User reviews

Greetings again from the darkness. Actors earn a living thanks to their ability to perform in front of the camera (or a live audience) as someone else ... making the audience believe they are a particular character of interest. But what happens when an actor must continue acting once the cameras stop rolling? Such was the life of Roy Fitzgerald, a man known worldwide as Rock Hudson. Documentarian Stephen Kijak chronicles the complications faced by Rock Hudson - maintaining the All-American public persona, while hiding a personal life that likely would have ended his career had his secret life as a gay man been publicized.

Perhaps the biggest surprise here is that the secret was kept for decades, even though so many in the industry were well aware. The answer to 'why' this wasn't a big deal at a time it certainly would have been a big deal is likely related to just how likeable and nice Rock Hudson was. Not only did he have incredible appeal to both men and women, he was also an extraordinarily nice man ... a matinee idol with the real life personality of Tom Hanks. Of course, here we are almost 40 years later, and Rock Hudson's legacy is often boiled down to the fact that he was the first true celebrity to go public with his AIDS diagnosis, ultimately passing away from the disease in 1985 at age 59.

As is often the case, there is much more to the man than the headlines. After serving in the Navy during WWII, it was 1946 when he headed to Hollywood. There he met Ken Lodge who helped him get his start, and it was industry big-wig Henry Wilson who thought 'Roy Fitzgerald' was a pleasant enough name, but "Rock Hudson" was much better. And it was Wilson who molded Hudson into the 'ladies man' Adonis we grew accustomed to seeing on screen. Wilson even taught him how to come across as "hetero", and stressed the importance of not being photographed with his 'friends' while in public. We even hear candid interviews from George Nader and Mark Miller who were very close friends of Hudson's, and we understand how "The Castle" became the hangout to avoid public scrutiny.

Director Kijack is very clever in his use of archival movie clips that now can be interpreted much differently than when Hudson's movies first played. When clumped together like this, we wonder how the clues were missed, and just how intentional some of the dialogue and situations were. We hear from the doctor who diagnosed Hudson with AIDS, and the importance of Reagan politics in the era is emphasized. One of the most heart-wrenching sequences revolves around the "Dynasty" episode where Hudson, knowing he was infected with AIDS, had to kiss series star Linda Evans. We also see how his long-time friends Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor rallied around him when he went public.

Classic film lovers know Rock Hudson received his only Oscar nomination for GIANT (1957), and it should be noted that his thirty year career spanned just about every genre: the iconic Rom-Coms with Doris Day (PILLOW TALK, 1959); dramas (ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, 1955); war (A GATHERING OF EAGLES, 1963); westerns (BEND OF THE RIVER, 1952); science-fiction ("The Mirror Crack'd"); crime-mysteries (PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW, 1971); and thrillers (ICE STATION ZEBRA, 1968). He also starred alongside Susan Saint James and Nancy Walker in one of my favorite TV series from the 1970's, "McMillan and Wife." Yet, despite so many terrific performances, shows, and films, Rock Hudson's most challenging and impressive role was certainly that of Rock Hudson.

Premiering on MAX on June 28, 2023.

A not bad documentary about a major movie star primarily in the 1950s. He had some film success in the 60's as well proving adept at light comedy, but it was the 1950s that was his heyday. He began the 70's with a big budget Hollywood musical about WWI (?!) that turned out to be a disaster entitled Darling Lili and that was pretty much the nail in the coffin for him being offered major film parts. A major hunk at the time who happened to be gay, this is primarily about how that was both hidden and/or not discussed in more polite times. For anyone interested in film history this will be something they will probably appreciate seeing. I did, though I didn't really learn anything that I hadn't already heard about at some point in time, but I enjoyed the photos and especially the film clips. I don't believe all of it to be true, though I suspect a lot of it is. I didn't like the way it used cuts from various films to make it appear that the actors were responding to each other when the clips were actually from different movies and those interactions didn't exist. That fakeness makes one wary of other aspects of this documentary, which is a shame. Rock Hudson wasn't a great actor by any stretch of the imagination though he did have his moments in a number of films, but to me he was only truly very good in two of them. They would be Giant and Seconds, the latter a film that should have revived his then weakening film career in the latter 60's, but it was ahead of its time and not really what his fans expected of him as is discussed in this film. He did have one more film in the 60's that I believe was a box office hit, Ice Station Zebra, but that was it. The gay factor and his limitations as an actor eventually caught up with him causing a turn to a tv career, something that's held in higher regard today than it was then. This was a different time, that's for sure. There is no way on Earth he could have hidden his sexuality from the public today especially not in the brazen way he led his life back in the day when people respected privacy, something that just about doesn't exist today. This is interesting and I enjoyed it, but it's nothing particularly remarkable other than a peek into the past that thankfully no longer exists for most gay actors, though I'd be surprised if there wasn't some still holding that closet door tightly shut. This film tries to make him a hero of the AIDS epidemic, but I do not recall it that way as he did everything he could imaginable to hide it and only at the last moment of his life did he try to attempt to make his terrible situation to be admirable. However, one cannot really blame him given his mindset after a lifetime of secrecy, One thing seems to be clear though and that is this was truly a very nice person. I don't recall ever hearing a negative remark about him as a human being. That's mighty admirable! He died relatively young in a horrible way, but he had a pretty fantastic life before that.

