Rock Hudson Died of AIDS, Was a Closeted Gay Star, and He Was Happy

Contents:

• THE ROCK PLAYED A GAY CHARACTER DPE BEG TOLD IT WOULD ‘RU’ HIS CAREER FOR GOOD
• FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: GAY MALE CELEBRI, NETFLIX HUNKSDID ROCK HUDSON REALLY HAVE A BLACK BOYIEND?
•  ROLLG STONE FOUNR JANN WENNER THKS THAT TOM CISE IS GAY
• ROCK HUDSON WAS HOLLYWOOD’S CLOSETED GAY STAR—AND HE WAS HAPPYALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWEDTHE REVELATN OF THE DOC “ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED” ISN’T THE STAR’S GAY PROCLIVI OR HIS DOUBLE LIFE. IT’S THAT HE WAS FORTABLE ALL THE ROL HE HABED.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICPUBLISHED JUN. 26, 2023 4:03AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THOMAS LEVSON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTY/THE ROCK HUDSON ESTATE COLLECTN/HBOWH HIS MASSIVE 6-FOOT-5-CH AME, SHARP JAWLE, DARK HAIR AND IMPOSSIBLY GOOD LOOKS, ROCK HUDSON ALWAYS STCK ME AS SOMEONE WHO WOULD HAVE MA AN IAL SUPERMAN—A NOTN RERCED BY HIS STOUT-YET-SENSIVE ALL-AMERIN SCREEN PERSONA. OF URSE, HUDSON WOULDN’T HAVE JT LOOKED THE PART OF THE MAN OF STEEL; HE WOULD HAVE UNRSTOOD A CHARACTER WHO HAD A SECRET INTY, SCE THE HOLLYWOOD STAR HIMSELF WAS A MATEE IDOL WHO FAMOLY LIVED HIS ENTIRE PUBLIC LIFE THE CLOSET.ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED IS THE STORY OF THE TWO HUDSONS, ONE FOR THE SPOTLIGHT AND ONE FOR HIS IENDS, LOVERS AND NFIDANTS, AND PERHAPS MOST SURPRISG IS THAT THE PORTRA PRENTS IS NOT OF A TORTURED SOUL BUT OF A MAN, AND ACTOR, WHO WAS FORTABLE ALL THE ROL HE HABED.DIRECTOR STEPHEN KIJAK’S EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY (PREMIERG JUNE 28 ON HBO, FOLLOWG S BUT AT THE TRIBE FILM FTIVAL) IS, THE END, AN PABLY SAD ONE, GIVEN THAT HUDSON DIED OF PLITNS OM AIDS ON OCT. 2, 1985, AT THE TOO-YOUNG AGE OF 59, TH BEG THE FIRST A-LIST CELEBRY TO FALL VICTIM TO THE EPIMIC. NOHELS, IF THAT SORROW HOVERS OVER S ACTN, NEVER OVERWHELMS .NOWHERE IS THAT MORE APPARENT THAN S DISCSN OF HUDSON’S OWN ATTU TOWARD HAVG TO HI HIS HOMOSEXUALY OM AN DTRY, AND FAN BASE, THAT WOULD NOT TOLERATE . NEVER NFED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, HUDSON ARRIVED HOLLYWOOD OM WKA, ILLOIS (AFTER A WWII STT THE NAVY) AS A GAY MAN WHO KNEW THE PROVERBIAL SRE, KEEPG HIS PERSONAL PROCLIVI BEHD CLOSED DOORS, AND—WH GUIDANCE AND GROOMG OM AGENT HENRY WILLSON, WHO SHEPHERD HIM AND MANY OTHER QUEER ACTORS THROUGH THIS BEEFKE-Y ERA—PROJECTG HIMSELF FILMS AS THE EMBODIMENT OF NTEMPORARY