalize her in less than ideal conditions. This also had to be a secret from the fans. His friendships, both intimate and platonic, kept him going, as well as his deep faith in Catholicism. Yes, Catholicism. Tab Hunter has his own unique pact with God.
The book is filled with many pictures of Tab and his friends and with anecdotes about the stars: Tallulah Bankhead on her last legs, fuzzy and outrageous; Linda Darnell's kindness; John Wayne's macho strutting; Fred Astaire's humility; Van Heflin's professionalism, and on and on. This is sheer heaven for any movie fan. His relationship with Tony Perkins is noted, as is his liaison with Olympic figure skater Ronnie Robertson. (Tab, in addition to being an actor, singer and horseman was also an accomplished figure skater.) When the good parts disappeared after he left Warner Brothers, he went on tour with the Everly Brothers. Much later, now fully "out" he joined Divine in two John Waters movies: Polyester and Lust in the Dust, both cult classics. After suffering a stroke and a heart attack, he is now enjoying life in Santa Barbara with his longtime companion, Allan Glaser. As Tab succinctly puts it regarding his story: "Better to get it from the horse's mouth, I decided, and not from some horse's ass." --Valerie Ryan
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Store Description
Left Coast Books is a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Simon Taylor in Santa Barbara, California. We can be reached at 805-616-3019 or by email at leftcoastbooks@hotmail.com. Books are shipped within two business days. Each book is sold as is, according to the description provided, and should be received in the same condition. We abide by the terms of sale set forth by AbeBooks.
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