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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0402554
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q267814
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Filmography (Movies)
Journey to Royal: A WWII Rescue Mission
Character:Self
Release Date:02/02/2021
Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity
Character:Self
Release Date:13/09/2015
Empire State Building Murders
Character:Norah Strinberg
Release Date:14/08/2008
The Grand Inquisitor
Character:Hazel Reedy
Release Date:01/01/2008
Chloe's Prayer
Character:
Release Date:20/12/2006
Dalton Trumbo: Rebel in Hollywood
Character:Herself
Release Date:22/09/2006
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial
Character:Herself
Release Date:27/02/1996
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/10/1988
Terror Among Us
Character:Marge
Release Date:12/01/1981
Jigsaw
Character:Dr. Gehlen
Release Date:26/03/1972
Johnny Got His Gun
Character:Joe's Mother
Release Date:04/08/1971
Fear No Evil
Character:Mrs. Varney
Release Date:03/03/1969
The Plunderers
Character:Kate Miller
Release Date:05/11/1960
Blue Denim
Character:Jessie Bartley
Release Date:30/07/1959
Bombers B-52
Character:Edith Brennan
Release Date:22/11/1957
Back from the Dead
Character:Kate Hazelton
Release Date:12/08/1957
No Place to Hide
Character:Anne Dobson
Release Date:28/08/1956
A Word to the Wives...
Character:Alice
Release Date:01/01/1955
Diplomatic Passport
Character:Judy Anderson
Release Date:13/08/1954
With This Ring
Character:Elise Miller John
Release Date:01/01/1954
The Happy Time
Character:Susan Bonnard
Release Date:30/10/1952
Actors and Sin
Character:Marcia Tillayou (segment Actor's Blood)
Release Date:18/06/1952
She Loves Me Not
Character:Midge Mercer
Release Date:04/11/1949
Mary Ryan, Detective
Character:Mary Ryan
Release Date:03/11/1949
Take One False Step
Character:Martha Wier
Release Date:14/08/1949
Jigsaw
Character:Mrs. Hartley's Secretary (uncredited)
Release Date:11/03/1949
Raw Deal
Character:Ann Martin
Release Date:21/05/1948
The Inside Story
Character:Francine Taylor
Release Date:14/03/1948
Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman
Character:Martha Gray
Release Date:01/03/1947
Carnegie Hall
Character:Nora Ryan
Release Date:28/02/1947
A Letter for Evie
Character:Evie O'Connor
Release Date:28/01/1946
The Valley of Decision
Character:Constance Scott
Release Date:03/05/1945
Music for Millions
Character:Rosalind
Release Date:18/12/1944
Bride by Mistake
Character:Sylvia Lockwood
Release Date:26/07/1944
None Shall Escape
Character:Marja Pacierkowski
Release Date:03/02/1944
Twenty Years After
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1944
Lost Angel
Character:Katie Mallory
Release Date:23/12/1943
Cry 'Havoc'
Character:Flo Norris
Release Date:23/11/1943
Thousands Cheer
Character:Marsha Hunt
Release Date:13/09/1943
Pilot #5
Character:Freddie Andrews
Release Date:24/06/1943
The Human Comedy
Character:Diana Steed
Release Date:02/03/1943
Seven Sweethearts
Character:Regina 'Reggie' Van Maaster
Release Date:13/11/1942
Panama Hattie
Character:Leila Tree
Release Date:30/09/1942
The Affairs of Martha
Character:Martha Lindstrom
Release Date:21/06/1942
Kid Glove Killer
Character:Jane Mitchell
Release Date:17/04/1942
Joe Smith, American
Character:Mary Smith
Release Date:01/02/1942
Unholy Partners
Character:Gail Fenton
Release Date:01/11/1941
Blossoms in the Dust
Character:Charlotte
Release Date:15/08/1941
I'll Wait for You
Character:Pauline Miller
Release Date:16/05/1941
The Penalty
Character:Katherine Logan
Release Date:13/03/1941
Cheers for Miss Bishop
Character:Hope Thompson
Release Date:21/02/1941
The Trial of Mary Dugan
Character:Agatha Hall
Release Date:14/02/1941
