Updated 7/6/2007 with more films available on DVD.
biography
Born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. in Winnetka, Illinois, in 1925, Rock Hudson's father abandoned his family during the depths of the Great Depression in the early 1930s. His mother remarried and his stepfather adopted him, changing his last name to Fitzgerald. Following a stint in the Navy during World War II, Hudson went to Hollywood to get into the movies. He worked as a truck driver for a couple of years to support himself, longing to be an actor but with no success in breaking into the movies. A chance meeting in 1948 with powerful Hollywood agent Henry Willson got Hudson his start in the business. Impressed by the young man's stature and good looks, Willson renamed him Rock Hudson, sending him to acting school and capping his teeth. Hudson landed his first film role in the 1948 film Fighter Squadron, and in 1949 he signed with Universal-International. As Hudson had no real acting experience, Universal started him out in small roles in lower-budget pictures, including the film noir thrillers Undertow (1949) and I Was a Shoplifter (1950), both starring Scott Brady. He quickly landed better roles at Universal, beginning in the early 1950s. Hudson was married only once, to Henry Willson's secretary Phyllis Gates in November 1955; they divorced in 1958. Gates, who never remarried, passed away in January 2006 at the age of 80.
Early 1960s photo
the films of rock hudson
Although today Rock Hudson is remembered as an A-list actor, he appeared in many low-budget Universal-International films in the early 1950s. His breakthrough role came in the 1954 release Magnificent Obsession, starring opposite Jane Wyman. Afterward, Hudson left the B's behind, at least until the 1970s.
Horizons West (1952)
From one of Hudson's westerns, Horizons West
Back to God's Country (1953)
LEFT: With Marcia Henderson in Back to God's Country. RIGHT: With Marcia Henderson and Hugh O'Brian
The Golden Blade (1953)
Promotional photos from the colorful adventure The Golden Blade. The photo on the right features Piper Laurie
From the adventure flick Bengal Brigade. The photo on the right includes Ursula Thiess
Taza, Son of Cochise (1954)
LEFT: With Barbara Rush in Taza, Son of Cochise. CENTER A: As Taza. CENTER B: Again as Taza. RIGHT: With Robert Burton and Gregg Palmer. Taza, Son of Cochise was orginally shot in 3-D, but by the date of its release, the spectacle of 3-D had already faded, so the film was released flat (2-D)
Giant (1956)
With Elizabeth Taylor in the big-budget epic Giant
Twilight for the Gods (1958)
With Cyd Charisse in Twilight for the Gods
Send Me No Flowers (1964)
With Doris Day in the screwball comedy Send Me No Flowers, the last and best film they made together
Seconds (1966)
With Salome Jens in the John Frankenheimer
thriller Seconds, probably Hudson's best dramatic film and performance
Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971)
LEFT: With Barbara Leigh in the black comedy Pretty Maids All in a Row. RIGHT: As the murderous coach Tiger McDrew
By the early 1970s, Hudson's film career was in decline, so he switched to television, starring in a number of series and made-for-TV movies. His most successful series was MacMillan and Wife.
MacMillan and Wife (1971-1977 NBC TV Series)
With Susan Saint James in the series MacMillan and Wife
later years
By the early 1980s, Hudson's health deteriorated after years of heavy drinking and smoking. Heart bypass surgery sidelined Hudson and his then-new TV show, The Devlin Connection, for a year; the show suffered for the delay and was canceled not long after it returned to the airwaves. He recovered from the surgery, but a couple of years later Hudson's health had visibly deteriorated again, prompting rumors of cancer. In July 1985, he announced that he was suffering from AIDS, and he passed away on October 2, 1985, at the age of 59.
