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A Brief Note on Rock Hudson
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A Brief Note on Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson’s great fear at the end of his life was that he would be more remembered as the man who brought AIDS out of the closet, so far as the larger public was concerned, than for his career as a top movie and TV star. Unfortunately he was right. When he is remembered it is mostly for the former rather than the latter. And of course his revelation about contracting AIDS did and still has some positive effects on both the public’s awareness of the disease and the financial support that has gone into trying to find a cure for it… But it shouldn’t be forgotten that for almost two decades (the 1950s and 60s) Rock Hudson was one of Hollywood’s most proficient and reliable leading men. For me it began with the western The Lawless Breed (1953), Raoul Walsh’s bio of the outlaw John Wesley Hardin. Then of course there was George Stevens’ Giant (1956) the film that moved Hudson into the upper echelons of major screen stardom. Before that there was Douglas Sirk’s Magnificent Obsession (1954) and one of my favorite trash movies of all time Written on the Wind (1956) also directed by Douglas Sirk. In all of those films and others Hudson provided a rock solid center for the plot and all the other characters to revolve around. He might not have been a great actor but he was never a weak or poor one and was always a reassuring presence in all his films including the comedies with Doris Day like Pillow Talk (1959) and the others that followed…Take Giant for example. It is always being talked about because of James Dean’s eccentric performance. And the performance is unique as well as eye catching. But to me it seems to belong to another picture. The true anchors of the film are Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. I think that they both carry the story so well that without them the film would be almost negligible in spite of Stevens’ direction or Dean’s performance. That’s how good they are and how necessary their performances and personas were to the film.
Beyond that Hudson provided some other strong performances in films like; Something of Value (1957), A Farewell to Arms (1957),A Gathering of Eagles (1963), Seconds (1966), Billionaire Howard Hughes’ favorite film Ice Station Zebra (1968) and my personal favorite The Tarnished Angels (1958) in which Hudson gives his most subdued and subtle performance.
The term “leading man” doesn’t carry much weight these days. But in the days of the Studio System it referred to an actor who was able to sustain the viewer’s interest for the duration of the running time of a picture. Many tried but few would succeed over an extended amount of time. The ones who did became “over- the- title” stars, the others became supporting players and character actors. Rock Hudson, born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. who then became Roy Fitzgerald before acquiring his screen name from agent Henry Wilson, was one of the ones who rose to the top. He remained a leading man right to the end of his career and provided American movies with one of its best all-purpose leads for men to identify with and woman to sigh about. His contributions shouldn’t be forgotten or undervalued. From genre to genre, westerns to comedies, musicals to melodramas, war pictures to mysteries along with science fiction and social problem dramas he was a leading man for all seasons.
-GE.
Tags: A Farewell to Arms, A Gathering of Eagles, Doris Day, Douglas Sirk, Elizabeth Taylor, George Stevens, Giant, Howard Hughes, Ice Station Zebra, James Dean, Lawless Breed, Magnificent Obsession, Pillow Talk, Raoul Walsh, Rock Hudson, Seconds, Something of Value, Tarnished Angels, Written on the Wind
Living Legends: Remaining Stars of the Studio System
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Living Legends: Remaining Stars of the Studio System
The passing of Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) and Farley Granger (1925 – 2011) along with Jane Russell (1921 – 2011) a couple months ago got me to thinking about the fabled Studio System with all its glories and abuses. And how it represented a golden age in movie making and in our movie going as well.
Studios with names like Paramount, Warner Brothers, Universal, RKO Radio Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, United Artists and the Rolls Royce of them all MGM. Those names along with their famous logos were as familiar to us as Cocoa Cola or The White House.
I was a kid when that era was coming to an end but didn’t realize it although many people were talking and writing about it. I guess like countless others I didn’t believe it. Because the system with its publicity machines, star making techniques, fan magazines and glamorous premieres seemed so firmly a part of our lives and culture that like certain mountain ranges we somehow thought that it would be here forever.
