Marsha Hunt, born Marcia Virginia Hunt on October 17, 1917, was a talented American actress, model, and activist whose impressive career spanned nearly eight decades. Unfortunately, she was a victim of Hollywood's blacklisting during the 1950s McCarthyism era, a dark period in American history.
Hunt's journey in the film industry began unexpectedly, when she was just 17 years old and visiting her uncle in Los Angeles. It was there that she caught the attention of comedian Zeppo Marx, who spotted her picture in a newspaper. This chance encounter led to a screen test for the film "The Virginia Judge" and ultimately, a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures in June 1935.
As a young actress, Hunt mostly played ingenue parts at Paramount, appearing in 12 films between 1935 and 1938, including "Easy to Take," "Gentle Julia," "The Accusing Finger," "Murder Goes to College," and two films on loan-out to RKO and 20th Century Fox. One of her most notable roles during this period was opposite John Wayne in the Western film "Born to the West" in 1937, two years before his breakthrough in Hollywood.
However, Paramount terminated Hunt's contract in 1938, and she went on to star in B-films produced by poverty row studios such as Republic Pictures and Monogram Pictures. She also ventured to New York City to work in summer stock theatre, which ultimately led to a supporting role in MGM's "These Glamour Girls" alongside Lana Turner and Lew Ayres. The role of Betty was reportedly written with Hunt in mind, and she soon landed supporting roles in major studio productions, including "Pride and Prejudice" with Laurence Olivier and "Cheers for Miss Bishop."
In 1941, Hunt signed a contract with MGM, where she remained for the next six years. During this period, she received praise from film director Mervyn LeRoy for her heartfelt and genuine acting ability while filming "Blossoms in the Dust." In 1944, she was ranked seventh in a list of "Stars of Tomorrow" by exhibitors and appeared in "None Shall Escape," a film now regarded as the first about the Holocaust. Hunt played Marja Pacierkowski, the Polish fiancé of a German Nazi officer named Wilhelm Grimm.
