Rock Hudson Marriage

Rock Hudson Marriage

Jim Nabors married Rock Hudson were married to each other.

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Sometimes the most ridiculous rumors are the ones that prove the longest-lived. That is certainly the case with the rumored Nabors-Hudson union, a fabrication that entered popular lore in 1971.
Unlike many bits of celebrity gossip, this tale began as a good-natured in-joke about two men in the entertainment industry whom insiders knew to be homosexual but who remained closeted to the public; a bit of silliness that was not intended to malign either man or be mistaken for fact. No one, it appears, was looking to harm either Hudson or Nabors; this was an instance of playful exuberance taken as dead seriousness.
As Rock Hudson reported about the tale’s origins:

There appears to be a couple of elderly, or middle-aged homosexuals who live in Huntington Beach, which is just down the coast from Los Angeles, who every year give a party, a big party, 500 people or so. And they invite everyone they know. It’s an engraved invitation, and to make it amusing they will say, “You’re cordially invited to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in Huntington Beach.” One year the invitation was, “You are cordially invited to the wedding reception of Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors.” And it went all over the country.

Go all over the country it did. A fan magazine picked up on the invites and ran an item which named no names but alluded to the wedding of two same-sex stars. Other gossipmongers spread the word, including a Chicago disk jockey who described the participants as “sort of the rock of Hollywood” and “a plain guy … just neighbors.” That the joke should have explained itself escaped notice: very few picked up on the idea that hunky Mr. Hudson would hereinafter be known as “Rock Pyle,” once again proving the adage no joke is so obvious that some won’t get it.

The rumor was so prominent that both stars addressed it in the national press and considered filing lawsuits over the matter, with Nabors telling a newspaper syndicate in 1971 that:

[More] recently, [Nabors] and Rock Hudson have been the victims of a vicious, unfounded and unwarranted story linking them with a non-existent homosexual marriage.
“What can I say?” he began. “It’s like a nightmare, a bad dream.”
“It’s so ridiculous, yet so horrible, I really don’t know what to say. Of course, it’s untrue. But how do you convince people of something like that? What do you do about a story as horrible as that?”
The story of Nabors’ supposed affiliation with Hudson began several months ago when a fan magazine carried an article which, without mentioning any names, led readers to believe it was written about Nabors and Hudson.
Nabors confided that his first reaction to the story was to sue for libel and slander, a tactic currently being pursued by Rock Hudson who has reportedly hired a battery of lawyers to gather evidence (or lack of evidence) for a future legal battle.
“But,” he said, “[my manager] talked me out of it.”
“That’s right,” his manager added. “What would we gain?” All it would accomplish would be to draw attention to it. You sue a fan magazine and you get nowhere. Nobody cares and they have ten lawsuits in front of you. It would take years to get it into court, and then, by that time, so what?”
“I haven’t seen Rock Hudson since two seasons ago when he did my television show.”
Nabors shook his head. “As God is my witness, I’ve never done anything to hurt anybody. Why would somebody do something like this to me?”
“I love kids,” he continued, “But I’ve been so busy with my career that I really haven’t given marriage much thought.”

At the same time, Hudson told entertainment reporter Hy Gardner that:

“I heard it from a woman who heard it through her hairdresser. Then all of a sudden I’m getting a lot of mail about the whole stupid situation. It is absolutely preposterous and ridiculous. It has reached such tremendous proportions, there’s really nothing to say. Despite our denials,” Rock said, “some people are going to believe whatever they want to believe. They’ll say ‘B.S.’ or ‘Ah-ha.’
“I heard from time to time that ‘it’ happened in Las Vegas, in London, even right in my own home. The truth is it didn’t happen anywhere!”

