Ross Hunter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter (1958)
Born	Martin Terry Fuss (1920-05-06)May 6, 1920 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	March 10, 1996(1996-03-10) (aged 75) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Nationality	American
Occupation	Film and television producer, actor
Years active	1944–1979
Partner(s)	Jacques Mapes

Ross Hunter (born Martin Terry Fuss; May 6, 1920 – March 10, 1996) was an American film and television producer and actor. He was famous for making fun comedies like Pillow Talk (1959). He also produced dramatic movies, often called "melodramas," such as Magnificent Obsession (1954) and Imitation of Life (1959).

Throughout his career, Hunter worked on many types of films. But he was most successful with comedies, musicals, and romantic dramas. These movies were known for being very glamorous and often made people cry.

Biography

Early Life and Start in Hollywood

Ross Hunter was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 6, 1920. His family had Austrian Jewish and German Jewish roots. He went to Glenville High School, where he later taught English and drama. He also taught at Rawlings High School.

During World War II, he worked for the United States Army Intelligence. After the war, he went back to teaching drama. Later, his students sent his photo to Paramount Pictures. He didn't get a contract there, but he did sign with Columbia Pictures. At Columbia, a casting agent changed his name from "Martin Fuss" to "Ross Hunter."

From Actor to Producer

In the 1940s, Hunter acted in several "B-movies." These were lower-budget films. He played the main character in his first movie, Louisiana Hayride (1944). He also had supporting roles in other films. His acting career slowed down when he got sick from penicillin poisoning.

After acting, he returned to teaching drama. But he really missed working in movies. He decided he wanted to be a film producer instead. He learned about film production for free at the Motion Picture Center Studio. He said he wanted to be the one giving out jobs, not just getting them.

Learning the Ropes

Hunter started as a dialogue director. This job means helping actors with their lines and how they say them. He worked on films like The Jackie Robinson Story (1950). He also worked on Woman on the Run (1950) with Ann Sheridan, who helped him a lot.

Then, he became an associate producer. This means he helped the main producer with many tasks. In 1951, Universal-International hired him for Flame of Araby. He saved the studio a lot of money on the film's budget. This made the executives happy and they raised his salary. He worked on several more films as an associate producer.

Becoming a Top Producer

In 1953, Universal-International made Ross Hunter a staff producer. This meant he was in charge of making films. His first movie as the main producer was All I Desire (1953). It was a drama that cost $460,000 to make but earned over $2 million!

Big Hits and Famous Stars

Hunter's career really took off with Magnificent Obsession (1954). This movie starred Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. It was a huge success, making over $5 million. This film helped make Rock Hudson a big star.

He then made many popular films. He often worked with director Douglas Sirk and stars like Rock Hudson and Barbara Stanwyck. These movies included All That Heaven Allows (1955), which was very popular.

Hunter also found success with romantic comedies. His first big comedy hit was Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) with Debbie Reynolds. It earned $3 million.

Imitation of Life and Pillow Talk

In 1959, Hunter had two massive hits: Imitation of Life and Pillow Talk. Imitation of Life was a drama starring Lana Turner and Sandra Dee. It was one of the most successful films of 1959.

Pillow Talk was a romantic comedy with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. It was even more popular! After these successes, Ross Hunter was the most successful producer at Universal. Critics sometimes didn't love his movies, but audiences certainly did. Hunter once said he gave people what they wanted: "a chance to dream, to live vicariously, to see beautiful women, jewels, gorgeous clothes, melodrama."

He continued to make popular films, including the musical Flower Drum Song (1961). He also made more comedies with Doris Day, like The Thrill of It All (1963). He even made a serious drama, The Chalk Garden (1964), which was well-received.

In 1964, he signed a big contract with Universal to make three films a year. He had another huge hit with the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), starring Julie Andrews.

In 1970, he produced Airport, which was a major box office success. It even earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Picture. However, after this, he left Universal Studios.

Later Career in Film and TV

After leaving Universal, Hunter went to Columbia Pictures. There, he produced the musical remake of Lost Horizon (1973). This film was not successful and lost a lot of money. It was the last feature film he produced.

Later, in 1975, Hunter started producing for television. He made TV movies like The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975). In 1977, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for producing the miniseries The Moneychangers. He shared this nomination with his long-time friend and production partner, Jacques Mapes.

His last project was the 1979 TV movie The Best Place to Be.

Death

Ross Hunter passed away from cancer in Los Angeles on March 10, 1996. He was 75 years old. He was survived by his long-time partner, Jacques Mapes, who was also his production partner. They are buried next to each other in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

Actor

Producer