All That Heaven Allows

by Mark Griffin

  In those days, a major studio might take a chance on an aspiring actor with no experience if he came equipped with the kind of chiseled features the camera loved. The new recruit would be placed under contract and rigorously groomed for stardom. Eventually, this would pay off in the form of fan adulation and magazine covers—the silver-lining side of the deal, in other words. But all too often, there were strings attached. Sadly, studio moguls and other powerbrokers often made demands on young hopefuls that went far beyond having their teeth capped or noses fixed.

  It was understood that if a freshman contract player succumbed to the sexual advances of an agent, producer, or head of production (or in some cases all three), their star would rise more rapidly and shine more brightly than if they resisted. Typically, an actor who was uncooperative or outspoken would eventually see their screen career relegated to the B-movie junk heap before sliding headlong into oblivion.

  From our politically correct perspective, this scenario is so off-the-charts egregious that it’s hard to reconcile the fact that such behavior was once considered “business as usual” in Hollywood. In these more enlightened times, most people readily assumed that such sexually exploitative business practices had long ago gone the way of silent movies.

  That is until the day in 2017 when Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein was fired from his own multimedia company. More than eighty women, including several well-known actresses, accused Weinstein of rape and sexual assault. Immediately following these allegations, scores of other high-profile actors, directors, and media professionals faced accusations of sexual misconduct.

  While tallying up the alleged abuses, many journalists took the opportunity to remind the public that although these revelations were genuinely disturbing, this type of exploitation had always existed in Hollywood. One of the names invoked as an example of a serial predator was that of the agent Henry Willson, who represented a stable of all-American heartthrobs that included his most successful client—Rock Hudson.

  “If you want to get into films, I can help you,” Willson told countless young men eager to establish themselves in the industry. Once Willson’s latest discovery had been signed, the agent would do everything possible to help launch his career—though the support came at an especially high price. “Everybody who went with him had to sexually express himself to Henry,” Tony Curtis told Willson’s biographer.

  In light of the Weinstein scandal and the many firings and resignations that followed, Henry Willson’s notorious brand of star-making seems deserving of its own hashtag. Even so, it’s important to remember that Willson was commodifying his clients in an age before social media movements and in a place where open secrets seemed to flourish.

  This is the way things were in Rock Hudson’s day, and perhaps better than anyone, he understood how the game was played.