Clean-cut All-American Boy Roy Scherer Jr. Probably never envisioned the life he would eventually lead when he was growing up in Winnetka, IL. But, once he transformed into rugged, handsome matinee idol Rock Hudson, it all came together, even if it was not how and what he imagined. As one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, Hudson emerged as one of Tinsel Town's biggest stars in the movies and on television. He was also someone who throngs of women lusted after as a romantic interest, an image that his handlers carefully crafted. There was just one snag in this plan: Hudson was a closeted gay man whose private life had to be discreetly managed to preserve his reputation and the future viability of his career. It was as if he were leading two lives - a public life as an allegedly straight regular guy and a private, judiciously guarded one in which he could be himself as a gay man. And, even though almost everyone in Hollywood's inner circle knew the truth about him, Hudson's public persona was successfully preserved, despite occasional (and widely discredited) tabloid rumors. However, when the idol was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, the secret could no longer be contained, despite official denials to the contrary. Yet, with this revelation, Hudson became the face of this frightening new illness, a condition no one wanted to talk about. It was thus ironic how this once-heavily sequestered gay man would become an unwitting activist for patients suffering with this debilitating disease, helping to generate attention and funding at a time when the homophobic Reagan Administration refused to do anything meaningful about it. Director Stephen Kijak's new HBO documentary presents a comprehensive look at Hudson's professional and personal life, with ample contemporary and archive clips and interviews with those who worked with him, such as actresses Elizabeth Taylor, Linda Evans, Piper Laurie and Carole Cook, and with those who knew him privately, such as author Armistead Maupin, actor Peter Kevoian and biographer Mark Griffin. While much is known about Hudson's entertainment career, little has been publicly circulated about his personal life, a development that marks a significant change with the release of this new film. Interestingly, there's a fair degree of irony in the choice of movie and TV clips included here in that many of them are quietly telling about the actor's personal life when viewed in this new light, almost as if they represented muted, inside revelations at the time these works were made. Some of the content (particularly in the interviews about Hudson's private life) could be seen as sexually explicit, so sensitive viewers should take heed. In all though, this insightful, respectful look at the actor's life as both a gifted entertainer and an unlikely hero delivers a well-rounded biography of a man who toiled to strike a balance in his two worlds, both for his fans and for those who shared his secret, an effort that yielded a lot of good in both areas.

As "Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed" (2023 release; 104 min) opens, we see a clip of the TV show "This Is Your Life" in 1952, where Rock Hudson, then a rapidly up-and-coming film star, is feted. We then go back to "Illinois, 1932" as the then 7 yo Roy Fitzgerald grows up without distinction. After WWII, Roy ends up in Hollywood... At that point we are less than 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from director Stephen Kijak ("Shoplifters of the World"). Here he reassesses the legacy of Rock Hudson, one of Hollywood biggest matinee idols ever, and a child of Hollywood's "golden age" of the 1950s-60s. Alas, as we now know all too well, Hudson lived a secret life as a gay man in private, and utterly unable and/or unwilling to admit as much in public. It makes for a rather sad reminder of that era, to be honest. "Golden" era? I don't think so. The documentary uses tons of Hudson lovie clips, arranged in such a way as if Hudson os commenting on the various issues raided in this documentary. The documentary works best towards the end, as we witness how the AIDS crisis overwhelms the (mostly) gay population, while the Reagan administration brazenly stands by and does... absolutely nothing, year after year after year. For shame.

"Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed" recently premiered on HBO and is now streaming on Max, where I caught it the other evening. If you are a fan of Rock Hudson, or simply interested in learning how a man led separate public and private lives, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Roy "Rock Hudson" Fitzgerald is brought to life in the most nuanced, 'flesh-out' form possible after all these years.