MASCULY. RATHER THAN TAKG A NVENTNAL TALKG-HEAD APPROACH TO S NON-FICTN BGRAPHY, ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED MELDS VARIED D TERVIEWS WH PHOTOGRAPHS, TEXT DOCUMENTS, TV AND NEWS CLIPS, AND FOOTAGE OM HUDSON’S FILMS. THAT MATERIAL IS FIVE PROOF THAT, AMONG OTHER THGS, HUDSON WAS ONE OF THE 20TH CENTURY’S HANDSOMT MEN. MOREOVER, HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST MAGILLY PHOTOGENIC PEOPLE TO EVER STAND BEFORE A MERA, RADIATG SUCH VIBRANT CHARISMA THAT WATCHG ANY SNIPPET OM HIS OVRE IS TO IMMEDIATELY UNRSTAND WHY AGENTS, PRODUCERS AND DIENC WERE WOWED BY HIM. HUDSON IS REFERRED TO THE FILM AS “THE TOM CISE OF HIS DAY,” BUT THAT’S UNRSELLG HIS BETY—HE WAS LIKE A MIDWTERN-BRED VARIATN OF MICHELANGELO’S DAVID. ROCK HUDSON AND LEE GARLGTON PUERTO VALLARTA, 1963.PHOTOGRAPH BY COURTY MART FLAHERTY & THE ROCK HUDSON ESTATE COLLECTN/HBO HE ALSO WASN’T A BAD ACTOR, AS ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED PROV. COLLABORATG WH EDOR CLAIRE DIDIER, DIRECTOR KIJAK SHREWDLY SPLIC TOGETHER MEMORABLE MOMENTS OM NUMERO HUDSON FEATUR, PAYG SPECIAL ATTENTN TO HIS LASTG HS: DOUGLAS SIRK’S MAGNIFICENT OBSSN AND ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, GEE STEVENS’ GIANT, AND JOHN FRANKENHEIMER’S SENDS.BOTH SIRK AND FRANKENHEIMER’S TRIUMPHS ARE STORI ABOUT DIVIDUALS WHOSE PERFECT SURFAC MASK DARKER TTHS ABOUT THEMSELV AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY NTUE TO ROUND AS FICTNAL TAL THAT PARALLEL HUDSON’S REAL-WORLD CIRCUMSTANC. KIJAK FURTHERS SUCH ECHO BY REPEATEDLY CLUDG SNIPPETS OF MOVIE DIALOGUE THAT, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, SPEAKS TO THE FEELGS, OBSTACL AND NFLICTS THAT HUDSON FACED WHILE NAVIGATG HIS IMAGE-CENTRIC HOLLYWOOD I, WHERE TABLOID SNOOPG REQUIRED ARRANGED MARRIAG, CLANSTE RENZVO AND AVOIDG BEG PHOTOGRAPHED WH PARAMOURS. HUDSON WAS FALLY OUTED JULY 1985 URTY OF HIS AIDS DIAGNOSIS—WHICH ULD NO LONGER BE EXCED AS THE BYPRODUCT OF ANOREXIA OR FOOD POISONG—AND ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED TAILS HIS FAL YEARS WH POIGNANCY. DIRECTOR KIJAK, HOWEVER, REF TO FE HUDSON’S LEGACY AS SIMPLY THAT OF A FAMO TALENT WHO WAS TORMENTED BY HIS ABILY TO EXIST AS A PROUDLY GAY MAN. FAR OM A CLICHé, THE HUDSON PICTED HERE IS SOMEONE WHO WAS WELL AWARE OF THE L BY WHICH HE HAD TO PLAY ORR TO THRIVE HOLLYWOOD, AND ACCEPTED THEM WHOUT GREAT ANGER OR AGONY.ACRDG TO THE MANY IENDS AND FLAM TERVIEWED THE DOC, HUDSON WORKED HARD TO MATA A HETEROSEXUAL FAçA FOR THE BENEF OF HIS REER, BUT OTHERWISE ENJOYED A