Honoring Actress - Activist Marsha Hunt on her 97th Birthday!

Marsha Hunt is 97 years old today! Producers Richard Adkins, Joan Cohen and I have been working on a feature documentary on actress- activist Marsha Hunt for almost 9 years now. Finishing this film “Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity” is OUR birthday present to her!! The good news is that we can see the light through the trees – we’re almost there! We just need to raise finishing funds to do post production. We plan to submit the documentary to the Palm Springs and Santa Barbara International Film Festivals which take place in January 2015.

Fundraising is always the hardest part of working on a creative project like a documentary. We’ve done pretty well, all things considered. At this time, I have some great news to share. A very prominent Hollywood producer- activist’s foundation have seen our film and want to give us $17,500 to finish our film BUT we must raise our own $17,500 in order to get the matching funds. I’ve managed to raise about 6 thousand dollars but need to raise about another 12 thousand dollars. It has been harder than I thought getting like minded celebrities to donate as they have their own charities. I’m hoping that fellow activists from the valley who know Marsha’s work might step up to the plate and help with a tax deductible donation.

Many of you know Marsha’s story. She was “discovered” in Hollywood in 1935 and signed with Paramount Pictures. She made 25 films fo r Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the war years before going on to a busy career on Broadway, early television and radio.

In 1950, her name appeared in “Red Channels”, a right wing publication that named her and 150 others in the radio and TV industry as communist sympathizers. This listing destroyed her career in radio, TV and film. She was partially being “punished” for having gone to Washington in 1947 with theCommittee for the First Amendment to support the “Hollywood 19”. (and by the way, she is the last person alive today from the Committee, just as she is the last person living in the famous 1943 MGM Stock Player cast photo)

After a trip around the world in 1955 opened her eyes to the abject poverty she saw, she got involved with the United Nations and later with Freedom From Hunger. I like to say that she was the first Angelina Jolie. While she didn’t visit refugee camps, she did speak to Americans across the country about the dire state of the world and how they could support the good work of the United Nations and its’ specialized agencies by joining the United Nations Association.

Marsha has lived in Sherman Oaks since 1945. She was named Honorary Mayor of Sherman Oaks by the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce in 1983. For the next 18 years, Marsha gave her heart and soul to fighting homelessness in the Valley. She was one of the first to recognize the growing homeless problem. She rallied her fellow Valley honorary Mayors and formed the “Valley Mayor’s Fund for the Homeless”. This group sponsored walk a thons and blanket drives and raised awareness for the growing problem. Marsha’s greatest achievement though will be that she helped to open one of the first homeless shelters in the Valley ( with the assistance of the Valley Interfaith Council). That shelter is STILL operating. It is now run by L.A. Family Housing. Her other project near and dear to her heart was “Rose Cottage”, a day care shelter for homeless woman and their children. Marsha not only spearheaded the campaign to raise funds but she designed the facility space, making sure that all the women’s needs would be met.

I could go on as Marsha has a SEVEN page resume of service and awards that she has won over the years for her activism. Our documentary is our birthday present to Marsha. Because the Hollywood Blacklist has always loomed so large in her life, we offer this film as proof that Marsha DID make a difference in the world- as an actress and an activist. If you know Marsha or have been touched by her acting or her activism, please make a donation so we can finish the documentary this fall. If anyone would like to host a ‘house party” for our film please let me know. Help make this the happiest birthday for Marsha by sharing this article with friends and giving what you can. No donation is too small. Give what you can. http://www.gofundme.com/ctgvpg

And also, in honor of Marsha’s birthday and her long career as an anti hunger/homeless activist, please consider making a donation to L.A. Family Housing for the work they do to help those in need find housing. They currently own and operate 3 shelters and 19 permanent affordable buildings. It started with a dream. Marsha planted the seed for that dream. Twenty eight years ago, she helped to start this one shelter and look how the organization has grown!

Here is link to donate to Los Angeles Family Housing http://www.lafh.org/. Marsha would be the first to tell you that you don’t need money to be an activist. Give of your time. Become a volunteer. Find a cause that calls out to you. That’s how you can “pay it forward” to Marsha Hunt. Happy Birthday Marsha, with love from all of us on “Team Marsha”.