1917-10-17 Chicago, Illinois, USA
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.
 |
Journey to Royal: A WWII Rescue Mission | 2021-02-02 | |
 |
Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity | Self | 2015-09-13 |
 |
Meurtres à l'Empire State Building | Norah Strinberg | 2008-08-14 |
 |
The Grand Inquisitor | Hazel Reedy | 2008-01-01 |
|
Dalton Trumbo: Rebel in Hollywood | Herself | 2006-09-22 |
 |
Chloe's Prayer | 2006-12-20 | |
 |
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial | Herself | 1996-02-27 |
 |
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind | Self (archive footage) | 1988-10-01 |
 |
Terror Among Us | Marge | 1981-01-12 |
 |
Jigsaw | Dr. Gehlen | 1972-03-26 |
 |
Johnny Got His Gun | Joe's Mother | 1971-08-04 |
 |
Fear No Evil | Mrs. Varney | 1969-03-03 |
 |
The Plunderers | Kate Miller | 1960-11-05 |
 |
Blue Denim | Jessie Bartley | 1959-07-30 |
 |
Back from the Dead | Kate Hazelton | 1957-08-12 |
 |
Bombers B-52 | Edith Brennan | 1957-11-22 |
|
No Place to Hide | Anne Dobson | 1956-08-28 |
 |
A Word to the Wives... | Alice | 1955-01-01 |
 |
With This Ring | Elise Miller John | 1954-01-01 |
 |
Diplomatic Passport | Judy Anderson | 1954-08-13 |
 |
The Happy Time | Susan Bonnard | 1952-10-30 |
 |
Actors and Sin | Marcia Tillayou (segment Actor's Blood) | 1952-06-18 |
 |
Take One False Step | Martha Wier | 1949-08-14 |
 |
Mary Ryan, Detective | Mary Ryan | 1949-11-03 |
 |
She Loves Me Not | Midge Mercer | 1949-11-04 |
 |
Jigsaw | Mrs. Hartley's Secretary (uncredited) | 1949-03-11 |
 |
Raw Deal | Ann Martin | 1948-05-21 |
 |
The Inside Story | Francine Taylor | 1948-03-14 |
 |
Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman | Martha Gray | 1947-03-01 |
 |
Carnegie Hall | Nora Ryan | 1947-02-28 |
 |
A Letter for Evie | Evie O'Connor | 1946-01-28 |
 |
The Valley of Decision | Constance Scott | 1945-05-03 |
 |
Music for Millions | Rosalind | 1944-12-18 |
 |
Twenty Years After | (archive footage) | 1944-01-01 |
 |
None Shall Escape | Marja Pacierkowski | 1944-02-03 |
 |
Bride by Mistake | Sylvia Lockwood | 1944-07-26 |
 |
Pilot #5 | Freddie Andrews | 1943-06-24 |
 |
Thousands Cheer | Marsha Hunt | 1943-09-13 |
 |
The Human Comedy | Diana Steed | 1943-03-02 |
 |
Cry 'Havoc' | Flo Norris | 1943-11-23 |
 |
Lost Angel | Katie Mallory | 1943-12-23 |
 |
The Affairs of Martha | Martha Lindstrom | 1942-06-21 |
 |
Panama Hattie | Leila Tree | 1942-09-30 |
 |
Kid Glove Killer | Jane Mitchell | 1942-04-17 |
 |
Seven Sweethearts | Regina 'Reggie' Van Maaster | 1942-11-13 |
 |
Joe Smith, American | Mary Smith | 1942-02-01 |
 |
Cheers for Miss Bishop | Hope Thompson | 1941-02-21 |
 |
Blossoms in the Dust | Charlotte | 1941-08-15 |
 |
The Trial of Mary Dugan | Agatha Hall | 1941-02-14 |
 |
The Penalty | Katherine Logan | 1941-03-13 |
 |
Unholy Partners | Gail Fenton | 1941-11-01 |
 |
I'll Wait for You | Pauline Miller | 1941-05-16 |
 |
Women in Hiding | Jane Taylor | 1940-06-22 |
 |
Irene | Miss Eleanor Worth | 1940-04-23 |
 |
Hollywood: Style Center of the World | Self | 1940-05-29 |
 |
Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Barbara Braun | 1940-11-30 |
 |
Pride and Prejudice | Mary Bennet | 1940-07-26 |
 |
Flight Command | Claire | 1940-12-27 |
 |
Winter Carnival | Lucy Morgan | 1939-07-28 |
 |
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President | Kitty Crusper | 1939-12-01 |
 |
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga | Herself (uncredited) | 1939-09-02 |
 |
These Glamour Girls | Betty Ainsbridge | 1939-08-18 |
 |
The Long Shot | Martha Sharon | 1939-01-06 |
 |
The Hardys Ride High | Susan Bowen | 1939-04-21 |
 |
Star Reporter | Barbara Burnette | 1939-02-22 |
 |
Come On, Leathernecks! | Valerie Taylor | 1938-08-08 |
 |
Born to the West | Judy Worstall | 1937-12-10 |
 |
Murder Goes to College | Nora Barry | 1937-02-24 |
 |
Annapolis Salute | Julia Clemens | 1937-09-10 |
 |
Easy Living | Girl Getting Coat Dropped on Her at Finale (uncredited) | 1937-07-16 |
 |
Thunder Trail | Amy Morgan | 1937-10-21 |
 |
Gentle Julia | Julia Atwater | 1936-04-10 |
 |
The Accusing Finger | Claire Patterson | 1936-11-17 |
 |
Desert Gold | Judith 'Judy' Belding | 1936-03-26 |
 |
Easy to Take | Donna Westlake | 1936-11-06 |
 |
Hollywood Boulevard | Patricia Blakeford | 1936-08-20 |
 |
College Holiday | Sylvia Smith | 1936-12-19 |
 |
The Arizona Raiders | Harriett Lindsay | 1936-06-27 |
 |
The Virginia Judge | Mary Lee Calvert | 1935-09-17 |