ROBT AND HAPPY SEXUAL AND ROMANTIC LIFE, MUCH OF NDUCTED AT HIS BEVERLY HILLS MANSN (DUBBED “THE CASTLE”), WHERE PARTI AND TRYSTS WERE A EQUENT OCCURRENCE. ROCK HUDSON AT HIS HOME “THE CASTLE” THE 1960S.PHOTOGRAPH BY COURTY HARRY LANGDON JR./HBO THE GREAT REVELATN OF ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED IS THAT HUDSON WAS SEEMGLY AT EASE WH HIS STRADDLG-TWO-UNIVERS CIRCUMSTANC, AND THAT HE DID SO WH APLOMB AND WHOUT GREAT DISMAY. TAL OM THE CY THOR ARMISTEAD MP NOT THAT HUDSON WAS PART OF A PRE-LIBERATN GENERATN THAT TOOK PRI VERG FOR EACH OTHER EVEN AS THEY SUPPORTED THE BURGEONG MOVEMENT, AND KEN MALEY NOT THAT WHEN HE TOOK THE ACTOR TO A GAY SEX CLUB HUDSON WAS NOT ONLY AN ENTHIASTIC PARTICIPANT BUT WAS BLHELY UNPERTURBED WHEN THE PARTNER HE WAS WH CRIED OUT FOR THE ENTIRE TABLISHMENT TO HEAR, “OH MY GOD, ’S ROCK HUDSON!”THERE’S JOY AND HUMOR KIJAK’S FILM, AND RADIAT AS BRILLIANTLY AS HUDSON’S ATTRACTIVENS, AS WHEN A IEND HILARLY REMARKS, "ROCK HAD A SIZABLE DICK, BUT HE TRIED TO PUT THAT THG UP MY ASS AND I ULDN'T DO !” THERE’S NO PG HUDSON’S FATE, THOUGH, AND ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED NCLUS WH A HEART-WRENCHG REP OF HIS ORAL WH AIDS. GUID BY NARRATED PASSAG OM HIS IEND GEE NADAR’S DIARI, THE DOCUMENTARY TOUCH UPON THE TERROR OF THE TIME, AND THE MORS THAT SWIRLED AROUND HUDSON DUE TO HIS TERRATG APPEARANCE—CULMATG WH A GUT SPOT ON DYNASTY THAT MAND HE KISS -STAR LDA EVANS, WHO TODAY RAILS AGAST THE FEARFUL SLANR AND NUENDO THAT ENSUED. A CRIQUE OF THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN IS AN EVABLE PONENT OF THIS CHAPTER, PECIALLY NSIRG THAT HUDSON WAS CLOSE WH FIRST LADY NANCY REAGAN.DIRECTOR KIJAK DON’T TRY TO SUGARAT THE PA THAT EVERYONE FELT ABOUT HUDSON’S MISE, NOR DO HE STRA TO END THGS ON AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE; EVEN IF HIS ATH HELPED RAISE AWARENS ABOUT THE DISEASE, HUDSON’S PASSG WAS AN AWFUL LOSS. WH ARTISTRY AND HONTY, ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED PAYS TRIBUTE TO S SUBJECT, ALLOWG TO FULLY SEE HIS EVERY SI.LIKED THIS REVIEW? SIGN UP TO GET OUR WEEKLY SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER EVERY TUDAY AND FD OUT WHAT NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. NICK SCHAGER
• HOW WE MA: TOM ROBSON AND NICK MOBBS ON GLAD TO BE GAY
• MEET TOM GAY FROM THE USA: THE MAN WHO’S LERALLY EVERYWHERE WE LOOK
• IS TOM BROCK GAY?
• ROCK HUDSON'S 'TE LOVE' SPEAKS: HOW WE KEPT OUR GAY LIFE SECRET
• ATRALIAN ADMS TO PHG GAY US MATHEMATICIAN OFF CLIFF 1988 HATE-CRIME MURR