  Acknowledgments

  ASSISTANCE AND CORRESPONDENCE

  Woolsey Ackerman, Alida Aldrich, Cassandra Babbitt, Chris Bacon, Miranda Barry, Brent Beckwith, Tane Beecham (Winnetka Historical Society), Michelle Bercon, Rachel Bernstein (Margaret Herrick Library), Cassie Blake (Public Access Coordinator, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Archive), Peter Brodeur, Mary Ellen Budney (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University), Willard Carroll, Anita Clearfield, Nancy Coleman, (The Oracle Known as) Edward Sykes Comstock (USC Cinematic Arts Library), Len Cortigiano, Laura Craig, Patrick Cristaldi, Mitchell Danton, Douglas Davenport, Neil Davin, Wendy Davis, Kay de Toledo, Nicole Ziegler Dizon (Director of Communications and Alumni Relations, New Trier Township High School District), Denise Dubravec (Principal, New Trier High School, Winnetka Campus), Linda Evans, Martin Flaherty (Rock Hudson Estate Collection), Alexa Foreman (Turner Classic Movies), Cullen Gallagher, Dr. Sandra Garcia-Myers (USC), Lee Garlington, Paul Garlington, Ellen Geiger (Frances Goldin Literary Agency), Allan Glaser, Jodi Goldberg, Heather Greene, Martin Griffin, Ken Gross (Walsh History Center, Camden Public Library), Alan Helms, Darcy Hettrich, Steve Hodel, Suzanne L. Hoffman (Wilmette Illinois Family History Center), Jorgen Joergensen, Molly Kennedy (Illinois Genealogical Research), Tami Kennedy, Ginny L. Kilander, Jane Klain (Manager, Research Services, The Paley Center for Media), Lotti Pharriss Knowles, Kristine Krueger, Nicci Leamon, Ann Leifeste, Nancy Leman, Paul MacDougall, Boyd Magers, Diane Markert, Quinn McGuire, Jane McKnight, Cristina Meisner, Dee Michel, Craig Miller, Cal Morgan, Lynn West Mullen, Maura Murphy, Gary Natkin, Russell B. Needham, Keary Nichols, David Orr (Cook County Clerk, Bureau of Vital Records), Gerald Peary, Heidi Perkins, David M. Perry, Howard Prouty, Mark Quigley (Archive Research and Study Center, UCLA), Beverly Radell, Karen Richards, Cynthia Richardson, Jaydon Riendeau, Joanne Riendeau, Ryan Riendeau, Lily Robinson, Donna Roginski (Wilmette Illinois Family History Center), Jenny Romero (Research Archivist, Margaret Herrick Library), Peter Royle, Bree Russell (USC Cinematic Arts Library), Laura Russo (Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center), Steve Sauer, Jerry Scherer, Liz Scherer, Dr. Lanny Seese, Brett Service (Curator, Warner Brothers Archives), Robert Sigurdson, Charles Silver, Rick Speer (Lewiston Public Library), Eric Spilker (for screening his print of The Lawless Breed for me), Robert Spindler (Archivist, Arizona State University), Justin Spring, Claudia Squitieri, Kim Stankiewicz (Chicago Ancestry), David Stenn (for his invaluable assistance in reference to the Marc Christian trial transcripts), Anna Steuber (Florianfilm GmbH), Seth Stewart, Kevin Stoehr, Chris Sweet, Ashley Swinnerton (Film Study Center, Museum of Modern Art), Germaine Szal, Sean F. Taylor (SAG-AFTRA), Bertrand Tessier, Brian Tessier (Peter Jones Productions), Heather Thomas (Library of Congress), Lou Valentino, Patti Van Cleave (Winnetka Historical Society), Melissa Veilleux, Larry Verbit (Vice President, Business Affairs & Legal, Ralph Edwards Productions), John R. Waggener (American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming), Robert Wagner, Phet Walker, John Walters-Johnston (Moving Image Division—Library of Congress), Kirby Warnock, Tom Weaver, Jack Webster, Steve L. Wilson (Curator, Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin), Rebecca Wolf (Winnetka-Northfield Public Library), Hailey Woodall (Photo Assistant, American Heritage Center), Dan Works (Maine Public Broadcasting Network), Prince Zaporoschenko, Abigail Zelz (University of Maine Alumni Association), Laurie Zuckerman.

  For the guidance and support this project received, special thanks to the following: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming; Arizona State University; Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University; Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin; Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University; Lewiston Public Library; Museum of Modern Art Film Study Center; New Trier High School (Winnetka Campus); Rock Hudson Estate Collection; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Southern California Cinematic Arts Library; Wilmette Illinois Family History Center; Winneconne Public Library (Winneconne, Wisconsin); Winnetka Historical Society; Winnetka-Northfield Public Library.

  SPECIAL THANKS . . .

  A life with the cinematic scope and complexity of Rock Hudson’s requires long and careful examination, and I’m very grateful that I didn’t have to go exploring alone. I am forever indebted to those extraordinarily resourceful members of “Team Rock,” who provided an overwhelmed author with unparalleled support and invaluable assistance over the course of four delirious years: Alexa Foreman (of Turner Classic Movies)—whether it was chauffeuring me all over greater Illinois or rounding up an impressive list of the famous, infamous, and notoriously tight-lipped for me to interview, you were the consummate professional and the ultimate Dr. Watson. As Bette Davis says to the unfailingly efficient nurse played by Mary Wickes in Now, Voyager: “Dora, I suspect you’re a treasure.”

