The 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.
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- THE REAL ROCK HUDSON: A MOVG NEW HBO DOC CLAIMS HIM AS A GAY INROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED EXAM THE STAR’S CLOSETED REER—AND THE SIGNIFINCE OF HIM GOG PUBLIC WH HIS AIDS DIAGNOSIS.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJUNE 28, 2023FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYROCK HUDSON, 1954PHOTOFTSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEROCK HUDSON HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF UNTLS HEADL, CENTER OF LIFELONG MORS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND KEEPER OF SECRETS THAT FLUENCED BOTH. BUT ABOVE ALL, HE WAS A NSUMMATE PERFORMER—ONSCREEN, BUT MORE VALLY, OFF.“WHEN YOU STRG OUT EVERY ROCK HUDSON TERVIEW PRT AND RAD OR TV, HE GIV YOU NOTHG,” SAYS FILMMAKER STEPHEN KIJAK, WHO PROFIL HUDSON THE DOCUMENTARY ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED, PREMIERG JUNE 27 ON HBO. “THERE’S THIS STRANGE SENSE THAT HE’S BEEN SO REFULLY NTROLLED AND CREATED AND CRAFTED BY THE STUD, BY THE PUBLICISTS, THAT OVER TIME, HIS TE SELF JT GOT PRSED TO THIS LTLE PART THAT WAS JT HIDN OM EVERYBODY. HE NEVER REALLY LETS ALL OUT.” AFTER SEEG ALL THE HEADL TOUTG “ROCK HUDSON’S BIG SECRET,” KIJAK QUIPS, “YOU LOOK AT THE ARTICLE, AND THE SECRET IS HE’S THE WORST TERVIEW HOLLYWOOD.”IN ORR TO GO BEYOND THE FA, KIJAK SOUGHT OUT THE MEN HUDSON’S PRIVATE ORB. “I REALLY WANTED TO GO ABOUT CREATG A GENERATNAL ARC OF MEN WHO WERE HIS LIFE AS LOVERS, IENDS, PLAYMAT, A WG MAN, A STAR, PEOPLE THAT HE REALLY BROUGHT SI,” HE TELLS VANY FAIR. “THE MEN CREATE A PORTRA OF A GENERATN THAT GETS YOU OM THE PRE-STONEWALL DAYS, BEFORE GAY LIBERATN, ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SI OF THE AIDS CRISIS. IT’S A VERY TIMATE PORTRA THAT EMERG.”ONCE THE THG HE SHIELD ORR TO PRERVE HIS HOLLYWOOD LEGACY, HUDSON’S QUEER INTY IS NOW A SIGNIFINT PART OF WHY ENDUR. INSPIRED BY MARK RAPPAPORT’S EXPERIMENTAL 1992 DOCUMENTARY ROCK HUDSON’S HOME MOVI, KIJAK SPLICED SCEN OM EVERYTHG CLUDG GIANT, FOR WHICH HUDSON EARNED AN OSR NOMATN, TO THE PSYCHOLOGIL DRAMA SENDS, A GLOOMY CHANGE OF PACE FOR THE ACTOR, TO ILLUMATE THE PERSON BENEATH THE PERFORMANCE. “WE WANTED TO MANIPULATE THE FILMS TO HAVE THEM NVERSATN WH EACH OTHER,” KIJAK EXPLAS. HE C “ROCK PILLOW TALK SORT OF CISG ROD TAYLOR ANOTHER MOVIE, AND CUTTG THEM TOGETHER TO ALMOST CREATE THIS LTLE QUEER CEMATIC SPACE WHERE ROCK ULD PRENT AS A GAY MAN. IT WAS LIKE SETTG HIM EE A WAY TO SHOW JT A LTLE HT OF WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN.”THIS BE A PARTICULARLY IMPACTFUL EXERCISE WHEN TO HUDSON’S YEARS AS A ROMANTIC EDY LEADG MAN, PARTICULARLY HIS TRILOGY OF FILMS WH DORIS DAY—PILLOW TALK (1959), LOVER COME BACK (1961), AND SEND ME NO FLOWERS (1964). “IN THE FILMS, HE’S A HETEROSEXUAL MAN WHO’S PRETENDG TO BE GAY OR AT LEAST EFFEMATE ORR TO WOO DORIS DAY, SO SHE N TURN AROUND AND TRY TO NVERT HIM,” KIJAK SAYS. “IT’S THIS WEIRD HOE OF MIRRORS WHERE, ALL OF A SUDN, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF TENTNALY AROUND SCREWG WH THE NARRATIVE AND PUTTG HIS QUEERNS ALMOST ON FULL DISPLAY, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF A WAY. IT HAS TO HAVE BEEN AN ACCINT. OR WAS ?”MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIV/GETTY IMAGBORN ROY HAROLD SCHERER JR. WKA, ILLOIS, THE WOULD-BE ACTOR WAS RENAMED AND GIVEN A RIGORO MAKEOVER BY HIS PREDATORY AGENT HENRY WILLSON, A DYNAMIC ON DISPLAY RYAN MURPHY’S NETFLIX SERI HOLLYWOOD. HUDSON WAS PLIC SELLG HIS REFULLY NSTCTED IMAGE, KIJAK SAYS: “HIS BIG DREAM IS TO BE A MOVIE STAR, AND I N’T IMAGE WHAT MT HAVE BEEN LIKE. HE HAD NO TRAG. ALL OF A SUDN HE’S A NTRACT PLAYER AT UNIVERSAL, AND THERE’S THIS WHOLE MACHE CREATG THIS PERSONA FOR YOU. HE PLETELY, OBVLY, HAS TO BE PLIC , AND HE MT HAVE LOVED . HE WAS LLED THE BARON OF BEEFKE.”BUT HUDSON ALSO HAD TO NAVIGATE THE MIDCENTURY HOLLYWOOD MEDIA LANDSPE WH ABSOLUTE PRECISN. MOVIE MAGAZ LIKE PHOTOPLAY PATED HIM AS A QUTSENTIAL STRAIGHT MAN AND WONRED WHEN HE WOULD WALK DOWN THE AISLE. “FANS ARE URGG 29-YEAR-OLD HUDSON TO GET MARRIED—OR EXPLA WHY NOT,” LIFE MAGAZE WROTE OF S 1955 VER STAR. IN ANSWER TO THAT QUTN, WILLSON BROKERED A MARRIAGE BETWEEN HIS SECRETARY, PHYLLIS GAT, AND HUDSON, WHICH TOOK PLACE JT EIGHT DAYS SHY OF THE ACTOR’S 30TH BIRTHDAY. THEY WOULD DIVORCE LS THAN THREE YEARS LATER, AND GAT WOULD EVENTUALLY WRE A TELL-ALL SUGGTG SHE KNEW NOTHG OF HUDSON’S SEXUALY. THIS, HUDSON BGRAPHER MARK GRIFF HAS SAID, “IS REALLY HARD TO SWALLOW GIVEN THE FACT THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY B PLAYER, MAKP MAN, ASSISTANT GOPHER AT UNIVERSAL KNEW THE SRE ABOUT ROCK HUDSON. HOW DID SHE POSSIBLY MISS THE MEMO?”HUDSON’S SEXUALY WAS A SOURCE OF UNBRIDLED SPECULATN FOR TABLOIDS SUCH AS CONFINTIAL MAGAZE, WHICH “REALLY JT WANTED TO OUT PEOPLE AS GAY, AS MI, AS DNKS, AS SLUTS—I MEAN, WHATEVER WAS, THEY JT WANTED TO TRASH EVERYBODY,” SAYS KIJAK. ENTER WILLSON WH THE DAMAGE NTROL—THIS TIME, THE FORM OF FELLOW CLIENT TAB HUNTER, WHOSE SECRETS WERE SACRIFICED ORR TO SHIELD THE MORE SUCCSFUL HUDSON AGAST AN IMPENDG EXPOSé.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHJSI CHASTA BET ON HERSELF. NOW SHE’S READY FOR THE BIGGER FIGHTBY DAVID CANFIELDZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHAS MUCH AS HUDSON WAS A PRODUCT OF THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM, HE MANAGED TO FD A REPRIEVE OM WH THE BEVERLY HILLS MANSN HE NICKNAMED “THE CASTLE.” WH THOSE WALLS, HUDSON WAS ABLE TO RETREAT OM THE SPOTLIGHT AND LEAD A LIFE MOST WEREN’T PRIVY TO—EXCEPT FOR MANY OF THE MEN TERVIEWED BY KIJAK AND GRIFF, WHO OPENED HIS ARCHIV OM REARCHG HIS BOOK TO THE FILMMAKER.KIJAK MANAG TO FILTRATE THAT PRIVATE LIFE SOMETIM SHOCKGLY DIRECT TAIL. IN THE DOC, ONE FORMER IEND, JOE CARBERRY, RELAT THAT HUDSON’S PENIS WAS TOO “SIZABLE” FOR THE PLACE THEY HAD MD. “TO HAVE AN 80-SOMETHG-YEAR-OLD MAN TALKG ABOUT THOSE TERMS WAS KD OF HILAR,” KIJAK TELLS ME. “IN PRIVATE, [HUDSON] WAS JT SORT OF LOOSE AND EE. THE FUN PART OF TALKG TO THE MEN IS TO REVEAL THAT, THE AGE BEFORE EVERYONE HAD A MERA THEIR PHONE, YOU ULD HAVE THIS DOUBLE LIFE AND LIVE WHOUT FEAR OF BEG REVEALED.”ROCK HUDSON AND LEE GARLGTON (PUERTO VALLARTA, 1963)A FAVORE TERVIEW FOR KIJAK’S WAS WH LEE GARLGTON, ONE OF HUDSON’S MORE LONG-TERM PARTNERS OM THE ’60S. “IT’S SO HEARTBREAKG—HE’S HAD A FEW MORE STROK SCE WE TALKED TO HIM, AND HE N’T REALLY TALK ANYMORE,” SAYS