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Rock Hudson

From the trailer for Giant (1956)
Born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. Giant is a 1956 Drama film and was directed by George Stevens.
November 17, 1925(1925-11-17)
Winnetka, Illinois
Died October 2, 1985 (aged 59)
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California
Spouse(s) Phyllis Gates (1955-1958)

Rock Hudson (November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was a popular American film and television actor and a romantic leading man in the 1950s and 1960s. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Winnetka is the name of some places in the United States: Winnetka Los Angeles California Winnetka Illinois The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Phyllis Lucille Gates ( December 7, 1925 - January 4, 2006) was an American Secretary and Interior decorator. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Hudson was voted Star of the Year, Favorite Leading Man, and similar titles by numerous movie magazines and was unquestionably one of the most popular and well-known movie stars of the time. He completed nearly 70 motion pictures and starred in several television productions during a career that spanned over four decades. Hudson also was one of the first major Hollywood celebrities to die from an AIDS related illness.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. , in Winnetka, Illinois, the son of Katherine Wood, a telephone operator, and Roy Harold Scherer, Sr. Winnetka is a Village located approximately 19 mi (30 km north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. , an auto mechanic who abandoned the family during the depths of the Great Depression. His mother remarried and his stepfather Wallace "Wally" Fitzgerald adopted him, changing his last name to Fitzgerald. Hudson's years at New Trier High School were unremarkable. New Trier High School (also known as New Trier Township High School or NTHS) is a public four-year High school with its major campus located He sang in the school's glee club and was remembered as a shy boy who delivered newspapers, ran errands and worked as a golf caddy.

After graduating from high school, he served in the Philippines as an aircraft mechanic for the United States Navy during World War II. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1946, Hudson moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and applied to the University of Southern California's dramatics program, but he was rejected owing to poor grades. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly Among a number of odd jobs, Hudson worked as a truck driver for a couple of years to support himself, longing to be an actor but with no success in breaking into the movies. A fortunate meeting with powerful Hollywood talent scout Henry Willson in 1948 got Hudson his start in the business. Henry Willson ( July 31 1911 &ndash November 2 1978) was an American Hollywood Talent agent who played a large

Early career

Main article: Rock Hudson filmography

Hudson is cited as stating that Willson coined Roy's new name, a combination of the Rock of Gibraltar and Hudson River, and Hudson made his debut with a small part in the 1948 Warner Bros.' Fighter Squadron. See also Rock Hudson Filmography Rock Hudson was an American Icon and starred in movies from 1948 until 1984 The Rock of Gibraltar (sometimes called the Pillar of Hercules or by its Latin name Calpe) is a Monolithic Limestone Promontory The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Hudson needed no less than 38 takes before successfully delivering his only line in the film. [1]

He was further coached in acting, singing, dancing, fencing and horseback riding, and he began to feature in film magazines where he was promoted, possibly on the basis of his good looks. Acting is the work of an Actor or Actress, which is a person in Theatre, Television, Film, or any other Storytelling Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Fencing is the art of armed Combat involving Cutting, Stabbing, or slapping bludgeoning Weapons directly manipulated by hand For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally Success and recognition came in 1954 with Magnificent Obsession in which Hudson plays a bad boy who is redeemed opposite the popular star Jane Wyman. Magnificent Obsession ( 1954) is a Universal International Pictures romantic Feature film starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson Jane Wyman ( January 5, 1917 &ndash September 10, 2007) was an American actress. The film received rave reviews, with Modern Screen Magazine citing Hudson as the most popular actor of the year. Hudson's popularity soared in George Stevens's Giant, based on Edna Ferber's novel and co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. George Stevens ( December 18, 1904 - March 8, 1975) was an Academy Award -winning American motion picture Giant is a 1956 Drama film and was directed by George Stevens. Edna Ferber ( August 15 1885 - April 16 1968) was an American novelist, Author and Playwright Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932) is a two-time Academy Award -winning English-American actress James Byron Dean ( February 8 1931 &ndash September 30 1955) was a two-time Oscar -nominated American Film As a result of their powerful performances, both Hudson and Dean were nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film.

Following Richard Brooks's notable Something of Value in 1957 and a moving performance in Charles Vidor's A Farewell to Arms, based on Ernest Hemingway's novel, Hudson sailed through the 1960s on a wave of romantic comedies. Charles Vidor ( July 27, 1900 &ndash June 4, 1959) was a Film director. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. He portrayed humorous characters in Pillow Talk, the first of several profitable co-starring performances with Doris Day. Pillow talk is the relaxed intimate conversation that often occurs between two Sexual partners after the act of lovemaking, usually accompanied by cuddling caresses Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922) is an American Singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate known as This was followed by Come September, Send Me No Flowers, Man's Favorite Sport?, and Strange Bedfellows. Come September is a 1961 comedy-romance genre film directed by Robert Mulligan. Send Me No Flowers is a 1964 American Comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. Man's Favorite Sport? is a 1964 comedy starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. He worked outside his usual range on the science-fiction thriller Seconds (1966). Seconds is a 1966 American film starring Rock Hudson. Characterized sometimes as a Science fiction thriller, but with elements The film flopped badly at the time but it later gained cult status, and his performance is often regarded as one of his best. [2][3]