Hudson maintained that the prank had destroyed his friendship with Nabors, saying: “I’ll tell you one thing that makes me sad about this, and that’s that Jim Nabors and I are no longer friends. We can’t be seen together.”
Which indeed they couldn’t, lest they add substance to the rumor.
News that Rock Hudson was a homosexual long ago fell into the province of common knowledge, but at the time of the Nabors-Hudson marriage rumor Hudson’s public acknowledgement of his homosexuality was still fifteen years away. Hudson’s short-lived 1955 marriage to secretary Phyllis Gates (which insiders claimed had been arranged by his studio to quell rumors) and other carefully managed publicity efforts were largely successful in deflecting gossip about Hudson’s sexual preferences until the terminally ill actor shattered his lifetime secret by announcing he was dying of AIDS. At that time the media were for the most part ignoring AIDS, viewing the scourge as a phenomenon limited in scope, unnewsworthy, and of no real interest to the public at large. Hudson’s public suffering was a watershed event in the history of the fight against AIDS: overnight the disease suddenly shifted from being an illness some nameless folks occasionally contracted to something that was visibly sapping the life of a beloved movie star.
Although Hudson’s sexual orientation was known among friends and co-workers, the news of it had yet to reach the average person prior to his final days in 1985. Hudson conducted his private life quietly, always fearflu he would be outed as gay, an event he thought would spell the end to his career as a popular leading man. At the time the Nabors “marriage” rumor was floated, he was just beginning what
would prove to be a highly successful run in McMillan and Wife , a series of made-for-TV mystery movies. The character of Police Commissioner Stewart McMillan couldn’t very well be gay, and therefore neither could the actor enlisted to play the role.
Jim Nabors also had his reasons for being perturbed by the rumor, primarily that his homosexuality was still not public knowledge and he already had a tough enough row to hoe in being taken seriously, so any story that poked fun at him worked to undermine his screen credibility. Having made his living in the entertainment industry playing the bumpkin, Nabors was handicapped by a negative and less-than-adult image. His chief claim to fame was as Gomer Pyle, a role originated on The Andy Griffith Show and spun off to its own series, Gomer Pyle, USMC . Pyle was a bumbler, a “gosh, golly, gee” farm boy who was possessed of all the best intentions but rarely turned them into positive results. Thanks to the blurring of the actor with the role, Nabors’ success doomed him to being typecast, as viewers proved unaccepting of him in anything but a Gomer Pyle-type role.
Nabors hosted The Jim Nabors Hour , a television variety show that aired on CBS from 1969-71, but after the rumor about his being wed to Hudson surfaced he didn’t have much of a presence on prime-time television save for occasional guest appearances on other comedy/variety shows. In 1977 he undertook a project that if it didn’t exactly break his “golly gee” image, at least stretched its boundaries: hosting The Jim Nabors Show , a syndicated morning talk show along the lines of the highly successful Dinah Shore Show . Although Nabors garnered a Daytime Emmy nomination as a talk show host, The Jim Nabors Show ran for only a year, and afterwards he largely gave up television work in favor of nightclub appearances, concert performances, and musical theatre.
Although rumors of Nabors’ homosexuality floated about for decades after the 1970s, they were not publicly confirmed until January 2013, when Nabors and his male partner of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader, traveled to Washington (a state which had just legalized same-sex marriage the previous month) to finally tie the knot.
Did the mental image of a bridal-gowned Jim Nabors hinder his career? Well, put it this way: it couldn’t have helped. Neither did similarly titillating thoughts help Hudson, who was then battling to keep knowledge of his sexual orientation quiet lest it wipe out his career.
D’Zurilla, Christie. “Jim Nabors of ‘Gomer Pyle’ Fame Marries Male Partner of 38 Years.”
  Los Angeles Times. 30 January 2013.
Gardner, Marilyn and Hy. “Rock Hudson Blames ‘Sickies’ for Rumors He Wed Jim Nabors.”
  The [Youngstown, OH] Vindicator. 1 September 1985 (p. C19).
Schaer, Sidney. “The Star Who Became a Symbol: Part II.”
  Newsday. 3 October 1985 (p. 2).
Wagner, Joyce. “Beleagured Nabors Denies Wild Rumors.”
  The [Saskatoon] Star-Phoenix . 23 July 1971 (This Week; p. 9).
The San Diego Union-Tribune. “Today’s People.”
  21 August 1985 (p. A2).
The Seattle Times. “Postscripts.”
  21 August 1985 (p. A3).
Spokane Chronicle.  “Rock and Jim’s ‘Wedding’ Was Just a Silly Joke.”
  22 August 1985 (p. B2).
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Ryan Murphy's rendition of 1940s' Hollywood shows Hudson arriving at the Oscars, hand in hand with a black boyfriend. In real life, things were slightly different