THE ROCK PLAYED A GAY CHARACTER DPE BEG TOLD IT WOULD ‘RU’ HIS CAREER FOR GOOD

Johnson's character Be Cool was Elt, an openly gay Samoan man who worked as a bodyguard the mic dtry and had dreams of beg a star himself. While a lot of the humor surroundg Elt volved the kd of mid-00s gay jok that probably wouldn't fly now, Johnson don't play him as a joke, mtg to the character fully. )However, Johnson has jt revealed that those early stag of his actg reer, he was advised by some "fluential" dtry people to avoid playg gay, as uld "" his chanc of gettg bigger movie rol.

FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: GAY MALE CELEBRI, NETFLIX HUNKSDID ROCK HUDSON REALLY HAVE A BLACK BOYIEND?

I was told back then (by a few fluential folks) that playg a gay man would “ my reer”I said “hold my tequila and f*ck off”Nicely of urse ? Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 31, 2022Philip Ellis is News Edor at Men's Health, verg fns, pop culture, sex and relatnships, and LGBTQ+ issu. Dpe the fact that beg gay was taboo at that time, the two were open about their relatnship and fiantly walked the red rpet while holdg hands spe some boos om the crowd. First by beg open about his sexualy — is a fact that his gayns is an open secret Hollywood — and send, by gog out wh a person of lor?

 ROLLG STONE FOUNR JANN WENNER THKS THAT TOM CISE IS GAY

The album is an expansive 15-track llectn of fast, fun, summery pop songs that reflect on who Tom is today: a 42-year-old gay man who has lived, loved and lost.

Jann Wenner suggts his memoir 'Like a Rollg Stone' that Tom Cise might be gay (Andrew H Walker/Clive Mason/Getty Imag).

The media mogul, who has met several celebri throughout his reer journalism, believ that the actor is secretly gay. All his secrecy gave rise to the spicn that he was gay.

