Tab Hunter Confidential (2015) - full transcript

And l could tell that he

didn 't want to see me.

L was devastated .

And l just walked in

the snow for hours.

The Coast Guard found out l was

under age and discharged me.

And then when they

discharged me,

l went back down to Los Angeles.

L worked as a delivery man.

L worked wrapping presents

at Brothers

in Hollywood .

L worked at the Orange Julius

stand on Hollywood Boulevard .

L did an awful lot of jobs.

My brother was the one who

introduced me to horses.

L wanted to do whatever

my brother did .

And then my brother went on ,

of course, to other things,

but l stayed with the horses.

L loved being around the horses

when they were in their stalls.

L loved the smell of them .

L loved working around them .

L loved riding .

And l got a job mucking

out and being at the barn.

When the horse

came into my life,

they totally consumed my life.

One weekend at the

barn , Dick Clayton

came out, who was an

actor at the time,

with an actress by

the name of Ann Blyth .

And they were doing

a photo layout

for one of the movie magazines.

Well , l was fascinated , so l

just stood there and watched .

And then Ann left, and l got

to talking to Dick afterwards,

and we became friendly.

Dick never came on to me

like a lot of people did .

L never felt a hidden

agenda from Dick Clayton

because l just felt so

comfortable with him .

L never had a man in

my life like that.

And he was the one

who first planted

the seed for me-- how would

you feel about being an actor?

And l thought, oh, wow,

that'd be terrific.

L did start thinking about it.

But l didn 't know what

to do, where to begin,

how to get started

in the business.

Henry wilson was an agent

for a lot of young actors.

Henry had a stable of

stars-- Guy Madison,

Rory Calhoun, Rock H udson .

Henry wilson was

a big-deal agent.

And it seemed like every actor

he touched became a big star.

And he had a certain

style of client,

and he was the one who

would take the pretty boys

and make stars out of them .

Dick Clayton said l want

you to me Henry wilson .

You know, he doesn 't have

the most sterling reputation .

And l went there and met him .

You know, he was giving

you the look and the stare

and all that.

L ' m not an idiot.

L could see what

was going on there.

Oh , yeah , Henry would put the

make on me every now and then.

Occasionally his knee would push

against your knee or something

like that.

Well , l just wasn 't interested.

L mean , Henry was an amusing ,

fun person to go out with once

in a while, but that was it.

Henry was certainly not my type.

We were sitting in

his office, and he

said the name's gotta go.

So he said we've got

to tab you something .

So that's how Tab came about.

And l showed horses--

hunters and jumpers.

And Henry said , that's

it-- Tab H unter.

That' s a good name.

L can just see my new name,

Tab Hunter, on the marquee.

L remember having a few drinks,

and l was feeling no pain.

L said , l ' m going to be

a movie star. (LAuGH l NG)

Art Gelein became Tab H unter.

The new name was hard for

me to get used to though.

And then Henry said , well , once

you see it on " pay to the order

of, " it won 't be so bad .

He was a man who was eager,

excited , and enthusiastic,

and wanted it.

Boy, it sure did come fast.

ANNOuNCER: A lush ,

topical paradise

beyond your wildest

most romantic dreams.

The first interview l had was

for " lsland of the Desire. "

so they sent me to

meet the director.

He looked up and said ,

that's the boy l want.

And he asked me to

take off my shirt.

L was really embarrassed .

L then did a screen

test with Linda Darnell .

She was a very big name.

Oh , l was a nervous wreck

doing a screen test.

She said , don 't worry.

L ' m good luck for newcomers.

And they said , now you take her

in your arms and you kiss her.

L took her in my arms

and l kissed her.

(LAuGH l NG) l kissed her.

She looked at me.

And they said , cut,

and she pinched me,

and she said , that was

nice. (LAuGH l NG) Audience

response was phenomenal .

Critics, ha, they hated .

You ' re out of your mind!

Darn right.

This blasted

island 's got me loco.

L got roasted.

Hello, Hawaii .

Hello, America.

Hello, England .

Hello, anybody!

He doesn 't

demonstrate any shred

of acting ability in that film .

L was born too late, and

l 've got a lot to learn .

My mother and l did go

to a screening of it.

The lights came up.

My mother said , you were lousy.

L was so bad in the movie

that l couldn 't get arrested .

It was a long spell

between " lsland

of Desire" and my next job.

The only parts l could

get were grade-z movies.

L nterpreting

hieroglyphics was part

of my archaeological studies.

L felt that l was a B actor

trapped in that genre of film ,

and there was no way out.

Hello, Pop!

TAB H uNTER: Acting was

something that Dick Clayton

was always on my case about.

This isn 't something

that just happens.

You 've got to work.

There's so much to learn and so

much to tap inside of myself.

And l wanted to go

on to the next step.

And he arranged for

me to do " Our Town . "

lt was important for me to do

it because it was great material

and a chance to grow.

Marilyn Erskine, a Broadway

actress, who was very good ,

did not want to do

" Our Town " with me.

George was a marvelous

part for a young actor.

But Tab Hunter playing George?

Well , l didn 't see that.

And so l was a little bit

concerned because that' s such

an important part of the play.

We did a read through.

And after we

finished the reading

she agreed to do it with me.

She said , OK, young man , we've

got a lot of work ahead of us.

Let's get to it.

Well , l wanted him to be

comfortable within himself

that he can do this.

Tad had that desire

to really be good .

L saw an actor who

grew and grew, getting

better and better and better.

TAB H uNTER: The only thing

l really could rely on

were my instincts

and my feelings.

And they won 't lead

you too far astray.

And Tab was just fabulous.

He was George.

The play was extremely well

received , got good notices--

the first good notices l

ever received in my life.

From that, it sort

of whet the appetite.

L came away from that

experience realizing

that l wanted to be an actor.

The studios ran Hollywood .

Hollywood was MGM ,

Paramount, 20th Century

Fox, warner Brothers.

It was just a society in

unto itself, warner Brothers.

It was the best studio,

so we were very proud .

But you did not cross

to cross Jack warner.

Colonel warner-- Colonel Jack

warner, ladies and gentlemen .

You know, warner was

quite a character.

He really was.

He looked like Lucifer with

a little mustache of his.

Ha, you son-of-a-bitch .

(LAuGH l NG)

when you had a guy like

Jack warner on your side,

you had the whole

warner Brothers

operation on your side.

You were in business.

The studio contract

was really good

because of the security of it.

At warner Brothers,

they had acting classes,

singing, dancing.

And l said , Henry, l

really need to go to work.

And Henry sent out wired

to different producers

saying Tab H unter' s available.

