Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter (13 June 1900 – 22 September 1975) was a South African-British actor of stage, film and television.

Early life and education Hunter was born and raised by English parents in the Kenilworth area of Cape Town, South Africa (then governed as Cape Colony). His family moved to London when he was a teenager. In 1917, he enlisted in the British Army, serving in France during the final year of the First World War.

On his return from military service, Hunter studied under Elsie Fogerty at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then based at Royal Albert Hall. Within two years he made his stage debut. He decided to work in British silent films taking a part in Not for Sale (1924) directed by W.P. Kellino for Stoll Pictures.

Career 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 (1927) and stayed for Downhill (US: When Boys Leave Home, 1927) and Easy Virtue (1928), based on the Noël Coward play. and was the benign guardian angel-like Cambreau in Loew's Strange Cargo (1940) 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 (1949) for MGM-British with George Cukor directing and Spencer Tracy and Deborah Kerr in the lead roles. Hunter worked once more for Michael Powell (The Queen's Guards, 1961) 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 (1937) with Bette Davis, Tower of London (1939, as King Edward IV), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941, as Dr. Lanyon). 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.

Personal life Hunter married Catharine "Casha" Pringle in 1917. They had two sons, including the actor Robin Hunter (1929-2004).

Death Hunter died in London on 22 September 1975, at the age of 75.

Filmography

Not for Sale (1924) as Martin Bering Confessions (1925) as Charles Oddy A Girl of London (1925) as Peter Horniman The Ring (1927) as Bob Corby Downhill aka When Boys Leave Home (1927) as Archie His House in Order (1928) as Hilary Jesson Easy Virtue (1928) as The Plaintiff's Counsel The Physician (1928) as Dr. Carey The Valley of Ghosts (1928) as Andrew McLeod The Thoroughbred (1928) as Allen Stockbridge Syncopation (1929) as Alexander Winston Escape (1930) as Detective Cape Forlorn aka The Love Storm (1931) as Gordon Kingsley Sally in Our Alley (1931) as George Miles The Water Gipsies (1932) as Fred Green The Sign of Four aka The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case (1932) as Dr. John H. Watson Marry Me (1932) as Robert Hart The Man from Toronto (1933) as Fergus Wimbush The Silver Spoon (1934) as Captain Watts-Winyard Orders Is Orders (1934) as Capt. Harper The Church Mouse (1934) as Johnathan Steele No Escape (1934) as Jim Brandon Something Always Happens (1934) as Peter Middleton Death at Broadcasting House aka Death at a Broadcast (1934) as Detective Inspector Gregory Lazybones (1935) as Sir Reginald Ford The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935) as Geoffrey D. 'Geoff' Sherwood The Night of the Party aka The Murder Party (1935) as Guy Kennington The Phantom Light (1935) as Jim Pearce Jalna (1935) as Renny Whiteoaks The Crusades (1935) as Second Knight Pleading to King Richard for Food (uncredited) A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) as Theseus - Duke of Athens I Found Stella Parish (1935) as Keith Lockridge The Morals of Marcus (1935) as Sir Marcus Ordeyne The White Angel (1936) as Reporter Fuller of the London Times To Mary - with Love (1936) as Bill Hallam The Devil Is a Sissy (1936) as Jay Pierce Stolen Holiday (1937) as Anthony Wayne Call It a Day (1937) as Roger Hilton Another Dawn (1937) as Colonel John Wister Confession (1937) as Leonide Kirow That Certain Woman (1937) as Lloyd Rogers 52nd Street (1937) as Rufus Rondell The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) as King Richard the Lion-Heart Always Goodbye (1938) as Phillip Marshall Secrets of an Actress (1938) as Peter Snowden The Sisters (1938) as William Benson Comet Over Broadway (1938) as Bert Ballin Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939) as Lewis Murray The Little Princess (1939) as Captain Crewe Broadway Serenade (1939) as Larry Bryant Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939) as August Lancing Maisie (1939) as Clifford Ames Bad Little Angel (1939) as Jm Creighton (Sentinel editor) Tower of London (1939) as King Edward IV Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940) as Bert C. Matthews Strange Cargo (1940) as Cambreau Dulcy (1940) as Gordon Daly The Long Voyage Home (1940) as Smitty Bitter Sweet (1940) as Lord Shayne Gallant Sons (1940) as 'Natural' Davis Come Live with Me (1941) as Barton Kendrick Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941) as Steven V. Land Ziegfeld Girl (1941) as Geoffrey Collis Billy the Kid (1941) as Eric Keating Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) as Dr. John Lanyon Smilin' Through (1941) as Reverend Owen Harding A Yank at Eton (1942) as Roger Carlton It Comes Up Love (1943) as Tom Peabody Forever and a Day (1943) as Dexter Pomfret Bedelia (1946) as Charlie Carrington White Cradle Inn aka High Fury (1947) as Anton The White Unicorn aka Milkwhite Unicorn and Bad Sister (1947) as Philip Templar Edward, My Son (1949) as Doctor Larry Woodhope It Started in Paradise (1952) as Arthur Turner Appointment in London aka Raiders in the Sky (1952) as Logan The Divine Creatures (1952, TV Movie) as Florent Don't Blame the Stork (1954) as Sir George Redway Eight O'Clock Walk (1954) as Geoffrey Tanner, Q.C. Fire One (1954, TV Movie) as Mr. Dennison It's Never Too Late (1954, TV Movie) as Charles Hammond The Battle of the River Plate aka Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956) as Captain Charles Woodhouse - HMS Ajax South Sea Bubble (BBC TV 1956) as Sir George Shotter Fortune Is a Woman aka She Played with Fire (1957) as Clive Fisher Rockets Galore aka Mad Little Island (1958) as Air Commodore Watchorn North West Frontier (1959) as Sir John Windham The Bulldog Breed (1960) as Adm. Sir Bryanston Blyth Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961) as Dr. Robert Blood, Peter's Father The Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) as Colonel Jackson The Queen's Guards (1961) as Mr. George Dobbie Guns of Darkness (1962) as Dr. Swann Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance (1963) as Robert Talbot The Mystery of the Indian Temple (1963) as Robert Talbot (final film role)