ROCK HUDSON WAS HOLLYWOOD’S CLOSETED GAY STAR—AND HE WAS HAPPYALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWEDTHE REVELATN OF THE DOC “ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED” ISN’T THE STAR’S GAY PROCLIVI OR HIS DOUBLE LIFE. IT’S THAT HE WAS FORTABLE ALL THE ROL HE HABED.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICPUBLISHED JUN. 26, 2023 4:03AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THOMAS LEVSON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTY/THE ROCK HUDSON ESTATE COLLECTN/HBOWH HIS MASSIVE 6-FOOT-5-CH AME, SHARP JAWLE, DARK HAIR AND IMPOSSIBLY GOOD LOOKS, ROCK HUDSON ALWAYS STCK ME AS SOMEONE WHO WOULD HAVE MA AN IAL SUPERMAN—A NOTN RERCED BY HIS STOUT-YET-SENSIVE ALL-AMERIN SCREEN PERSONA. OF URSE, HUDSON WOULDN’T HAVE JT LOOKED THE PART OF THE MAN OF STEEL; HE WOULD HAVE UNRSTOOD A CHARACTER WHO HAD A SECRET INTY, SCE THE HOLLYWOOD STAR HIMSELF WAS A MATEE IDOL WHO FAMOLY LIVED HIS ENTIRE PUBLIC LIFE THE CLOSET.ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED IS THE STORY OF THE TWO HUDSONS, ONE FOR THE SPOTLIGHT AND ONE FOR HIS IENDS, LOVERS AND NFIDANTS, AND PERHAPS MOST SURPRISG IS THAT THE PORTRA PRENTS IS NOT OF A TORTURED SOUL BUT OF A MAN, AND ACTOR, WHO WAS FORTABLE ALL THE ROL HE HABED.DIRECTOR STEPHEN KIJAK’S EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY (PREMIERG JUNE 28 ON HBO, FOLLOWG S BUT AT THE TRIBE FILM FTIVAL) IS, THE END, AN PABLY SAD ONE, GIVEN THAT HUDSON DIED OF PLITNS OM AIDS ON OCT. 2, 1985, AT THE TOO-YOUNG AGE OF 59, TH BEG THE FIRST A-LIST CELEBRY TO FALL VICTIM TO THE EPIMIC. NOHELS, IF THAT SORROW HOVERS OVER S ACTN, NEVER OVERWHELMS .NOWHERE IS THAT MORE APPARENT THAN S DISCSN OF HUDSON’S OWN ATTU TOWARD HAVG TO HI HIS HOMOSEXUALY OM AN DTRY, AND FAN BASE, THAT WOULD NOT TOLERATE . NEVER NFED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, HUDSON ARRIVED HOLLYWOOD OM WKA, ILLOIS (AFTER A WWII STT THE NAVY) AS A GAY MAN WHO KNEW THE PROVERBIAL SRE, KEEPG HIS PERSONAL PROCLIVI BEHD CLOSED DOORS, AND—WH GUIDANCE AND GROOMG OM AGENT HENRY WILLSON, WHO SHEPHERD HIM AND MANY OTHER QUEER ACTORS THROUGH THIS BEEFKE-Y ERA—PROJECTG HIMSELF FILMS AS THE EMBODIMENT OF NTEMPORARY MASCULY. RATHER THAN TAKG A NVENTNAL TALKG-HEAD APPROACH TO S NON-FICTN BGRAPHY, ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED MELDS VARIED D TERVIEWS WH PHOTOGRAPHS, TEXT DOCUMENTS, TV AND NEWS CLIPS, AND FOOTAGE OM HUDSON’S FILMS. THAT MATERIAL IS FIVE PROOF THAT, AMONG OTHER THGS, HUDSON WAS ONE OF THE 20TH CENTURY’S HANDSOMT MEN. MOREOVER, HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST MAGILLY PHOTOGENIC PEOPLE TO EVER STAND BEFORE A MERA, RADIATG SUCH VIBRANT CHARISMA THAT WATCHG ANY SNIPPET OM HIS OVRE IS TO IMMEDIATELY UNRSTAND WHY AGENTS, PRODUCERS AND DIENC WERE WOWED BY HIM. HUDSON IS REFERRED TO THE FILM AS “THE TOM CISE OF HIS DAY,” BUT THAT’S UNRSELLG HIS BETY—HE WAS LIKE A MIDWTERN-BRED VARIATN OF MICHELANGELO’S DAVID. ROCK HUDSON AND LEE GARLGTON PUERTO VALLARTA, 1963.PHOTOGRAPH BY COURTY MART FLAHERTY & THE ROCK HUDSON ESTATE COLLECTN/HBO HE ALSO WASN’T A BAD ACTOR, AS ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED PROV. COLLABORATG WH EDOR CLAIRE DIDIER, DIRECTOR KIJAK SHREWDLY SPLIC TOGETHER MEMORABLE MOMENTS OM NUMERO HUDSON FEATUR, PAYG SPECIAL ATTENTN TO HIS LASTG HS: DOUGLAS SIRK’S MAGNIFICENT OBSSN AND ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, GEE STEVENS’ GIANT, AND JOHN FRANKENHEIMER’S SENDS.BOTH SIRK AND FRANKENHEIMER’S TRIUMPHS