I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season [DVD](1954) DVD All 30 episodes from the fourth season--including "Lucy Cries Wolf," "Ricky's Movie Offer," "California, Here We Come," "Lucy and Harpo Marx," "The Tour," and "In Palm Springs" with Rock Hudson--are featured in a five-disc set. 13 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; deleted scenes; audio featurette; original opening; outtakes; "My Favorite Husband" radio broadcasts. McMillan & Wife: Season One [DVD](1971) DVD All eight first-season episodes--including "Once Upon a Dead Man," "The Easy Sunday Murder Case," "Death Is a Seven Point Favorite," "'Til Death Do Us Part," and "An Elementary Case of Murder"--are featured in a two-disc set. 10 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English. Rock Hudson And Doris Day Romance Collection [DVD] DVD Three-disc set includes "Pillow Talk," "Lover Come Back," and "Send Me No Flowers," plus an exclusive bonus CD featuring Doris singing eight of her most popular movie songs. The Doris Day And Rock Hudson Comedy Collection [DVD] DVD Two-disc set includes "Pillow Talk," "Lover Come Back," and "Send Me No Flowers." Rock Hudson: Screen Legend Collection [DVD] DVD Man's man Rock Hudson heats up the screen in a three-disc, five-film set! When a rich, old man (Charles Coburn) leaves a fortune to the family of a woman he once loved, a soda jerk (Hudson) finds he's no longer the perfect lad for the clan's daughter, in "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" (1952). Piper Laurie, Gigi Perreau co-star. Rock flexes his pecs in the Arabian-flavored costume epic "The Golden Blade" (1953), journeying to Baghdad on a mission of vengeance. Laurie, Gene Evans co-star. Hudson wears the white hat, and Kirk Douglas the black, in the muscular Western "The Last Sunset" (1961), with Dorothy Malone and Joseph Cotten. Giving an intense performance, Hudson plays an egotistical doctor working in the jungle, in "The Spiral Road" (1962). Burl Ives, Gena Rowlands also star. And playboy Rock is asked to woo psychiatrist Leslie Caron by her father (Charles Boyer) in the romantic comedy "A Very Special Favor" (1965). Walter Slezak, Larry Storch co-star. 8 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; theatrical trailers. Winchester '73 [DVD](1950) DVD Unique western film stars James Stewart as a man searching for his father's killer and the family rifle that was used against him. The gun's new "owners" and their stories are depicted, leading to a dramatic conclusion. Dan Duryea, Rock Hudson, Shelley Winters and a young Tony Curtis are featured. 82 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; interview; theatrical trailer. Bend Of The River [DVD](1952) DVD James Stewart is an outlaw-turned-wagon scout who must help settlers reach Oregon Territory in an exciting frontier action tale. Also stars Arthur Kennedy as Stewart's treacherous rival, Julie Adams, Harry Morgan and Rock Hudson. 91 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer. Gun Fury [DVD](1953) DVD Fine Raoul Walsh western thriller stars Rock Hudson as a Civil War vet who obsessively searches the Arizona wilderness when fiancee Donna Reed is abducted by a crazed outlaw. Philip Carey, Lee Marvin also star. 82 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, Japanese. All That Heaven Allows [DVD](1955) DVD Producer Ross Hunter reunited "Magnificent Obsession" stars Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and director Douglas Sirk for this lush romance in which small-town widow Wyman is drawn to handsome gardener Hudson, a man 15 years her junior, and faces scandal and scorn from her friends and family. With Agnes Moorehead, Gloria Talbot, Conrad Nagel. 89 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English mono; Subtitles: English; documentary; essay by Rainer Werner Fassbinder; photo gallery; theatrical trailer. Written On The Wind [DVD](1956) DVD Sweeping Douglas Sirk melodrama traces the lives, loves, and tragedies of a Texas oil family. Rock Hudson stars as the "adopted son" whose attraction to Lauren Bacall, the wife of spoiled scion Robert Stack, leads to a violent confrontation. Dorothy Malone also stars in an Oscar-winning turn as a drunken, promiscuous daughter, along with Robert Keith, Grant Williams. 97 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English mono; Subtitles: English; filmography; theatrical trailers; scene access. Giant [DVD](1956) DVD Sprawling drama of two generations in a wealthy Texas cattle clan, with Rock Hudson as the headstrong family head, Elizabeth Taylor as his wife, and James Dean (in his final film) as the ranch hand in love with Taylor. Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo also star; George Stevens directs. 201 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; documentaries; premiere footage; photo gallery; theatrical trailers. Two-disc set. Giant(1956) VHS Sprawling drama of two generations in a wealthy Texas cattle clan, with Rock Hudson as the headstrong family head, Elizabeth Taylor as his wife, and James Dean (in his final film) as the ranch hand in love with Taylor. Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo also star; George Stevens directs. Restored home video version includes newsreel footage of the movie's premieres and a special introduction by George Stevens, Jr. 201 min. A Farewell To Arms [DVD](1957) DVD Hollywood legend David O. Selznick's final film as producer was this lush retelling of Ernest Hemingway's story of love and loss in World War I. Jennifer Jones (Selznick's wife) plays the British nurse who falls for wounded American ambulance driver Rock Hudson. With Vittorio De Sica, Mercedes McCambridge, Oscar Homolka. 152 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 3.0 Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish. Battle Hymn [DVD](1957) DVD Based on a true story, director Douglas Sirk's moving drama stars Rock Hudson as Dean Hess, an American WWII pilot who became a minister after the war and, during the Korean conflict, went to Asia to care for orphaned children. With Martha Hyer, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore. 109 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French. Pillow Talk [DVD](1959) DVD Movies Unlimited proudly presents this Doris Day classic. She's an interior decorator who shares a party line with playboy Rock Hudson. Romance ensues with a variety of unpredictable situations thrown in for good measure. Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter. 102 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English mono; Subtitles: English, French; production notes; web links; theatrical trailer; scene access. Come September [DVD](1961) DVD Colorful romantic comedy stars Rock Hudson as an American businessman who arrives early for his annual September stay at his Italian villa and is shocked to find that the caretaker has been renting it out to vacationers, among them sexy Gina Lollobrigida. With Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, Walter Slezak; look for a young Joel Grey. 114 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer. Lover Come Back [DVD](1961) DVD Rock Hudson and Doris Day star in this sparkling romantic romp as rival Madison Avenue executives whose feud leads Hudson to create a campaign for a non-existent product, and Day to try to win the "account" away from him. With Tony Randall, Edie Adams, Jack Kruschen. 107 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: Spanish, French. Man's Favorite Sport? [DVD](1963) DVD A renowned fishing "expert" (Rock Hudson) who's never had a rod and reel in hand finds himself in deep water when an attractive PR woman he's hooked on asks him to enter a major fishing tournament. Screwball comedy from Howard Hawks also stars Paula Prentiss, John McGiver and Regis Toomey. 121 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer. Send Me No Flowers [DVD](1964) DVD One of the finest Doris Day-Rock Hudson pairings casts Rock as a hypochondriac so sure of impending death that he's trying to fix Doris up with a new love interest. Tony Randall, Paul Lynde, Clint Walker co-star. 100 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish; theatrical trailer. Seconds [DVD](1966) DVD Considered a cult classic, director John Frankenheimer's innovative, sci-fi-flavored drama follows bored, middle-aged New York businessman John Randolph as he meets with a mysterious company that offers him a new life in a younger body. "Reborn" as handsome artist Rock Hudson, he soon begins having second thoughts about the arrangement, but finds there may be no going back. With Will Geer, Salome Jens, and eerie cinematography by James Wong Howe. Foreign theatrical version; 107 min. Ice Station Zebra [DVD](1968) DVD Epic espionage adventure about a real Cold War at the North Pole, as a U.S. crew on a nuclear submarine confronts Soviet seamen in a search for a Russian satellite lodged in an ice cap. Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown and Ernest Borgnine star in this adaptation of Alistair MacLean's novel. Said to be the favorite film of Howard Hughes. 