JohnnyLee1 Fascinating. The star still shines. Some older gay actors are reluctant to talk about their experiences so thank you Mr Hunter. This will help young gay people coming to terms with their sexuality today. Includes interviews with stars like Don Murray, Terry Moore, Debbie Reynolds, Connie Stevens, Darryl Hickman, George Takei - all looking great too!

Bart Anthony Tanner Before seeing the film, I had read Mr. Hunter's autobiography 5 or 6 years ago. Unlike the book this film seems to capture not only the essence of a movie star, but the odyssey of a human life with purpose, determination and finding inner love and peace. It's apparent that his friends and colleagues respect the man as well as the celebrity. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a life story with a great narrative. I thoroughly liked when the film did not shy away from issues that are topical in today's market, such as the media trying to find a story that is not genuine. One of the best 90 minutes one could spend and learn about show business.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. "Made it, Ma. Top of the world!" That line was famously bellowed by James Cagney in the 1949 film WHITE HEAT, and it reasonably could have been shouted behind closed doors, a few years later, by Tab Hunter. Of course, that wouldn't have been the only thing Mr. Hunter was keeping behind those doors. In his 2005 autobiography, he came out publicly as a gay man. Director Jeffrey Schwarz takes that book, and puts a very forthcoming Mr. Hunter in front of the camera, to deliver a fascinating, entertaining and educational glimpse at what it was like to be a movie and musical superstar at a time when being a gay man was not just a social taboo, but actually considered a mental illness.Normally, "talking head" documentaries quickly become tiresome, but now in his 80's, Mr. Hunter remains an engaging and delightful man, and he is so sincere and upfront in telling his stories, that we couldn't possibly turn away. In addition, director Schwarz drops in interviews from those who were there. These include: Debbie Reynolds, Connie Stevens, Robert Wagner (filling in his for his deceased wife Natalie Wood), John Waters, George Takei, and Robert Osborne. Each recall moments from real life, with the studio publicity romances (Reynolds, Stevens, Wood) providing the touch of melancholy that brings focus to the matter at hand.Another entertaining touch added by Schwarz is his use of actual dialogue snippets from Hunter's films to deliver punch to a point – sometimes comedic, sometimes more serious. Never succumbing to the career retrospective approach, the film does offer significant film clips, photographs and recollections of Hunter's unique career that found him #1 at the Box Office, as well as #1 on the Pop Music Charts (his recording of "Young Love" knocked Elvis off the top of the charts).The film could also serve as a historical documenting of the Hollywood Studio system, as Hunter's success with Warner Brothers was never to be duplicated once he gained his contractual release (through buyout). We do go through the career re-birth brought about by Hunter's work in the John Waters offbeat classic POLYSTER, where the former matinée idol finds himself making out on screen with Divine, the 300 pound transvestite who was a fixture in Waters' films. Surprisingly, it's Hunter's fearless approach to the material that makes it click.But beyond the Hollywood insight, the film is most effectively the story of a man who, because of his era, had to be one person in public and another behind the closed doors. Hunter describes this as "being rewarded for pretending to be someone you aren't". He speaks frankly about his relationship with Anthony Perkins, as well as a couple of other serious relationships. We also learn about his childhood, when he had an abusive father and was close to his older brother, who later died in Vietnam. Hunter speaks of being "lost as a kid". Beyond the Hollywood years, it's fascinating to hear Hunter speak of his time on the Dinner Theatre circuit, where he put up with the travel and drudgery so that he could pay the bills and care for his sick mother. We also learn that in addition to his staggering good looks, his on screen appeal, and his musical talent, Hunter was also a world class figure skater and competitive equestrian horse jumper. Yep, Tab Hunter is pretty much the guy we would all despise … if he just wasn't so darned nice and likable!

donna-191-140428 Caught the London screening. The place was packed, not an empty seat in the house, and Mr. Hunter received a thunderous well-deserved standing ovation. This is one of the best celebrity biography docs for a long time, and will bring to a new, younger audience the reality of how the old Hollywood studio system manipulated its stars for their own corporate gain. In Tab Hunter Confidential, Mr. Hunter narrates, sharing his insightful and honest view of the Hollywood star-making system of the 50s and his personal rise, success, frustration and fall at Warner Brothers Studios. With self-deprecating humor and warmth, Mr. Hunter reflects on the policies, plans and politics of the studio which dictated how to live in and survive the public life of a movie star, generating popularity and the adoration of his fans. He combines this with honest reflections of his closeted life as a gay man when the word gay did not even exist at the time. Mr. Hunter's frank and authentic portrait of his loves, his family and his faith are complicated, moving and intelligently presented. Kudos to getting this fascinating autobiography onto the screen with taste and elegance.