THE FILMMAKER. “WE KD OF GOT THAT LAST TERVIEW OF SOMEONE THAT HAD KNOWN HIM THAT LONG AND HAD BEEN REALLY TIMATE.”IN HIS SENR YEARS, GRIFF TOLD NPR 2018, “ROCK MAY HAVE EVEN SERLY ENTERTAED THE NOTN OF G OUT—ME CLOSE BUT DIDN’T QUE GET THERE.” ONE ADVOTE WAS TAL OF THE CY THOR ARMISTEAD MP, A IEND OF HUDSON’S WHO ADMS THE FILM TO OPERATG WH PEOPLE MAGAZE ON A PIECE NFIRMG HUDSON’S SEXUALY ONCE AND FOR ALL. “WHEN YOU SEE THAT [FILM PRODUCER] ROSS HUNTER, ROCK’S BT PAL, WAS A GAY MAN WHO HAD A LONG-TERM LIFE PARTNER WHO STILL WAS REFG TO ADM ROCK WAS GAY EVEN AFTER ROCK DIED, YOU SEE HOW PLETELY SLAMMED TO THE CLOSET THIS GENERATN WAS,” KIJAK SAYS. WHILE NOT ALL MEN OPERATED THIS WAY, FOR MANY, “KEEPG THE SECRET WAS SOME KD OF BADGE OF HONOR,” HE EXPLAS, ADDG, “THEY THOUGHT WHAT ARMISTEAD DID BY SPEAKG OPENLY ABOUT WAS TREASONO, WHEN FACT WAS 100% THE RIGHT THG TO DO AT THE TIME GIVEN WHAT WAS GOG ON WH AIDS.”ANOTHER GENERATNAL DIVI BETWEEN HUDSON AND MANY OF THE QUEER MEN THAT ME AFTER HIM? HE WAS A REGISTERED REPUBLIN. “HE WAS AN OLR, SUCCSFUL, CLOSETED, WHE MAN. WHAT DO HE HAVE TO LOSE ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM?” KIJAK ASKS. “ROCK’S A RNY OLD-FASHNED DU, AND HIM AND HIS IENDS, THE OLR THEY GOT, THE SQUARE-ER THEY BEME. THEY WEREN’T HIP, THEY WEREN’T OL. HE WAS, I THK, A ‘SMALL R’ REPUBLIN. HE WAS JT NSERVATIVE SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY, NOTHG LIKE THE REPUBLINS OF OUR DAY.”IT WAS HUDSON’S CLOSE IENDSHIP WH NANCY REAGAN THAT ADVERTENTLY LED TO HIS AIDS DIAGNOSIS. AFTER ATTENDG A PARTY AT THE WHE HOE 1984, THE ACTOR WAS SENT PHOTOS OM THE EVENT ALONG WH A NOTE URGG HIM TO GET A MOLE ON HIS NECK CHECKED. BY JUNE OF THAT YEAR, HE WAS DIAGNOSED—NOT THAT THE REAGANS WOULD EVER TERVENE ON HUDSON’S OR ANY OTHER AIDS PATIENT’S BEHALF. “HIS PALS, NANCY AND RON, TURN THEIR BACK ON HIM AND ALL OF THE HIV/AIDS MUNY,” KIJAK SAYS. “THERE’S A LOT OF BLOOD ON RONALD REAGAN’S HANDS. JT BEE THEY WERE IENDS WH ROCK, DIDN’T MAKE ONE DIFFERENCE.”AS REUNTED THE DOCUMENTARY, WHILE PRIVATELY SUFFERG OM AIDS, HUDSON PLAYED A RECURRG ROLE ON DYNASTY. “MULTIPLE NARRATIV [WERE] BEG SPUN” TO EXCE THE ACTOR’S TERRATG PHYSIL HEALTH, KIJAK SAYS, BUT HUDSON WAS NEVERTHELS HORRIFIED TO DISVER HE’D HAVE TO KISS STAR LDA EVANS DURG A TIME OF FULL-BLOWN HYSTERIA ABOUT THE VIS. “KISSG SCEN, CLOSE NTACT, EVERYTHG IS JT—’S PANIC MO. BEE NO ONE KNEW THE SCIENCE,” KIJAK SAYS. HUDSON REFED TO OPEN HIS MOUTH DURG THE KISS, RSG WH MOUTHWASH -BETWEEN TAK. “IT MAK ME CRY BEE I KNOW HE WAS PROTECTG ME,” EVANS SAYS THE FILM.AFTER HUDSON’S AIDS DIAGNOSIS WAS DISCLOSED, SOME OF EVANS’S STARS REFED TO FILM WH HER. “THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WOULDN’T WORK WH ME, AND SO THEY HAD TO CHANGE SCEN BEE I MIGHT HAVE AIDS,” SHE NTU. “I HAD PERSONAL IENDS WHO WOULDN’T E OVER TO DNER.