The “Golden Age” of Hollywood remains one of the most glamorized and beloved film eras for many, including myself. It was an era of glitz, glamour, and movie stars unlike no other. From Cary Grant to Bogey and Hepburn, the stars were aplenty, but there was one diamond that shined brightest during that era: Rock Hudson.
While the glitz and glamour shined bright, it was also an era where the Hollywood studio system would groom their stars, and with that grooming came social expectations and one that did not include being openly gay. Hudson was one of those actors who led a life on and off screen that was “make-believe,” and Stephen Kijak’s Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed paints a portrait of one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors whose legacy in both Hollywood and activism should never be ignored or forgotten.
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed follows Hudson’s early life as he was born Roy Harold Scherer Jr., and through clips and older interviews, we discover that in 1932, his mother married Wallace Fitzgerald and would go on to change his name to Roy Harold Fitzgerald. During his youth, Hudson became enthralled with acting. Despite that desire, he never let that passion be known as it was not the desired career of his family, which parallels his career where even in his youth, Hudson was hiding who he truly was.
Once Hudson arrives in tinsel town, the mechanics of Kijak’s film hit their stride. Using archival footage/clips from Hudson’s films, friends, and colleagues, we are taken through the door into a world of a man whose star was unmatched. The importance of his relationship with Douglas Sirk was on full display, whose films Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows were star-making vehicles for Hudson, along with his relationship with Academy Award winner Elizabeth Taylor on Giant, which turned into a lifelong relationship in which Taylor would be a massive advocate for Hudson through charity and foundation.
The film also touches on his relationship with Henry Wilson and the toxic nature in which Wilson would cultivate inexperienced, handsome young men and turn them into stars who fit the physique famous during the Golden Age, with Hudson being his golden goose. Along with this, the constant desire of the Enquirer and other outlets to not let Hudson enjoy his life off the screen is one that, combined with Wilson, is sure to enrage many.
If there is a deterrent in the film, it’s the lack of dissection into the comedic team of Doris Day and Hudson. While Pillow Talk is briefly mentioned, it fails to capture the duo’s importance and impact on Hollywood in the ’60s.
While Rock Hudson’s team did their best to keep Hudson’s life private throughout, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed embraces all aspects of Hudson’s life and, in turn, offers a lens of appreciation for a man whose public perception never wavered and continues to shine nearly 40 years after his death.
