Known For
Acting
Known Credits
123
Gender
Female
Birthday
October 17, 1917 (108 years old)
Place of Birth
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.
| 2021 | Journey to Royal: A WWII Rescue Missionas Self | |
| 2015 | Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversityas Self | |
| 2010 | Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywoodas Self | |
| 2008 | Empire State Building Murdersas Norah Strinberg | |
| 2008 | The Grand Inquisitoras Hazel Reedy | |
| 2006 | Chloe's Prayeras | |
| 2006 | Dalton Trumbo: Rebel in Hollywoodas Herself | |
| 1996 | Blacklist: Hollywood on Trialas Herself | |
| 1988 | The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Windas Self (archive footage) | |
| 1988 | The Play on Oneas Elvi Rogers | |
| 1987 | Star Trek: The Next Generationas Anne Jameson | |
| 1986 | Matlockas Harriet | |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wroteas Elvira Tree | |
| 1981 | Terror Among Usas Marge | |
| 1975 | Medical Storyas Sylvia Brent | |
| 1974 | Harry Oas | |
| 1973 | Police Storyas | |
| 1973 | Police Storyas Mrs. Hines | |
| 1972 | Jigsawas Dr. Gehlen | |
| 1971 | Johnny Got His Gunas Joe's Mother | |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D.as Mrs. Bellows | |
| 1969 | Fear No Evilas Mrs. Varney | |
| 1968 | The Name of the Gameas Claudia Loring | |
| 1968 | The Outsideras | |
| 1967 | Accidental Familyas | |
| 1967 | Ironsideas | |
| 1967 | Ironsideas Sissy Cardwell | |
| 1965 | Run for Your Lifeas Mrs. Southworth | |
| 1964 | Profiles in Courageas Mrs. Ely | |
| 1963 | Breaking Pointas | |
| 1963 | The Outer Limitsas Francesca Fields | |
| 1962 | Sam Benedictas Cora Wilcox | |
| 1961 | Ben Caseyas | |
| 1961 | Cain's Hundredas Gloria Bonner | |
| 1961 | The Defendersas Della Martin | |
| 1960 | The Plunderersas Kate Miller | |
| 1960 | My Three Sonsas Aunt Cecile Blackman | |
| 1959 | The Detectivesas | |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zoneas Mrs. Henderson | |
| 1959 | Laramieas | |
| 1959 | Blue Denimas Jessie Bartley | |
| 1959 | Peck's Bad Girlas Jennifer Peck | |
| 1957 | Bombers B-52as Edith Brennan | |
| 1957 | Back from the Deadas Kate Hazelton | |
| 1957 | Panic!as | |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Catha Duncan | |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Claire Andrews | |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Dr. Sarah Martin | |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Julie Reynolds | |
| 1956 | No Place to Hideas Anne Dobson | |
| 1955 | The 20th Century Fox Houras Mary | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Blanche Herbert | |
| 1955 | Gunsmokeas Sarah | |
| 1955 | A Word to the Wives...as Alice | |
| 1954 | Climax!as Ann Williams | |
| 1954 | Climax!as Julie Brennan | |
| 1954 | Diplomatic Passportas Judy Anderson | |
| 1954 | With This Ringas Elise Miller John | |
| 1952 | The Happy Timeas Susan Bonnard | |
| 1952 | Actors and Sinas Marcia Tillayou (segment Actor's Blood) | |
| 1950 | Your Show of Showsas | |
| 1949 | She Loves Me Notas Midge Mercer | |
| 1949 | Mary Ryan, Detectiveas Mary Ryan | |
| 1949 | Take One False Stepas Martha Wier | |
| 1949 | Jigsawas Mrs. Hartley's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas Janet Willson | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas Kate Brookfield (uncredited) | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas Phoebe Throssel | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas Viola | |
| 1948 | Raw Dealas Ann Martin | |
| 1948 | The Inside Storyas Francine Taylor | |
| 1947 | Smash-Up: The Story of a Womanas Martha Gray | |
| 1947 | Carnegie Hallas Nora Ryan | |
| 1946 | A Letter for Evieas Evie O'Connor | |
| 1945 | The Valley of Decisionas Constance Scott | |
| 1944 | Music for Millionsas Rosalind | |
| 1944 | Bride by Mistakeas Sylvia Lockwood | |
| 1944 | None Shall Escapeas Marja Pacierkowski | |
| 1944 | Twenty Years Afteras (archive footage) | |
| 1943 | Lost Angelas Katie Mallory | |
| 1943 | Cry 'Havoc'as Flo Norris | |
| 1943 | Thousands Cheeras Marsha Hunt | |
| 1943 | Pilot #5as Freddie Andrews | |
| 1943 | The Human Comedyas Diana Steed | |
| 1942 | Seven Sweetheartsas Regina 'Reggie' Van Maaster | |
| 1942 | Panama Hattieas Leila Tree | |
| 1942 | The Affairs of Marthaas Martha Lindstrom | |
| 1942 | Kid Glove Killeras Jane Mitchell | |
| 1942 | Joe Smith, Americanas Mary Smith | |
| 1941 | Unholy Partnersas Gail Fenton | |
| 1941 | Blossoms in the Dustas Charlotte | |
| 1941 | I'll Wait for Youas Pauline Miller | |
| 1941 | The Penaltyas Katherine Logan | |
| 1941 | Cheers for Miss Bishopas Hope Thompson | |
| 1941 | The Trial of Mary Duganas Agatha Hall | |
| 1940 | Flight Commandas Claire | |
| 1940 | Ellery Queen, Master Detectiveas Barbara Braun | |
| 1940 | Pride and Prejudiceas Mary Bennet | |
| 1940 | Women in Hidingas Jane Taylor | |
| 1940 | Hollywood: Style Center of the Worldas Self | |
| 1940 | Ireneas Miss Eleanor Worth | |
| 1939 | Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the Presidentas Kitty Crusper | |
| 1939 | Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Congaas Herself (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | These Glamour Girlsas Betty Ainsbridge | |
| 1939 | Winter Carnivalas Lucy Morgan | |
| 1939 | The Hardys Ride Highas Susan Bowen | |
| 1939 | Star Reporteras Barbara Burnette | |
| 1939 | The Long Shotas Martha Sharon | |
| 1938 | Come On, Leathernecks!as Valerie Taylor | |
| 1937 | Hell Townas Judy Rustoe | |
| 1937 | Born to the Westas Judy Worstall | |
| 1937 | Thunder Trailas Amy Morgan | |
| 1937 | Annapolis Saluteas Julia Clemens | |
| 1937 | Easy Livingas Girl Getting Coat Dropped on Her at Finale (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Murder Goes to Collegeas Nora Barry | |
| 1936 | College Holidayas Sylvia Smith | |
| 1936 | The Accusing Fingeras Claire Patterson | |
| 1936 | Easy to Takeas Donna Westlake | |
| 1936 | Hollywood Boulevardas Patricia Blakeford | |
| 1936 | The Arizona Raidersas Harriett Lindsay | |
| 1936 | Gentle Juliaas Julia Atwater | |
| 1936 | Desert Goldas Judith 'Judy' Belding | |
| 1935 | The Virginia Judgeas Mary Lee Calvert |