… I THOUGHT, WHERE’S YOUR HUMANY OR WHERE’S YOUR PASSN? WHAT’S WRONG WH THIS WORLD RIGHT NOW?”ROCK ON VATN PUERTO VALLARTA (PHOTO URTY OF LEE GARLGTON).MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHJSI CHASTA BET ON HERSELF. NOW SHE’S READY FOR THE BIGGER FIGHTBY DAVID CANFIELDZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHBY JULY 25, 1985, HUDSON WAS PARIS RECEIVG EXPERIMENTAL HPA-23 TREATMENTS. WH HE PRS CROWD OUTSI THE ACTOR’S HOSPAL, HUDSON’S PUBLICIST ANNOUNCED HE HAD AIDS, MAKG HIM THE MOST FAMO PERSON EVER TO ANNOUNCE HE HAD NTRACTED THE STIGMATIZED VIS AND IMPLICLY NFIRMG HIS SEXUALY. “I AM NOT HAPPY THAT I AM SICK,” HUDSON SAID A STATEMENT A MONTH BEFORE HIS ATH OCTOBER 1985. “I AM NOT HAPPY THAT I HAVE AIDS, BUT IF THAT IS HELPG OTHERS, I N, AT LEAST, KNOW THAT MY OWN MISFORTUNE HAS HAD SOME POSIVE WORTH.”IN ATH, HUDSON BEME AN “ACCINTAL ACTIVIST,” THE ORIGAL TLE OF THE DOCUMENTARY. “ROCK HUDSON, OUR PARAGON OF HETEROSEXUALY, EVERY HOEWIV’ HEARTTHROB, YOUR MOTHER’S FAVORE ACTOR, WAS GAY AND HAD AIDS. THAT WAS A NVERSATN NOBODY WAS HAVG” BEFORE HUDSON’S DIAGNOSIS, KIJAK EXPLAED. “IT ALLOWED TO SLIP TO THE MASTREAM AND BY ALL ACUNTS, FUNDRAISG FOR AIDS REARCH DOUBLED, TRIPLED, QUADPLED. IT WAS A HUGE TALYST FOR CHANGE.”THE VALUE REAMG HUDSON’S LIFE PERSISTS, KIJAK TELLS ME AT THE END OF OUR NVERSATN. “WE HAVE TO NSTANTLY KEEP TELLG THE STORI, CREATG OPENNS AROUND GAY LIV, BEE, AS WE SEE FLORIDA AND MANY PARTS OF OUR UNTRY, WE’RE THIS VIC BACKSLI WH QUEER RIGHTS AND VLENCE AGAST GAY PEOPLE AND TRANS PEOPLE.” HE NCLUS, “I DON’T KNOW IF WE’RE RECLAIMG, OR JT CLAIMG ROCK AS ONE OF OUR GAY INS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)SAVANNAH WALSH
- 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 HOLLYWOOD HID ROCK HUDSON, ITS BIGGT GAY MOVIE STAR
- ROCK HUDSON DOC IS A COMPASSNATE (AND JUICY) LOOK AT THE HIDN LIFE OF A GAY STAR
- ROCK HUDSON'S 'TE LOVE' SPEAKS: HOW WE KEPT OUR GAY LIFE SECRET
THE REAL ROCK HUDSON: A MOVG NEW HBO DOC CLAIMS HIM AS A GAY INROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED EXAM THE STAR’S CLOSETED REER—AND THE SIGNIFINCE OF HIM GOG PUBLIC WH HIS AIDS DIAGNOSIS.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJUNE 28, 2023FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYROCK HUDSON, 1954PHOTOFTSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEROCK HUDSON HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF UNTLS HEADL, CENTER OF LIFELONG MORS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND KEEPER OF SECRETS THAT FLUENCED BOTH. BUT ABOVE ALL, HE WAS A NSUMMATE PERFORMER—ONSCREEN, BUT MORE VALLY, OFF.“WHEN YOU STRG OUT EVERY ROCK HUDSON TERVIEW PRT AND RAD OR TV, HE GIV YOU NOTHG,” SAYS FILMMAKER STEPHEN KIJAK, WHO PROFIL HUDSON THE DOCUMENTARY ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED, PREMIERG JUNE 27 ON HBO. “THERE’S THIS STRANGE SENSE THAT HE’S BEEN SO REFULLY NTROLLED AND CREATED AND CRAFTED BY THE STUD, BY THE PUBLICISTS, THAT OVER TIME, HIS TE SELF JT GOT PRSED TO THIS LTLE PART THAT WAS JT HIDN OM EVERYBODY. HE NEVER REALLY LETS ALL OUT.” AFTER SEEG ALL THE HEADL TOUTG “ROCK HUDSON’S BIG SECRET,” KIJAK QUIPS, “YOU LOOK AT THE ARTICLE, AND THE SECRET IS HE’S THE WORST TERVIEW HOLLYWOOD.”IN ORR TO GO BEYOND THE FA, KIJAK SOUGHT OUT THE MEN HUDSON’S PRIVATE ORB. “I REALLY WANTED TO GO ABOUT CREATG A GENERATNAL ARC OF MEN WHO WERE HIS LIFE AS LOVERS, IENDS, PLAYMAT, A WG MAN, A STAR, PEOPLE THAT HE REALLY BROUGHT SI,” HE TELLS VANY FAIR. “THE MEN CREATE A PORTRA OF A GENERATN THAT GETS YOU OM THE PRE-STONEWALL DAYS, BEFORE GAY LIBERATN, ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SI OF THE AIDS