All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson - Hardcover

Griffin, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062408852 ISBN 13: 9780062408853

Publisher: Harper, 2018

Synopsis

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

The definitive biography of the deeply complex and widely misunderstood matinee idol of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Devastatingly handsome, broad-shouldered and clean-cut, Rock Hudson was the ultimate movie star. The embodiment of romantic masculinity in American film throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, Hudson reigned supreme as the king of Hollywood.

As an Oscar-nominated leading man, Hudson won acclaim for his performances in glossy melodramas (Magnificent Obsession), western epics (Giant) and blockbuster bedroom farces (Pillow Talk). In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Hudson successfully transitioned to television; his long-running series McMillan & Wife and a recurring role on Dynasty introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.

The icon worshipped by moviegoers and beloved by his colleagues appeared to have it all. Yet beneath the suave and commanding star persona, there was an insecure, deeply conflicted, and all too vulnerable human being. Growing up poor in Winnetka, Illinois, Hudson was abandoned by his biological father, abused by an alcoholic stepfather, and controlled by his domineering mother.

Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Hudson was determined to become an actor at all costs. After signing with the powerful but predatory agent Henry Willson, the young hopeful was transformed from a clumsy, tongue-tied truck driver into Universal Studio’s resident Adonis. In a more conservative era, Hudson’s wholesome, straight arrow screen image was at odds with his closeted homosexuality.

As a result of his gay relationships and clandestine affairs, Hudson was continually threatened with public exposure, not only by scandal sheets like Confidential but by a number of his own partners. For years, Hudson dodged questions concerning his private life, but in 1985 the public learned that the actor was battling AIDS. The disclosure that such a revered public figure had contracted the illness focused worldwide attention on the epidemic.

Drawing on more than 100 interviews with co-stars, family members and former companions, All That Heaven Allows finally delivers a complete and nuanced portrait of one of the most fascinating stars in cinema history.

Author Mark Griffin provides new details concerning Hudson’s troubled relationships with wife Phyllis Gates and boyfriend Marc Christian. And here, for the first time, is an in-depth exploration of Hudson’s classic films, including Written on the Wind, A Farewell to Arms, and the cult favorite Seconds. With unprecedented access to private journals, personal correspondence, and production files, Griffin pays homage to the idol whose life and death had a lasting impact on American culture.

About this title

From the Back Cover

“It was just the way things were in Hollywood. . . . You were expected to keep secrets, just as you were expected to learn your lines. Nobody said anything to you but it was all understood . . . this is how the game is played.”  

Devastatingly handsome and clean-cut, Rock Hudson played the game better than anybody. The embodiment of romantic masculinity in American cinema throughout the 1950s and ’60s, Hudson reigned supreme as the king of Hollywood. The star of Giant and Pillow Talk was worshipped by adoring fans and beloved by all who worked with him. The quintessential matinee idol made movie love to Elizabeth Taylor and Doris Day, jetted between exotic film locations, and hosted A-list parties in his sprawling mansion.

Wherever he went, Rock Hudson made headlines, though much of what has been written about him has either been incomplete or unreliable. Here, at last, is the definitive biography of one of the most fascinating stars in cinema history. Featuring interviews with Carol Burnett, Joel Grey, Piper Laurie, Jack Scalia, Claudia Cardinale, Armistead Maupin, Arlene Dahl, and Robert Osborne, All That Heaven Allows includes new insights from friends, family members, and former partners. With unprecedented access to private journals, personal correspondence, and production files, biographer Mark Griffin tells the icon’s complete story.

All That Heaven Allows reveals that keeping secrets was a way of life for Rock Hudson. As a child, he silently endured parental abandonment and abuse. As a young man, he had some of his first same-sex encounters while serving in the Navy. Although fraught with risk, Hudson’s gay affairs would continue even after he achieved stardom. In a more conservative era, Hudson’s homosexuality was thought to be at odds with his straight-arrow image. While careful to keep his male companions out of the spotlight, Rock was continuously threatened with public exposure, not only by scandal sheets like Confidential but by a number of his own partners. Then, in 1985, came a shocking announcement: Hudson was battling AIDS. At the end of his life, the actor would assume his most important role, transcending his own celebrity by becoming the face of a global pandemic.

In addition to providing new details concerning Hudson’s troubled relationships with wife Phyllis Gates and boyfriend Marc Christian, Griffin presents compelling evidence that Hudson may have fathered a child during his Navy days. 

Meticulously researched, All That Heaven Allows offers a full-scale exploration of Hudson’s immense body of work—on film, on television, and on stage. More than thirty years after his death, Rock Hudson’s story—sensational, heartbreaking, and courageous—has finally been told in All That Heaven Allows.

About the Author

Mark Griffin is the author of A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli.  Griffin, whose writing has appeared in scores of publications, including The Boston Globe, recently appeared in the documentary Gene Kelly: To Live and Dance.  He lives in Maine.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0062408852
• ISBN 13: 9780062408853
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 496