Those thoughts set me to thinking about the people from that era who are still around. The ones who lived and worked in that legendary system at sometime in their careers. People whose lives and experiences along with their talent and memories could fill all the floors of several museums. Most have written biographies but that’s not enough. We need to collect and permanently house their memorabilia along with their reminisces someplace where they can be kept and preserved for us and future generations to study, investigate and peruse.
Some years ago a British producer told me that he considered Jazz music and The Hollywood Film Industry to be the United States two greatest art forms. I wholly agree. The System and the golden age it ushered in are gone. But we still have a fair number of individuals who worked and contributed to that golden time still with us. And even though their memories of that period aren’t always golden it still was a magical time that deserves to be remembered and treasured because we will never see its like again.
Some of the big names that provide us with a direct link to that bygone era include MGM stars: Mickey Rooney (91), Jane Powell (82), Debbie Reynolds (79), Vic Damone (82), Ann Blyth (82), Leslie Caron (78), Gloria DeHaven (86), Marge Champion (92), Deanna Durbin (89) and Esther Williams (89). Then there are the Academy Award winning sisters Olivia DeHavilland ((95) and Joan Fontaine (94). Exotic Turhan Bey (87), eternally sexy Joan Collins (76), seductive Louis Jourdan (90),Viking tough guy Kirk Douglas (85),the redheads Maureen O’Hara (91), Arlene Dahl (81) and Rhonda Fleming (86). Then there’s the ever youthful Tab Hunter (78), dancer Mitzi Gaynor (78), actor turned Ambassador John Gavin (79), child actor turned Ambassador the iconic Shirley Temple, actress turned nun and two time Elvis co-star Delores Hart (72). Oscar winners Cliff Robertson (87), Shirley Jones (75), Celeste Holm (90), and George Chakiris (75). Actress turned animal rescue activist Tippi Hedren (81) and a whole slew of Studio staples who were wonderful performers in their own right. They include: Martha Hyer (85), Steve Forrest (85), Angie Dickinson (78), Nancy Davis Reagan (88), Debra Paget (77), Brad Dillman (79),Coleen Gray (87),Mona Freeman (84), Nanatte Frabray (89), Robert Wagner (81),Kathryn Grant Crosby (76),Julie Adams (88), Barbara Hale (88) Stuart Whitman (83) Diane Baker (73), Dina Merrill (85), Polly Bergen (79), Ben Cooper (77) and Carol Baker (78). Then there are the ones who started young; Dean Stockwell (75), Russ Tamblyn (76),Richard Beymer (71), Claude Jarman Jr. (75) and Carleton Carpenter (83).
Others that I sometimes forget whose careers started with the studio system or worked in it from time to time are; Clint Eastwood (79),Sidney Poitier (84), James Arness (86),Pat Boone (75),Zsa Zsa Gabor (92),Ruby Dee (84),Sean Connery (79),Mike Conners (84), Harry Belafonte (83), Robert Evans (80) who later became a studio executive and dancer turned innovative director Stanley Donen (85).
I’m sure there are others that I’m forgetting. For that I apologize and encourage you to please let me know about it so that I can correct the oversight.
Every profession has its heroes and heroines. For me and for the way they enriched my life with their talent, their personalities, their grace, along with their beauty and personal charm they will always be heroes from that legendary period of the Studio System.
-GE.