And he arranged for me to

meet , casting

director of warner Brothers.

And l got a call

from the studio.

They took out an

option that they

might put me under contract.

And your first picture will

be with John wayne in and Lana

Turner in "The sea Chase! "

, more coffee.

Yes, sir.

All l had to say in

the film was, yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Everybody, sir.

"The sea Change" was

an all right film ,

but l had nothing to do in it.

L was very disappointed .

Jack warner was looking

at rushes of the film ,

and a director by the

name of william wellman ,

"wild Bill " wellman , happened

to see a couple of my scenes

and said , l want that

kid for my next picture.

And the next picture

was "Track of the Cat"

with Robert Mitchum .

The place is just

crawling with dreams.

Do you have any, kid?

L go along Mitch very well.

He had great sense of

humor and was full of hell .

L really like him a lot.

Well , the first big film

l did at warner Brothers

was a film called " Battle Cry. "

" Battle Cry" was the biggest

picture warner's had that year.

They tested me nine times for

the role of Danny Forrester.

Sorry, l-- l felt

kind of itchy.

L wasn 't the only one

who tested for that role.

Kiss me.

Can 't hear.

Warner' s tested J immy Dean

and Paul Newman for the role.

They still couldn 't

make up their mind .

So they said, well , we' ll

give this kid one more test.

The morning l left

to go to the test

my mother stopped

me at the door,

and she said , think positive.

See yourself in this role.

And she said , if it's

meant to be, it will be.

L thought l was so bad

in that test l went home

and was ready to kill myself.

And that was the test

that got me the role.

Give me a cheeseburger

and a cup of coffee.

And , uh , how about a

piece that apple pie too.

L just liked the role.

It reminded me of my brother.

He was a very straightforward,

decent human being .

Any guy in the world would be

lucky to have you for a wife.

The film was very successful .

It was a major hit

for warner Brothers.

ANNOuNCER: " Battle

Cry, " the warner

Brothers story of the Marines,

having its world premier.

L started getting so much

recognition for doing it

that l was offered the

seven-year contract

with warner Brothers.

L thought, whoa.

Tab H unter!

And when that came on , it

was like you struck a match,

and off it went.

ANNOuNCER: Hollywood pays

tribute to bright, new stars

of tomorrow.

Awards go to blue-eyed

and blond Tab H unter.

They translated everything

into box office receipts.

Jack warner saw

box-office gold in Tab.

Once l was under

contract to them ,

all this publicity

came out on me,

and the publicity

exceeded the product.

ANNOuNCER: Actor Tab

H unter signs autographs

in the time-honored way.

They were selling

the All-American boy.

Take him home to mother.

It was a nice wholesome image.

How do you feel

about dancing tonight?

Are you ready?

A little awkward ,

but l guess l ' m ready.

He was everywhere.

We were being bombarded

with Tab' s presence.

And l was delighted because he

was so exciting to be watching .

ANNOuNCER: America's

favorite sweethearts,

Tab H unter and Natalie wood .

Natalie wood was the

sweetest little thing

that ever came down the road .

L loved her.

She was like my kid sister.

You really got it

made, haven 't you?

TAB H uNTER: she had

been a very successful

in " Rebel without a

Cause" with Jimmy Dean ,

and l had been successful

in " Battle Cry. "

warner Brothers put us together.

They wanted to make us

into the new " dream team . "

we went along with

it, of course.

ANNOuNCER: Tab

H unter, Natalie wood .

And they had a

great time together.

She adored him .

L never met a gal

with such spunk.

ROBERT wAGN ER: He was on

fire, and she was on fire.

They traveled a lot together.

They went on tours together.

TAB H uNTER: Oh , my gosh ,

there were thousands

and thousands of kids.

He looked like he loved

being a movie star,

and he was a good one.

ANNOuNCER: warner Brothers stars

Natalie wood and tab H unter

plant a Christmas parade for the

annual Toys for Tots campaign .

But l knew Tab

first from his music.

TAB H uNTER: The

recording career came

about when Randy wood

of Dot Records said ,

how would you like to record?

L said , l ' d love it.

Randy had me come over there.

L cut the record .

Randy yelled out, that' s it.

It's gonna be a hit.

(sl NGl NG) --for every

boy and girl there's just

one love in this

whole world , and l-hi

kno-ho l -hi-l found mine.

It became the number

one song in the nation .

(sl NG l NG) Young love.

Young love.

First love.

First love.

When "Young Love" hit

number one on the pop charts,

it knocked Elvis

out of number one

and stays for a month

and a half at the top

of the national charts.

Jack warner blew his stack.

He said , we own

you for everything .

He had totally prohibited

me from recording

for Dot any longer.

And l said , but Mr. warner, you

don 't have a recording company.

And he said , well , we do now.

And , they started warner

Brothers Records for me.

[MuslC- TAB H uNTER, " Nl N ETY N l N E

wAYs"]

Tab had a real genuine

reporting career.

He was not a one-hit wonder.

He released dozens of

singles and albums.

It was phenomenal , and it

was noticed by everyone.

(sl NG l NG) what a wonderful

wedding there will be.

What wonderful day

for you and me.

He came along at a

very brilliant time.

It was the beginning of the

teenage revolution in America.

He had a million and one

crushes from the largest group

of teenagers that has

ever lived in the united

states, the baby boomers.

They were the ones who would

make a career overnight,

and they certainly

did with mine.

L can 't help it.

L 've got a very bad

case of Tab H unter-itis.

L know just how you feel.

L had Tab' s

pictures on my wall .

We all did .

My wall was covered with

pictures of Tab H unter.

Young girls just

were crazy about him .

The minute they took a

look he became their guy,

and he was marketed

to those people.

It was the movie

magazines that really

made him a huge star, more than

the films that he was making .

TAB HuNTER: The kids

kept demanding all of it,

so l would get things like "Tab

H unter Buys a Hat, " "Tab Hunter

Drives a Car, " "Tab

H unter Cleans a window, "

"Tab H unter Goes to the

Beach-- " wee! (LAuGH l NG)

One of the magazines

had a contest,

and l won a date in Hollywood

with Tab H unter in 1 958.

Was l nervous?

L could hardly breathe.

When l first saw Tab H unter,

l was very intimidated .

And he smiled , and that

smile was just truly magical .

Tab H unter was the

heartthrob that l had

seen in the movie magazines.

And we had dinner and dancing .

L could not believe,

Jo-Ann, here you

are dancing with Tab H unter.

My date was over, and

he gave me a kiss.

L felt like

Cinderella, and l had

a kiss from my Prince Charming.

It was a dream-come-true.

L n the 1 950s love and

marriage was the ideal theme.

