The Great Rock Hudson

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Since his emergence as a headliner with such Douglas Sirk melodramas as MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION and ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, Rock Hudson was the textbook example of a movie star. Born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. in Winnetka, Illinois, the aspiring actor moved to Los Angeles after WWII; there a talent agent rechristened him “Rock Hudson” and his matinee idol looks earned him a contract with Universal Pictures. While the Hollywood studio system, then still strong, was restrictive, it was also protective and nurturing, and the coaching he received at Universal helped Hudson overcome a chronic difficulty memorizing lines.

From the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, Hudson’s name was a fixture on annual lists of moviegoers’ 10 most popular actors thanks to his versatility as a performer. Though established as a smoldering romantic lead in such films as WRITTEN ON THE WIND and GIANT – for which he earned an Oscar nomination – his chemistry with such co-stars as Doris Day was just as strong in comedies. His charismatic presence was also an effective anchor for Westerns (BEND OF THE RIVER), thrillers (THE TARNISHED ANGELS and ICE STATION ZEBRA, one of his favorites) and even sci-fi (the haunting SECONDS). In the 1970s, he forged a successful television career with series including “McMillan & Wife.”

For some, this long career was overshadowed by Hudson’s death in 1985, when he became the first major celebrity claimed by AIDS. Maintaining his dignity for decades in the face of relentless public harassment and threats of sexual exposés, Hudson is remembered lovingly by industry friends that helped to lessen the burden of his double life.

This is a celebration of the legacy of Rock Hudson, not only as an accomplished performer, but as one of the most courageous and respected men in Hollywood history.