Aimed to be non-exploitative, the docu lets us understand the paradox of life living behind the created facade of all-American straight stud that 'all women wanted' and all men 'wanted to be'.

He learned how to be a star. It took many more years to be comfortable winking at and living in both worlds. Not a fusion of both. Not a modern out life.

In an instant he could go from his gay circle and all those who 'knew', plus the times he was out around around in public with boyfriends etc. - and did not give a damn who saw what and knew (as long as no pics to publish, please) and kept the 'secret' to his public star personna.

Armistead Maupin was a confident and bud in later years and tried to persuade have RH toward a path toward coming out, years before RH and aids. That was one thing RH would not do.

There are significant new interviews presented with so many important persons in RH personal and professional life, whom were available when the film was made.

We have affection look at Elizabeth Taylor's close friendship from the time of "GIANT". And then what about James Dean ... frenemies with RH and that's all that can be gotten of Dean and Rock in those brief days before Dean died just before that film was finished.

Of course I was still quite interested about RH early days in Hollywood. That is brought to life well, as it follows toward RH breakout and as a big star, being pushed into having 'beard' stories let into the celeb gossip mags, and then into a marriage. Lots of a few intimate friends a few lovers or close buds who could be interviewed and were very candid. Much appreciated more of their stories could be told.

Questions about why, what of Phyllis Gates still float around. Robert Hofler, author of "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson" made it clear that Phyllis Gates, to him, Gates was a 'blackmailer' and gay (he did not say bi). So the marriage arrangement crashed and burned. Never again for Rock. He forged his own life, a way to be comfortable in his own body, in his own circles and still deliver the goods to 'Hollywood. The dirt and inuendo stopped flowing on RH. The celeb. Gossip press (infamously to those who understood) before, were offered up dirt on more reclusive and not as big a star, Tab Hunter, for backing off on stories about Rock.

Archival materials are included which have never been seen by the public. Beyond expected articles and film, we see many personal pics of RH and friends and lovers at most relaxed, unguarded moments.

The most distinctive aspect of this documentary is the use of clips from so many of RH movies as prescient, revealing, biting commentary on RH's life. Funny, amazing lines, some dramatic commentary on his own life and fate (perhaps) and some so much like a little coming out. Stunning clips - they did their homework going thu RH films closely!

It just worked out that way somehow. Taken out of context of his films plots, they are amazingly autobiographic.

• at World Premiere, Tribeca Film Festival June 11.

An icon as beloved as Rock Hudson deserves a thorough, thoughtful, and multifaceted documentary. So why is it that he got one that focuses so heavily on his sexuality and conquests, and not nearly enough on the man himself? No person is defined simply by their sexual orientation and nor should they be. This is especially true of one of the biggest movie stars of the '50s and '60s. Going from the Midwest to Hollywood, experiencing the ups and downs of stardom, and being closeted all the while all must affect someone in various ways. But we don't really learn how in this doc. Instead, it consists mostly of interviews with men he had flings with. There is some good insight here and there, but it mostly gets lost amongst talk of his romantic relationships.

Perhaps he was just too private for any truly meaningful content to be put together about him. If that's the case, it probably wasn't worth making this. I also seriously question the director's abilities because, as another review said, the movie clip usage grew tiresome and was uncomfortable at times. There were also a couple of highly unnecessary crude comments about Rock that were inexplicably not edited out.

I personally don't think Rock would appreciate his sexuality being the biggest talking point because I don't think anyone would. He was so much more than that. This is a skip.

There are so many documentaries out there about so many different kinds of well-known people, and this one is among the very best. It covers so much of the character and real life personality of a man who spent most of his life acting out a role that he (and others) had created for him, while actually living a life so different from that role. And yet, this doc does also show that the real Rock and the created Rock were the same person where it counts. By the time you are halfway through the film, your heart aches for those who had to live two separate lives just to survive, while also feeling such relief that the story is so different for those same people today. The best part of this film is hearing from so many folks who were there and knew firsthand what was really going on behind the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. I highly recommend this film to fans of Rock Hudson and/or show business. It is very enlightening.

We learned quite a bit about his legendary Hollywood dominance and overall story. In the end, a very sad and tragic end to a man so full of life. This is a well-told and heartbreaking story for the most part. There are so many valuable contributors interviewed throughout the documentary. It was touching to hear their experiences and see their shared personal videos and photos of aspects and points in time of Rock's life. My only complaint is that we are treated to an (over) abundance of movie clips cleverly edited to help tell his/the story via dialogue from various movies . By the last half hour or so those clips became a bit grating. The cut back and forth with this creative approach took something away from the actual story and interviews.