It's not always very real .

The studios had a system .

And they always wanted their

starlets to go out on a date

with a beautiful , handsome boy.

And the one they

chose was Tab H unter.

He was a guy that all the

girls wanted to go out with .

Of course l wanted to meet

Tab H unter because he was

the big young male star

at warner Brothers,

and l was the big female

star at Colum bia Pictures.

And so we had to date.

He was a gentleman .

He always came around

and opened the doors.

He picked up checks.

And my parents liked him .

It was fun .

We did all sorts of things.

We did all the things that

normal people do on dates.

But we had a third person who

was a photographer with us.

He was the kind of boy every

mother would want to have

married into her family.

He had an honesty.

He had a sim plicity.

He a certain strength

of character.

He would not let anybody down .

We got along great because

he was always fun and sweet.

And he wasn 't after me,

so he wasn 't on the make.

And women like that.

L really was a very naive,

young , innocent girl,

and l would never think that the

most handsome boy would be gay.

TAB H uNTER: l

would never discuss

my private life with anyone.

L was able to get close to

them , but l never really went

that deep in the relationship.

L had the ability to

live behind this wall .

And you only allow people

to break the barrier

if you feel you

can confide in them

and you want to have

that friendship.

L NTERvl EwER: what was your first

relationship with another guy?

Pfoof.

(LAuGH l NG) The first

relationship l had

was when l was ice skating

with a fellow skater.

L NTERvl EwER: Can you

tell me about that?

What do you want to know?

(LAuGH l NG) l always

loved figure skating .

L competed in the regionals,

and l went to the nationals.

L enjoyed just being on the ice.

He was a very good skater and a

very strong competitor as well .

A lot of his friends were

ice skaters-- champion ice

skaters with the lce Capades.

Mouseketeers, meet

Ronnie Robertson.

H i , Ronnie!

H i , Mouseketeers.

H i , Bob.

Ronnie Roberson was known

as a great technician.

H is skating was different

than anybody else' s skating .

And he could spin faster

than anybody in the world.

Nobody ever spun that well .

He was a major talent.

We had an attraction

for one another.

And l drove him home one

evening after a skiing session .

Next thing , we were

in a relationship.

L ' m sure there was

talk about Ronnie

and myself in the skating

world , particularly

if you 've got a talent and

people are jealous of it.

There were times when l was

certainly stressed hearing

things that had been said .

But you learn when you ' re in the

public eye to compartmentalize.

A big issue as

that Tab was around .

And the political game at that

time is you don 't do that.

There was one skater

that didn 't like the fact

that Ronnie and l were

friends and took a skate blade

to my new car and

just went right

down the side, (sCRATCH l NG

sOuN D) to the paint.

Tab came to the championships

with Ronnie Roberson .

Ronnie was told

that he would not

win the championships unless

Tab would not come along.

And Ronnie said ,

it didn 't matter.

He wanted him there.

And Ronnie skated-- oh,

magnificent performance.

The fact that l was

there with Ronnie

might have hurt his ability to

win , and he should have won .

My mother never really approved

of the Hollywood stuff.

Being private was

very im portant to her.

She only visited me on a set

twice in all of the years

l was in the business.

She did one interview

for a magazine,

but it was like pulling

teeth to get her to do that.

People would say,

oh, Mrs. Gelien ,

aren 't you excited about Tab?

And my mother would

say, yes, it' s nice,

but walter's the

intelligent one.

My mother was always

a very intense woman.

She had a lot of

pressure in her life.

She was very high strung .

While l was doing

" Battle Cry" l was

in touch with my mother a lot.

And l noticed a change

in her behavior.

She would fly off the

handle rather quickly.

She was ranting

on behind a closed

door in the bathroom in German .

And she ran out into the street

and collapsed in my arms.

It just got more out of control

and more out of control .

My mother totally lost it,

and l had to commit my mother

to a mental institution.

And it was very difficult to do.

And on the way there l

said , Mom , please try

to understand what l ' m saying.

L really feel bad about this.

And she said , l know.

L know.

L had to comm it my mother.

L mean , there was

nothing else that l

could think should be done.

She had to have 37

electroshock treatments.

L went down there to

see her, of course.

L remember walking in ,

and she was lying in bed ,

and they shaved her head where

she had all the treatments.

And as l walked in she said ,

why did you do this to me?

She was very fragile when l went

to see her, but she was better.

When l saw my mother,

as helpless as she was,

l swore that she would

never have to work

another day in her life.

Hello, l ' m Tab H unter.

Did you know that mental

illness claims more

victims than any other disease?

That' s right.

One American in every 1 0 is

suffering from some disabling

mental or emotional disorder.

L n the 1 950s being gay was

absolutely not acceptable.

It was against the law.

It was considered

a mental disease.

There were very

devastating consequences.

You couldn 't have a

life being gay back

in the '50s Tab would

be foolish not to hide,

or he would not have a career.

What do you think of your

dinner date here, Tab?

She' s very lovely, l must say.

ANNOuNCER: lsn 't she?

Oh .

The public saw me as one

person, and l was another.

L didn 't feel good about myself.

Hollywood 's most eligible

bachelor, Mr. Tab Hunter!

TAB H uNTER: l never felt that

l deserve a lot of that stuff

that was happening.

You were rewarded for

pretending that you

were someone you ' re not.

Henry wilson was a good agent,

but people outgrow one another.

Then Dick Clayton

became an agent.

L signed with him immediately

because l could trust him ,

and he was family.

L told Henry l was leaving him .

He was furious.

Henry was very, very upset.

L n fact, because of

that, l ' m sure it's

why he turned over that story to

" Confidential " magazine on me.

L n the 1 950s the magazine that

you had to be most concerned

about was "Confidential . "

Oh , " Confidential " was

the talk of Hollywood

because everyone was

afraid that if there

was a skeleton in the

closet, it would be released .

God knows l love you.

But l won 't let Ned

nor Kay or anyone else

run our lives, Cary.

" Confidential "

magazine, they had

some information

on Rock that was

very damaging to his career.

And they were going to print it.

Rock H udson was the biggest

star that Henry wilson ever had .

He built Rock, and that

was his meal ticket.

He was gonna protect that.

To save Rock, Henry

gave " Confidential "

the story about me when l ' d

been arrested when l was just

starting out in the business.

L nside the magazine

the article read ,

"Tab H unter caught at a

limp-wristed pajama party. "

l would say l was

thrown under the bus.

When the magazine

came out, l was

sure that my career was over.

L took Natalie to

the Academy Awards.

That was about the

time-- a little

after the "Confidential "

had come out.

The press of the world was

there photographing us.