CRISIS. IT’S A VERY TIMATE PORTRA THAT EMERG.”ONCE THE THG HE SHIELD ORR TO PRERVE HIS HOLLYWOOD LEGACY, HUDSON’S QUEER INTY IS NOW A SIGNIFINT PART OF WHY ENDUR. INSPIRED BY MARK RAPPAPORT’S EXPERIMENTAL 1992 DOCUMENTARY ROCK HUDSON’S HOME MOVI, KIJAK SPLICED SCEN OM EVERYTHG CLUDG GIANT, FOR WHICH HUDSON EARNED AN OSR NOMATN, TO THE PSYCHOLOGIL DRAMA SENDS, A GLOOMY CHANGE OF PACE FOR THE ACTOR, TO ILLUMATE THE PERSON BENEATH THE PERFORMANCE. “WE WANTED TO MANIPULATE THE FILMS TO HAVE THEM NVERSATN WH EACH OTHER,” KIJAK EXPLAS. HE C “ROCK PILLOW TALK SORT OF CISG ROD TAYLOR ANOTHER MOVIE, AND CUTTG THEM TOGETHER TO ALMOST CREATE THIS LTLE QUEER CEMATIC SPACE WHERE ROCK ULD PRENT AS A GAY MAN. IT WAS LIKE SETTG HIM EE A WAY TO SHOW JT A LTLE HT OF WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN.”THIS BE A PARTICULARLY IMPACTFUL EXERCISE WHEN TO HUDSON’S YEARS AS A ROMANTIC EDY LEADG MAN, PARTICULARLY HIS TRILOGY OF FILMS WH DORIS DAY—PILLOW TALK (1959), LOVER COME BACK (1961), AND SEND ME NO FLOWERS (1964). “IN THE FILMS, HE’S A HETEROSEXUAL MAN WHO’S PRETENDG TO BE GAY OR AT LEAST EFFEMATE ORR TO WOO DORIS DAY, SO SHE N TURN AROUND AND TRY TO NVERT HIM,” KIJAK SAYS. “IT’S THIS WEIRD HOE OF MIRRORS WHERE, ALL OF A SUDN, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF TENTNALY AROUND SCREWG WH THE NARRATIVE AND PUTTG HIS QUEERNS ALMOST ON FULL DISPLAY, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF A WAY. IT HAS TO HAVE BEEN AN ACCINT. OR WAS ?”MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIV/GETTY IMAGBORN ROY HAROLD SCHERER JR. WKA, ILLOIS, THE WOULD-BE ACTOR WAS RENAMED AND GIVEN A RIGORO MAKEOVER BY HIS PREDATORY AGENT HENRY WILLSON, A DYNAMIC ON DISPLAY RYAN MURPHY’S NETFLIX SERI HOLLYWOOD. HUDSON WAS PLIC SELLG HIS REFULLY NSTCTED IMAGE, KIJAK SAYS: “HIS BIG DREAM IS TO BE A MOVIE STAR, AND I N’T IMAGE WHAT MT HAVE BEEN LIKE. HE HAD NO TRAG. ALL OF A SUDN HE’S A NTRACT PLAYER AT UNIVERSAL, AND THERE’S THIS WHOLE MACHE CREATG THIS PERSONA FOR YOU. HE PLETELY, OBVLY, HAS TO BE PLIC , AND HE MT HAVE LOVED . HE WAS LLED THE BARON OF BEEFKE.”BUT HUDSON ALSO HAD TO NAVIGATE THE MIDCENTURY HOLLYWOOD MEDIA LANDSPE WH ABSOLUTE PRECISN. MOVIE MAGAZ LIKE PHOTOPLAY PATED HIM AS A QUTSENTIAL STRAIGHT MAN AND WONRED WHEN HE WOULD WALK DOWN THE AISLE. “FANS ARE URGG 29-YEAR-OLD HUDSON TO GET MARRIED—OR EXPLA WHY NOT,” LIFE MAGAZE WROTE OF S 1955 VER STAR. IN ANSWER TO THAT QUTN, WILLSON BROKERED A MARRIAGE BETWEEN HIS SECRETARY, PHYLLIS GAT, AND HUDSON, WHICH TOOK PLACE JT EIGHT DAYS SHY OF THE ACTOR’S 30TH BIRTHDAY. THEY WOULD DIVORCE LS THAN THREE YEARS LATER, AND GAT WOULD EVENTUALLY WRE A TELL-ALL SUGGTG SHE KNEW NOTHG OF HUDSON’S SEXUALY. THIS, HUDSON BGRAPHER MARK GRIFF HAS SAID, “IS REALLY HARD TO SWALLOW GIVEN THE FACT THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY B PLAYER, MAKP MAN, ASSISTANT GOPHER AT UNIVERSAL KNEW THE SRE ABOUT ROCK HUDSON. HOW DID SHE POSSIBLY MISS THE MEMO?”HUDSON’S SEXUALY WAS A SOURCE OF UNBRIDLED SPECULATN FOR TABLOIDS SUCH AS CONFINTIAL MAGAZE, WHICH “REALLY JT WANTED TO OUT PEOPLE AS GAY, AS MI, AS DNKS, AS SLUTS—I MEAN, WHATEVER WAS, THEY JT WANTED TO TRASH EVERYBODY,” SAYS KIJAK. ENTER WILLSON WH THE DAMAGE NTROL—THIS TIME, THE FORM OF FELLOW CLIENT TAB HUNTER, WHOSE SECRETS WERE SACRIFICED ORR TO SHIELD THE MORE SUCCSFUL HUDSON AGAST AN IMPENDG EXPOSé.