Later career

Hudson's popularity on the big screen diminished after the 1960s. He was quite successful on television starring in a number of made-for-TV movies. His most successful series was McMillan and Wife opposite Susan Saint James from 1971 to 1977. McMillan & Wife (also known as McMillian) is a lighthearted American crime drama series that aired on NBC from September Susan Saint James (born August 14, 1946) is an American Actress and Activist, most widely known for her Emmy Award In this series, Hudson played police commissioner Stewart "Mac" McMillan with Saint James playing his wife Sally. Police Commissioner (or Commissioner of Police) is the title of the chief officer of many law enforcement agencies. Their on-screen chemistry helped make the show a success.

In the early 1980s following years of heavy drinking and smoking, Hudson began having health problems. Emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery in November 1981 sidelined Hudson and his then-new TV show, The Devlin Connection for a year; the show suffered for the delay and was cancelled not long after it returned to the airwaves in December 1982. Hudson recovered from the surgery but continued to smoke. He was visibly ill filming The Ambassador in 1983 with Robert Mitchum - the two stars did not like each other, and Mitchum himself had a serious drinking problem. Robert Charles Durman Mitchum ( August 6, 1917 &ndash July 1, 1997) was an Academy Award nominated American film [4]A couple of years later, Hudson's health had visibly deteriorated again, prompting different rumors.

From 1984 to 1985, Hudson landed a recurring role on the hit ABC prime time soap opera Dynasty as "Daniel Reece," a love-interest for Krystle Carrington played by Linda Evans, and biological father of Sammy Jo Carrington played by Heather Locklear. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to Krystle Grant Jennings Carrington is a Fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty. Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad on November 18 1942 in Hartford Connecticut) is a Golden Globe -winning and Emmy nominated American Actress Samantha Josephine "Sammy Jo" Dean Reece Carrington Fallmont is a Fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty. Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is a six time- Golden Globe -nominated American actress. While he had long been known to have difficulty memorizing lines, on Dynasty, Hudson's speech itself began to deteriorate. A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations

Personal life

While Hudson's career was blooming, he was struggling to keep his personal life out of the headlines. Throughout his career, he epitomized wholesome manliness, and in 1955, after several male lovers, he married his agent's secretary Phyllis Gates. Male (♂ refers to the sex of an organism or part of an organism which produces small mobile Gametes called spermatozoa. Phyllis Lucille Gates ( December 7, 1925 - January 4, 2006) was an American Secretary and Interior decorator. The news was made known by all the major gossip magazines. One magazine story, headlined "When Day Is Done, Heaven Is Waiting," quoted Hudson as saying, "When I count my blessings, my marriage tops the list. " The union lasted three years. Gates filed for divorce in April 1958, charging mental cruelty. Hudson did not contest the divorce, and Gates received an alimony of US$250 a week for 10 years. Alimony, maintenance or spousal support is an obligation established by Law in many countries that is based on the premise that both spouses have an absolute [5]

In Gates' 1987 autobiography My Husband, Rock Hudson, the book she wrote with veteran Hollywood chronicler Bob Thomas, Gates insists she dated Hudson for several months and lived with him for two months before his surprise marriage proposal. Bob Thomas (born March 1, 1965 in Appalachia Virginia) is a radio personality actor and writer She claims to have married Hudson out of love and not, as it was later purported, to stave off a major exposure of Hudson's sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes However, after her death from lung cancer in January 2006, several of her friends revealed that she was actually a lesbian who married Hudson for his money, knowing from the beginning of their relationship that he was gay. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. [6] She never remarried.

According to the 1986 biography, Rock Hudson: His Story, by Hudson and Sara Davidson, Rock was good friends with American novelist Armistead Maupin and a few of Hudson's lovers were: Jack Coates; Hollywood publicist Tom Clark, who also later published a memoir about Hudson, Rock Hudson: Friend of Mine; and Marc Christian, who later sued the estate. Sara Davidson (born 1943 is a Journalist, novelist screenwriter and radio host The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Armistead Jones Maupin Jr (born) is an American Writer best known for his Tales of the City series of Novels based in San Francisco

The book, The Thin Thirty, by Shannon Ragland, chronicles Hudson's involvement in a 1962 sex scandal at the University of Kentucky involving the football team. The Thin Thirty refers to the 1962 football team at the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public, Co-educational, University, and is also the state's land-grant university located Football is the word given to a number of similar Team sports all of which involve (to varying degrees kicking a Ball with the foot in an attempt to score a Ragland writes that Jim Barnett, a local low-level promoter, engaged in prostitution with members of the team, and that Hudson was one of Barnett's customers. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. [7]