And one guy yelled out,

smile pretty this way, Tab.

This is for the next issue

of " Confidential " magazine.

Jack warner, god

bless him , he turned

me right back to the cameras

and said , just remember this.

Today's headlines,

tomorrow' s toilet paper.

Everybody was nervous.

But in those days they

could cover those things up.

So if you are a money

maker for a studio,

they are going to

protect that image

like there is no tomorrow.

The press knew just

about everything,

and they kept it to themselves

when it was to their advantage

and to the advantage

of the studios.

It was a gentleman ' s agreement--

just keep it out of the press

and don 't make waves.

Jack warner and

l never discussed

my sexuality whatsoever.

L was making a lot

of money for them .

As long as l didn 't destroy this

image that they were creating,

that was important to them .

They created this persona.

That was your job

to be that persona.

You played the

game, so to speak,

if that's what they want.

L did sign a contract,

and l was willing to do

whatever they wanted me to

do to fulfill that contract.

Don 't you ever

think about marriage?

All the time, Ernie.

That' s what keeps me single.

L thought of marriage

a num ber of times

because it's expected of you .

When l did the film

" Lafayette Escadrille, "

that's when l first

met Etchika Choureau .

She stopped me

dead in my tracks.

She was gorgeous.

And we hit it off immediately.

She didn 't speak

a word of English.

My French was just awful .

L can 't remem ber

what we talked about because

he did not speak one word of French

and l only spoke three words of English .

L don 't know how we communicated . . .

undoubtedly with our eyes.

But in any case,

we got on like a house on fire.

And he was irresistible.

L usually can think of

a lot of things to say.

Suddenly l can 't say anything.

We had wonderful

times together,

and l was drawn closer

and closer to her.

Yes, l had heard

that Tab was homosexual .

L think it was a soul-searching

period of time about his sexuality.

It must have been very painful for him .

You know, actors often . . .always. . .

have two faces.

L did feel discomfort, and l

did feel a little bit of guilt

also.

But l did seriously think

of marrying Etchika.

L was flattered

to have been chosen , of course.

If l was to marry Tab,

it would have been for love.

L would inevitably have never

accepted to share

him with someone else.

And l certainly

would not have married him

to protect him

and hide his homosexuality.

L think Tab was too good of a man .

He would have never accepted

such a thing.

It would have been a lovely story

if it could have been rewritten .

She went back to Paris.

L just couldn 't commit to her.

It wouldn 't have been

right to be with Etchika.

L felt that if you were with

a man, you were sinning .

And if you were with a

woman , you 'd be lying .

Tony and l met at the pool

of the Chateau Marmont.

He was in California doing

" Friendly Persuasion. "

l don 't want to die.

L don 't know if l could

kill anyone if l tried .

He was a good actor.

ANNOuNCER: what is there

about Tony Perkins that

made the young people

of America acclaim him

as their star of the future?

L 'd been in the

business longer,

but l respected the fact that

he' d done Broadway plays.

L thought he was

very intelligent,

and he was just fun to be with.

We just kind of hit it off.

[MuslC- ANTHONY PERKl Ns,

" MOON LIGHT swl M "]

And l went up to

his room with him .

That' s when Tony and l got

together for the first time.

And that's when we

started seeing each other.

When l first saw Tab

and Tony l knew that they

were more than friends.

It was pretty obvious.

L had a wonderful

relationship with him .

L did trust him .

L was comfortable with him .

Tony and Tab were

totally different.

Tony was East Coast.

Tab was west Coast.

Tab was very macho.

Tony was very

sensitive, introverted .

Well , l would see

him quite a lot.

And he would stay to my place,

lived there for a while,

got an apartment

around the corner.

And then l would go back East.

L 'd say with Tony at his place.

L knew that he was

very dedicated to being

an actor in Hollywood .

And the most promising

male star of tomorrow

is the fine young

actor, Tony Perkins.

TAB H uNTER: Tony was very

concerned about his image

and doing the right thing .

They would go to a lot of

pains not to be seen together.

TAB H uNTER: At first, when

Tony and l used to go out,

we would go out together.

But he would get recognized .

L would get recognized .

He felt very uncomfortable.

L always did too because

the idea of two young actors

around together might

start some talk.

(sl NG l NG) Yes, l ' m in love.

Don 't tell a soul .

TAB H uNTER (sPEAKl NG):

Natalie wood

and l would go to a premiere.

Then we'd go to

Ciro's afterwards.

We' d be photographed dancing.

Then we would leave, and

she'd go out the back door.

She'd have a date

with Dennis Hopper.

And l 'd go see Tony.

(sl NG l NG) shh , don 't

let it get around.

(sPEAKl NG) Tony and l did

go on couple dates together.

Tab and Tony and l

went out together.

L suppose l was a beard .

But l was happy to

be a beard because we

were having a good / l knew the

game, and we were playing it.

L n the fan magazines there would

being a picture of Tab and l .

And then in the next page

there'd be a picture of Tony

and l doing something else,

but never just Tab and Tony.

(sl NG l NG) shh , don 't

let it get around.

L did feel that Tab and

Tony had a real relationship.

L could see them together.

But it was a painful

relationship,

at least for Tony.

Tony was more in love with

Tab than Tab was with him .

Whenever Tab and Tony

got into a fight,

Tony would come to

my house and cry

on my shoulder about

how mean Tab was.

My relationship with Tony, l

never discussed with anyone.

And if one of my so-called

friends or my friends

would mention it, l probably

would have gone berserk.

L would have hated

it and denied it

emphatically--

(ExPLOslON sOuN D) where l

could blow it up very quickly.

Tony, as the audience

ovation indicates,

your career is certainly

going full steam ahead.

Tony was on his way to

being a pretty big star.

Tony' s career was most important

to him , more than anything .

He could be extremely charming.

But l think he had a

hidden agenda, as far

as his career was concerned .

You never really

knew Tony 1 00o%c .

There was always

a secretive side,

and he was a bit of a game

player with people' s minds.

Can 't you see it' s a brush-off?

They' re trying me

out at a position .

They know l can 't play it!

J ust as soon as l make a few

errors, they' re gonna drop me!

Can 't you see it?

TAB H uNTER: The first

live television show

l did was " Fear strikes Out. "

l played J immy Piersall.

He was a ball player

who had mental problems.

Tony caught my performance and

told me how m uch he liked it.

L confided in Tony

that l wanted warner

Brothers to buy the project for

me to make a movie out of it.

One evening we were playing

ping pong on a terrace,

and he said , oh , by the

way, Paramount just bought

" Fear strikes Out" for me.

And it just was like, whoa.

He had mentioned

it to the studio,

and they got it for him .

