From his rise to Hollywood superstardom, to a shock death which changed perception of one of history's most stigmatised diseases, few stars had a bigger cultural impact than Rock Hudson.
New documentary - Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed paints an intimate portrait of the screen star who captured the world's hearts, but led a secret double life.
Hudson was one of Hollywood's most celebrated leading men in the 1950s and '60s.
He became a number one box-office superstar through sweeping melodramas like All That Heaven Allows and Giant; and blockbuster comedies like Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back.
Hudson shared the screen with superstars such as Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Julie Andrews and Doris Day. He would go on to become the highest paid actor on TV in the 1970's with McMillan and Wife.
But with the help of his agent Henry Wilson, Hudson harboured a secret that could have ended his career - he was a gay man.
His death from AIDS-related complications in 1985 sent shockwaves around the world, and helped to change the way people looked at the disease.
The film examines not only Hudson's cinematic and cultural legacy but takes a rare and sometimes heart-breaking look at his private life.
It features interviews with co-stars and colleagues such as Doris Day, Linda Evans, Piper Laurie, Douglas Sirk and Ross Hunter, biographer Mark Griffin, and close friends Armistead Maupin and Allison Anders.
Directed by Stephen Kijak, the film is available to buy or rent digitally on a number of digital platforms in Australia, including:
- Amazon Prime Video Store
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Store
- Microsoft
- Fetch
- Telstra
Our journalists work hard to provide up-to-date news for seniors across Australia. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.thesenior.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our free Weekender, news, travel and health newsletters
- Follow us on Facebook
