Ross Hunter is best known for producing light comedies such as Pillow Talk, and the glamorous melodramas Magnificent Obsession, Imitation of Life, and Back Street.
44 Facts About Ross Hunter
2.
Ross Hunter's birth year is unclear, with sources indicating that he was born between 1916 and 1926, and even 1929.
3.
Ross Hunter attended Glenville High School where he later taught English and drama.
4.
Ross Hunter eventually moved to Los Angeles after his students sent his photo to Paramount Pictures.
5.
Ross Hunter was a leading man in his first movie, Louisiana Hayride, starring Judy Canova.
6.
Ross Hunter had support parts in Ever Since Venus and She's a Sweetheart and was promoted to star for A Guy, a Gal and a Pal, directed by Budd Boetticher.
7.
Ross Hunter was reunited with Canova for Hit the Hay.
8.
Ross Hunter was the second lead in a war film, Out of the Depths and had a support role in Sweetheart of Sigma Chi.
9.
Ross Hunter's career stalled in part because he was stricken with penicillin poisoning.
10.
Ross Hunter returned to teaching drama at the Ben Bard Dramatic School and taught speech therapy.
11.
Ross Hunter missed working in films and decided to return to the business and focus on film production.
12.
Ross Hunter was dialogue director in The Jackie Robinson Story, for Eagle-Lion Films.
13.
Ross Hunter performed similar duties on Woman on the Run at Universal with Ann Sheridan who Hunter says promoted and mentored him.
14.
Ross Hunter was dialogue director on The Sword of Monte Cristo at Fox, and When I Grow Up for Sam Spiegel at United Artists.
15.
Ross Hunter followed it with two Westerns, Tumbleweed with Audie Murphy, and Taza, Son of Cochise with Rock Hudson, directed by Sirk.
16.
The breakthrough film of Ross Hunter's career was the 1954 film remake of the 1935 film Magnificent Obsession, starring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and directed by Sirk.
17.
Ross Hunter produced a film noir with Sterling Hayden, Naked Alibi ; and a Western with Lex Barker, The Yellow Mountain.
18.
Ross Hunter was reunited with Hudson and Sirk on a costume swashbuckler set in Ireland, Captain Lightfoot.
19.
Ross Hunter produced One Desire, a melodrama with Hudson and Anne Baxter, then All That Heaven Allows, which reteamed Sirk, Hudson and Wyman.
20.
Ross Hunter stepped in at the last minute to produce a "northern", The Spoilers, another remake, with Jeff Chandler and Anne Baxter.
21.
Ross Hunter did Battle Hymn, a biopic with Hudson and Sirk.
22.
Ross Hunter produced The Restless Years, a teen melodrama with Saxon and Sandra Dee.
23.
Ross Hunter hit big in 1959 with Imitation of Life and Pillow Talk.
24.
Ross Hunter followed these with two mystery melodramas, both written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts: Portrait in Black, starring Turner, Anthony Quinn, Dee and Saxon; and Midnight Lace starring Day, Rex Harrison and Gavin.
25.
Ross Hunter produced a sequel to Tammy, Tammy Tell Me True, with Dee replacing Reynolds in the title role, and Gavin as the male lead.
26.
Ross Hunter produced a popular adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song.
27.
In 1962 Ross Hunter announced he had six films coming up: If a Man Answers, a new Tammy, remakes of Dark Angel and Madam X, The Thrill of It All and The Chalk Garden.
28.
Ross Hunter did two romantic comedies with Dee, If a Man Answers with Bobby Darin and Tammy and the Doctor with Peter Fonda.
29.
Ross Hunter produced a hugely popular comedy with Day and James Garner, The Thrill of It All, directed by Norman Jewison.
30.
Ross Hunter then did his first ever straight drama, The Chalk Garden with Deborah Kerr and Hayley Mills, which was well reviewed and performed well commercially.
31.
Ross Hunter produced I'd Rather Be Rich with Dee, a remake of It Started with Eve, and The Art of Love with Garner, directed by Jewison.
32.
Ross Hunter produced a remake of Madam X with Turner.
33.
Ross Hunter was going to remake Dark Angel but it was not made.
34.
Ross Hunter did a lower budgeted comedy without stars, The Pad and How to Use It, from a play by Peter Shaffer but it was little seen.
35.
Ross Hunter had a big hit with the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore and Gavin.
36.
However, Ross Hunter had a falling out with Universal, and left the studio after almost two decades.
37.
Ross Hunter went to Columbia where he produced the musical remake of the 1937 film Lost Horizon.
38.
Ross Hunter was briefly head of Brut Productions but left after disagreements with the company.
39.
In 1975, Ross Hunter was hired by Paramount Pictures to produce for television.
40.
Ross Hunter's first produced film for them was The Lives of Jenny Dolan with Shirley Jones.
41.
Ross Hunter produced A Family Upside Down with Fred Astaire and Helen Hayes, and Suddenly, Love with Cindy Williams.
42.
Ross Hunter died of cancer at the Century City Hospital in Los Angeles on March 10,1996.
43.
Ross Hunter was survived by his long-time partner, set designer Jaques Mapes, who was Hunter's production partner.
44.
Ross Hunter is interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.