Ian Hunter (13 June 1900 – 22 September 1975) was a Cape Colony-born British actor of stage, film and television.

Acting career

On his return from military service Hunter studied under Elsie Fogerty at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

, then based in the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

, London. Within two years he made his stage debut. He decided to work in British silent films taking a part in '' Not for Sale'' (1924) directed by W.P. Kellino for Stoll Pictures. Hunter made his first trip to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

because

Basil Dean Basil Herbert Dean CBE (27 September 1888 – 22 April 1978) was an English actor, writer, producer and director in the theatre and in cinema. He founded the Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool Repertory Company in 1911 and in the First World War, a ...

, the British actor and director, was producing

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

's '' The School for Scandal'' at the Knickerbocker Theater. However, the production folded after one performance. He met the director

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

in 1927 and was featured in Hitchcock's '' The Ring'' (1927) and stayed for '' Downhill'' (US: ''When Boys Leave Home'', 1927) and '' Easy Virtue'' (1928), based on the

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

play. By late 1928, he returned to Broadway for only a months run in the original comedy ''Olympia'' and stayed in America to work in Hollywood on ''

Syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...

'' (1929) for RKO, his first sound film. Hunter returned to London for Dean's thriller '' Escape'' (1930). In '' The Girl from 10th Avenue'' (1935) with

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

, Hunter made his connection with

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

But before settling in with them through much of the 1930s, he did three pictures in succession with British director

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...

. He then appeared as the Duke in ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (1935) for Warner Bros. It marked the start of a string of nearly 30 films for the studio. Among the best remembered was his jovial King Richard the Lionheart in ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'' (1938). Hunter was also paired in seven movies with Kay Francis between 1935 and 1938. Hunter appeared in '' The Little Princess'' (1939) as Captain Reginald Crewe. And he was the benign guardian angel-like Cambreau in Loew's '' Strange Cargo'' (1940) with

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

and

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

. He was staying regularly busy in Hollywood until into 1942 when he returned to Britain to serve in the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

effort. Hunter appeared once more on Broadway in 1948 and made '' Edward, My Son'' (1949) for MGM-British with

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

directing and

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...

and

Deborah Kerr Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a Scottish actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first person from Scotland to be no ...

in the lead roles. Hunter worked once more for Michael Powell ('' The Queen's Guards'', 1961) and then retired in the middle of that decade after nearly 100 films. Among dozens of film roles, his best-remembered appearances include '' That Certain Woman'' (1937) with

, ''

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

'' (1939, as King Edward IV), and ''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is an 1886 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series ...

'' (1941, as Dr. Lanyon). Hunter returned to the Robin Hood legend in the TV series ''

'' from 1955 in the recurring role of Sir Richard of the Lea. His numerous West End roles included appearances in '' London Life'' (1924), '' The High Road'' (1927), '' A Song of Sixpence'' (1930), '' Good Losers'' (1931), '' Can the Leopard...?'' (1931), '' Take a Chance'' (1931), '' Touch Wood'' (1934), Dead Secret (1952) and ''

South Sea Bubble South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

'' (1956).

Marriage and children

Hunter married Catharine "Casha" Pringle in 1917. They had two sons, including the actor Robin Hunter.

Filmography

* '' Not for Sale'' (1924) as Martin Bering * '' Confessions'' (1925) as Charles Oddy * '' A Girl of London'' (1925) as Peter Horniman * '' The Ring'' (1927) as Bob Corby * '' Downhill'' aka ''When Boys Leave Home'' (1927) as Archie * '' His House in Order'' (1928) as Hilary Jesson * '' Easy Virtue'' (1928) as The Plaintiff's Counsel * '' The Physician'' (1928) as Dr. Carey * '' The Valley of Ghosts'' (1928) as Andrew McLeod * '' The Thoroughbred'' (1928) as Allen Stockbridge * ''

'' (1929) as Alexander Winston * '' Escape'' (1930) as Detective * '' Cape Forlorn'' aka ''The Love Storm'' (1931) as Gordon Kingsley * '' Sally in Our Alley'' (1931) as George Miles * '' The Water Gipsies'' (1932) as Fred Green * '' The Sign of Four'' aka ''The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case'' (1932) as Dr. John H. Watson * '' Marry Me'' (1932) as Robert Hart * '' The Man from Toronto'' (1933) as Fergus Wimbush * '' The Silver Spoon'' (1934) as Captain Watts-Winyard * ''

Orders Is Orders ''Orders Is Orders'' is a 1933 British comedy film starring Charlotte Greenwood, James Gleason and Cyril Maude about an American film crew who move into a British army barracks to start making a film, much to the commander's horror. Much of t ...

'' (1934) as Capt. Harper * '' The Church Mouse'' (1934) as Johnathan Steele * '' No Escape'' (1934) as Jim Brandon * '' Something Always Happens'' (1934) as Peter Middleton * ''

Death at Broadcasting House ''Death at Broadcasting House'', also known as ''Death at a Broadcast'', is a 1934 UK, British mystery film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Ian Hunter (actor), Ian Hunter, Austin Trevor, Henry Kendall (actor), Henry Kendall, and Jack Ha ...

