Jimmy Hunt, Young Star of ‘Invaders From Mars,’ Dies at 85

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85-year-old Jimmy Hunt, known for his freckled face and roles in films like “Pitfall,” “Sorry, Wrong Number,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Invaders From Mars,” and 31 other movies before retiring from acting at age 14, has passed away.

Six weeks ago, Hunt experienced a heart attack and passed away last Friday at a hospital in Simi Valley, as reported by his daughter-in-law Alisa Hunt to The Hollywood Reporter.

In 1950, Hunt starred as William Gilbreth, a child from a pair known for their expertise in efficiency (portrayed by Clifton Webb) and psychology (Myrna Loy), in the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”. Later, he reprised his role as another son named Fred, in the sequel titled “Belles on the Toes” released in 1952.

Or, more informally:

In the 1950 film “Cheaper by the Dozen”, Hunt played one of the dozen children from a super-efficient dad (Clifton Webb) and a psychologist mom (Myrna Loy). In the sequel, “Belles on the Toes” from 1952, he returned as another son in the Gilbreth family.

In the heartwarming romantic comedy “The Mating of Millie” (1948), where Evelyn Keyes and Glenn Ford were his on-set mentors in marble shooting, the orphan’s compelling character propelled the storyline. Similarly, in the 1953 western drama “The Lone Hand,” Hunt played the role of a farmer’s son (Joel McCrea) and served as the movie’s narrator; an experience he considered among his most cherished acting memories.

In the year 1948, during the filming of Pitfall, Hunt worked with Jane Wyatt and Dick Powell. The following year, in Family Honeymoon, Claudette Colbert was his co-star. Then, in 1950, Ronald Reagan appeared alongside him in Louisa. Teresa Wright joined him for The Capture the same year, and in 1951, Patricia Neal featured in Week-End With Father with Hunt.

He also played Margaret O’Brien’s brother in Her First Romance (1951).

His standout performance was portrayed as David MacLean in the iconic sci-fi film “Invaders from Mars” (1953), which was helmed by renowned production designer, William Cameron Menzies.

Or, more concisely:

He made a lasting impression playing David MacLean in the 1953 cult classic “Invaders from Mars,” directed by William Cameron Menzies.

In this low-budget film, produced in just over 3 weeks for under $300,000, the protagonist, David, witnesses a UFO from his bedroom and finds his father, Leif Erickson, acting strangely. Soon after, he gets pulled into the ground, leading him to come face-to-face with a Martian and his green humanoid associates within the saucer. However, one can’t help but wonder if these events were just a dream! Wowzers!

In Tobe Hooper’s 1986 remake of “Invaders,” the character Hunt emerged from retirement to assume the role of a police chief. Upon approaching a hill where a UFO might have touched down, he remarked, “It’s been 40 years since I was last here.

He got residual payments for just one film during his acting career, and in 2022, he jokingly shared that the Screen Actors Guild occasionally sent him around $9 as a result.

James Walter Hunt was born on December 4, 1939, in Los Angeles. When he was six years old, an MGM scout visited his school in Culver City, just a few blocks from the studio. This visit led to the young redhead playing a child version of Van Johnson’s naval pilot character in the film “High Barbaree” (1947).

Under a contract, he was set to star in five movies that year itself, followed by eight more in the year 1948. During this time, he was also a student at MGM’s Little Red Schoolhouse, where his fellow students included Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor.

In 1986, Hunt stated that we belonged to the working-class society. To put it simply, we continued to be so. As far as our parents were concerned, as long as I was receiving a quality education and my acting was acceptable, everything was fine.

In the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”, the character portrayed by him, named William, sheds tears while breaking the news to his brothers and sisters that their father has passed away.

While filming the movie in Seal Beach, California, his genuine father had to return to Kentucky to establish a factory for his employer. He was away for a couple of months, as he explained at the 2022 Cinecon Classic Film Festival. In my thoughts, I envisioned him returning on a plane that would unfortunately crash, allowing me to feel anxious.

Among the films listed on his impressive resume are “Sorry, Wrong Number” from 1948, featuring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster (Erickson portrayed his father in this one too); “The Fuller Brush Man” from 1948 with Red Skelton; “Rusty’s Birthday” from 1949, the final installment of the Columbia Pictures series about a boy and his German shepherd; “The Sainted Sisters” from 1948, starring Veronica Lake; “Top O’ the Morning” from 1949, starring Bing Crosby; “Shadow on the Wall” from 1950 with Ann Sothern; and “She Couldn’t Say No” from 1954, headlined by Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.

In a 2017 interview, he shared that every day he would carry his small lunch box to work, and the boss would tell him his tasks.

During the filming of Douglas Sirk’s Week-End With Father, Hunt injured his arm while rehearsing a potato-sack race with Van Heflin. Nevertheless, he continued working and stated, “Nobody forced me to complete the movie in that condition. I chose to.” Reflecting on his past, he added, “I viewed myself as a professional actor. In other words, I didn’t have any particularly difficult experiences as a child star.

Following the completion of “Invaders”, Hunt, having received approximately $4,000 for his contributions to the film, was asked to return to shoot additional scenes for its UK premiere. This was due to the fact that the initial ending was disapproved by censors in the UK.

It turned out that Invaders was the last straw.

As I grew older, I became increasingly focused on nailing a scene during the initial take. “Grown-ups would crack jokes when they messed up their lines,” he explained, “but kids just feel embarrassed when things go wrong. Consequently, acting grew progressively more challenging for me.

14-year-old Hunt made a choice between participating in high school sports and pursuing a career in filmmaking. He opted for the former, effectively retiring from his fledgling acting career. Afterward, he attended college and served for three years in the U.S. Army, specializing in intercepting and deciphering codes.

In the future, his role was that of a sales manager at an industrial tool and supply business situated in the San Fernando Valley, catering to aerospace industries.

He said he was still getting mail from Invaders fans some 70 years after it first hit theaters.

Remaining are his spouse, Roswitha (married in January 1963 after meeting in Germany during his military service), sons Randy and Ron, daughter-in-law Christina, as well as nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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2025-07-21 22:25