T. Hayes Hunter

Thomas Hayes Hunter was born on December 1, 1884, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Thomas and Margaret Hunter. He began his career in the theater, appearing on Broadway between 1904 and 1909 in productions including The Widow's Might, Wildfire, The Girl of the Golden West, and The Serio-Comic Governess. His stage work brought him into contact with prominent theatrical organizations, among them the companies of David Belasco and Klaw and Erlanger, experience that laid the groundwork for his transition into film.

Hunter entered the film industry in the early 1910s, initially working in photodrama production before moving into directing melodramas. He rose to become chief producer at the Biograph Company, a position he held until his resignation in 1914. Among the films associated with his time there was Lime Kiln Field Day (1913), starring Bert Williams, a work later rediscovered by the Museum of Modern Art. Following his departure from Biograph, Colonial Productions engaged him to direct a series of smaller films.

His first major directorial effort, The Crimson Stain Mystery, was released in 1916. Hunter subsequently directed two Zane Grey adaptations: The Border Legion for Samuel Goldwyn in 1918, and Desert Gold for Zane Grey Pictures in 1919. That same year, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation added him to its roster of directors. During his time working with the Dial Company after his Goldwyn contract expired in the late 1920s, Hunter directed Earthbound and The Light in the Clearing, both based on Irving Bacheller novels produced in partnership with Merrill Publishing Company. Earthbound drew particular attention for Hunter's use of double exposure. He also directed Damaged Hearts, released in early March 1924, and Recoil, released the following April of the same year. Hunter additionally patented a frame design for film that permitted advertisements to appear in the corners of the frame without interrupting the picture itself, representing an early example of in-screen advertising.

In 1927, Hunter relocated to Great Britain. His most enduring work from this period is the 1933 British horror film The Ghoul, starring Boris Karloff and based on the play and novel by Dr. Frank King and Leonard J. Hines. The following year he directed Warn London and The Green Pack, after which he retired from filmmaking. Over the course of his directing career, Hunter completed a total of 34 films between 1912 and 1934.

In 1919, Hunter married actress Millicent Evans, and he became stepfather to screenwriter John Hunter. He died of a heart attack on April 14, 1944, in London, England.