Intrigued by its clever title and interested in the subject matter, I watched this documentary on the life and career of Rock Hudson with some anticipation. At the end, while I certainly knew more about the man than I did at the start, it seemed to me that the producers were far more interested in examining Hudson's legacy in relation to the LGBTQ+ movement than his artistic legacy as a popular actor on film and television for over thirty years.

Using as one of its principal devices the extraction of clips of Hudson in his movie roles in not the narrative here as if they were supposedly commenting on his own life, which must have taken hours of research, it has to be said that he did have to utter a lot of ambiguous statements which could have been interpreted as relating to his gay lifestyle, so much so that it made you wonder how many people in Hollywood were in on the secret. What's made clear is why he had to do so with the homophobia evident in an early 50's America, already whipped up to a frenzy by the House of Unnamerican Activities' Communist witch-hunt that it seemed to be as terrified of what they slightingly termed "pinkoes" as well as reds in the bed. Some of the things printed in the down-market magazines don't just border on hate-speech, they comprise a full-blown invasion.

With historic audio and occasionally video interviews with the main players in Hudson's life both inside and outside Hollywood, the wonder is that his secret was kept in the background for so long, right up until the headline-grabbing revelation that he'd contracted AIDS just before his death. As the first major celebrity afflicted by the terrible disease, the film then considers the impact of his going public with the news and in so doing "outing" himself as a gay man after years of playing the strong, masculine and what were presumed to be 100% heterosexual lead roles. There's the inevitable discussion as to whether he could or should have come out earlier but you only have to witness the trail of careers destroyed by doing so before to understand why he felt the need to cover his traces, even to the extent of going through with a sham marriage just before he turned thirty to pacify the gossip-mongers.

All this of course is fascinating in its way but for me, I found it imbalanced the film and would have appreciated if more consideration had been afforded to his acting ability and career in general. Yes, mention is made of the superb Douglas Sirk-directed films he graced in the 50's and also the remarkable John Frankenheimer movie "Accidents" which he made in 1966, but clearly the film-makers here had their own agenda in lining up a succession of his former boyfriends to relate their experiences with Hudson and even airing a privately taped telephone conversation with him actively procuring an obviously upcoming sexual encounter with a suitably qualified young male.

It's no surprise to learn that on-set Hudson garnered more sympathy and understanding from women than men, as witness the support received from the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day and Linda Gray. Much is made of him kissing the latter in an episode of "Dynasty" when he almost certainly knew he was carrying the AIDS infection, when he was at pains to do so closed-mouth. There probably wasn't time and it's unlikely in any case that Hudson felt the need to go completely public with a reveal-all interview, even as he surely knew he was dying. Could be have done more for the acceptance of homosexuality in society by so doing is the question this film wants to agonise over.

While I get the contemporary relevance of this, I personally prefer not to sit in judgement of the choices the man made in what must have been a difficult life and instead focus on the too-often underrated performances he gave in his long and distinguished career.

This bio doc should have concentrated more on the convergence of its subject with the AIDS crisis since that is the sole part that is powerful or, indeed, even all that interesting. The first half attempts to paint a portrait of an unhappily closeted actor but, try as hard as he might, director Stephen Kijak cannot quite conceal the exact opposite, namely that Hudson gladly made the decision to hide his homosexuality from the public in exchange for stardom. A better film would have examined the question of why Hudson was so untroubled by living this double life as opposed to, say, Tab Hunter, who clearly was not ok with it. I also agree with previous reviewers who have criticized this film's lack of attention on Hudson's under rated work as an actor as well as finding the use of gay subtext film clips clumsy and over done.

Once we enter the 1980s, however, and the AIDS shroud falls upon America, Kijak has a subject worthy of our attention. I agree with the film's thesis that the death of Hudson, the first real celebrity victim of this scourge, marked a dividing line between the moralistic voyeurism that went before and the beginnings of real efforts to find a cure that followed. I also commend Kijack's forceful condemnation of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, on both a personal and policy level, for their disgraceful cold shouldering of a good friend, an attitude that mirrored their indifference to the epidemic, in general. Give it a B minus.

Top 10 Rock Hudson movies:

10) Ice Station Zebra 9) Lover Come Back 8) Pillow Talk 7) Something Of Value 6) Magnificent Obsession 5) Written On The Wind 4) Tarnished Angels 3) Seconds 2) Giant 1) All That Heaven Allows.