  Diane Markert—you are, quite simply, a walking encyclopedia of all things Rock Hudson. You may have been half a world away in Omro, Wisconsin, but you were always right there with whatever I needed. I think your crowning achievement was unearthing a nearly sixty-year-old letter from G. D. Buccola Investment Co., which
detailed when the water was turned on in Rock’s Newport Beach Home (February of 1959). You somehow found it all—from Nielsen numbers for the debut of The Devlin Connection to a Scarlet Angel costar stashed away in Copenhagen (and in your “spare time,” you managed to pore over the finer points of the California Health & Safety Code, Section #103526). Bravo from start to finish.

  Kim Stankiewicz (of Chicago Ancestry and Genlighten.com)—Without your extraordinary efforts, we would not have been able to uncover all of those priceless artifacts, from the Cook County Archives and beyond . . . including the original version of Rock’s birth certificate, Katherine Wood’s marriage certificates, and the transcripts from her divorce hearings. If all that weren’t enough, you located the military files for Seaman Roy Fitzgerald as well as Tommy H. Clark and Wallace E. Fitzgerald. All of this information not only sets the record straight but really helps bring Rock’s early years to life.

  My gratitude to Karen Richards, who compiled some helpful genealogical information concerning both sides of Rock’s family tree. Kudos as well to proxy researcher Ann Leifeste, who carefully combed through mountains of material related to A Farewell to Arms during a series of visits to the Harry Ransom Center, which archives the voluminous Selznick Collection.

  Jerry and Liz Scherer very graciously welcomed myself and Ms. Foreman into their home in Decatur and in addition to good-naturedly putting up with our barrage of questions, shared rare family photos, correspondence, and many memories with us. Sincere appreciation to Lee and Paul Garlington for allowing me to spend time with them at their beautiful estate in Carmel and for providing me with a batch of rare images documenting the Hudson-Garlington partnership. My El Paso pen pal, Wally Cech, worked as a caterer on the set of Giant back in the summer of 1955. To complement her photographic memory, Wally has a scrapbook filled with snapshots she took of Rock, Liz, and Jimmy, which she didn’t hesitate to share with me.

  After our formal interview, Alice Waier followed up with additional calls and letters, and I appreciate her taking the time to tell me everything she remembered about her beloved brother. Martin Flaherty of The Rock Hudson Estate Collection not only sat for two extensive interviews but also helped me contact other important interview subjects; Marty provided me with access to some private correspondence and journals, and more than a few photographs in this book come courtesy of his one-of-a-kind archive. Ken Maley, San Francisco–based media consultant extraordinaire, also furnished me with some unpublished material that he very kindly let me hold on to for far too long. Thank you to Craig Miller and Robert Sigurdson for arranging my interview with the late Mark Miller.

  Fellow biographer David Stenn made me aware of the fact that the complete transcripts from the Marc Christian trial are contained in his own collection, which is archived at the Margaret Herrick Library, where I was also ably assisted by Jenny Romero, Rachel Bernstein, Kristine Krueger, Howard Prouty, Faye Thompson, and Lea Whittington. Grateful thanks to Phet Walker, for reading through reams of material relating to the Christian trial and for streamlining it all for me.

  Glance through the acknowledgments section of virtually any showbiz biography or book about Hollywood and inevitably you’ll come to the paragraph where Ned Comstock of the USC Cinematic Arts Library is showered with praise. I can assure you that all of the accolades are well deserved as Ned is the Wayne Gretzky of all librarians: the smartest and most skillful player in the history of the game.

  Dan Works and Chris Sweet of Maine Public Broadcasting dedicated themselves to the arduous and time-consuming task of transferring the audiotapes of over one hundred interviews into digital files. Once this process was complete, Nicci Leamon and Maura Murphy painstakingly transcribed the interviews and shared their impressions and insights. Keary Nichols, graphic designer without equal, thank you for archiving, scanning, and restoring hundreds of images of the Rock known as Hudson.

  Heartfelt thanks to Cal Morgan, the initial editor on this project, for getting me started and to my current editor, Gail Winston, for her patience and faith. My agent, Ellen Geiger, deserves a round of applause for her unflagging support and encouragement.

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