Peter Huls Hunt (December 19, 1938 – April 26, 2020) was an American theatre, film and television director and theatrical lighting designer.

Life and career

Hunt was born in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, the son of Gertrude (née Orphüls) and George Smith Hunt II, a Minnesota-born industrial designer. He attended Hotchkiss School and then Yale University, where he received a BA in 1961 and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 1963. Hunt began his professional career as a lighting designer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 1958. He became artistic director in 1989, a post he held until 1995. He had an active career on Broadway as well, first as a lighting designer and then director. In 1969, he helmed the Broadway

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

'', winning the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Direction of a Musical for his efforts. His next project, '' Georgy'', was less successful, closing after only four performances. He received a second Tony nomination for ''

Goodtime Charley ''Goodtime Charley'' is a musical with a book by Sidney Michaels, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady. A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Dauphin of France, who evolves from a hedonistic young man en ...

'' in 1975. His last Broadway project was ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

'' in 1997. He directed several benefit shows for the Actors Fund in Los Angeles, including staged readings of ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'' and ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

''. Hunt's feature film credits include the screen adaptation of ''

'' and '' Give 'em Hell, Harry!'' He directed numerous

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

s, including four based on the ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset ...

'' series and '' Dead Man's Island'' starring

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress and singer, who starred as the title character in the sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965–1970). Her other roles included Roslyn Pierce opposite Elvis Presley in ...

. He also directed episodes of ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...

'', ''

Baywatch Nights ''Baywatch Nights'' is an American science-fiction mystery drama television series that aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997. Created by Douglas Schwartz, David Hasselhoff, and Gregory J. Bonann, the series is a spin-off from the telev ...

'', and ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Ma ...

'', among others. He was producer-director of four of the feature adaptations in the Peabody Award-winning Mark Twain Series on PBS including ''

Life on the Mississippi ''Life on the Mississippi'' is a memoir by Mark Twain of his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War published in 1883. It is also a travel book, recounting his trips on the Mississippi River, from St. L ...

'' and ''

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is a picaresque novel by American author Mark Twain that was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, th ...

''. Hunt was the uncle of actress

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying newlywed Jamie Buchman in the sitcom '' Mad Abou ...

, through his half-brother, director Gordon Hunt. He resided in Los Angeles, California. He was married to former actress Barbette Tweed, daughter of lawyer/civic leader Harrison Tweed. The couple had three children. Hunt died on April 26, 2020, from complications of

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

at the age of 81.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1972) * ''The Karen Valentine Show'' (1973 TV special short) * '' Hello Mother, Goodbye!'' (1974 TV movie) * '' Give 'em Hell, Harry!'' (1975, stage production) * ''Mixed Nuts'' (1977 TV short) * ''Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt'' (1978) * ''When She Was Bad...'' (1979 TV movie) * ''

'' (1980 TV movie) * ''

The Private History of a Campaign That Failed "The Private History of a Campaign that Failed" is one of Mark Twain's sketches (1885), a short, highly fictionalized memoir of his two-week stint in the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard. It takes place in Marion County, Missouri, and is ab ...

'' (1981 TV movie) * ''Nuts and Bolts'' (1981 TV movie) * ''Bus Stop'' (1982 TV movie) * '' The Mysterious Stranger'' (1982 TV movie) * ''Skeezer'' (1982 TV movie) * ''Sawyer and Finn'' (1983 TV movie) * ''The Parade'' (1984 TV movie) * ''Sins of the Past'' (1984 TV movie) * ''It Came Upon the Midnight Clear'' (1984 TV movie) * ''

'' (1986 TV mini-series) * ''Charley Hannah'' (1986 TV movie) * '' Mr. and Mrs. Ryan'' (1986 TV movie) * '' The Innocents Abroad'' (1987 TV movie) * '' Secrets'' (1992 TV movie) * ''The Streets of Beverly Hills'' (1992 TV movie) * ''Sworn to Vengeance'' (1993 TV movie)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Peter H. 1938 births 2020 deaths American television directors American theatre directors American lighting designers People from Pasadena, California Hotchkiss School alumni Tony Award winners Film directors from California David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni Deaths from Parkinson's disease in California