He was a very ambitious young

man and a very fine actor

and he should be working .

But l did feel

betrayed by that move.

When, Jimmy-- when that's

all you ever cared about.

And you ' re killing me.

You 've been killing

me for years.

Yes, you have.

And it's too much .

He was very good in the film .

But our relationship

was strained after that.

He told me that

his studio didn 't

want him to see me anymore.

We saw less and

less of each other,

and we just sort of grew apart.

" Damn Yankees" was

a huge Broadway hit.

Jack warner bought

" Damn Yankees" for me.

It was the first really

good project for me

from warner Brothers.

Jack warner brought in

the whole New York cast,

except for the lead , and

he wanted me to do that.

L was the only outsider in it.

It needed some

sparkle, which he had .

What' s the story on this kid?

This Tab H unter was

like a breath of spring.

Wow!

The director was George Abbott.

He didn 't want me at all .

He wanted Don M urray.

Warner said , l want you

to the use Tab H unter.

He' s the biggest

star at my studio.

Every one of his

pictures is popular.

Tab was certainly at

the top of his game.

George Abbott and

l did not get along.

The first time l met him

was at the read through.

The whole New York

cast was sitting there.

And after l read a

few lines, he said ,

l want you to read it like this.

And he gave me a line reading ,

which actors do not like.

L want to exercise the escape

clause which is to take place

on the 24th , which is today.

So l read it the

way he wanted me to.

We went on , and he

stopped me about two

or three or four times.

And finally, l just

had had enough .

So l stopped , and l said , Mr.

Abbott, from what l gather,

you ' d like me to do

it the way stephen

Douglas did it on Broadway.

He said , yes, yes.

That's exactly

what l would like.

L said , well, l

thought stephen Douglas

had a magnificent voice, but

l thought he was a real stick.

If l play the

character, first of all ,

he's got to be human being.

That was the wrong

thing to tell him .

Oh , l ' m honest, but,

uh , l ' m dumb too.

He closed his script, said,

thank you all very much .

He got up and left the room ,

and l was fired off the picture.

Jack warner went

to Abbott and said ,

l bought it for Tab H unter.

Tab H unter' s going to do it.

You don 't say no to Jack warner.

OK, you win .

Get a uniform .

- You mean it?

-L mean it.

-wow!

L made it!

(LAuGH l NG)

so l did the film ,

but it was difficult,

knowing that he'd never wanted

me right from the start.

(sl NGl NG) whatever

Lola wants, Lola gets.

And Gwen verdon-- Gwen

always called me like a New

York cab driver-- Tab H untah .

(LAuGH l NG) l loved it.

The choreographer

was Bobby Fosse.

You can 't get any

better than that.

Bobby Fosse made me

look like l could dance,

even though l have

two left feet.

And he said , don 't

worry about it, Tab.

You ' ll be fine.

You see, Mr. , uh , Mr.--

uh , Hardy-- uh , Joe Hardy.

L just felt like l wanted

to take him in my arms.

Well , he was perfect

for the role.

He was delicious

in it, and l think

that Mr. Abbott was very very

satisfied with him ultimately.

All right, a carton

of winstons, and Tab,

thanks a million.

- Thank you very m uch.

He was always, always

trying to be better.

Probably at that time his

looks got in the way a bit.

L 've had a great

evening . really l have.

L ' ll never forget it.

The era that Tab

got kind of stuck in

was that era when we were all

very attracted to the Brando

angst and the Jimmy Dean angst.

You ' re tearing me apart!

TAB H uNTER: warner Brothers

had Jimmy as the rebel ,

and they had me as

the all-American boy.

So they had their bases covered .

They did discuss me for the

J immy Dean role in " Rebel

without a Cause. "

Can you imagine that? (LAuGH l NG)

He didn 't get the opportunities

with some of those parts

that he could 've done very well .

And they were terribly

com plicated people.

And one of the great

assets of Tab H unter

was the fact that he

didn 't look like a terribly

complicated person.

You know, it' s a curse

and it's a blessing

to have that kind of career

where they think that you are

that infectious smile or

you are that person that

jumps off the screen to them .

Tab had a very

difficult time trying

to prove that behind this

face there really is a talent.

ANNOuNCER: Playhouse 90,

tonight starring Tab H unter.

TAB H uNTER: The director

Arthur Penn said , there's

a great script l 've just read .

It was called " Portrait

of a Murderer. "

He said , will you do it?

L said , oh , l don 't think so.

Live television?

That would clear

the hell out of me.

L was awfully guilty of

saying , l can 't do that,

or l ' m afraid to do this.

But you 've just got

to go (sPLAsH l NG

sOuND) take the plunge.

ANNOuNCER: " Portrait

of a Murderer, "

directed by Arthur Penn.

It was the true story

of Donald Bashor a man

who committed burglaries

and murdered these people.

It was a very powerful

piece of material.

Put than back right now.

L ' m calling the police.

You ' re going to get arrested

for breaking and-- ah!

Oh!

He was frightening--

really frightening .

He played it so well

because it seemed to be

going against his own persona.

Here was Geraldine page from

the Actor's studio in New York.

It was a whole different

way of working.

Tab kept up with her.

But l don 't want to

bring you bad luck.

Bad luck?

You ' re my good

luck, my best luck.

This was big time.

This wasn 't just some teenage

heartthrob who got a break.

Oh , l was proud of that show.

It was a good show.

Television was giving

me the opportunity

to do things that l could

not do in motion pictures,

with the most creative

people in the industry,

directors like

sidney Lumet, John

Frankenheimer,

really good actors

and actresses and good writers.

L loved live television.

ANNOuNCER: Tab H unter.

Then it started

to click, where he

was getting cast in

things that made sense,

and he was no longer a joke.

Come on!

Just me brand them .

L told you to

put that gun away.

Yes, sir.

L 'd played heavy on

television but never in a film .

It just was such

a good character.

It's a pathetic.

From now on, l ' m going my

own way, me, Ed Hackett.

He' s a complete psychopath .

L ' m giving you an order.

You can go to hell!

He' s a racist.

You mean to tell me you 'd

marry that no-good half breed?

He' s a murderer.

Mister, you made a mistake

in pulling that gun.

He' s just waiting to explode.

Of all the films l 've done,

" Gunman 's walk" was some

of my best work as an actor.

After " Gunman 's walk, " Hollywood

started to see me in a new way.

L started getting cast in

some very nice productions--

"They Came to Cordura, " with

Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth ,

"The Pleasure of H is

Company, " with Fred

Astaire and Debbie Reynolds,

"That Kind of woman , "

with sophia Loren.

