Rock Hudson (1925-1985) isn’t known for frock flicks — he was first and best known for his good looks, having been called “The Baron of Beefcake” by Universal Studios. He’s also remembered as one of the first celebrities to acknowledge his AIDS diagnosis, shortly before his death. He’d been closeted publicly although Hollywood insiders were aware Hudson was gay. The HBO documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023) is a fascinating look at Rock Hudson’s career and double-life and how the roles he played sometimes mirrored his personality. While historical costume roles weren’t his specialty and many were westerns (plus some are inappropriately “of their times” when it comes to race), Hudson did have plenty in his long career. He’s an important figure in Hollywood history, so let’s take a look.
Young Bull in Winchester ’73 (1950)
Captain Ras in The Desert Hawk (1950)
Burt Hanna in Tomahawk (1951)
Trey Wilson in Bend of the River (1952)
Frank Truscott in Scarlet Angel (1952)
Dan Stebbins in Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
Neil Hammond in Horizons West (1952)
John Wesley Hardin in The Lawless Breed (1952)
Lt. Lance Caldwell in Seminole (1953)
Gilliatt in Sea Devils (1953)
Harun in The Golden Blade (1953)
Ben Warren in Gun Fury (1953)
Peter Keith in Back to God’s Country (1953)
Taza in Taza, Son of Cochise (1954)
Capt. Jeffrey Claybourne in Bengal Brigade (1954)
Michael Martin, aka Capt. Lightfoot, in Captain Lightfoot (1955)
Clint Saunders in One Desire (1955)
Jordan “Bick” Benedict Jr. in Giant (1956)
Lt. Frederick Henry in A Farewell to Arms (1957)
John Rambeau in This Earth Is Mine (1959)
Dana Stribling in The Last Sunset (1961)
Dr. Anton Drager in The Spiral Road (1962)
Col. James Langdon in The Undefeated (1969)
Major William Larrabee in Darling Lili (1970)
Turner in Hornets’ Nest (1970)
Chuck Jarvis in Showdown (1973)
Jason Rudd in The Mirror Crack’d (1980)
How do you remember Rock Hudson?
I think “Has Anyone Seen My Gal” is going to be at the top of my list now, not just because of that amazing promo photo, but I see that it’s directed by Douglas Sirk, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors.
Not a Frock Flick, but as Susan Saint-James passed away last week, my memories of Rock Hudson are all of watching the two of them in “McMillan and Wife” during the 1970s.