For those of us who have read about Rock Hudson's life after his passing, there's really nothing new in this documentary, other than random interviews with people who knew him and who share their memories. The film also doesn't feel complete; strangely, there's the glaring omission of the lawsuit that Hudson's partner, Marc Christian, filed after his death (in fact, there's no mention of Christian at all in the documentary, possibly for legal reasons). They were partners for the six years preceding his death and Christian passed away in 2009... so the fact that the details of their relationship as well as the famous lawsuit were omitted seems particularly striking.

I also found the constant interspersing of clips from Hudson's films to become distracting after awhile. The filmmakers seemed to think it was clever to find similarities in Hudson's life with many of the scenes from his films, but after about an hour I felt the constant interruptions in the narrative with these asides eventually became so overused that it intruded on the tone of the documentary itself. This became particularly obvious at the end when the documentary details Hudson's passing. Probably 30 minutes of the film's 104 minute running time seem to be made up of clips that are used in this manner. Some of them have been edited by the filmmakers to be humorous in order to unnecessarily drive home a point.

Overall, I've been looking forward to seeing this film since I've heard about it but ultimately found it to be pretty disappointing. If you know nothing about Rock Hudson or his life, this might be interesting... but for many of us there isn't much territory that hasn't already been explored here.

The movie "Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed" is a documentary about the intimate and personal life of actor Rock Hudson. The documentary uses plenty of archival video and photography to plot Hudson's life, from his childhood in Illinois to his early days and later ascent in Hollywood. The documentary delves into how queer stars concealed their personal lives and how Hollywood fabricated a straight, all-American white boy image. It wasn't until Hudson's diagnosis and eventual death from AIDS that the truth was revealed. His early death in the AIDS crisis had a galvanizing effect on the movement.

Rock Hudson lived the life he desired, even if it meant being manipulated, used, and leading a double life, including changing his own name.

It's certainly not news that Rock Hudson led a double life as a world renowned movie star adored by legions of his female fans and a closeted gay man who became the first prominent celebrity victim of AIDS in 1985. This sympathetic 2023 documentary, however, doesn't paint a dour portrait of a tortured soul but rather a self-reliant man who separated his public and private lives through personal finesse and the support of a close circle of friends. Director Stephen Kijak does a masterful job of melding archival footage and contextually relevant clips from Hudson's films to reveal the personal challenges he faced in navigating his carefully presented public image. At the same time, interviews with surviving friends and intimates highlight not only his voracious sexual appetite but his reputation for being a true professional and trustworthy friend. The last section effectively deals with his AIDS diagnosis and his very public physical deterioration including a heartbreaking betrayal from a longtime friend, First Lady Nancy Reagan. Even if you're familiar with his biography, you'll find new surprises here nearly four decades after his death.

This was such an intimate view from Rock Hudson's life.

The cinematography was amazing and the archives were incredibly fascinating. The clips from his films resonated to the documentary about his story was well though of and well picked to be included in his memoir.

I loved him from his films and I wasnt aware that he was a closeted gay I meant who couldve thought. This view was a a genuine and humble life and wish he couldve been more out so he can be himself and not hiding. I wish he had enjoyed his final days to someone he love the most. His legacy and his cause for AIDS was truly inspiring. He have lived a beautiful life indeed.

I'm blaming the interviewers. Considering that many of his partners and friends are still alive, none of them added any insight to the story I know of Rock Hudson. The interviews were pathetic. Quick clips of his movies and millions of fotos, but nothing in-depth or interesting. His hobbies, passions, nothing. One ex-lover elucidates that he had a 'a big dick.'"....and this helps how? His many movies with Doris Day (which My siblings and i loved watching growing up on Saturday matinee afternoons.). Was a given a measly couple of minutes.

You are better served watching the documentary of Tab Hunter. As a gay man stuck in the impenetrable gay closets of 50s, 60s etc., his documentary is insightful , with depth. Despite the pressures, he seemed to be a happy man and his love for horses is admirable.

Yeah, I'm sure he was a nice guy, but there is nothing admirable about using vulnerable young men as sex objects and disposing them afterwards. The conversation about the "equipment" of the one studio worker was appalling. No consideration if that man had a family. He was just "a lot of fun". Hudson came off as a loveless, selfish, perfunctory being with a sex addiction. And not a very good actor. Not sure why he wasn't honest about his illness at the end either. Yes, and as everyone commented, the intercut of the movie clips was tiring. Furthermore, nothing new was revealed. The movie tried to be more than it was, just like its subject.