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHJSI CHASTA BET ON HERSELF. NOW SHE’S READY FOR THE BIGGER FIGHTBY DAVID CANFIELDZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHAS MUCH AS HUDSON WAS A PRODUCT OF THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM, HE MANAGED TO FD A REPRIEVE OM WH THE BEVERLY HILLS MANSN HE NICKNAMED “THE CASTLE.” WH THOSE WALLS, HUDSON WAS ABLE TO RETREAT OM THE SPOTLIGHT AND LEAD A LIFE MOST WEREN’T PRIVY TO—EXCEPT FOR MANY OF THE MEN TERVIEWED BY KIJAK AND GRIFF, WHO OPENED HIS ARCHIV OM REARCHG HIS BOOK TO THE FILMMAKER.KIJAK MANAG TO FILTRATE THAT PRIVATE LIFE SOMETIM SHOCKGLY DIRECT TAIL. IN THE DOC, ONE FORMER IEND, JOE CARBERRY, RELAT THAT HUDSON’S PENIS WAS TOO “SIZABLE” FOR THE PLACE THEY HAD MD. “TO HAVE AN 80-SOMETHG-YEAR-OLD MAN TALKG ABOUT THOSE TERMS WAS KD OF HILAR,” KIJAK TELLS ME. “IN PRIVATE, [HUDSON] WAS JT SORT OF LOOSE AND EE. THE FUN PART OF TALKG TO THE MEN IS TO REVEAL THAT, THE AGE BEFORE EVERYONE HAD A MERA THEIR PHONE, YOU ULD HAVE THIS DOUBLE LIFE AND LIVE WHOUT FEAR OF BEG REVEALED.”ROCK HUDSON AND LEE GARLGTON (PUERTO VALLARTA, 1963)A FAVORE TERVIEW FOR KIJAK’S WAS WH LEE GARLGTON, ONE OF HUDSON’S MORE LONG-TERM PARTNERS OM THE ’60S. “IT’S SO HEARTBREAKG—HE’S HAD A FEW MORE STROK SCE WE TALKED TO HIM, AND HE N’T REALLY TALK ANYMORE,” SAYS THE FILMMAKER. “WE KD OF GOT THAT LAST TERVIEW OF SOMEONE THAT HAD KNOWN HIM THAT LONG AND HAD BEEN REALLY TIMATE.”IN HIS SENR YEARS, GRIFF TOLD NPR 2018, “ROCK MAY HAVE EVEN SERLY ENTERTAED THE NOTN OF G OUT—ME CLOSE BUT DIDN’T QUE GET THERE.” ONE ADVOTE WAS TAL OF THE CY THOR ARMISTEAD MP, A IEND OF HUDSON’S WHO ADMS THE FILM TO OPERATG WH PEOPLE MAGAZE ON A PIECE NFIRMG HUDSON’S SEXUALY ONCE AND FOR ALL. “WHEN YOU SEE THAT [FILM PRODUCER] ROSS HUNTER, ROCK’S BT PAL, WAS A GAY MAN WHO HAD A LONG-TERM LIFE PARTNER WHO STILL WAS REFG TO ADM ROCK WAS GAY EVEN AFTER ROCK DIED, YOU SEE HOW PLETELY SLAMMED TO THE CLOSET THIS GENERATN WAS,” KIJAK SAYS. WHILE NOT ALL MEN OPERATED THIS WAY, FOR MANY, “KEEPG THE SECRET WAS SOME KD OF BADGE OF HONOR,” HE EXPLAS, ADDG, “THEY THOUGHT WHAT ARMISTEAD DID BY SPEAKG OPENLY ABOUT WAS TREASONO, WHEN FACT WAS 100% THE RIGHT THG TO DO AT THE TIME GIVEN WHAT WAS GOG ON WH AIDS.”ANOTHER GENERATNAL DIVI BETWEEN HUDSON AND MANY OF THE QUEER MEN THAT ME AFTER HIM? HE WAS A REGISTERED REPUBLIN. “HE WAS AN OLR, SUCCSFUL, CLOSETED, WHE MAN. WHAT DO HE HAVE TO LOSE ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM?” KIJAK ASKS. “ROCK’S A RNY OLD-FASHNED DU, AND HIM AND HIS IENDS, THE OLR THEY GOT, THE SQUARE-ER THEY BEME. THEY WEREN’T HIP, THEY WEREN’T OL. HE WAS, I THK, A ‘SMALL R’ REPUBLIN. HE WAS JT NSERVATIVE SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY, NOTHG LIKE THE REPUBLINS OF OUR DAY.”IT WAS HUDSON’S CLOSE IENDSHIP WH NANCY REAGAN THAT ADVERTENTLY LED TO HIS AIDS DIAGNOSIS. AFTER ATTENDG A PARTY AT THE WHE HOE 1984, THE ACTOR WAS SENT PHOTOS OM THE EVENT ALONG WH A NOTE URGG HIM TO GET A MOLE ON HIS NECK CHECKED. BY JUNE OF THAT YEAR, HE WAS DIAGNOSED—NOT THAT THE REAGANS WOULD EVER TERVENE ON HUDSON’S OR ANY OTHER AIDS PATIENT’S BEHALF. “HIS