Marsha Hunt

Birthday: 1917-10-17
Deathday: 2022-09-07
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

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