Flight Command
Character:Claire
Release Date:27/12/1940
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
Character:Barbara Braun
Release Date:30/11/1940
Pride and Prejudice
Character:Mary Bennet
Release Date:26/07/1940
Women in Hiding
Character:Jane Taylor
Release Date:22/06/1940
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Character:Self
Release Date:29/05/1940
Irene
Character:Miss Eleanor Worth
Release Date:23/04/1940
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Character:Kitty Crusper
Release Date:01/12/1939
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga
Character:Herself (uncredited)
Release Date:02/09/1939
These Glamour Girls
Character:Betty Ainsbridge
Release Date:18/08/1939
Winter Carnival
Character:Lucy Morgan
Release Date:28/07/1939
The Hardys Ride High
Character:Susan Bowen
Release Date:21/04/1939
Star Reporter
Character:Barbara Burnette
Release Date:22/02/1939
The Long Shot
Character:Martha Sharon
Release Date:06/01/1939
Come On, Leathernecks!
Character:Valerie Taylor
Release Date:08/08/1938
Born to the West
Character:Judy Worstall
Release Date:10/12/1937
Thunder Trail
Character:Amy Morgan
Release Date:21/10/1937
Annapolis Salute
Character:Julia Clemens
Release Date:10/09/1937
Easy Living
Character:Girl Getting Coat Dropped on Her at Finale (uncredited)
Release Date:16/07/1937
Murder Goes to College
Character:Nora Barry
Release Date:24/02/1937
College Holiday
Character:Sylvia Smith
Release Date:19/12/1936
The Accusing Finger
Character:Claire Patterson
Release Date:17/11/1936
Easy to Take
Character:Donna Westlake
Release Date:06/11/1936
Hollywood Boulevard
Character:Patricia Blakeford
Release Date:20/08/1936
The Arizona Raiders
Character:Harriett Lindsay
Release Date:27/06/1936
Gentle Julia
Character:Julia Atwater
Release Date:10/04/1936
Desert Gold
Character:Judith 'Judy' Belding
Release Date:26/03/1936
The Virginia Judge
Character:Mary Lee Calvert
Release Date:17/09/1935
Television Appearances
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
Character:Self
The Play on One
Character:Elvi Rogers
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character:Anne Jameson
Matlock
Character:Harriet
Murder, She Wrote
Character:Elvira Tree
Harry O
Character:
Police Story
Character:
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Character:Mrs. Bellows
The Name of the Game
Character:Claudia Loring
The Outsider
Character:
Accidental Family
Character:
Ironside
Character:
Ironside
Character:Sissy Cardwell
Run for Your Life
Character:Mrs. Southworth
Profiles in Courage
Character:Mrs. Ely
Breaking Point
Character:
The Outer Limits
Character:Francesca Fields
Sam Benedict
Character:Cora Wilcox
Ben Casey
Character:
Cain's Hundred
Character:Gloria Bonner
The Defenders
Character:Della Martin
My Three Sons
Character:Aunt Cecile Blackman
The Detectives
Character:
The Twilight Zone
Character:Mrs. Henderson
Laramie
Character:
Peck's Bad Girl
Character:Jennifer Peck
Panic!
Character:
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Character:Claire Andrews
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Character:Julie Reynolds
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Character:Dr. Sarah Martin
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Character:Catha Duncan
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Character:Mary
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Character:Blanche Herbert
Gunsmoke
Character:Sarah
Climax!
Character:Ann Williams
Climax!
Character:Julie Brennan
Your Show of Shows
Character:
Studio One
Character:Janet Willson
Studio One
Character:Kate Brookfield (uncredited)
The Philco Television Playhouse
Character:Viola
The Philco Television Playhouse
Character:Phoebe Throssel
Images
