Hudson lived a double life as a Hollywood heartthrob and a closeted gay man. Bgrapher Mark Griff says Hudson's ath om AIDS 1985 was a turng pot public awarens of the epimic.
Contents:
- ROCK HUDSON'S 'TE LOVE' SPEAKS: HOW WE KEPT OUR GAY LIFE SECRET
- ROCK HUDSON: THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIV OF A GAY HOLLYWOOD IDOL
- ROCK HUDSON’S GAY CONFSN SECRETLY RERD BY HIS WIFE
- STORY BEHD ROCK HUDSON'S SECRET GAY LIFE WH THE MAN HE CALLED HIS 'TE LOVE'
- WAS ROCK HUDSON GAY REAL LIFE?
- HOW ROCK HUDSON KEPT HIS SECRET GAY LIFE
- ROCK HUDSON’S WIFE SECRETLY RERD HIS GAY CONFSN
- HOW HOLLYWOOD HID ROCK HUDSON, ITS BIGGT GAY MOVIE STAR
- STT D. PIERCE: ROCK HUDSON WAS A GAY IN, BUT HE WAS NO HERO
- ROCK HUDSON DOC IS A COMPASSNATE (AND JUICY) LOOK AT THE HIDN LIFE OF A GAY STAR
- 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
ROCK HUDSON'S 'TE LOVE' SPEAKS: HOW WE KEPT OUR GAY LIFE SECRET
A gay man wh major ambns a prejudiced world, Hudson valiantly tried to be all thgs to all people—as Mark Griff wr All That Heaven Allows: A Bgraphy of Rock Hudson. * hudson gay life *
Chanc are, if you’re readg this, you’ve heard somethg fabulo about Upstate New York or you’ve wonred to yourself “is the Hudson Valley gay iendly?
Workg your way up the river, one of the first towns wh our Big Gay Hudson Valley is the village of Cold Sprg Putnam County. Well known for ’s adventurome mayor – who was the first to marry gay and lbian upl 2004 – this is one of the funkier llege towns of the Hudson Valley. While you’re there, be sure to check out one of s gay-owned shops or tch a fabulo pnnt film at Upstate Films.
Loted on eher si of the Rip Van Wkle Bridge, the two towns are packed wh gay life.
ROCK HUDSON: THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIV OF A GAY HOLLYWOOD IDOL
A new HBO documentary explor the public and private worlds of the actor who was Hollywood's epome of heterosexual sire while livg a closeted gay liftyle, who 1985 beme the first celebry to die of AIDS. * hudson gay life *
The furtht of the statns on our lol map, gay life the Cy of Hudson is driven primarily by Trixie Starr, the head of the Hudson Pri Foundatn and the anizer of the town’s Pri Para. It feels a ltle like you’ve taken a step back time once you arrive, but even Catskill has s own gay bar; Doubl II.
“He was the biggt movie star the world, and the mors were that he was gay, ” he says. But as bgrapher Mark Griff explor the exceptnal All That Heaven Allows: A Bgraphy of Rock Hudson, Hudson was also a gay man wh major ambns a prejudiced world, valiantly attemptg to be all thgs to all people.
ROCK HUDSON’S GAY CONFSN SECRETLY RERD BY HIS WIFE
Rock Hudson, the symbol of ‘50s manhood, lived a secret gay life until 1985 when he nfirmed he ntracted AIDS. Let’s look back at his story. * hudson gay life *
”The TightropeHudson’s affabily worked as a shield, hidg the enormo pa and fear that me wh beg a closeted gay mid-century Ameri. On June 5, 1984, the rmatologist who bpsied the mole broke the news to Hudson that he had AIDS, then a ltle-known vis ravagg many the gay terrifyg prognosis, a virtual ath sentence 1984, overwhelmed Hudson.
However, when you buy somethg through our retail lks, we may earn an affiliate Great Stori From Vany Fair— An Exclive Deep Dive Into Peter Jackson’s The Beatl: Get Back— Joseph Fienn on His Handmaid’s Tale Fate— The 10 Bt Movi of 2021 (So Far)— Jane Levy on the Zoey’s Extraordary Playlist Cancellatn— Is Lu Pixar’s First Gay Movie? But now, his new HBO documentary, "Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed, " Kijak explor Hudson's whole life, as a global star, and closeted gay man.