These wonderful films were not

being made at warner Brothers,

where l was under contract.

Warners would loan me out

for like $250,000 a picture.

Then they would pay

me my regular warner

Brothers weekly salary, and they

would pocket the difference.

L was getting a little

upset about that.

The two films that

Natalie and l did together

were both big hits.

So the studio went and put

us together in another film .

Well , l read the script, and

l thought, l can 't do this.

L turned it down because

l knew what l liked,

knew what l didn 't like,

and l wanted to grow.

L ' m not a puppet.

So l asked the studio

for my release.

Well , needless to say,

Jack warner wasn 't

about to have that happen.

And l said , well , Mr. warner,

how much would it cost?

And he said , if

you want out, you

pay us $1 00,000 fcr the

remainder of your contract.

That was a lot of money,

like a couple m illion today.

But to express myself and

be my own person, l figured ,

l 've got to do it.

Products of Hollywood

are interchangeable

and ultimately replaceable.

Get outta here, Dad.

If you weren 't half

drunk l 'd throw you out.

Troy Donahue was a young actor.

He was one of Henry's clients.

Actually, Henry wilson tried

to stick me with that name

before they gave me Tab H unter.

Warner Brothers was trying

to make Troy Donahue

in the image of Tab H unter.

They started building

Troy's career

and have him a very good career.

You 've been a good old wagon ,

but you done broke down .

(wH lsTLl NG sOuN D) You ' re out,

and somebody else is in there.

Leaving warner Brothers

was career suicide.

L thought there'd be opportunity

for me at other studios,

but that was not the case.

The days of studio

contracts were over.

L was now a freelance

actor on my own,

and my primary concern was

taking care of my mother.

L had a lot of responsibilities.

And it was tough to keep

your head above water.

L would do anything

to pay down my debt.

ANNOuNCER: " Operation

Bikini , " starring Tab H unter.

My career was really

drying up in Hollywood .

So l would take

whatever was available.

L was no longer looking for

the keys to the kingdom .

ANNOuNCER: "The Golden

Arrow, " starring Tab H unter.

Well , not many actors can say

that they rode a flying carpet.

When you have to live

and you need a job,

you ' ll accept what's there.

ANNOuNCER: Tab

H unter in a dual role

as a heroic security officer

and a treacherous enemy agent.

" Birds Do lt, " with soupy

sales, that's a winner.

ANNOuNCER: Tab

H unter is steamer.

He goes all the way for

everything Hawaiian.

To this day, people are

still coming up and saying ,

oh , l loved you in all

those beach movies!

L only did one.

That was " Ride the wild surf. "

Everybody kept thinking

of me as this surfer.

And at that point, l

felt that l was a little

long in the tooth for that one.

L was 32 at the time.

They would have a son a little

Red Flyer wagon on our knees

with process shot behind us

of this mountainous wave.

And then a prop man

would be in front of us

with a bucket of water going

splash-splash , splash-splash .

Someone point me

toward the nearest bank.

This was called paying

the bills and keep working .

That' s what it's all about.

ANNOuNCER: "The

Tab Hunter show-- "

The television

series that l did,

this was bottom of the barrel.

But that' s impossible.

This so-called comedy wound

up with a director who would

say to us, come on , come on .

Faster!

Faster!

Fast is funny, but

faster is funnier.

When do you meet her?

Right now.

It was really bad stuff.

The bloom came off the rose.

My career was going

(wH lsTLl NG sOuN D).

Beat it, Tab.

Can 't you see l ' m busy?

Without the protection

of the studio,

my boy-next-door image

was in total free fall .

People could say and write

what they wanted , and they did .

If l had still been

under contract,

they'd have nailed it like that.

L was sick of Hollywood ,

sick of the media,

and l had just about

lost faith in everything.

As l was doing films, l would

always run back to the stable.

The thing about being

alone on a horse,

it helps you divorce

yourself from yourself

because you ' re

working with an animal

that has a life of its own.

It's a marriage that's

quite marvelous.

L found that my touch of reality

in that unrealistic world

of Hollywood .

He was riding a jumper.

L was in awe of him

because of how he rode.

L was standing at the back gate,

and we just started talking .

L didn 't know who he was.

And he asked me questions

like, do l ride?

And l said, oh, yeah ,

l grew up on a horse.

He said , do you

ride jumping horses?

And l said , no,

l 've not done that,

but the thought appeals to me.

And he said , l 'd be willing

to teach you some jumping .

So l took him up on it.

And so we became

friends after that.

He didn 't have

all the trappings,

l didn 't think, that

a star would have.

He was very real person.

It was the first long-term

relationship that l ever had.

We were together for

about seven years.

Hollywood turned

their back on him .

And l realized what it must

be like to be very popular

and to be very unpopular.

L certainly

commiserated with him .

But he didn 't ever want

to talk about it much .

ANNOuNCER: Tab has been

out of town for a while.

Now he's back, just horsing

around , waiting for the day

he's discovered again.

L was very concerned .

So l bought space in "variety"

to just tell people hello.

Is there any possibility

of you getting

job somewhere around here?

L just wanted people

to know that l wasn 't

dead , that l ' m still alive.

And a couple responses-- really

sweet people-- said , yeah,

get lost, or yeah, drop dead .

Tab H unter, who was every

high school girl 's idea

of a dream boat--

he was a boy who

never seemed to get any older.

Well , he has.

Well , l might as well have

been a relic from the silent era

because people

wanted real people

in real situations, no more

Hollywood made-up personas.

We want to be free to ride

our machines without being

hassled by the man .

TAB H uNTER: The new actors

were anti-establishment,

and l was apple pie

and All-American.

It would have

taken some director

to give him the kind of a

part that would make everybody

look at him in a new way.

L n order to make the

change, he would have had

to do something really radical.

This was a low-budget

horror film--

--made on a show string.

It needed a very

handsome debonair man

who would love women to death.

Tab H unter would

be the last person

you would expect to do that.

TAB H uNTER: "sweet Kill "

was certainly way out there.

L did it because the movie roles

were just not coming along .

Tab was so much a part

of that Eisenhower era.

The '50s, as an era, was

repudiated in the '80s.

Young people are

the only people

in this whole country that

have saved the soul of America.

It was a completely

changed world .

America was at war with itself

as well as at war with vietnam .

My brother was in military

medical evacuations.

He had joined the Navy.

He wound up in vietnam ,

as so many young men did.

L was at a horse show at the

Cow Palace in san Francisco.

And l was sitting on my horse

at the back gate waiting

for the announcer to

announce my horse Nob H ill

and myself for the next

entry into the arena.

And l saw a man in

military uniform coming ,

and he walked over to me, and

he said , are you Art Gelien?

