Hollywood

Award-Winning Actor

b. June 7, 1928
d. October 2, 1985

“I can at least know my misfortune has had some positive worth.”

Rock Hudson was an award-winning actor of Hollywood’s Golden Age. A handsome leading man who appeared in nearly 70 films, he became the face of the early AIDS epidemic at a time when the virus and its victims were demonized. In coming out with his diagnosis—and his homosexuality—he helped raise public awareness and humanize the disease.
 
Born Leroy Harold Scherer Jr. in Winnetka, Illinois, Hudson served as an aircraft mechanic in the Navy during World War II. After his discharge, he moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. In 1947 a talent scout took him on as his protégé, crafting the stage name “Rock Hudson.” Despite Hudson’s lack of experience, he landed a bit part in the 1948 feature film “Fire Squadron.”

Hudson played minor roles in a number of films before he scored the lead in “Magnificent Obsession” (1954). The film established Hudson as a star and his career skyrocketed.

He made five more movies in two years, before appearing in the critically acclaimed “Giant” (1956), alongside Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. The performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

In 1959 Hudson’s career took another positive turn when he was cast opposite Doris Day in the romantic comedy “Pillow Talk.” The charismatic actor quickly became a Hollywood heartthrob, starring in two more comedies with Day. The couple’s on-screen chemistry made box office magic and ignited a lifelong friendship. In the late 1960s, Hudson turned his talent to television, most notable starring in “McMillan & Wife,” a popular police drama that ran through the 1970s.

Despite his public success, Hudson’s private life was shrouded in secrecy. Fear of social stigma and professional disaster kept him, and other gay actors of the day, closeted. In 1955, to keep up appearances, Hudson entered a short-lived marriage to Phyllis Gates, arranged by his agent.

Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS in June 1984. In 1985 Doris Day asked him to guest on her television talk-show premiere. He appeared in July for the taping and post-show press conference looking shockingly ill and gaunt. Shortly thereafter, he publicly acknowledged his health status.

He was one of the first major celebrities to disclose his homosexuality and his battle with AIDS. The revelation helped catalyze awareness and change public perceptions about the disease.

Hudson died in Beverly Hills just a few days after the program with Day aired. He was 59.

Actor & Singer

b. July 11, 1931
d. July 8, 2018

“In life we have to be contributors. It's very, very important. And I look up there and I think I've contributed.”

Tab Hunter was an American actor and singer. A star during Hollywood’s Golden Age, he was officially Warner Bros. most popular actor from 1955 to 1959. He appeared in more than 40 films.

Hunter was born Arthur Gelien in New York City and grew up in California. He figured skated competitively from childhood into his early teens. At 15 he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard but was discharged when the military discovered his true age. 

While still a teenager, the handsome blue-eyed blonde turned to acting. He signed with an agent and was given the stage name Tab Hunter. 

Dubbed the “Sigh Guy,” Hunter became a 1950s teen heartthrob. He made his Hollywood debut with a minor role in the 1950 film “The Lawless.” Thereafter, Warner Bros. Pictures offered him a contract. One of his first movies was the 1955 box office hit “The Sea Chase,” starring John Wayne and Lana Turner. The same year, Hunter secured his breakthrough role as Danny, the young Marine in the hit World War II drama “Battle Cry.” 

Hunter’s most popular motion pictures included the Academy Award-nominated musical “Damn Yankees!” (1958), “Gunman’s Walk” (1958), “The Pleasure of His Company” (1961), and “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” (1972). 

With the emergence of rock and roll, Hunter became a well-known singer. His 1957 record, “Young Love,” rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts and remained at No. 1 for six weeks. The movie studio established Warner Bros. Records specifically to support him. 

In 1960 Hunter had his own television series. Although it lasted only one season, he went on to act in more than 200 TV shows and was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in an episode of  “Playhouse 90.” In the 1980s, he appeared in “Grease 2” and the John Waters cult classic “Polyester.” 

Hunter came out in his 2005 autobiography, “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” after years of public speculation about his sexuality. The memoir became a New York Times best seller in 2007 and again in 2015 when a documentary film based on the book was released. 

Hunter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. From 1982 until his death, Hunter lived with his partner, Allan Glaser, a Hollywood producer. Glaser produced the documentary based on Hunter’s memoir. 

Movie Director

b. July 7, 1899
d. January 24, 1983

“You can’t have any successes unless you accept failure.”

George Cukor was an Academy Award-winning film director best known for his comedies and literary adaptations for the screen. His film classics include “The Philadelphia Story,” “A Star is Born” and “My Fair Lady.” During his career, he directed more Oscar-winning performances than anyone else.

Cukor was born to Hungarian Jewish immigrants on New York City’s Lower East Side. As a child, he showed an interest in theater, appearing in plays and taking dance lessons. He would often cut classes to watch matinees.

Though Cukor was expected to become a lawyer, he left school and enlisted in the Signal Corps during World War II. After the war, he became a stage manager for a traveling acting troupe. He also worked in summer stock theater and made his Broadway debut as an actor.

Cukor first captured critical attention as director of the stage production of  “The Great Gatsby.” He directed six Broadway shows before leaving for Hollywood in 1929.

Cukor signed with Paramount Pictures and began working as a speech coach and subsequently as a dialogue director. He made his directorial debut with the 1931 film, “Tarnished Lady,” starring Tallulah Bankhead. Cukor helped launch the careers of many stars, including Katherine Hepburn. Hepburn and Cukor became lifelong friends.

Rumors regarding Cukor’s personal life circulated in Hollywood. Writer Gore Vidal alleged that Clark Gable refused to work with Cukor because of his homosexuality. Soon after, Cukor was fired from directing “Gone with the Wind.”

Though Cukor never came out publicly, his sexuality was well known among industry insiders. He hosted extravagant parties attended by closeted celebrities, and his home became a refuge for gay and lesbian actors. During his time at MGM, Cukor was arrested on vice charges, which were dismissed due to industry pressure.

Cukor earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 1960. He was nominated for three Golden Globes and five Academy Awards, winning the Oscar in 1965 for “My Fair Lady.” In 1976 he received the George Eastman Award for distinguished contribution to film.

In 2000 PBS broadcast “On Cukor,”as part of its American Masters series. In 2013 the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented a retrospective titled, “The Discreet Charm of George Cukor.