Tab Hunter Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family

In early November, 1946, after he turned fifteen years old in July, Arthur Andrew (Kelm) Gilien, lying about his age, joined the U.S. Coast Guard Service located in San Pedro, California. He was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Minnetonka. nicknamed the Mighty Minnie. His Coast Guard mates nick-named him "Hollywood" because of his

In early November, 1946, after he turned fifteen years old in July, Arthur Andrew (Kelm) Gilien, lying about his age, joined the U.S. Coast Guard Service located in San Pedro, California. He was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Minnetonka. nicknamed the Mighty Minnie. His Coast Guard mates nick-named him "Hollywood" because of his penchant for going to movie palaces alone rather than going to bars with his ship-mates while on liberty, and for his knowledge and avid interest in the movie industry. Two months after enlisting, applicants were being taken for yeoman's school. Heading east on the Union Pacific Railroad, bound for the Coast Guard Training Center in Groton, Connecticut, Art had stowed actor-friend Richard Clayton's contact information since Dick (in his late 20's) had scored a spot in an Olson and Johnson comedy revue, "Pardon My French," produced on Broadway. "Art, if you get to New York, anytime soon, be sure to look me up." Weekend liberty in Manhattan left Los Angeles in the shade. Art would barge into Clayton's Greenwich Village apartment on Friday nights, sometimes with a couple of buddies in tow, and they would set out to take New York by storm. Art rode horses in Central Park, ice-skated at Rockefeller Center. Dick Clayton bought Art his first ticket to a Broadway show, "Mrs. McThing," starring the First Lady of the Broadway stage, Helen Hayes. Dick Clayton recognized the energy, the excitement, the glamour, the intoxicating experiences in Art's eyes and spirit. Clayton talked for hours on end about acting. Before long, Clayton invited Art to cocktail parties with his theatrical friends, a constant, bubbling current of talented, urbane men and witty, sexy women. Coast Guard boot camp was a breeze compared to the sink-or-swim challenge of keeping his head above water in this crowd. At one of these parties, Art heard a familiar song. Eager to share his new-found musical knowledge, he said, "Hmm, that sounds like Cole Porter." "Why, yes, dear," he was informed," - he's right over there." Cole Porter! Playing the piano and singing in someone's apartment - as if he had gotten out of his seat in one of those Hollywood Boulevard theaters and walked right into the movie. Impressed about show people, men and women, wasn't their sexual bias, but their elegance, sophistication, intelligence, and style. As if that wasn't enough, show people were talented. They were contributors. Art wasn't sure he would fit in, but at only fifteen years of age, he did his damnedest to stay afloat in this crowd. After graduating as a yeoman third class from the training program, returning in November, 1947 to his service assignment in San Pedro, the Coast Guard discovered Art's real age, sixteen years old, booting him out of the Coast Guard service ranks.

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