1917-10-17 ( 107 years old ) in Chicago, Illinois, USA
Marsha Hunt (born Marcia Virginia Hunt; October 17, 1917 – September 7, 2022) was an American actress, model and activist, with a career spanning nearly 80 years. She was blacklisted by Hollywood film studio executives in the 1950s during McCarthyism.
Although initially reluctant to pursue a film career, in June 1935, at age 17, Hunt signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures. Paramount discovered her when she was visiting her uncle in Los Angeles and the comedian Zeppo Marx saw a picture of her in the newspaper. She was then offered a screen test for The Virginia Judge. At Paramount, Hunt mainly played ingenue parts. Between 1935 and 1938, she made 12 pictures at Paramount, including a starring roles in Easy to Take, Gentle Julia, The Accusing Finger, Murder Goes to College, and two on "loan-out" to RKO and 20th Century Fox. In 1937, she starred opposite John Wayne, a couple of years prior to his breakthrough in Hollywood, in the Western film Born to the West.
The studio terminated Hunt's contract in 1938, and she spent a few years starring in B-films produced by poverty row studios such as Republic Pictures and Monogram Pictures. She also headed to New York City for work in summer stock theatre shortly before winning a supporting role in MGM's These Glamour Girls opposite Lana Turner and Lew Ayres. The role of Betty was said to have been written specially with Hunt in mind. Other roles in major studio productions soon followed, including supporting roles as Mary Bennet in MGM's version of Pride and Prejudice with Laurence Olivier and as Martha Scott's surrogate child Hope Thompson in Cheers for Miss Bishop.
In 1941, Hunt signed a contract with MGM, where she remained for the next six years. While filming Blossoms in the Dust, film director Mervyn LeRoy lauded Hunt for her heartfelt and genuine acting ability. In 1944, she polled seventh in a list by exhibitors of "Stars of Tomorrow". She also appeared in None Shall Escape, a film that is now regarded as the first about the Holocaust. She played Marja Pacierkowski, the Polish fiancé of a German Nazi officer named Wilhelm Grimm.
Movies
Journey to Royal: A WWII Rescue Mission
2021-02-02
Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity
2015-09-13
Empire State Building Murders
2008-08-14
The Grand Inquisitor
2008-01-01
Chloe's Prayer
2006-12-20
Dalton Trumbo: Rebel in Hollywood
2006-09-22
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial
1996-02-27
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988-10-01
Terror Among Us
1981-01-12
Jigsaw
1972-03-26
Johnny Got His Gun
1971-08-04
Fear No Evil
1969-03-03
The Plunderers
1960-11-05
Blue Denim
1959-07-30
Bombers B-52
1957-11-22
Back from the Dead
1957-08-12
No Place to Hide
1956-08-28
A Word to the Wives...
1955-01-01
Diplomatic Passport
1954-08-13
With This Ring
1954-01-01
The Happy Time
1952-10-30
Actors and Sin
1952-06-18
She Loves Me Not
1949-11-04
Mary Ryan, Detective
1949-11-03
Take One False Step
1949-08-14
Jigsaw
1949-03-11
Raw Deal
1948-05-21
The Inside Story
1948-03-14
Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman
1947-03-01
Carnegie Hall
1947-02-28
A Letter for Evie
1946-01-28
The Valley of Decision
1945-05-03
Music for Millions
1944-12-18
Bride by Mistake
1944-07-26
None Shall Escape
1944-02-03
Twenty Years After
1944-01-01
Lost Angel
1943-12-23
Cry 'Havoc'
1943-11-23
Thousands Cheer
1943-09-13
Pilot #5
1943-06-24
The Human Comedy
1943-03-02
Seven Sweethearts
1942-11-13
Panama Hattie
1942-09-30
The Affairs of Martha
1942-06-21
Kid Glove Killer
1942-04-17
Joe Smith, American
1942-02-01
Unholy Partners
1941-11-01
Blossoms in the Dust
1941-08-15
I'll Wait for You
1941-05-16
The Penalty
1941-03-13
Cheers for Miss Bishop
1941-02-21
The Trial of Mary Dugan
1941-02-14
Flight Command
1940-12-27
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
1940-11-30
Pride and Prejudice
1940-07-26
Women in Hiding
1940-06-22
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940-05-29
Irene
1940-04-23
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
1939-12-01
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga
1939-09-02
These Glamour Girls
1939-08-18
Winter Carnival
1939-07-28
The Hardys Ride High
1939-04-21
Star Reporter
1939-02-22
The Long Shot
1939-01-06
Come On, Leathernecks!
1938-08-08
Born to the West
1937-12-10
Thunder Trail
1937-10-21
Annapolis Salute
1937-09-10
Easy Living
1937-07-16
Murder Goes to College
1937-02-24
College Holiday
1936-12-19
The Accusing Finger
1936-11-17
Easy to Take
1936-11-06
Hollywood Boulevard
1936-08-20
The Arizona Raiders
1936-06-27
Gentle Julia
1936-04-10
Desert Gold
1936-03-26
The Virginia Judge
1935-09-17
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