Ian Hunter (actor)
Ian Hunter was a South African-born British actor of stage, film and television.
Acting career
On his return from military service Hunter studied under Elsie Fogerty at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then based in the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Within two years he made his stage debut. He decided to work in British silent films taking a part in Not for Sale directed by W.P. Kellino for Stoll Pictures.
Hunter made his first trip to the United States because Basil Dean, the British actor and director, was producing Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal at the Knickerbocker Theater. However, the production folded after one performance. He met the director Alfred Hitchcock in 1927 and was featured in Hitchcock's The Ring and stayed for Downhill and Easy Virtue, based on the Noël Coward play. By late 1928, he returned to Broadway for only a month's run in the original comedy Olympia and stayed in America to work in Hollywood on Syncopation for RKO, his first sound film.
Hunter returned to London for Dean's thriller Escape. In The Girl from 10th Avenue with Bette Davis, Hunter made his connection with Warner Bros. But before settling in with them through much of the 1930s, he did three pictures in succession with British director Michael Powell. He then appeared as the Duke in A Midsummer Night's Dream for Warner Bros. It marked the start of a string of nearly 30 films for the studio. Among the best remembered was his jovial King Richard the Lionheart in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Hunter was also paired in seven movies with Kay Francis between 1935 and 1938.
Hunter appeared in The Little Princess as Captain Reginald Crewe. And he was the benign guardian angel-like Cambreau in Loew's Strange Cargo with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford. He was staying regularly busy in Hollywood until into 1942 when he returned to Britain to serve in the war effort.
Hunter appeared once more on Broadway in 1948 and made Edward, My Son for MGM-British with George Cukor directing and Spencer Tracy and Deborah Kerr in the lead roles. Hunter worked once more for Michael Powell and then retired in the middle of that decade after nearly 100 films.
Among dozens of film roles, his best-remembered appearances include That Certain Woman with Bette Davis, Tower of London, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hunter returned to the Robin Hood legend in the TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1955 in the recurring role of Sir Richard of the Lea.
His numerous West End roles included appearances in London Life, The High Road, A Song of Sixpence, Good Losers, Can the Leopard...?, Take a Chance, Touch Wood, Dead Secret and South Sea Bubble.
Marriage and children
Hunter married Catharine "Casha" Pringle in 1917. They had two sons, including the actor Robin Hunter.
Filmography
Not for Sale as Martin BeringConfessions as Charles OddyA Girl of London as Peter HornimanThe Ring as Bob CorbyDownhill aka When Boys Leave Home as ArchieHis House in Order as Hilary JessonEasy Virtue as The Plaintiff's CounselThe Physician as Dr. CareyThe Valley of Ghosts as Andrew McLeodThe Thoroughbred as Allen StockbridgeSyncopation as Alexander WinstonEscape as DetectiveCape Forlorn aka The Love Storm as Gordon KingsleySally in Our Alley as George MilesThe Water Gipsies as Fred GreenThe Sign of Four aka The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case as Dr. John H. WatsonMarry Me as Robert HartThe Man from Toronto as Fergus WimbushThe Silver Spoon as Captain Watts-WinyardOrders Is Orders as Capt. HarperThe Church Mouse as Johnathan SteeleNo Escape as Jim BrandonSomething Always Happens as Peter MiddletonDeath at Broadcasting House aka Death at a Broadcast as Detective Inspector GregoryLazybones as Sir Reginald FordThe Girl from 10th Avenue as Geoffrey D. 'Geoff' SherwoodThe Night of the Party aka The Murder Party as Guy KenningtonThe Phantom Light as Jim PearceJalna as Renny WhiteoaksThe Crusades as Second Knight Pleading to King Richard for Food A Midsummer Night's Dream as Theseus - Duke of AthensI Found Stella Parish as Keith LockridgeThe Morals of Marcus as Sir Marcus OrdeyneThe White Angel as Reporter Fuller of the London TimesTo Mary - with Love as Bill HallamThe Devil Is a Sissy as Jay PierceStolen Holiday as Anthony WayneCall It a Day as Roger HiltonAnother Dawn as Colonel John WisterConfession as Leonide KirowThat Certain Woman as Lloyd Rogers52nd Street as Rufus RondellThe Adventures of Robin Hood as King Richard the Lion-HeartAlways Goodbye as Phillip MarshallSecrets of an Actress as Peter SnowdenThe Sisters as William BensonComet Over Broadway as Bert BallinYes, My Darling Daughter as Lewis MurrayThe Little Princess as Captain CreweBroadway Serenade as Larry BryantTarzan Finds a Son! as August LancingMaisie as Clifford AmesBad Little Angel as Jm Creighton Tower of London as King Edward IVBroadway Melody of 1940 as Bert C. MatthewsStrange Cargo as CambreauDulcy as Gordon DalyThe Long Voyage Home as SmittyBitter Sweet as Lord ShayneGallant Sons as 'Natural' DavisCome Live with Me as Barton KendrickAndy Hardy's Private Secretary as Steven V. LandZiegfeld Girl as Geoffrey CollisBilly the Kid as Eric KeatingDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Dr. John LanyonSmilin' Through as Reverend Owen HardingA Yank at Eton as Roger CarltonIt Comes Up Love as Tom PeabodyForever and a Day as Dexter PomfretBedelia as Charlie CarringtonWhite Cradle Inn aka High Fury as AntonThe White Unicorn aka Milkwhite Unicorn and Bad Sister as Philip TemplarEdward, My Son as Doctor Larry WoodhopeIt Started in Paradise as Arthur TurnerAppointment in London aka Raiders in the Sky as LoganThe Divine Creatures as FlorentDon't Blame the Stork as Sir George RedwayEight O'Clock Walk as Geoffrey Tanner, Q.C.Fire One as Mr. DennisonIt's Never Too Late as Charles HammondThe Battle of the River Plate aka Pursuit of the Graf Spee as Captain Charles Woodhouse - HMS AjaxSouth Sea Bubble as Sir George ShotterFortune Is a Woman aka She Played with Fire as Clive FisherRockets Galore aka Mad Little Island as Air Commodore WatchornNorth West Frontier as Sir John WindhamThe Bulldog Breed as Adm. Sir Bryanston BlythDoctor Blood's Coffin as Dr. Robert Blood, Peter's FatherThe Treasure of Monte Cristo as Colonel JacksonThe Queen's Guards as Mr. George DobbieGuns of Darkness as Dr. SwannKali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance as Robert Talbot as Robert Talbot