PALS, NANCY AND RON, TURN THEIR BACK ON HIM AND ALL OF THE HIV/AIDS MUNY,” KIJAK SAYS. “THERE’S A LOT OF BLOOD ON RONALD REAGAN’S HANDS. JT BEE THEY WERE IENDS WH ROCK, DIDN’T MAKE ONE DIFFERENCE.”AS REUNTED THE DOCUMENTARY, WHILE PRIVATELY SUFFERG OM AIDS, HUDSON PLAYED A RECURRG ROLE ON DYNASTY. “MULTIPLE NARRATIV [WERE] BEG SPUN” TO EXCE THE ACTOR’S TERRATG PHYSIL HEALTH, KIJAK SAYS, BUT HUDSON WAS NEVERTHELS HORRIFIED TO DISVER HE’D HAVE TO KISS STAR LDA EVANS DURG A TIME OF FULL-BLOWN HYSTERIA ABOUT THE VIS. “KISSG SCEN, CLOSE NTACT, EVERYTHG IS JT—’S PANIC MO. BEE NO ONE KNEW THE SCIENCE,” KIJAK SAYS. HUDSON REFED TO OPEN HIS MOUTH DURG THE KISS, RSG WH MOUTHWASH -BETWEEN TAK. “IT MAK ME CRY BEE I KNOW HE WAS PROTECTG ME,” EVANS SAYS THE FILM.AFTER HUDSON’S AIDS DIAGNOSIS WAS DISCLOSED, SOME OF EVANS’S STARS REFED TO FILM WH HER. “THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WOULDN’T WORK WH ME, AND SO THEY HAD TO CHANGE SCEN BEE I MIGHT HAVE AIDS,” SHE NTU. “I HAD PERSONAL IENDS WHO WOULDN’T E OVER TO DNER.… I THOUGHT, WHERE’S YOUR HUMANY OR WHERE’S YOUR PASSN? WHAT’S WRONG WH THIS WORLD RIGHT NOW?”ROCK ON VATN PUERTO VALLARTA (PHOTO URTY OF LEE GARLGTON).MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHJSI CHASTA BET ON HERSELF. NOW SHE’S READY FOR THE BIGGER FIGHTBY DAVID CANFIELDZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHBY JULY 25, 1985, HUDSON WAS PARIS RECEIVG EXPERIMENTAL HPA-23 TREATMENTS. WH HE PRS CROWD OUTSI THE ACTOR’S HOSPAL, HUDSON’S PUBLICIST ANNOUNCED HE HAD AIDS, MAKG HIM THE MOST FAMO PERSON EVER TO ANNOUNCE HE HAD NTRACTED THE STIGMATIZED VIS AND IMPLICLY NFIRMG HIS SEXUALY. “I AM NOT HAPPY THAT I AM SICK,” HUDSON SAID A STATEMENT A MONTH BEFORE HIS ATH OCTOBER 1985. “I AM NOT HAPPY THAT I HAVE AIDS, BUT IF THAT IS HELPG OTHERS, I N, AT LEAST, KNOW THAT MY OWN MISFORTUNE HAS HAD SOME POSIVE WORTH.”IN ATH, HUDSON BEME AN “ACCINTAL ACTIVIST,” THE ORIGAL TLE OF THE DOCUMENTARY. “ROCK HUDSON, OUR PARAGON OF HETEROSEXUALY, EVERY HOEWIV’ HEARTTHROB, YOUR MOTHER’S FAVORE ACTOR, WAS GAY AND HAD AIDS. THAT WAS A NVERSATN NOBODY WAS HAVG” BEFORE HUDSON’S DIAGNOSIS, KIJAK EXPLAED. “IT ALLOWED TO SLIP TO THE MASTREAM AND BY ALL ACUNTS, FUNDRAISG FOR AIDS REARCH DOUBLED, TRIPLED, QUADPLED. IT WAS A HUGE TALYST FOR CHANGE.”THE VALUE REAMG HUDSON’S LIFE PERSISTS, KIJAK TELLS ME AT THE END OF OUR NVERSATN. “WE HAVE TO NSTANTLY KEEP TELLG THE STORI, CREATG OPENNS AROUND GAY LIV, BEE, AS WE SEE FLORIDA AND MANY PARTS OF OUR UNTRY, WE’RE THIS VIC BACKSLI WH QUEER RIGHTS AND VLENCE AGAST GAY PEOPLE AND TRANS PEOPLE.” HE NCLUS, “I DON’T KNOW IF WE’RE RECLAIMG, OR JT CLAIMG ROCK AS ONE OF OUR GAY INS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)SAVANNAH WALSH
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“The men create a portra of a generatn that gets you om the pre-Stonewall days, before gay liberatn, all the way to the other si of the AIDS crisis. He c “Rock Pillow Talk sort of cisg Rod Taylor another movie, and cuttg them together to almost create this ltle queer cematic space where Rock uld prent as a gay man. “In the films, he’s a heterosexual man who’s pretendg to be gay or at least effemate orr to woo Doris Day, so she n turn around and try to nvert him, ” Kijak says.