149 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital Surround stereo; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; "making of" featurette; theatrical trailers. The Undefeated [DVD](1969) DVD After the Civil War, former Union colonel John Wayne leads his men across the border to deliver 3,000 horses to Mexico, while ex-Confederate colonel Rock Hudson, a rival, takes a group of displaced Southern settlers to the country to make a new home for themselves. After the two groups meet and a drunken brawl breaks out, Wayne tries to save Hudson and his group when they are taken hostage a by a ruthless Mexican military man. Lee Meriwether and football stars Roman Gabriel and Merlin Olsen co-star. 119 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish. Darling Lili [DVD](1970) DVD Extravagant musical spoof from Blake Edwards starring wife Julie Andrews as a Mata Hari-like spy working for the Germans and posing as a dance hall performer in London during World War I. She falls for American flyer Rock Hudson, forcing her to reconsider her loyalties. Jeremy Kemp co-stars; songs by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer include "Whistling in the Dark." 136 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo Surround; Subtitles: English. The Doris Day Special [DVD](1971) DVD In her first ever television special, originally broadcast on CBS in 1971 as "The Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff Special," the one and only Doris Day is joined by pals Perry Como and Rock Hudson for a charming song- and dance-filled extravaganza. Tunes include "It's Magic," "Sentimental Journey," "Secret Love," and a medley with Como that features "Everybody Loves a Lover" and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." 120 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; deleted scenes; outtakes. Embryo [DVD](1976) DVD Rock Hudson is a brilliant scientist experimenting with genetics in this frightening sci-fi yarn. Gorgeous Barbara Carrera is the female newborn he produces, a superwoman who must be taught about the world. AKA: "Created to Kill." 103 min. Embryo(1976) VHS Rock Hudson is a brilliant scientist experimenting with genetics in this frightening sci-fi yarn. Gorgeous Barbara Carrera is the female newborn he produces, a superwoman who must be taught about the world. AKA: "Created to Kill." 103 min. The Mirror Crack'd [DVD](1980) DVD Agatha Christie's Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury) investigates a murder on the set of a movie filming in her previously quiet little village, and finds a castful of bickering suspects. The marvelous supporting cast includes Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak and Tony Curtis. 105 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English mono; theatrical trailer; biographies; TV spots; scene access. The Martian Chronicles [DVD](1980) DVD Epic mini-series adaptation of Ray Bradbury's look at mankind's first contact with the red planet and the mysterious Martian civilization. An all-star cast, including Rock Hudson, Bernie Casey, Roddy McDowall, Darren McGavin, Bernadette Peters, and Fritz Weaver, brings the stories of fantasy and humanity's destiny to life. 293 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish. The Vegas Casino War [DVD](1984) DVD Rock Hudson is a casino operator who, after being taken for a ride by his partners, renovates a dilapidated casino across the street from them, igniting a heated rivalry. Also stars James Earl Jones, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita and Sharon Stone. AKA: "Las Vegas Strip War," "The Vegas Strip War." 96 min. The Carol Burnett Show: Rock Hudson And Nancy Walker/Roddy McDowall [VHS] VHS In an episode from 1975, Rock Hudson and Nancy Walker appear for a spoof of the film classic "When My Baby Smiles at Me" and join the cast for more outrageous songs and skits. Then, Roddy McDowall stars in a parody of "The Little Foxes" and plays harried husband to Burnett's squabbling wife in an installment from 1975. 100 min. The Carol Burnett Show: Ken Berry And Jack Weston/Rock Hudson And Steve Lawrence [VHS] VHS The "Computer Date," "The Operation" and "It's Not Where You Start" sketches include the comedic interference of Ken Berry and Jack Weston in a 1973 episode. And Mr. Tudball continues to pursue Mrs. Wiggins, while Rock Hudson and Steve Lawrence join the cast for a tribute to Broadway legend Jule Styne in an episode from 1977. 100 min.
