Person Biography:
Marcia Virginia Hunt, known professionally as Marsha Hunt, was a talented American actress born in Chicago, Illinois. She was the younger of two girls born to an attorney and a voice teacher/accompanist. The family relocated to New York when she was young, and she attended schools such as PS #9 and Horace Mann School for Girls.
Hunt developed an interest in acting at an early age and performed in school plays and church functions. After high school, she worked as a John Powers model and a singer on radio. She later studied drama at the Theodora Irvine Drama School, where one of her fellow students was Cornel Wilde.
Encouraged to try her luck in Hollywood, Hunt moved to Los Angeles in 1934 at the age of 17, accompanied by her older sister. She was soon signed by Paramount Pictures and made her film debut in the 1935 movie "The Virginia Judge" opposite Robert Cummings and Johnny Downs.
Hunt continued to show promise in her early films, playing the title role in "Gentle Julia" (1936) and appearing in a range of genres, including westerns, comedy, and drama. However, she struggled to find decent scripts and eventually freelanced for various studios.
In the 1940s, Hunt signed with MGM and appeared in a number of notable films, including "Pride and Prejudice" (1940),"Blossoms in the Dust" (1941),and "The Human Comedy" (1943). She also sang on extended USO tours and stayed busy on radio.
Hunt's film career slowed down in the early 1950s due to her involvement in liberal causes and her subsequent blacklisting. She and her husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr., were smeared as "Reds" in the McCarthy-era publication "Red Channels." Although she continued to work in film and television, it was rare.
In the 1960s, Hunt semi-retired and focused on stage and television work. She also became involved in civil rights causes and humanitarian efforts such as UNICEF, The March of Dimes, and The Red Cross. She became the Honorary Mayor of Sherman Oaks, California, in 1983 and published a book on fashion entitled "The Way We Wore" in 1993.
Hunt continued to work in television and film until her 90s, appearing in a range of roles, from judges to grandmas. She passed away at the age of 104, leaving behind a legacy as a talented and dedicated actress.
