After a whirlwind courtship, Jeffrey Hunter married Emily McLaughlin on February 4, 1969. Emily was Jeff’s third wife. Sadly, Jeff passed away just a few months later, on May 27th. Emily played the popular Nurse Jessie Brewer on the soap opera, “General Hospital”.
Articles about Jeff and Emily can be found here (all of the 1969 articles) and here.
Jeffrey Hunter married Barbara Rush in December 1950. They remained married until 1955. Chris was their only child together. Jeff and Barbara met when Jeff did a screen test at Paramount Studios, where Barbara had a Paramount film contract at the time. Barbara was and is a well-regarded actress on stage, screen, and television.
Many magazine articles about their marriage can be found here and here.
Below, please view a gallery of beautiful portraits of Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus!
(Martin Pawley) In John Ford’s classic western “The Searchers”, Jeff has his best role of the decade. With a Confederate veteran (John Wayne, as Ethan Edwards), Martin Pawley embarks on a five-year search for Ethan’s niece, Debbie (Natalie Wood), who had been abducted by Comanche Indians. Also starring Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Harry Carey Jr., and Patrick Wayne, John Wayne’s son.
Jeffrey Hunter’s Final Resting Place
Glen Haven Memorial Park
Sylmar, California
Olive Section
Jeffrey Hunter passed away on May 27, 1969. Find articles about his death and funeral here.
(Garver Logan) Jeff plays an American professor who becomes the object of desire of a beautiful 15th-century apprentice sorceress (Maria Perschy). In her efforts to win him over, she takes him on an trip through time. They travel to several different times, from the Stone Age to a futuristic Martian jaunt. A romantic fantasy filmed in Spain, this film also starred Gustavo Rojo and Perla Cristal.
(Captain Christopher Pike) In one of the most enduring roles of his career, Jeffrey Hunter stars as the iconic first captain of the Federation starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise. The Cage was the first pilot for what became the Star Trek TV series. Although NBC did not pick up the first pilot, the network did pick up a second pilot starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk. In Star Trek canon, Kirk succeeded Pike as captain of the Enterprise.
In an interview during production of “The Cage”, Jeffrey Hunter’s enthusiasm shone through when he said:
“We run into pre-historic worlds, contemporary societies and civilizations far more developed than our own. It’s a great format because writers have a free hand – they can have us land on a monster infested planet, or deal in human relations involving the large number of people who live in this gigantic ship.”
In “The Cage,” aliens capture Captain Pike when he responds to a distress call from the planet Talos IV. Although the call appears to be from a research vessel that had crashed there in the past, the aliens had actually sent the call. Then, the aliens force more illusory experiences on Pike, including the tempting woman Vina. To escape, Pike must figure out how to resist the illusions. Co-stars Susan Oliver as Vina, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock (who smiles briefly!), and Majel Barrett as Number One.
“The Menagerie”, the only two-part episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, includes most of “The Cage” into the story. From Star Trek‘s first season, this episode won a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
“The Menagerie” takes place a few years after “The Cage,” At this point, a radioactive explosion has severely disabled Christopher Pike. Now, he is confined to a wheelchair and can only communicate through “Yes” or “No” electronic signals. The Federation has court-martialed Mr. Spock (Nimoy) for trying to take Pike back to Talos IV. After Pike’s visit to Talos IV in “The Cage”, the planet had been declared off-limits to Federation vessels. During Spock’s court-martial defense, “The Menagerie” shares a lot of video from “The Cage”. Sean Kenney plays the disabled Pike. Regular cast members of Star Trek: The Original Series co-star, including William Shatner as Kirk and DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy.
(Jesus Christ) Jeff won high praise for his sincere, luminous portrayal in this big-budget widescreen epic. Today, “King of Kings” is considered to be one of the best biblical films. Nicholas Ray directed and Orson Welles narrated. Jeff’s co-stars include Robert Ryan, Rip Torn, Siobhan McKenna, Viveca Lindfors, and Hurd Hatfield.
Be sure to check out the many photos below!
Though sharing a title with the 1927 silent film starring H.B. Warner, “King of Kings” is not really a remake. For example, Jeff portrays a young and vibrant Christ, while H.B. Warner played Christ while in his 50s, with white hair! Also, the two films tell the story of Christ’s life differently in many ways.
Sadly, “King of Kings” was the last high-profile film that Jeff acted in. To learn more, visit the King of Kings articles page. Some of the interesting articles from the early 1960s describe Jeff’s feelings and experiences in his role as Jesus, while other articles focus on how the film was made. For a more recent take on the film. visit this this biblical films blog site,