Ryan Murphy's representation of 'Hollywood' back in the 1940s fits like a globe for Netflix. Crafted for the progressive pioneer of all things streaming and binge-worthy, the show sees box office superstar Rock Hudson as an openly gay player amid tinsel town. He arrives at the 1948 Oscars dressed in a pristine white suit, along with his African-American boyfriend Archie Coleman about to make their debut appearance as a couple to a herd of onlookers who just aren't ready for gay romance. Nervous and fidgety in equal parts, the couple is met with initial quiet of shock that soon turns into a hateful uproar. And while this brazen coming out at the time was something Hollywood would have never allowed in real life, that's not the only creative liberty Murphy's rendition takes. In real life, Hudson — a closeted actor — never even dated a black man, let alone tag him along as a date to the biggest night of the industry.
The biggest controversy surrounding Hudson's life was probably that infamous kiss with 'Dynasty' co-star Linda Evans. Not because he was gay, or closeted for that matter, but because Hudson was hiding his AIDS diagnosis at the time. The moment the news came out, a crusade began against the actor, which has been described as a witch-hunt by 'Dynasty' creator Aaron Spelling in an interview with LA Times . But before that controversy took over Hudson's life in 1984, he had secretly been with a string of men in what has been labeled flings, and serious relationships. The most talked about and publicized of Hudson's relationships with men allegedly involved a three-year-long one with Lee Garlington back in the '60s, and a five-year-old one with Marc Christian, whom Hudson was dating when the AIDS scandal broke out.
Despite not being out, Hudson's co-stars allegedly knew of his sexuality. These included some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Julie Andrews, Mia Farrow, Elizabeth Taylor, Susan Saint James, and Carol Burnett. Hudson's sexuality wasn't exactly a hushed up secret within the industry either. In 1955, his agent Henry Wilson (who is also played openly gay in Murphy's series) had to compromise with tips on his other clients' indiscretions when Confidential magazine threatened to run an expose on Hudson's "secret".
Even though rumors suggest Hudson had a thing with Wilson too, soon after the magazine incident, the actor ended up marrying Wilson's secretary Phyllis Gates. They had dated briefly, and in the long run, it became evident that the marriage — which was Hudson's self-proclaimed "blessing" — was just a publicity stunt as damage control.
Their marriage lasted from 1955 to 1958 and ended with Gates filing for divorce under the grounds of mental cruelty — something that Hudson didn't contest. At the time, LGBT magazine The Advocate had published a story by Bob Hofler claiming Gates was actually a lesbian and knew full well of Hudson's sexuality even though she claimed she married him out of love and not to hush up the expose. Hofler's story, that came out after Gates' death, also claimed she was blackmailing Hudson to out his secret.
These conspiracies aside, Hudson was also rumored to have married Jim Nabors in the early '70s. Hudson later explained the origins of these legends as a group of "middle-aged homosexuals who live in Huntington Beach" sending out joke invitations for their annual get-together. The group apparently invited its members to "the marriage of Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors", as a running gag for Hudson taking Nabors' character Gomer Pyle's last name to become Rock Pyle. Unfortunately, plenty of people took the joke too seriously, and as a result, Hudson and Nabors never spoke again.
It was only all the way in the year 1986 when some clarification was received on who exactly dated Hudson, and which alleged flings were just rumors. Co-written by himself and Sara Davidson, Hudson's biography, 'Rock Hudson: His Story', names novelist Armistead Maupin as his good friend, and includes Jack Coates, Tom Clark (who published a memoir about Hudson, titled 'Rock Hudson: Friend of Mine'), actor and stockbroker Lee Garlington, and Marc Christian (born Marc Christian McGinnis) as Hudson's lovers. Hudson was reportedly dating Christian when that scandalous 'Dynasty' kiss happened. Amongst those unaware of his secret diagnoses was Christian too, and Hudson was terrified that he would spill his secret, claims Wilson in an excerpt of the biography published in People magazine.
As for Garlington, he has spoken at length about how he and Hudson managed to keep their flame a secret, and was also labeled by Hudson his "true love" in the biography. Apart from Garlington and Christian, Hudson was also allegedly involved with Charlene Holt (1963 - 1964), Edie Adams (1961), Elaine Stritch (1957), Terry Moore (1953 - 1954), Mamie Van Doren (1953), Vera-Ellen (1951 - 1954), Marilyn Maxwell, Liberace, Anthony Perkins, Henry Willson, and George Nader. But as for an African-American boyfriend, so far, that remains just Murphy's wishful thinking.
'Hollywood' premieres on Friday, May 1, at midnight, with all seven episodes available for streaming only on Netflix.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 1990 film, see Rock Hudson (film) .
This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2017 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message )