ARE STORI ABOUT DIVIDUALS WHOSE PERFECT SURFAC MASK DARKER TTHS ABOUT THEMSELV AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY NTUE TO ROUND AS FICTNAL TAL THAT PARALLEL HUDSON’S REAL-WORLD CIRCUMSTANC. KIJAK FURTHERS SUCH ECHO BY REPEATEDLY CLUDG SNIPPETS OF MOVIE DIALOGUE THAT, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, SPEAKS TO THE FEELGS, OBSTACL AND NFLICTS THAT HUDSON FACED WHILE NAVIGATG HIS IMAGE-CENTRIC HOLLYWOOD I, WHERE TABLOID SNOOPG REQUIRED ARRANGED MARRIAG, CLANSTE RENZVO AND AVOIDG BEG PHOTOGRAPHED WH PARAMOURS. HUDSON WAS FALLY OUTED JULY 1985 URTY OF HIS AIDS DIAGNOSIS—WHICH ULD NO LONGER BE EXCED AS THE BYPRODUCT OF ANOREXIA OR FOOD POISONG—AND ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED TAILS HIS FAL YEARS WH POIGNANCY. DIRECTOR KIJAK, HOWEVER, REF TO FE HUDSON’S LEGACY AS SIMPLY THAT OF A FAMO TALENT WHO WAS TORMENTED BY HIS ABILY TO EXIST AS A PROUDLY GAY MAN. FAR OM A CLICHé, THE HUDSON PICTED HERE IS SOMEONE WHO WAS WELL AWARE OF THE L BY WHICH HE HAD TO PLAY ORR TO THRIVE HOLLYWOOD, AND ACCEPTED THEM WHOUT GREAT ANGER OR AGONY.ACRDG TO THE MANY IENDS AND FLAM TERVIEWED THE DOC, HUDSON WORKED HARD TO MATA A HETEROSEXUAL FAçA FOR THE BENEF OF HIS REER, BUT OTHERWISE ENJOYED A ROBT AND HAPPY SEXUAL AND ROMANTIC LIFE, MUCH OF NDUCTED AT HIS BEVERLY HILLS MANSN (DUBBED “THE CASTLE”), WHERE PARTI AND TRYSTS WERE A EQUENT OCCURRENCE. ROCK HUDSON AT HIS HOME “THE CASTLE” THE 1960S.PHOTOGRAPH BY COURTY HARRY LANGDON JR./HBO THE GREAT REVELATN OF ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED IS THAT HUDSON WAS SEEMGLY AT EASE WH HIS STRADDLG-TWO-UNIVERS CIRCUMSTANC, AND THAT HE DID SO WH APLOMB AND WHOUT GREAT DISMAY. TAL OM THE CY THOR ARMISTEAD MP NOT THAT HUDSON WAS PART OF A PRE-LIBERATN GENERATN THAT TOOK PRI VERG FOR EACH OTHER EVEN AS THEY SUPPORTED THE BURGEONG MOVEMENT, AND KEN MALEY NOT THAT WHEN HE TOOK THE ACTOR TO A GAY SEX CLUB HUDSON WAS NOT ONLY AN ENTHIASTIC PARTICIPANT BUT WAS BLHELY UNPERTURBED WHEN THE PARTNER HE WAS WH CRIED OUT FOR THE ENTIRE TABLISHMENT TO HEAR, “OH MY GOD, ’S ROCK HUDSON!”THERE’S JOY AND HUMOR KIJAK’S FILM, AND RADIAT AS BRILLIANTLY AS HUDSON’S ATTRACTIVENS, AS WHEN A IEND HILARLY REMARKS, "ROCK HAD A SIZABLE DICK, BUT HE TRIED TO PUT THAT THG UP MY ASS AND I ULDN'T DO !” THERE’S NO PG HUDSON’S FATE, THOUGH, AND ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED NCLUS WH A HEART-WRENCHG REP OF HIS ORAL WH AIDS. GUID BY NARRATED PASSAG OM HIS IEND GEE NADAR’S DIARI, THE DOCUMENTARY TOUCH UPON THE TERROR OF THE TIME, AND THE MORS THAT SWIRLED AROUND HUDSON DUE TO HIS TERRATG APPEARANCE—CULMATG WH A GUT SPOT ON DYNASTY THAT MAND HE KISS -STAR LDA EVANS, WHO TODAY RAILS AGAST THE FEARFUL SLANR AND NUENDO THAT ENSUED. A CRIQUE OF THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN IS AN EVABLE PONENT OF THIS CHAPTER, PECIALLY NSIRG THAT HUDSON WAS CLOSE WH FIRST LADY NANCY REAGAN.DIRECTOR KIJAK DON’T TRY TO SUGARAT THE PA THAT EVERYONE FELT ABOUT HUDSON’S MISE, NOR DO HE STRA TO END THGS ON AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE; EVEN IF HIS ATH HELPED RAISE AWARENS ABOUT THE DISEASE, HUDSON’S PASSG WAS AN AWFUL LOSS. WH ARTISTRY AND HONTY, ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED PAYS TRIBUTE TO S SUBJECT, ALLOWG TO FULLY SEE HIS EVERY SI.LIKED THIS REVIEW? SIGN UP TO GET OUR WEEKLY SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER EVERY TUDAY AND FD OUT WHAT NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. NICK SCHAGER

