Alicia I love this movie so much

TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Tom Willett (yonhope) This is a great documentary. It is not a boring account of the numbers of movies he made or records he sold or a fan girl rant about the greatness of Hollywood and its possibly handsomest leading man. This is a very true story of someone who was down, then up, then down again and back up. He did not let himself become part of the Hollywood problem that had to be kept secret. He broke away and did Polyester and Lust in the Dust after Hollywood had thrown him into the scrap heap of old pretty but wrinkled toys. His ice skating and love of horses and other scenes show that he was a real person, not just management's flavor of the month. Hooray for Tab Hunter. We need many more like him.

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.

blanche-2 Tab Hunter Confidential is a wonderful documentary - basically an interview with the man himself, peppered with film and television clips, photos, magazines, and reminiscences about the ups and downs of Hollywood stardom.Urged into acting by his friend and later agent Dick Clayton, Hunter was signed by Henry Willson, who had many youngsters like Hunter. Willson promptly changed his name from Art Gelien to Tab Hunter. Hunter learned acting by acting, and eventually was signed by Warner Brothers, who built him up and publicized him. He became one of the hottest teen idols of the '50s as a result. Not that he didn't have other abilities - he could sing, he was a champion ice skater, and an expert horseman.He also was gay, and the studio protected him. When he bought out his Warners contract, he found out he was fair game for the tabloids; not only that, but leaving Warners was a big mistake career-wise. After a few years of low-budget films and dinner theater, he found his way back via John Waters and Divine.Hunter today is as charming and appealing as ever, a handsome, grounded man with a keen sense of humor and insight about Hollywood and being gay in the '50s. He touches on some of his relationships and talks about his mother and his older brother.One of the most interesting things he talks about is the change in "types" and how his type - the all-American boy -- had to move over for the anti-hero. First it was the classic, heroic look, the handsomer the better, then the bad boys, then the ethnic stars mostly thanks to "The Godfather" -- and then the pretty boys came back.Director Jeffrey Schwartz has done an excellent job of keeping this documentary moving quickly and helping to make it both interesting and informative.This is a must-see for anyone interested in classic films or the old stars. Tab Hunter is an excellent interview, and it's easy to see why all those teens found him so darned appealing.

jakob13 Tab Hunter Confidential is based on the actor's 'tell-it-all' book. Don't expect a Hollywood version of 'Dorian Grey'; of a young drop-dead Adonis who, at 85, has lost his looks. Far from it, he may be an 'old man', but he has exercised his druthers throughout his life to let us into his closeted life.Today, we cannot imagine the Hollywood of the Eisenhower era, when young premiers like Hunter captured the hearts of millions of young girls (and boys). Director Jeffrey Schwarz has smartly recovered those days of the '50s through studio photographs, magazines and Hunter's films. Hunter had piercing blue eyes that held you as though against your will; his smile, his seemingly white perfect teeth sparkled, and his bare muscled chest aroused strange feelings of pleasure that in those days, if publicly expressed, would not garner approval.And what's more, Hunter plied his trade through hard work and an inner enthusiasm that made him a star. As his fellow actor Robert Wagner remarked he was a spark that caught fire, for his role in the film version of Leon Uris' bestseller 'Battle Cry'. In a way, his Danny Forrester commits adultery with an officer's wife, a no-no subject of those days, which to a moderate degree stepped on the Screen Code.He was under contract to Warner Brothers, and Jack Warner used all the studio's resources to bolster his career. Tab Hunter had talent as clips from Playhouse 90, a live television show, that proved he was a 90-day wonder, nor go against teenybopper idol type. Furthermore, he had a talent for song: his version of 'Young Love' (which Pat Boone also sang) stayed on the charts at number 1 got six weeks, knocking even Elvis off his pedestal.He had a short-lived television, that bombed for its mindlessness.But Hunter had a secret: he was a homosexual, when, homosexuality was, according to medical authority, a mental disease. Tightly locked in his closet, Warner Brothers publicity department did everything to project an image of him as a boy any mother would want for her daughter. Anything and everything was done to protect the studio's cash cow!For a good idea of 'gay' Hollywood way back then, it is worthwhile to see Bill Condon's 'Gods and Monsters'. The secret got out in the tabloids when he left his agent, and his career dried up when he bought himself out of his contract. As his career dried up, he was forced to take any role he could in very bad films. He found financial stability in equestrianism and dinner theater, but at a price on his health. The strain of doing that form of acting that rewards him handsomely but left him little time for a life was costly, and in early middle age he had a heart attack, and subsequently left the theatre.We get a glimpse of Hunter's love life, that is, as much as he wishes to tell us; he had a good/so-so-good tumble with Anthony Perkins. And at 53, he found his long-time companion Allan Glaser, who produced 'Tab Hunter Confidential'.Abandoned by his father, he was the good son who took care of his mother who had severe mental problems until she died well into advanced age. Brought up a Catholic, he eventually made peace with his church.The spark of his career flamed up again when paired by John Waters with Divine in 'Polyester' and more so in 'Lust in the Dust'. But by then, Hunter sought his life in the comfort of his privacy, making rare appearances.Lightly touched on is his champion-like ability as an ice skater, other than his affair with a star ice skater. And nary a word is spoken of the utter disaster that was in performance with Tallulah Bankhead in Tennessee Williams 'Under Milk Wood'. Eighty-five this July, Hunter has had a full live, a lover of more than 30 years, 30 years his junior, and takes daily pleasure in caring for his horse and riding. Stiff with that stiffness old age brings, he is at peace with himself and looks back on his life with a keen eye and an blue eye on the morrow.