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“Young Love” went to Number One, correct?
(Allan) The record was Number One for six weeks. It was huge.
(Tab) Oh yes. It knocked Elvis’s song “Too Much” out of the number-
one spot.
And, Natalie had a big crush on Elvis, and he was calling her. I was
really bugged at that. I said, “He can get any gal he wants. Why does he
have to keep calling
you
all the time?”
Going back to the song. You were under studio contract at the time. Did
they have to approve what you were doing?
What happened was that we just went out, did it, and released
it. And Jack Warner said, “Whoa, wait a minute. We own you for
everything, so you have no right to do this.” He was really upset. “But,”
I said, “Mr. Warner, you don’t have a record company.” And he looked
at me and he said, “We do now.” And, that’s how Warner Brothers
Records began.
Jack Warner refused to let me record with Dot. I had a major advance
sale on an album with Dot, but he would not allow me to release that.
And then, they started Warner Records and I recorded for Warner. By then –
we had to strike when the iron was hot – the moment had passed. I still had
a few hits…
(Allan) Tab’s album [called
Tab Hunter
] was the first one released on the
Warner Records label.
Tab, do you have a favorite movie that you’ve done?
There are different movies for different reasons. I loved doing
Lust In
The Dust
(1985) because that was such fun. I loved doing
Damn Yankees!
(1958) because it was a Broadway musical and I was the only outsider and
I really enjoyed working with that Broadway cast. And of course
That Kind
Of Woman
with Sophia Loren because Sidney Lumet was one of my favorite
movie directors of all time – he and Luchino Visconti. Those are my main
features.
(Allan) He left out
Gunman’s Walk,
with Van Heflin.
(Tab) It was written by one of the top writers in Hollywood [Frank
Nugent], the guy who did
The Quiet Man.
(Allan)
Gunman’s Walk
was a great western. It’s been compared to
3:10
To Yuma,
and today it is one of those movies that hold up.
(Tab) That was when I was a loan-out to Columbia and when I first
met Harry Cohn. I was really excited about the project, but in order to
get the part, I had to meet Harry Cohn and get his approval. So, I walk
into his office through double doors, double doors, double doors, and
there’s this man getting a manicure and a haircut and he looks up and
says, “Ah, so you’re Tab Hunter?” And, I said, “Yes sir.” He said, “Bob
Wagner wants to do this role,” and I said, “Then you should get Bob
Wagner,” and I turned around. He said, “Wait a minute; come back here.
Do you like the script?” I said, “Mr. Cohn, I don’t like it; I love it.” So I
sat down and we spoke for thirty minutes. I never had another meeting
with him [Harry Cohn died four months later]. Warner loaned me out
and
Gunman’s Walk
was directed by Phil Karlson. James Darren plays my
brother; Van Heflin is our father. It’s a really powerful piece. I like little
films that have an impact.
(Allan) He did
Portrait Of A Murderer
on television with Geraldine Page,
and that was a brilliant performance.
(Tab) I would say live television made the biggest impact. It was
the worst ingredients of theater and motion pictures rolled into one. For
example, in theater, if you didn’t do a good performance, you’d say, “Thank
God, there’s tomorrow.” And, if you are doing a movie and something is
happening, you can say, “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Can we please do that
again?” But when those two little red dots come on and you’re doing live
television, you better be with the program.
Signing autographs for
eager fans with Debbie
Reynolds, 1954