L just want to tell you your

brother was killed in vietnam .

L thought, why him?

Why not me?

Walt was married, and

he had seven children .

L remember taking the moment,

closing my eyes, and saying ,

walt, l ' m gonna win

this class for you.

And my horse won the

class that night.

And then afterwards l

went back to the barn .

And when l was in the stall with

my horse, l totally lost it.

L was scared of my own shadow.

My brother was the one who

opened the doors of life

for me.

L really looked

up to him so much .

My mother was very stoic

about my brother's death.

She was getting better,

but it took a while.

L was very concerned

about her well-being ,

and l would see her a great

deal more than l had when l was

running around with the movies.

L found her a little

apartment in Long Beach.

Whatever she need , l

would be there for her.

Well , l made a promise to my

mother to take care of her.

And l definitely was

going to keep it.

L had to create

work in some way.

L discovered dinner theater.

Dinner theater was a place where

people could come and stuff

their faces, then sit back,

and while they were getting

to belch , watch the show they

you were doing . (LAuG H l NG)

They were becom ing

very, very popular.

There was a stigma attached

to working dinner theaters.

They said that it was the place

that old actors went to die.

L was making more

money at dinner theater

than l was waiting for a picture

now and then in Hollywood ,

that' s for sure--

six weeks here,

eight weeks there, four weeks

here, all over the country.

L felt l had to keep going once

you put yourself in that gear.

L was on the road constantly.

L NTERvl EwER: Your

story in " Here Lies

Jeremy Troy, " which

is at the Grand

Dinner Theater in Anaheim--

That' s right.

We' ll be there for eight weeks.

It's right opposite the

entrance to Disneyland .

It' s a very lonely,

lonely existence.

You perform in front

of 1 ,500 people,

and you go home to a hotel

room in the middle of nowhere

by yourself.

Working at dinner theater

was very exhausting .

And doing that every single

night took a toll on me.

L wore myself right

into the ground

to the point of where

l had a heart attack.

L was sure that it

could be the end .

L was wondering if l was

going to be able to make it,

and l was praying a lot.

L did give up dinner

theater after that.

L learned to try to relax a bit.

L learned to be grateful

for every moment

and thankful-- thankful .

L love the church .

L love my religion .

But l still just felt

like l was such an outcast

because of my sexuality.

It took a long time for

me to find my way back.

It was so peaceful ,

and it was so important

that l try to be a part of it.

And l struck up a conversation

with a priest who l felt

l can really communicate with.

L told him l was a

Catholic, and l told him l

had some terrible reservations.

He was so receptive.

And he really made me

feel better about myself.

He was discovering something

about his own truth.

For a man to have to live

in someone else's presuming

about who you should love,

how do you ever know yourself?

He was going to go where

his heart told him to go.

By going back to my church

and my beliefs, that really,

really helped me through

a very difficult period .

And little by little, l just

felt the weight of the world

was lifted from me.

L knew Tab is an

image, you know?

And that was the thing that

was so very important to me

and why l so much wanted

him to be in Polyester. "

lt's Todd , honey.

Todd?

Todd Tomorrow?

John waters called me up

on the telephone and said ,

l 've got a script l ' d like you

to read for a film with Divine.

What do you think, sweetheart?

Oh , it's very high brow, Todd .

And then he said ,

how would you feel

about kissing a

(LAuGH l NG) And l

just said , l ' m sure

l 've kissed a hell

of a lot worse.

John 's films were outrageous.

L prayed that he would never

go watch " Pink Flamingos. "

Happy birthday, fatso.

Oh!

And he did .

How could anyone be

filthier than Divine?

Even then , he didn 't

say, oh , well , never mind .

He was unafraid.

L remember an agent

saying to me at the time,

you can 't do that film .

And my response was,

what have l got to lose?

Where's my career now?

L thought this will

be a lot of fun.

Why don 't you show me

your bedroom , honey?

Mother may l ?

Yes, you may.

Ooh!

L could only afford

him for one week.

L ' m sure it was the least

Tab H unter was ever paid ,

and it was by far the most

l had ever paid anybody.

Doing a film for John , you

got to find a spot on the floor

where you can sit down between

takes-- cold pizza at 2 :00

AM . (LAuG H l NG)

Are you my little flesh pot?

Mm-hmm .

It was the first

time ever we had

quote, "a real

movie star" come in

and work with my movie stars.

Tab made out with

Divine who was in drag .

People could not

believe their eyes.

That' s why the movie worked

because they together

were a great screen couple.

A couple of people said ,

oh, don 't worry about it.

Nobody' s gonna see this film .

The movie came out.

It was a hit.

And it definitely

revitalized my career.

Mr. Tab H unter, yay!

Well , there was a

whole new audience

that never heard of Tab H unter.

Now, what is the

best time of the month

for a woman to conceive?

L feel like a new old

face or an old new face.

So l ' m getting my toe in the

door to start all over again.

It's very exciting

Tab was serious

about his career.

But he never took

himself that seriously.

DR. ERNO: Tab, what do

you do for a living?

Well , Erno, l ' m a

Hollywood movie star,

and l 've been in over 40 films,

and l lived in Beverly H ills.

That sounds exciting .

He found himself amusing .

When you have a sense

of humor about yourself,

people appreciate

you in another way.

L wanted to work

with Divine again.

L had come up with the idea

of doing a western comedy.

It was called

" Lust in the Dust. "

ANNOuNCER: Tab H unter

is the stranger.

And Divine is Rosy valdez.

Come and get it.

L turned over every

stone l possibly

could trying to get " Lust

in the Dust" going forward .

The first time l

saw Tab in person

was when he walked

into my office

at Fox to pitch

" Lust in the Dust. "

Tab still had that star quality.

And l mentioned the

project to Allan.

And he hit on it right away and

said , what a wonderful idea.

Once Tab left the

meeting , l thought, yeah,

" Lust in the Dust" could work.

L knew l could trust

him almost immediately.

L found Allan very

attractive, very bright,

and l wanted to spend

more time with him .

Tab started calling me.

And l thought

initially it was just

a follow up about " Lust in the

Dust, " but it went beyond that.

Tab was 30 years

older and l was.

L was 23.

Tabb was 53.

But once we did

connect, l couldn 't

imagine us not being together.

And then the more our

personal relationship grew,

the more l was determ ined

to get that movie done.

L tried to get it

going at Fox, and there

was a little bit of

interest, but they

ultimately passed on it.

Tab said to me l should get

involved and produce this.

Well , that would mean having

to leave my secure job

at Fox, which l did.

People told me l was taking a

big risk leaving the studio.