^ Rock Hudson - " Screen Test " - 1949 He was 6 ft 5 in, according to a 1949 screen test listing. His passports usually state 6 ft 4 in, but a 1960 Mexico entrance document states he was 1.90 m (6 ft 2.8 in).

^ "Magnificent Obsession (1954) - Articles - TCM.com" . Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved October 2, 2019 .

^ Jump up to: a b "Overview for Rock Hudson" . Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved October 2, 2019 .

^ Jump up to: a b c Biography for Rock Hudson , Turner Classic Movies Database. tcmdb.com, archived from the original on March 30, 2009 , retrieved December 4, 2012

^ Jump up to: a b c Ryon, Ruth (June 1, 1986). "Rock Hudson's House Now on Market" . Los Angeles Times . Rock Hudson's house, just north of the Beverly Hills city limit, where the actor lived for about 20 years before he died last October, has been put on the market for $2.95 million.

^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Royce, Brenda Scott (2003). "Rock Hudson", in William L. O'Neill and Kenneth T. Jackson (eds.), The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives: The 1960s . New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Retrieved via Biography in Context database, November 18, 2017.

^ "The Long Goodbye: Rock Hudson, 1925–85" . people.com . Retrieved February 6, 2016 .

^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Berger, Joseph, "Rock Hudson, Screen Idol, Dies at 59" , The New York Times , October 3, 1985; retrieved February 12, 2011.

^ Wise 1997 , p. 178.

^ Wise 1997 , p. 180.

^ "Rock Hudson" . IMDb . Retrieved February 5, 2016 .

^ "The Evening Sun from Baltimore, Maryland on November 12, 1959 · 60" . Newspapers.com . Retrieved June 2, 2021 .

^ When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics by Donald T. Critchlow pg. 142

^ The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson by Robert Hofler, Carroll & Graf, 2005, pp. 163–64; ISBN 0-7867-1607-X

^ Rock Hudson (Actor) (1953). Camel Cigarette Commercials, 16mm Transfers Reel # 8. [Part 1] (MPEG1 and MPEG4) (commercial). U.S.: Camel. Event occurs at 19:18 . Retrieved December 7, 2013 .

^ Kashner, Sam; MacNair, Jennifer (2003). The bad & the beautiful : Hollywood in the fifties . New York: W.W. Norton. pp. 144–54. ISBN 0-393-32436-2 .

^ "Rock Hudson Biography" . imdb.com . Retrieved December 8, 2013 .

^ David Thomson (1993). Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick , London: Abacus, p. 656. ISBN 978-0349105239 , OCLC 1000546022

^ Gillies, Jamie (September 15, 2004). "Seconds" . apollo guide . Archived from the original on September 15, 2004.

^ Server, Lee Baby, I Don't Care (2001)

^ See: Hofler, Robert. The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2005, pp. 248–50; Oppenheime
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