”Hudson’s sexualy was a source of unbridled speculatn for tabloids such as Confintial magaze, which “really jt wanted to out people as gay, as mi, as dnks, as sluts—I mean, whatever was, they jt wanted to trash everybody, ” says Kijak. 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.
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
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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!
The fact that Fzgerald was gay wasn’t an issue — this was Hollywood, after all — though he’d have to make sure he kept a secret.
So much of Hudson’s story as a gay man revolv around his ath, which the last third of All That Heaven Allowed ep-div to the name of patg Hudson as “a reluctant activist. ” The benef of this look back is that wants you to know what Hudson’s life as a gay man was like as well, and that is where the rrective part . As Bret Easton Ellis has remarked, gay men are overreprented among the arts as, at the moment of sexual self-disvery, they bee an actor.
HOW HOLLYWOOD HID ROCK HUDSON, ITS BIGGT GAY MOVIE STAR
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. * doc hudson gay *
The 6’5” ladi-man, Universal Studs superstar, Douglas Sirk’s leadg man and Goln Age Hollywood’s most handsome hunk heartthrob, was but a lifelong performance, crafted by Hollywood super-agent Henry Wilson, and played by the adventuro, gentle, well-endowed, libido gay man, Roy Harold Fzgerald.
Along wh the ual terviews and archival footage, director Stephen Kijak fills his picture wh clips om Hudson’s greatt films; but they’ve been changed, cut om ntext or re-eded to exprs a homoerotic tth of Fzgerald only teased at the Hudson rol.
ROCK HUDSON DOC IS A COMPASSNATE (AND JUICY) LOOK AT THE HIDN LIFE OF A GAY STAR
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. * doc hudson gay *
Rather, the (gay) producer Ross Hunter liberately st Hudson Doris Day romantic edi like Lover Come Back, Pillow Talk and Send Me Flowers as a straight romantic lead who was pretendg to be gay, orr to woo Day.
As Stty Bowers bt ptured his memoir, Full Service, there was jt as much Champagne-splashed gay sex 1940s Hollywood as there is today; and Fzgerald’s lovers and iends nvey a gay life that was necsarily hidn but anythg but rerved. As Jam Kirchick wr the troductn to his 2022 book Secret Cy: The Hidn History of Gay Washgton, “As is so often the se wh the subject of historil homosexualy…much of the source material need to tell this story is ambiguo, remas hidn, or has been stroyed.
In some s, is gay people themselv who are rponsible for this erasure, ncealg their sexual orientatn while they were alive and elimatg any trace of before their aths. ” Whereas some cultur are able to nohels prerve their history wh fai, Kirchick pots out that homosexualy is not a herable tra: “Stori of gay stggle and acplishment are not passed down over dner tabl or through fay heirlooms; rarely are they tght schools. This knowledge fic harms not only gay people, prived of a mon past and a way of unrstandg their place the world, but all Amerins, whose awarens of their untry’s history is ma poorer by the large parts left unexplored.
ROCK HUDSON'S 'TE LOVE' SPEAKS: HOW WE KEPT OUR GAY LIFE SECRET
Hudson, a gay man and by at least one acunt, a “sexual gladiator, ” was “playg a man lled Rock Hudson, who’s the personifitn of Amerina, ” an expert says the new HBO documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (which premier Wednday).
”What Stephen Kijak’s engagg and fast-paced doc aims to do is not poke hol this image—spe how ’s been portrayed, male gayns and masculy aren’t at odds—but to ntextualize . Its lens is entirely gay, spanng Hudson’s butch fishg school (urty of his agent Henry Willson) at the start of his reer to his AIDS ath 1985. It also wh an arsenal of amg clips om Hudson’s filmography that advertently ment on his life backstage: Jennifer Jon A Farewell to Arms tells Hudson’s character, “You’re gog down to town tomorrow and fd yourself some gay young playmate”; another scene a -star tells his character, “Hidg closets isn’t gog to cure you.
In one of Hudson’s big hs, the 1959 rom- Pillow Talk, “you have a gay actor playg a straight man impersonatg a possibly gay man—’s a hoe of mirrors, ” acrdg to cric Tom of the talkg heads All That Heaven Allowed are not actually heads—they’re only heard voice-over as an endls stream of photos of Hudson and footage om his movi plays. It’s posed that an expose on actor Tab Hunter, who was also gay, was offered exchange for one on Hudson to spare exposg personal tails of Hudson’s life.