REMINSICING …
JEFFREY HUNTER
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor.
He made his Hollywood debut in Fourteen Hours, had star billing by Red Skies of Montana (1952), and first billing in Sailor of the King (1953).
A loan-out to co-star with John Wayne in the title roles of the now-classic western The Searchers began the first of three pictures he made with director John Ford; the other two films he made with Ford were The Last Hurrah and Sergeant Rutledge.
Ford also recommended Hunter to director Nicholas Ray for the role of Jesus in the Biblical film King of Kings, a difficult part met by critical reaction that ranged from praise to ridicule. Among an all-star cast in the World War II battle epic The Longest Day, he provided a climactic heroic act of leading an ultimately successful attempt to breach the defense wall atop Normandy's Omaha Beach but dying in the process.
With the demise of the studio contract system in the early 1960s and the outsourcing of much feature production, Hunter, like many other leading men of the 1950s, had to find work in B movies produced in Europe, Hong Kong, and Mexico, with the occasional television guest part in Hollywood.
I have always admired Jeffrey Hunter. I loved his portrayal of Jesus Christ in King Of Kings. A very sensitive and dignified performance - as indeed were his other roles as well. So sad that he died at such an early age.
ReplyDeleteJanie