Gay actor in the 50s

The Real LGBT Stars : 9

Gregg Kilday, via Reuters. But at a time when female executives didn't exist, Willson and other gay agents and managers took on the job of identifying and grooming many of the male stars who brought in female ticket buyers. Advocate Newsletter. And though they haven't crossed over into the territory of romantic leading men, openly gay actors Nathan Lane and Anthony Rapp are headlining the films The Producers and Rentwith both Broadway-trained actors playing thoroughly hetero characters.

He also became a controversial figure. But did you know the film industry's queer culture existed even before that famous HOLLYWOODLAND sign went up inand half of Tinseltown kept their identities a secret to safeguard their careers?

Performances like Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of the title character in Capote and Cillian Murphy's turn as a cross-dresser in Breakfast on Pluto are drawing raves. Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountaina tale of two men struggling with their attraction for each other, already is positioned as one of this year's major awards contenders.

By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Henry Willson, the agent who masterminded Rock Hudson's career along with those of such other Hollywood hunks--straight and gay--as Troy Donohue and Tab Hunter, had rules for his gay clients.

By the '50s, Willson had gone into business for himself, representing a growing stable of clean-cut, hypermasculine stars who appealed to the bobby-soxers who drove the box office. Mineo was one of the few celebrities open about their sexuality in the '50s and '60s and publically admitted he was bisexual.

Such womanizing moguls as Selznick, Darryl Zanuck, and Harry Cohn might have had an eye for identifying female stars. If Willson, who died inwere still alive, Hollywood's changing attitudes toward homosexuality would probably leave him at a rare loss for words.

All Rights reserved. So, here are some Old Hollywood stars you probably didn’t know were LGBTQ. You might know some, but we. Willson, born in Lansdown, Pa. By the '40s he had become producer David O. Selznick's head of talent, where his duties included squiring Selznick's star and paramour, Jennifer Jones, around town.

The Golden Age of Hollywood gave us many of the biggest icons of the 20th Century. By contrast, the '50s, when Hudson reigned as the country's top box office draw and Willson, one of Hollywood's leading agents, commanded the best tables at Ciro's and the Mocambo, was far more rigid and closeted.

He was the fifth youngest actor to receive an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal in the film. Nevertheless, Hoffler makes a compelling argument that Willson, though hardly laudable, served an important function. Sign up for our email newsletter.

In short, they turned matinee idols into gold. Golden Age of Hollywood stars you probably didn't know were LGBTQ+ Public Domain; Donaldson Collection/Getty Images. You'll ruin it all if you live with this other man.

Queer icons of Hollywood : Tab Hunter () Despite his heartthrob status in the s, Tab Hunter was secretly gay

Although no A-list star has yet emerged to challenge Willson's long-held belief that the public will not accept an openly gay leading man, in most other respects the scene has changed dramatically. Queer actors have been a part of the film industry for many, many years!

When the gossip magazine Confidential threatened to expose Hudson, Willson fended off the scandal, possibly working through intermediaries, by feeding the magazine information about Rory Calhoun's criminal record and Hunter's attendance at an all-male "pajama party.

It was hardly straitlaced, though, because the decade also harbored a subterranean gay culture with its own elaborate codes and customs.