Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm, July 11, 1931 â€" July 8, 2018)
was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for
his blond, clean-cut good looks, Hunter appeared in over 40 films and
was a well-known Hollywood star and heartthrob of the 1950s and 1960s.
Hunter's film credits include Battle Cry (1955), The Girl He Left
Behind (1956), Gunman's Walk (1958) and Damn Yankees! (1958). Hunter
also had a music career in the late 1950s; in 1957, he released a
number one hit single "Young Love". Hunter's 2005 autobiography, Tab
Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, was a New York Times
bestseller.Arthur Andrew Kelm was born in Manhattan, New York City,
the son of Gertrude (née Gelien) and Charles Kelm. Kelm's father was
Jewish, and his mother was a German Catholic immigrant from Hamburg.
He had an older brother, Walter. Kelm's father was reportedly abusive,
and within a few years of his birth, his parents divorced. He was
raised in California, living with his mother, his brother, and his
maternal grandparents, John Henry and Ida (née Sonnenfleth) Gelien;
the family resided in San Francisco, Long Beach and Los Angeles. His
mother re-assumed her maiden surname, Gelien, and changed her sons’
surnames as well. As a teenager, Arthur Gelien (as he was then known)
was a figure skater, competing in both singles and pairs. Gelien was
sent to Catholic school by his religious mother.Gelien joined the
United States Coast Guard at age 15, lying about his age to enlist.
While in the Coast Guard, he gained the nickname "Hollywood" for his
penchant for watching movies rather than going to bars while on
liberty. When his superiors discovered his true age, they discharged
him. Gelien met actor Dick Clayton socially; Clayton suggested that he
become an actor.
was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for
his blond, clean-cut good looks, Hunter appeared in over 40 films and
was a well-known Hollywood star and heartthrob of the 1950s and 1960s.
Hunter's film credits include Battle Cry (1955), The Girl He Left
Behind (1956), Gunman's Walk (1958) and Damn Yankees! (1958). Hunter
also had a music career in the late 1950s; in 1957, he released a
number one hit single "Young Love". Hunter's 2005 autobiography, Tab
Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, was a New York Times
bestseller.Arthur Andrew Kelm was born in Manhattan, New York City,
the son of Gertrude (née Gelien) and Charles Kelm. Kelm's father was
Jewish, and his mother was a German Catholic immigrant from Hamburg.
He had an older brother, Walter. Kelm's father was reportedly abusive,
and within a few years of his birth, his parents divorced. He was
raised in California, living with his mother, his brother, and his
maternal grandparents, John Henry and Ida (née Sonnenfleth) Gelien;
the family resided in San Francisco, Long Beach and Los Angeles. His
mother re-assumed her maiden surname, Gelien, and changed her sons’
surnames as well. As a teenager, Arthur Gelien (as he was then known)
was a figure skater, competing in both singles and pairs. Gelien was
sent to Catholic school by his religious mother.Gelien joined the
United States Coast Guard at age 15, lying about his age to enlist.
While in the Coast Guard, he gained the nickname "Hollywood" for his
penchant for watching movies rather than going to bars while on
liberty. When his superiors discovered his true age, they discharged
him. Gelien met actor Dick Clayton socially; Clayton suggested that he
become an actor.
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