'' aka ''Death at a Broadcast'' (1934) as Detective Inspector Gregory * '' Lazybones'' (1935) as Sir Reginald Ford * '' The Girl from 10th Avenue'' (1935) as Geoffrey D. 'Geoff' Sherwood * '' The Night of the Party'' aka ''The Murder Party'' (1935) as Guy Kennington * '' The Phantom Light'' (1935) as Jim Pearce * '' Jalna'' (1935) as Renny Whiteoaks * ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

'' (1935) as Second Knight Pleading to King Richard for Food (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) as Theseus - Duke of Athens * '' I Found Stella Parish'' (1935) as Keith Lockridge * '' The Morals of Marcus'' (1935) as Sir Marcus Ordeyne * '' The White Angel'' (1936) as Reporter Fuller of the London Times * '' To Mary - with Love'' (1936) as Bill Hallam * ''

The Devil Is a Sissy ''The Devil Is a Sissy'' is a 1936 American MGM comedy-drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and Rowland Brown. The film stars Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper and Mickey Rooney, three of the biggest child stars of the 1930s. The film pre ...

'' (1936) as Jay Pierce * '' Stolen Holiday'' (1937) as Anthony Wayne * '' Call It a Day'' (1937) as Roger Hilton * '' Another Dawn'' (1937) as Colonel John Wister * ''

Confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of people – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information that ...

'' (1937) as Leonide Kirow * '' That Certain Woman'' (1937) as Lloyd Rogers * '' 52nd Street'' (1937) as Rufus Rondell * ''

'' (1938) as King Richard the Lion-Heart * '' Always Goodbye'' (1938) as Phillip Marshall * '' Secrets of an Actress'' (1938) as Peter Snowden * '' The Sisters'' (1938) as William Benson * '' Comet Over Broadway'' (1938) as Bert Ballin * '' Yes, My Darling Daughter'' (1939) as Lewis Murray * '' The Little Princess'' (1939) as Captain Crewe * '' Broadway Serenade'' (1939) as Larry Bryant * '' Tarzan Finds a Son!'' (1939) as August Lancing * '' Maisie'' (1939) as Clifford Ames * '' Bad Little Angel'' (1939) as Jm Creighton (Sentinel editor) * ''

'' (1939) as King Edward IV * '' Broadway Melody of 1940'' (1940) as Bert C. Matthews * '' Strange Cargo'' (1940) as Cambreau * '' Dulcy'' (1940) as Gordon Daly * '' The Long Voyage Home'' (1940) as Smitty * '' Bitter Sweet'' (1940) as Lord Shayne * '' Gallant Sons'' (1940) as 'Natural' Davis * '' Come Live with Me'' (1941) as Barton Kendrick * '' Andy Hardy's Private Secretary'' (1941) as Steven V. Land * '' Ziegfeld Girl'' (1941) as Geoffrey Collis * ''

Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

'' (1941) as Eric Keating * ''

'' (1941) as Dr. John Lanyon * '' Smilin' Through'' (1941) as Reverend Owen Harding * '' A Yank at Eton'' (1942) as Roger Carlton * '' It Comes Up Love'' (1943) as Tom Peabody * '' Forever and a Day'' (1943) as Dexter Pomfret * '' Bedelia'' (1946) as Charlie Carrington * '' White Cradle Inn'' aka ''High Fury'' (1947) as Anton * '' The White Unicorn'' aka ''Milkwhite Unicorn'' and ''Bad Sister'' (1947) as Philip Templar * '' Edward, My Son'' (1949) as Doctor Larry Woodhope * '' It Started in Paradise'' (1952) as Arthur Turner * '' Appointment in London'' aka ''Raiders in the Sky'' (1952) as Logan * ''The Divine Creatures'' (1952, TV Movie) as Florent * '' Don't Blame the Stork'' (1954) as Sir George Redway * '' Eight O'Clock Walk'' (1954) as Geoffrey Tanner, Q.C. * ''Fire One'' (1954, TV Movie) as Mr. Dennison * ''It's Never Too Late'' (1954, TV Movie) as Charles Hammond * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' aka ''Pursuit of the Graf Spee'' (1956) as Captain Charles Woodhouse - HMS Ajax * ''South Sea Bubble'' (BBC TV 1956) as Sir George Shotter * '' Fortune Is a Woman'' aka ''She Played with Fire'' (1957) as Clive Fisher * '' Rockets Galore'' aka ''Mad Little Island'' (1958) as Air Commodore Watchorn * '' North West Frontier'' (1959) as Sir John Windham * '' The Bulldog Breed'' (1960) as Adm. Sir Bryanston Blyth * '' Doctor Blood's Coffin'' (1961) as Dr. Robert Blood, Peter's Father * '' The Treasure of Monte Cristo'' (1961) as Colonel Jackson * '' The Queen's Guards'' (1961) as Mr. George Dobbie * '' Guns of Darkness'' (1962) as Dr. Swann * '' Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance'' (1963) as Robert Talbot * ' (1963) as Robert Talbot (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Photos of Ian Hunter from ''The Long Voyage Home''
by Ned Scott {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Ian 1900 births 1975 deaths English male film actors 20th-century English male actors Male actors from Cape Town British expatriate male actors in the United States South African emigrants to the United Kingdom Warner Bros. contract players Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players South African male actors