A popular urban legend states that Hudson married Jim Nabors in the 1970s. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same James Thurston "Jim" Nabors (born June 12 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama, to Fred and Mavis Nabors is an American Actor, Singer While Hudson was in fact a closet homosexual at the time, the two never had anything beyond a friendship. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. The legend was hatched as a joke by a group of "middle-aged homosexuals who live in Huntington Beach" as Hudson put it. Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, United States. The group sent out joke invitations to "the marriage of Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors" as a front to their annual get-together. The joke–the punchline of which was that Hudson would be known as "Rock Pyle"–was taken seriously, and as a result of the false rumor, Nabors and Hudson never spoke to each other again. Gomer Pyle was the simple-minded gas station attendant and later Auto mechanic in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show [8]

Later years

In July 1985, Hudson joined his old friend Doris Day for the launch of her new TV cable show, Doris Day's Best Friends. Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922) is an American Singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate known as His gaunt visage, and his nearly incoherent speech, were so shocking it was broadcast again all over the national news shows that night and for weeks to come. Day herself stared at him throughout their appearance.

Hudson had been diagnosed with HIV on June 5, 1984, but when the signs of illness became apparent, his publicity staff and doctors told the public he had inoperable liver cancer. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer of the Liver. It was not until July 25, 1985, while in Paris for treatment, that Hudson issued a press release announcing that he was dying of AIDS. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) In a later press release, Hudson speculated he might have contracted HIV through transfused blood from an infected donor during the multiple blood transfusions he received as part of his heart bypass procedure. At the time of his operation, blood was not tested for HIV, which was then unknown.

Hudson flew back to Los Angeles on July 31, where he was so physically weak he was taken off by stretcher from an Air France Boeing 747, which he chartered and was the sole passenger along with his medical attendants. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently [9] He was flown by helicopter to Cedars Sinai Hospital, where he spent nearly a month undergoing further treatment. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a Hospital located in Los Angeles California. When the doctors told him there was no hope of saving his life, since the disease had progressed into the advanced stages, Hudson returned to his house, "The Castle," in Beverly Hills, where he remained in seclusion until his death on October 2 at 08:37 PST. He was 59 years old.

Shortly before his death Hudson stated, "I am not happy I am sick. I am not happy I have AIDS. But if that is helping others, I can at least know my own misfortune has had some positive worth. " After Hudson's death Doris Day, widely thought to be a close off-screen friend, said she never knew he was gay. Carol Burnett who often worked on television and in live theatre with Hudson, was a staunch defender of her friend, telling an interviewer she knew about his sexuality and did not care. Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American Actress, Comedian, Singer, Dancer and Morgan Fairchild said "Rock Hudson's death gave AIDS a face. Morgan Fairchild (born February 3 1950 is an American actress. [1] Hudson's most accurate biographer, David Bret maintained that the actor, sexually, was invariably the active partner (known as a top) and that he therefore more than likely contracted AIDS from an infected blood transfusion during open-heart surgery: the hospital where the proceduree took place certainly recorded a number of such cases at the time. David Bret (born 8 November 1954 in Paris) is a French -born Author of Showbiz Biographies.

Hudson was cremated, just hours after his death, and his ashes later scattered at sea. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire Following the funeral his partner Marc Christian sued Hudson's estate on grounds of "intentional infliction of emotional distress. "[10] Christian tested negative for HIV but claimed Hudson continued having sex with him until February 1985, more than eight months after Hudson knew he had AIDS. Hudson biographer Sara Davidson later stated that, by the time she had met Hudson, Christian was living in the guest house, and Tom Clark, who had been Hudson's life partner for many years before, was living in the house. Sara Davidson (born 1943 is a Journalist, novelist screenwriter and radio host [11]

Awards

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson by Robert Hofler, Carroll & Graf, 2005, pp. 163-164 ISBN 0-7867-1607-X
  2. ^ YouTube - Rock Hudson in "Seconds"
  3. ^ Apollo Movie Guide's Review of Seconds
  4. ^ Server, Lee Baby, I Don't Care (2001)
  5. ^ Dennis Mclellan. "Phyllis Gates: Her marriage to Hudson had fan magazines raving", Los Angeles Times, 16 January 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.  
  6. ^ Robert Hofler (2006). Outing Mrs. Rock Hudson: the obits after Phyllis Gates died in January omitted some important facts: Those who knew her say she was a lesbian who tried to blackmail her movie star husband. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved on December 20, 2007.
  7. ^ Ragland, Shannon P. (2007). The Thin Thirty. Louisville, KY: Set Shot Press. ISBN 097912221X.  
  8. ^ Barbara Mikkelson (10 August 2007). Good Nabors Policy. Snopes. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.
  9. ^ Shilts, Randy. And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic. New York, New York: St. Martin's Press. 1987. p. 580. ISBN 0312009941
  10. ^ Willard Manus. "The Cleaning Man Airs Rock Hudson's Dirty Laundry in L.A.", Playbill, 18 Dec 2000. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.  
  11. ^ Marc Christian. Interview with Larry King. Rock Hudson's Ex-Lover Speaks Out. Larry King Live. CNN. 29 March 2001.  Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.

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