Following on from that of his screen adversary James Dean, this week marks the 20th anniversary of the death of another cinematic icon, Rock Hudson.
From the start Rock Hudson and Hollywood were a marriage made in heaven.
Hudson was brought into the film world as the heir to Clark Gable and Gary Cooper. His unmistakable masculinity made him a screen idol of the 1950s and the 1960s. His broad shouldered, 6ft frame and dark brooding eyes gave him an enormous screen presence.
Rock Hudson was born Roy Scherer, JR, on November 17 th 1925 in Winnetka , Illinois , the son of an auto mechanic and a telephone operator.
His inspiration to become an actor came in 1937 when he saw The Hurricane directed by John Ford. After graduating from high school and military service in 1946, Hudson moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and applied to the University of Southern California but was rejected due to poor grades. However, this did not deter him in his ambition to become a film star as Hudson sent out numerous resumes and photographs to movie studios.
Hudson received only one response from renowned talent scout Henry Wilson and the rest as they say is history. Wilson renamed him " Rock Hudson " - Rock for the " Rock of Gibraltar" and " Hudson " for the famous New York River .
When Hudson was introduced to Hollywood , he did not make a lasting impression due to his shyness. In fact his screen test for Twentieth-Century Fox was so bad that it was shown to beginners classes as a classic example of poor acting.
In 1948 Hudson landed his first acting job, in a one line part in Raoul Walsh's Fighter Squadron. According to Hollywood legend, Hudson needed thirty-eight takes to get his line - " Pretty soon you're going to have to write small numbers " - correct. But he learned the job onset and within six years had appeared in six pictures.
Success and recognition came in 1954 with Magnificent Obsession in which Hudson plays a bad boy who is redeemed. The film received rave reviews, with Modern Screen Magazine citing Hudson as the most popular actor of the year. Hudson`s popularity soared in Giant, directed by George Stevens. Based on Edna Ferber's novel Giant covers two generations of Texan rivalry. Co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean, Giant was spearheaded by Hudson 's performance as Texas rancher Bick Benedict. As a result of their powerful performances both Hudson and Dean were nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. Dean played the supporting role of Jet Rink who strikes oil and whose financial empire grows to rival Hudson 's. Giant will be forever famous for its off-screen rivalry between the two main actors. Dean and Hudson argued constantly as Hudson found Dean's long preparations before a scene a waste of time and was disturbed to see the young actor's ability to steal the scene.
After Richard Brook's notable Something of Value ( 1957) and a moving performance in Charles Vidor's A Farewell to Arms, Hudson moved into comedy roles. While the films varied in quality they allowed Hudson the opportunity to explore his comic talents. From 1959 to 1965 he portrayed humorous characters in Pillow Talk (1959); Come September (1961); Lover Come Back (1961) Send me no Flowers (1964) Man's favourite sport (1964) and strange bedfellows (1964).
Rumours were starting to spread regarding Hudson 's sexuality, however, leading to an arranged marriage to Wilson 's Secretary, Phyllis Gates, in 1955. The news was made known by all the major gossip magazines and is widely thought that the studio used this as a publicity stunt to cover up Rock's homosexuality which, had it surfaced publically, would have put his box office draw in jeopardy. The couple divorced in 1958 but Gates still insists that for her the marriage was real.
By the 60s Hudson was at the peak of his career and he would spend most of the decade starring in acclaimed Universal Pictures like 1961's The Last Sunset , Come September Lover, Come Back , The Spiral Road , A Gathering of Eagles and Man's Favourite Sport.
Many consider Hudson 's finest performance to be as the young Malibu painter Tony Wilson, in John Frankenheimer's science fiction film Seconds. Although the film did not get good reviews at the time it has become a cult classic, whilst at the end of the 1960s his roles in Ice Station Zebra and in The Undefeated, opposite John Wayne, are thought to be two of his greatest.
Sadly, the 1970s saw the descent of Hudson's cinematic career and he was faced with the dilemma of pursuing a fading film career or else take roles on the small screen. Initially, television didn't interest him, but eventually took on the role of the police commissioner in McMillan and Wife proved to be a big hit with audiences.
Hudson followed the success of the police series with his role of Col. John Wilder in the cult science-fiction series The Martian Chronicles . In 1978 filming of the series brought him to Malta 's shores alongside Space 1999's Barry Morse. At the time of his stay in Malta , the rumour mill as to whether he was gay or not started spinning once more. Hudson became accustomed to interviewers questioning his sexuality. The answer was always 'next question'.
Being introduced to women became an uncomfortable experience for Hudson . Film journalist Lino Cassar recalls the day he went onset and introduced Hudson to a female friend who was an ardent admirer. Hudson simply shook hands and went on his way, a clear sign of wanting to keep his distance from female fans, a far cry from his 50s heydays where he used to relish his new found fame.
His last recurring television role was in Dynasty as the suave horse breeder Daniel Reece. By 1981 the Aids virus was slowly consuming him. Before long, he was suffering memory loss and was forced to use cue cards. He also had difficulty in speaking and appeared to be a shadow of his former matinee idol self.
Rumours of grave illness had surrounded Rock Hudson in the months before July 25 th 1985 when he finally announced he was diagnosed with Aids. Before his death Hudson said: "I am not happy that I am sick, I am not happy that I have Aids but if this is helping others, I can at least know that my own misfortune has had some positive worth."
Rock Hudson passed away at his home in Beverly Hills California on October 2 nd 1985, and will forever be remembered as the epitome of the movie idol of Hollywood 's Golden Era.
Justin Camilleri
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