STORY BEHD ROCK HUDSON'S SECRET GAY LIFE WH THE MAN HE CALLED HIS 'TE LOVE'
* hudson gay life *
"In real life, Hudson was datg men, like Lee Garlgton, who the documentary relled, "We were orred never to have our picture taken together, bee somebody would know that we were gay. In an archival terview Day said, "Many, many people would ask me, you know, 'Is Rock Hudson really gay? Jt like beg a fly on the wall: In January 1958, the late film actor Rock Hudson was nonted by his wife Phyllis about his homosexualy and trysts wh other men; Phyllis secretly rerd the ank nversatn, and the transcript, om the fil of private tective Fred Otash, have jt been released and excerpted by The Hollywood Reporter.
The screen star's secret gay life was an open secret wh Hollywood (his close iends clud equently stars Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor), although he never publicly me out durg his lifetime.
WAS ROCK HUDSON GAY REAL LIFE?
Rock Hudson remas a gay in, but he most fely was not a heroic figure. Whatever good he did for the gay muny was spe of his actns, not bee of them. And some of his actns put the liv of other people at risk. * hudson gay life *
The upled tied the knot 1955 and got divorced 1958 – a three-year marriage that clearly wasn’t staable given that Hudson was a closeted gay events that led to their divorce clud cheatg mors while Hudson was filmg 1957’s A Farewell to Arms.
Publicy photo of Rock Hudson cir 1955 | Source: Wikimedia Commons“He was the biggt movie star the world, and the mors were that he was gay, ” Garlgton said. She claimed that at the time, she didn’t know about Hudson’s homosexualy, but later nonted him about . Around the 1940s, homosexualy was not as acceptable society.
HOW ROCK HUDSON KEPT HIS SECRET GAY LIFE
“His agent told him that he was never to have one of his boyiends a photo bee if anyone saw , they would spect he was gay, ” he said. On-screen, Rock Hudson played the Hollywood macho heartthrob, but off-screen, he was a gay man. Whispers about him ntractg acquired immune ficiency syndrome (AIDS) –monly lked to homosexual men and traveno dg ers – immediately started.
Randy Shilts, an Amerin journalist and thor wrote his 1987 book chroniclg the crisis, “For s, Hudson had been among the handful of screen actors who personified wholome Amerin masculy; now, one stroke, he was revealed as both gay and sufferg om the afflictn of pariahs. The ‘80s was an era of ‘sanctned homophobia’ marked by the emergence of HIV and AIDS, referred to as the ‘gay plague.
ROCK HUDSON’S WIFE SECRETLY RERD HIS GAY CONFSN
He heard mors that the movie in was gay, and so he wanted to get an eye on him.
Rock Hudson lived most of his gay life secret bee of his posn and the harsh judgment brought upon people like him who didn’t intify wh the bary. It ed to be unthkable for a Hollywood star to e out as gay.
HOW HOLLYWOOD HID ROCK HUDSON, ITS BIGGT GAY MOVIE STAR
Gay celebri often faced ser personal nsequenc for beg forced to live a double life. Readg your book about Rock Hudson, I was thkg how paful mt have been for him to be one of Hollywood's leadg men, one of the most, quote, "eligible bachelors" while beg a closeted gay man.
And Rock tells this sort of tragic story that when he built up the urage to tell his stepfather that he had the ambns to be an actor, his stepfather h him - and not only that but I thk nfisted any toys that he thought were some way effemate and disuraged any theatril ambns that Rock may have When Rock Hudson was still Roy Fzgerald, he was disvered by Henry Willson, who was also gay. GRIFFIN: He was a very fluential figure Hollywood, which is tertg when you thk, you know, here's a gay man who was - I wouldn't say overt, but he wasn't as closeted as some of the actors had to be.
A lot of is about how Rock Hudson was closeted throughout his life and how that worked Hollywood, how that worked for him and other gay magaz often prented an illn of Rock Hudson.
STT D. PIERCE: ROCK HUDSON WAS A GAY IN, BUT HE WAS NO HERO
" So that's an unfortunate example of how a gay man, Henry Willson, would be willg to sell out another gay man, Tab Hunter, to save the reer of a third gay man, Rock Hudson - so tertg In settg up this story, you said, supposedly, here's how this story go.
But sounds very plsible to So do you thk that most people Hollywood who knew Rock Hudson unrstood that he was gay but also unrstood that was their job to keep his secret?
ROCK HUDSON DOC IS A COMPASSNATE (AND JUICY) LOOK AT THE HIDN LIFE OF A GAY STAR
I thk was very much an open secret Hollywood that all of the stars that Rock worked wh or, certaly, most of them and directors and productn folks knew that Rock 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
" But he was forced to lead a double life bee he was gay and had the public known that, his reer would have been over.