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Tab Hunter, 1950s movie star and heartthrob, will speak tonight at Royce Hall. He is promoting hi

Shoveling horse manure in Los Feliz does not typically serve as a gateway into movie stardom, unless your name is Tab Hunter, the Warner Bros.’ strategically devised heartthrob of the 1950s. Hunter’s affinity for horses herded him into the company of Hollywood influentials who frequented the stables for studio business, steering Hunter through the capricious ride of fame.

The popular-culture-deemed “Sigh Guy,” star of more than 50 films, former pop singer and current film producer comes to UCLA today to discuss his New York Times extended-list bestseller memoir, “The Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” in an event presented by the UCLA Department of English, the Friends of English, the Young Research Library Special Collections and The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Campus Research Center. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in Royce 314.

“I think it’s going to be a fun, light evening and a nice closer for the year. Tab Hunter is a very ingratiating person who can show everyone what it is like to have your life directed for you,” said Judith Linde, president of Friends of English.

The evening features an interview with Hunter and clips encompassing his 50-year career in film, and it finishes with a reception and book signing.

“I have no idea why (the book) has been so successful. It’s overwhelming. I suppose it’s because I talk about the people I’ve worked with in the industry and the demise of the studio system that will never be again,” Hunter said.

In his autobiography, Hunter unveils the contrivance of his stardom and the aftermath. His agent, Henry Wilson, had a formula for creating all-American heartthrobs such as Rock Hudson, Troy Donahue and Guy Madison, which began with christening his clients with a new name; Art Gelien metamorphosed into Tab Hunter. Without any formal training, the newly dubbed Hunter landed a long-term contract with Warner Bros., which afforded him lead roles in “Battle Cry” and “Damn Yankees.”

Warner Bros. did more than integrate him into successful films: The studio also created a commodity out of the film star, capitalizing on his personal life.

Hunter, who is gay, entertained his studio’s pre-arranged “dates,” (co-stars such as Natalie Woods and Debbie Reynolds) while the movie magazines fabricated lusty romances out of their publicity photographs. In 1956, the “Sigh Guy” received 6,200 Valentines from his predominately teenage girl fan base.

The following year, Hunter topped Elvis on Billboard’s pop chart with his debut hit, “Young Love.”

After buying out his studio contract so that he could work independently, Hunter found mild success and turned to dinner theater to pay the bills.

“My wife came to see Tab Hunter; I came for the roast beef!” said an audience member, following one of Hunter’s “Jeremy Troy” performances. The story is one of many that Hunter chronicles in “The Tab Hunter Confidential.”

Since his post-studio contract struggles, Hunter starred in John Water’s “Polyester,” playing the love interest of Divine, a 300-pound transsexual, and alongside Michelle Pfeiffer as the sex education teacher in “Grease 2.”

Approaching his 75th birthday this summer, Hunter shares his days with life partner, Allan Glaser, enjoying the simple pleasures of life – attending a morning stretch class, taking the dog for a walk on the beach, and working in his garden.

“I’m happy to be forgotten,” Hunter said.