But l had a hunch

that my future would

be better with Tab, so l left.

He single-handedly raised

all the money for that film .

You got it all wrong , honey.

You 've been cheap all your life.

Cheap?

L was the sister of Divine.

This furniture is cheap.

L looked like a

drag queen , you know?

(LAuGH l NG) l think

that was the idea.

My love scene with Tab

H unter-- we were in a shower.

It was delicious.

The first film l ever appeared

in was " Lust in the Dust. "

That set, in particular, had a

real sense of frivolity and fun

about it.

And l remember being

struck by Tab' s naturalism

and how effortlessly everything

he was doing was com ing across.

Victory shifts from man to man .

Deuteronomy?

Homer.

Everybody was sort of

playing it larger than life.

" Lust in the Dust"

was well received ,

and it certainly opened doors

for us to do other things.

ALLAN GLAsER: Tab

definitely had a value.

L got a lot of meetings just

because Tab was attached .

We were doing these

independent projects,

and Tab' s celebrity helped

me raise the financing .

It was a very

productive time for us.

For me, it was a challenge to

make it work, which l enjoyed .

But not so m uch for Tab.

He didn 't find that

same excitement

that l found in trying to

get these projects going .

Well , l never paid a

lot of attention what

was happening in Hollywood .

L let Allan do all

of that because he

was really good at it.

How are you?

Tab H unter.

By this time, Tab wasn 't

too happy to continue acting .

Tab was still getting offers,

but he turned 90o%c of everything

he was offered down .

People were coming out, and

that was their choice to do so,

and l respect that.

Personally, l didn 't want my

sexuality to define who l was.

L just didn 't talk about.

It's not my comfort zone.

L was point-blank asked

about my sexuality.

Wasn 't it difficult

to be in a closet?

Some of the press occasionally

would cross that boundary,

l ' m entitled to have

that line there,

and if l don 't want to share

that with you , l won 't.

L think it probably

means l finally made it.

L mean , you can 't be a star

without having a gay rumor out

there, can you? (LAuGH l NG)

l n some respects,

the business is

still like it was in the ' 50s.

It may be a lot more

socially acceptable to be gay.

But l know several

people who are very

prominent in this industry who

feel, perhaps legitimately,

that if they came out it would

affect their box office appeal .

Let's put it this way, fellas,

a Gillette shave turns a trick.

For someone who is the fantasy

for women all across America

and the world , to come

out in the public and say,

l ' m gay and expect to play

leading men is an issue.

It's still tricky.

Every actor who has a

secret, like being gay,

there's a part of us that

are afraid of Hollywood .

We' re afraid to be

who we are com pletely.

That' s a hard life to lead.

After decades of being in

the public eye, all l wanted

was my privacy.

L n order to achieve that, l just

withdrew from it all for good .

My life had been very transient.

L never thought

of settling down .

But then Allan came

into my life and just

opened up whole new vistas.

We' re so much of a

part of each other

now because we have been

together for so long .

And it's just one

of those things.

It works.

Allan 's a very

stabilizing influence.

L have a wonderful

relationship with Allan that's

grown over 30-some years.

This is really an

incredible person that l

want to spend my life with.

What brings Tab pleasure

on a daily basis,

and l can sum it up in

one word , is Harlow.

This old cow, look at her.

ALLAN G LAsER: Harlow, Tab's

horse, is what gives Tab joy.

This is what makes me happiest.

This is where l really

feel more at ease

than l would anywhere else.

It's getting up in

the morning, having

to go clean out that stall ,

having to groom that horse.

Whoa, listen to

your belly growl!

That sounds like a pretty good

life-- riding horses and just

kind of cooling his heels.

OK move your tush , sweetheart.

He' s a better man than l am .

L try to stay away from

anything weighing 1 ,400 pounds

and has a brain the

size of a walnut.

When you have a passion

that fulfills you ,

you don 't look to other

areas to fill you up.

Tab is an incredible

horseman and always has been,

and that is a career in itself.

Well , my acting career l look

at as being all in the past.

L loved it, bud l love

where l am now in my life.

And l am happy to be forgotten .

Tab' s attitude to

his Hollywood career

is been there, done that.

He calls it his past life,

which drives me nuts.

L found this is at flea market.

It' s something that

he could em brace,

but he doesn 't care to do it.

He did it.

He let go of it.

He doesn 't even want to

see himself on television .

If he's laying in bed and an

old movie of his comes on ,

he doesn 't stop for one second .

Forget it.

ALLAN GLAsER: He just

flips through the channel

like it was a dog food

commercial and keeps going.

Well , a-- a boy' s best

friend is his mother.

We were casting

" Lust in the Dust, "

and there was this character

named Hardcase williams.

And l thought Tony Perkins

would be perfect for that role.

ANNOuNCER: 22 years later,

Norman Bates is home.

" Psycho l l " had just come out.

Tony was getting a tremendous

amount of publicity.

Tab was having a

career resurgence

at the same exact

time Tony Perkins was.

He said , Tony Perkins--

do you know him?

(LAuGH l NG) l said ,

yeah , Allan , l know him .

(LAuGH l NG) l contacted

Tony, went up

to his house up on Mulholland .

L hadn 't seen him

in a long while.

H is wife Mary answered the door.

Tony had married , had a family.

And l presented Tony

with the script.

And he said he really

would like to do it,

but he just didn 't think it

was the right project for him

at the time.

And Tony and l said

goodbye that afternoon ,

and that was the last

time that l saw Tony.

Al Ds has taken the life

of actor Anthony Perkins.

He died saturday at

his Los Angeles home.

L never felt that Tony was

struggling with his identity.

And when l did hear of it, l

was really quite surprised .

Maybe he was deep down unhappy

with himself about being gay

and wanted to change that.

H is choice was right

for him , and it's

all part of a person 's growth .

Tony was who he was, or

maybe he wanted to be.

That was good enough for me.

L had no right-- no one does--

to be judgmental or to second

guess his pursuit of happiness.

There are an awful lot of

people who have feelings,

and they' re in conflict

with themselves.

And it's a terribly difficult

thing to have to go through .

L think you have to

be true to yourself.

My mother never said

l love you a lot.

But she' d show it when

you 'd least expect it.

My mother and l are

sitting on the back terrace

having breakfast one

morning after church .

And she leaned over and kissed

me on the cheek and said ,

l love you very much .

L was in a good place with her.

L know that.

And she was in a

good place with me.

L miss her.

There' s something

well-grounded about Tab.

That's why he's lasted all

these years is that he' s real .

He' s like the earth.

He' s solid .

He's happy in his own

special way to live his life,

and he' s had a happy life.

He chose that right road .