{"product_id":"9780062866851_all-that-heaven-allows","title":"All That Heaven Allows","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe inspiration for the HBO® Original Documentary, \u003cem\u003eRock Hudson\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cem\u003eAll that Heaven Allowed\u003c\/em\u003e, airing June 28!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe definitive biography of the deeply complex and widely misunderstood matinee idol of Hollywood’s Golden Age.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Mark Griffin paints a vivid portrait of a man who lived a double life in order to maintain his status as a movie star. Griffin’s sources are candid but credible, which makes the book a real page-turner. I came away admiring Hudson all the more, and feeling sad for the secret existence that Hollywood demanded of its leading men in the 1950s and 60s.”  — Leonard Maltin, author of \u003cem\u003eHooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDevastatingly handsome, broad-shouldered and clean-cut, Rock Hudson was the ultimate movie star. The embodiment of romantic masculinity in American film throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, he reigned supreme as the king of Hollywood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs an Oscar-nominated leading man, Hudson won acclaim for his performances in glossy melodramas (\u003cem\u003eMagnificent Obsession\u003c\/em\u003e), western epics (\u003cem\u003eGiant\u003c\/em\u003e) and blockbuster bedroom farces (\u003cem\u003ePillow Talk\u003c\/em\u003e). In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Hudson successfully transitioned to television; his long-running series \u003cem\u003eMcMillan \u0026amp; Wife\u003c\/em\u003e and a recurring role on \u003cem\u003eDynasty\u003c\/em\u003e introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe icon worshipped by moviegoers and beloved by his colleagues appeared to have it all. Yet beneath the suave and commanding star persona, there was an insecure, deeply conflicted, and all too vulnerable human being. Growing up poor in Winnetka, Illinois, Hudson was abandoned by his biological father, abused by an alcoholic stepfather, and controlled by his domineering mother.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Hudson was determined to become an actor at all costs. After signing with the powerful but predatory agent Henry Willson, the young hopeful was transformed from a clumsy, tongue-tied truck driver into Universal Studio’s resident Adonis. In a more conservative era, Hudson’s wholesome, straight arrow screen image was at odds with his closeted homosexuality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a result of his gay relationships and clandestine affairs, Hudson was continually threatened with public exposure, not only by scandal sheets like \u003cem\u003eConfidential \u003c\/em\u003ebut by a number of his own partners. For years, Hudson dodged questions concerning his private life, but in 1985 the public learned that the actor was battling AIDS. The disclosure that such a revered public figure had contracted the illness focused worldwide attention on the epidemic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on more than 100 interviews with co-stars, family members and former companions, \u003cem\u003eAll That Heaven Allows\u003c\/em\u003e delivers a complete and nuanced portrait of one of the most fascinating stars in cinema history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGriffin provides new details concerning Hudson’s troubled relationships with wife Phyllis Gates and boyfriend Marc Christian. And here, for the first time, is an in-depth exploration of Hudson’s classic films, including \u003cem\u003eWritten on the Wind, A Farewell to Arms,\u003c\/em\u003e and the cult favorite \u003cem\u003eSeconds\u003c\/em\u003e. With unprecedented access to private journals, personal correspondence, and production files, Griffin pays homage to the idol whose life and death had a lasting impact on American culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mark Griffin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46900278558869,"sku":"9780062866851","price":50.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780062866851_7825c940-725e-4382-8038-823f925e9520.jpg?v=1776888554","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780062866851_all-that-heaven-allows","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}