Tags: 20th Century Fox, actor turned Ambassador John Gavin (79), actress turned nun and two time Elvis co-star Delores Hart (72, and George Chakiris (75), Angie Dickinson (78), Ann Blyth (82), Arlene Dahl (81) and Rhonda Fleming (86). Then there’s the ever youthful Tab Hunter (78), Barbara Hale (88) Stuart Whitman (83) Diane Baker (73), Ben Cooper (77) and Carol Baker (78, Brad Dillman (79), Celeste Holm (90), child actor turned Ambassador the iconic Shirley Temple, Claude Jarman Jr. (75) and Carleton Carpenter (83, Cliff Robertson (87), Clint Eastwood (79), Coleen Gray (87), Columbia Pictures, dancer Mitzi Gaynor (78), Dean Stockwell (75), Deanna Durbin (89) and Esther Williams (89). Then there are the Academy Award winning sisters Olivia DeHavilland ((95) and Joan Fontaine (94). Exotic Turhan Bey (87), Debbie Reynolds (79), Debra Paget (77), Dina Merrill (85), Elizabeth Taylor, eternally sexy Joan Collins (76), Farley Granger, Gloria DeHaven (86), Harry Belafonte (83), James Arness (86), Jane Powell (82), Jane Russell, Julie Adams (88), Kathryn Grant Crosby (76), Leslie Caron (78), Marge Champion (92), Martha Hyer (85), Mickey Rooney (91), Mike Conners (84), Mona Freeman (84), Nanatte Frabray (89), Nancy Davis Reagan (88), Paramount, Pat Boone (75), Polly Bergen (79), Richard Beymer (71), RKO Radio Pictures, Robert Evans (80), Robert Wagner (81), Ruby Dee (84), Russ Tamblyn (76), Sean Connery (79), seductive Louis Jourdan (90), Shirley Jones (75), Sidney Poitier (84), Steve Forrest (85), the redheads Maureen O’Hara (91), Tippi Hedren, United Artists, Universal, Vic Damone (82), Viking tough guy Kirk Douglas (85), Warner Brothers, Zsa Zsa Gabor (92)
A Brief Note on Elizabeth Taylor
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A Brief Note on Elizabeth Taylor
From my point of view with the passing of Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) we are witnessing the passing of the “Last Hollywood Star” in the old fashioned sense of the term. “One whose luminous being lights up the screen with the incandescence of her personality and talent.” To my mind and way of looking at things she was genuine cinema royalty. Perhaps the greatest in cinema history. The Queen. Valentino was big, Monroe is big right to this moment, Dean, Bogart, Hepburn (both Katherine and Audrey) Frank Sinatra and a few others still hold their place in motion pictures Hall of Fame. But Ms. Taylor held it for nearly seven decades in a tumultuous life filled with highs and lows that was recorded and scrutinized in pages of the popular press all over the world. At one point even the Vatican got in on the act by commenting on her relationship/ affair with Richard Burton while they were filming Cleopatra (1963) in Italy.
She had achieved stardom early and held on to it right to the end. And whenever I think about fame and stardom, the kind one achieves through motion pictures I see it as a phenomena that can harm or destroy as well as elevate. Some people can handle it some are perplexed, disarmed and even destroyed by it. But Elizabeth Taylor is the only one I can think of who actually lived with it day in and day out and not only handled it with aplomb but actually ruled it. She was the Queen and the press her unruly subjects. Sometimes they would rebel and even attack her but they always paid homage and in the end always acknowledged that she was the boss.
Now we know of the scandals, the multiple marriages, her incredible generosity, her steadfastness when it came to supporting her friends along with her personal courage in the face of adversity or opposition. So there is no need to reiterate them here. We also know of her award winning performances in the many motion pictures she made going all the way back to 1942. What I want to do now is list my favorite of her screen performances.
A Place in the Sun (1951) – her romantic teaming with Montgomery Clift is possibly the most perfect in all motion pictures.
Giant (1956) – It should’ve been a man’s film but she carries it so well that everyone else even the excellent Rock Hudson and James Dean seem supporting players to her.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) – Putting her together with Paul Newman was another beautiful match made in cinema heaven. And their dramatic clashes made for real screen fireworks.
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) – a curious mixture of melodrama and poetically articulated states of sexual aberrations. She stands out in a difficult and sometimes seemingly contradictory role.
And finally Reflections in a Golden Eyes (1967) – John Huston’s interesting adaptation of Carson McCullers novella. In this one she’s teamed with Marlon Brando and although they both seem to be in different films both are excellent. In fact I think she gives one of the most nuanced performance of her career here.
So as far as I am concerned the Queen may be dead but her performances will live on and on and on.
-GE.
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