Nowhere is that more apparent than s discsn of Hudson’s own attu toward havg to hi his homosexualy om an dtry, and fan base, that would not tolerate . Never nfed about his sexualy, Hudson arrived Hollywood om Wka, Illois (after a WWII stt the Navy) as a gay man who knew the proverbial sre, keepg his personal proclivi behd closed doors, and—wh guidance and groomg om agent Henry Willson, who shepherd him and many other queer actors through this beefke-y era—projectg himself films as the embodiment of ntemporary than takg a nventnal talkg-head approach to s non-fictn bgraphy, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed melds varied d terviews wh photographs, text documents, TV and news clips, and footage om Hudson’s films.

Director Kijak, however, ref to fe Hudson’s legacy as simply that of a famo talent who was tormented by his abily to exist as a proudly gay man. Tal om the Cy thor Armistead Mp not that Hudson was part of a pre-liberatn generatn that took pri verg for each other even as they supported the burgeong movement, and Ken Maley not that when he took the actor to a gay sex club Hudson was not only an enthiastic participant but was blhely unperturbed when the partner he was wh cried out for the entire tablishment to hear, “Oh my God, ’s Rock Hudson! Four thoand people are sgg along to the homosexual pri anthem Glad To Be Gay.

More importantly, Robson was one of only a handful of openly gay micians any genre at the time, and he was certaly the most vol. A band ahead of their time, they railed agast homophobia, racism, sexism, police btaly and social jtice. While Robson was the only gay member, his bandmat supported his polil stance – for the most part.

HOW WE MA: TOM ROBSON AND NICK MOBBS ON GLAD TO BE GAY

“Believe me, you don’t want to be Texas playg Glad To Be Gay for five hundred wboys who make very pla: ‘Afterwards, we’re gog to fuckg kill you, man.

He realised he was gay his early teens. At the time, the UK homosexualy was punishable by four years prison.

MEET TOM GAY FROM THE USA: THE MAN WHO’S LERALLY EVERYWHERE WE LOOK

“Unlike today, wh Graham Norton on the TV and so many openly gay policians, there were no role mols to suggt that was possible to be queer and have a happy life.

The TRB’s 1978 song Don’t Take No For An Answer was spired partly by the sorry saga, while Davi fired back wh his 1980 B-si Prce Of Punks: ‘Tried to be gay, but didn’t pay/So he bought a motorbike stead. Wh s roots the gay liberatn chant ‘Two, four, six, eight, gay is twice as good as straight’ was a slyly subversive openg was nothg pared to what me the band rapidly gag a reputatn as one of the bt on the gig circu, a live release was the next logil step. Its fol pot was Glad To Be Gay, a supremely tchy but cendiary anthem that ma no bon about Robson’s sexual orientatn, while simultaneoly cryg the homophobia and hypocrisy of the tablishment.

IS TOM BROCK GAY?

Robson and Ktow adm to beg terrified at the prospect of performg Glad To Be Gay such bastns of masculy as the Bridge Hoe pub East London’s Canng Town or the Royal Naval Hall Tonypandy, South Wal, but they would not be terred. As well as featurg Glad To Be Gay, s sleeve clud ntact tails for polil anisatns the Anti-Nazi League and the Gay Swchboard.

On A’t Gonna Take It, Robson took aim venomoly at ‘abortn and the gay scene/Only meant for the rich’, while Better Deci Which Si You’re On was as close to a manifto as they one and two of the origal vyl LP were closed by the album’s two head-turners.

ROCK HUDSON'S 'TE LOVE' SPEAKS: HOW WE KEPT OUR GAY LIFE SECRET

”Amazgly, given the size of the target he had effectively pated on his own back, Robson managed to avoid physil reprisals om many of the TRB’s antagonists – Natnal Front thugs and vlent homophob. He suffers om obssive-pulsive disorr (OCD), which he blam on the TRB’s an unexpected twist, Robson met a woman, Sue Brearly, at a Gay Swchboard benef show 1987 and, as he now puts , “found myself strongly – and nveniently – attracted to her”.

They started a fay together and eventually married, promptg the ire of certa sectns of the gay muny, who acced him of the ultimate sell-out. Robson addrsed this a re-rerd versn of Glad To Be Gay on 1996’s Havg It Both Ways album, which he add an extra verse: ‘Well if gay liberatn means eedom for all, a label is no liberatn at all.

ATRALIAN ADMS TO PHG GAY US MATHEMATICIAN OFF CLIFF 1988 HATE-CRIME MURR

Gay marriage is legal, and racism, sexism, police btaly and all the thgs Robson railed agast are, although not stamped out, at least ls overt than they were the 1970s. It still sounds great To Be Gay (Live)On Risg Free Robson dit to the World Health Organisatn.

Ever sce the silent film era, Hollywood beefke photos have tillated both female and gay male fans. Here we ntue our seri celebratg gay, bisexual, and straight movie stars wearg next to nothg at all.

Gay actors Farley Granger and Roddy McDowall are ready to share — a Coke?