Hunt, Marsha (1917—)

American actress. Born Marcia Virginia Hunt on October 17, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois; attended P.S. 9 and the Horace Mann School, in New York; studied acting at the Theodora Irvine School of Dramatics; married Jerry Hopper (editor, then director), in 1938 (divorced 1943); married Robert Presnell (a screen-writer), in 1946.

Filmography:

The Virginia Judge (1935); Hollywood Boulevard (1936); Gentle Julia (1936); The Accusing Finger (1936); Desert Gold (1936); College Holiday (1936); Easy to Take (1936); Easy Living (1937); Annapolis Salute (1937); Born to the West (1937); Come on Leathernecks (1938); These Glamour Girls (1939); The Star Reporter (1939); Irene (1940); Pride and Prejudice (1940); I'll Wait for You (1941); The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941); The Penalty (1941); Blossoms in the Dust (1941); Unholy Partners (1941); Joe Smith—American (1942); Kid Glove Killer (1942); Panama Hattie (1942); Seven Sweethearts (1942); The Human Comedy (1943); Thousands Cheer (1943); Cry Havoc (1943); Lost Angel (1944); None Shall Escape (1944); Music for Millions (1944); The Valley of Decision (1945); A Letter for Evie (1946); Smash-Up (1947); Carnegie Hall (1947); Raw Deal (1948); Take One False Step (1949); Mary Ryan—Detective (1950); Actors and Sin (1952); The Happy Time (1952); No Place to Hide (1956); Bombers B-52 (1957); Blue Denim (1959); The Plunderers (1960); Johnny Got His Gun (1971); (cameo) Rich and Famous (1981).

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1917, and raised in Manhattan, Marsha Hunt attended the Theodora Irvine School of Dramatics, paying for acting lessons by modeling for John Robert Powers. She broke into movies in the 1930s, working first for Paramount, where she was offered nothing but sweet, simpering roles which she hated. "Ingenues were a writer's device," she said. "Something the hero met, won, lost, and had to win back." Hunt left Paramount after three years and free-lanced for six months before signing with MGM. There she made a name for herself playing leads in B pictures and supporting roles in major productions, including Pride and Prejudice (1940), Blossoms in the Dust (1941), The Human Comedy (1943), Cry Havoc (1943), The Valley of Decision (1945), and Smash-up (1947).

Hunt was one of many victims of the casting wars surrounding Gone With the Wind. Told by David O. Selznick that she had the role of Melanie, she was devastated to read in the papers the next day that the part had gone to Olivia de Havilland . Her career suffered a far more serious setback in the 1950s, when her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell, was accused of sympathizing with the Hollywood Ten, a group who refused to testify at the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings. "I was a

political innocent. I was never a communist," said Hunt. "When I replaced [Franchot Tone] on the Screen Actors Guild board of directors, I went every Monday night and sat with the very conservative board. They were all mesmerized by this communist issue. I was baffled. I thought why are we so deeply interested in the communist party? If it's such a menace to our society and film industry, why don't we let our government … outlaw it, and we can get back to our business here, helping actors and tending to the issues and concerns of SAG. They decided I must be [a communist]." Then a group of writers and directors were called up before the HUAC; any who refused to explain their political beliefs were cited for contempt of Congress and sentenced to one year in prison. Hunt and her husband joined in an industry movement to protest the committee's methods and chartered a plane for Washington; fellow protesters included Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Jane Wyatt , Danny Kaye, Paul Henried, and Gloria de Haven . As a result, Hunt was blacklisted by the studios; she could no longer find work in film, radio, or television. Instead, she returned to the stage, appearing as Judith Anderson on Broadway in The Devil's Disciple and Hannie in Borned in Texas (both in 1950). She also replaced Celeste Holm in Affairs of State and would continue to work in theater for years. In 1997, she appeared in On Golden Pond.

Hunt returned to Hollywood for a few films at the end of the decade and appeared on numerous television programs, including "Marcus Welby, M.D." Since the 1950s, however, most of her time has been devoted to charitable causes, including cerebral palsy and various United Nations agencies. In Los Angeles, she founded The Valley Mayors Fund for the Homeless and served as its president for six years.

sources:

Bangley, Jimmy. "Marsha Hunt: Hollywood's Youngest Character Actress," in Classic Images. April 1997.

Katz, Ephraim. The Film Encyclopedia. NY: Harper-Collins, 1994.

Lamparski, Richard. Whatever Became of …? 4th Series. NY: Crown, 1973.

Barbara Morgan , Melrose, Massachusetts