FILM Las Vegas Strip War (1984) with Sharon Stone The Ambassador (1984) with Robert Mitchum and Donald Pleasence World War III (1982) with David Soul and Brian Keith The Star Maker (1981) with Frank Aletter and Fred Dryer The Mirror Crack'd (1980) with Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis Avalanche (1978) with Mia Farrow and Robert Forster Embryo (1976) with Barbara Carrera, Diane Ladd, and Roddy McDowall Showdown (1973) with Dean Martin and Susan Clark Once Upon a Dead Man (1971) with Susan Saint James and Jack Albertson; the pilot for Macmillan and Wife Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) with Angie Dickinson, Roddy McDowall, John David Carson, and Joy Bang Hornet's Nest (1970) with Sylva Koscina, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, and Jacques Sernas Darling Lili (1970) with Julie Andrews The Undefeated (1969) with John Wayne and Bruce Cabot A Fine Pair (1969) with Claudia Cardinale and Ellen Corby Ice Station Zebra (1968) with Ernest Borgnine and Jim Brown Tobruk (1967) with George Peppard Seconds (1966) with Salome Jens, Will Geer, and Richard Anderson Blindfold (1965) with Claudia Cardinale A Very Special Favor (1965) with Leslie Caron, Nita Talbot, Walter Slezak, and Dick Shawn Strange Bedfellows (1964) with Gina Lollobrigida and Gig Young Send Me No Flowers (1964) with Doris Day, Tony Randall, Clint Walker, and Paul Lynde Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) with Paula Prentiss A Gathering of Eagles (1963) with Rod Taylor and Kevin McCarthy The Spiral Road (1962) with Burl Ives Lover Come Back (1961) with Doris Day, Tony Randall, Edie Adams, and Donna Douglas Come September (1961) with Gina Lollobrigida, Walter Slezak, Bobby Darin, and Sandra Dee The Last Sunset (1961) with Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Neville Brand, and Joseph Cotten Pillow Talk (1959) with Doris Day, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter, and Nick Adams This Earth Is Mine (1959) with Jean Simmons, Dorothy McGuire, and Anna Lee Twilight for the Gods (1958) with Cyd Charisse Something of Value (1957) with Dana Wynter, Sidney Poitier, and William Marshall The Tarnished Angels (1957) with Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, and Troy Donahue A Farewell to Arms (1957) with Jennifer Jones Battle Hymn (1957) with Dan Duryea, Martha Hyer, Jock Mahoney, and William Hudson Written on the Wind (1956) with Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, and Grant Williams Giant (1956) with Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean Never Say Goodbye (1956) with George Sanders and David Janssen All That Heaven Allows (1955) with Jane Wyman, Agnes Moorehead, Gloria Talbott, Virginia Grey, William Reynolds, Charles Drake, and Leigh Snowden One Desire (1955) with Anne Baxter, Julie Adams, Natalie Wood, and William Hopper Captain Lightfoot (1955) with Barbara Rush and Jeff Morrow Taza, Son of Cochise (1954) with Barbara Rush, Rex Reason, Gregg Palmer, and Lance Fuller Bengal Brigade (1954) with Arlene Dahl and Ursula Thiess Magnificent Obsession (1954) with Jane Wyman, Agnes Moorehead, Barbara Rush, and Gregg Palmer Back to God's Country (1953) with Steve Cochran and Hugh O'Brian Gun Fury (1953) with Donna Reed, Lee Marvin, and Neville Brand Seminole (1953) with Barbara Hale, Richard Carlson, Hugh O'Brian, and Anthony Quinn The Golden Blade (1953) with Piper Laurie Sea Devils (1953) with Yvonne De Carlo Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952) with Piper Laurie and Gloria Holden The Lawless Breed (1952) with Julie Adams, Hugh O'Brian, and Lee Van Cleef Horizons West (1952) with Robert Ryan, Julie Adams, and Raymond Burr Scarlet Angel (1952) with Yvonne De Carlo, Richard Denning, and Amanda Blake Here Come the Nelsons (1952) with Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Nelson, and Ricky Nelson Bend of the River (1952) with James Stewart, Julie Adams, and Lori Nelson Bright Victory (1951) with Julie Adams and Peggy Dow Iron Man (1951) with Jeff Chandler, Joyce Holden, and Jim Backus The Fat Man (1951) with Julie London Air Cadet (1951) with Richard Long and Peggie Castle Tomahawk (1951) with Van Heflin, Yvonne De Carlo, and Susan Cabot Shakedown (1950) with Howard Duff, Lawrence Tierney, Peggy Dow, and Bruce Bennett The Desert Hawk (1950) with Yvonne De Carlo and Jackie Gleason Winchester '73 (1950) with James Stewart and Shelley Winters Peggy (1950) I Was a Shoplifter (1950) with Scott Brady and Mona Freeman One Way Street (1950) with James Mason and William Conrad Undertow (1949) with Scott Brady, John Russell, and Bruce Bennett Fighter Squadron (1948) with Edmund O'Brien and Robert Stack
TELEVISION SERIES Dynasty, 1981-1989 TV series. Hudson portrayed Daniel Reece during the 1984-1985 season The Devlin Connection, 1982 TV series. Hudson portrayed Brian Devlin The Martian Chronicles, 1979 TV miniseries. Hudson portrayed Colonel John Wilder Wheels, 1978 TV miniseries. Hudson portrayed Adam Trenton McMillan and Wife, 1971-1977 TV series. Hudson portrayed Police Commissioner Stewart 'Mac' McMillan. In 1976, the series title was shortened to MacMillan
rock hudson links
Remembering Rock Hudson
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