Rock Hudson Tribute--Gina Lollobrigida, Elaine Stritch, Tony Randall, 2003 TV

Rock Hudson is remembered by friends and co-stars 18 years after his death, including Gina Lollobrigida, Elaine Stritch, Tony Randall, Diane Ladd, columnist Liz Smith, and publicist Dale Olsen, in this 2003 program.

[@louisrargudoafr7533]

That voice Gina, what a precious woman, just an icon of beauty over the years, shes 94 now, and she still gorgeous.

[@junglejewelz5592]

But she talks shit when she said, men were not born as gay or whatever.

[@January.]

*and she's still

[@PaulTesta]

R.I.P. Gina

[@lenwelch2195]

Gina was gorgeous when young and a bore when older. She still viewed herself as a sex goddess but she’s long passed it and hoped she would’ve developed another part of herself that would’ve made herself more interesting . Rock made it work during a day when he would’ve lost his career as a romantic lead. AIDS tagged him and took his life early. Such a tragedy in many ways .

[@vanessagreenlee5618]

If the late actor rock Hudson was alive today,he will be 97 years old.

[@suzeauster2223]

Still blessed to have Diane 86 and Gina 94 June 2022

[@eugeniasyro5774]

Gina has passed.

[@roccosophie6498]

These legends of Hollywood, are so very gracious. Rock Hudson had to be an exceptional human being. I will always remember him simply as a great example of manhood and talent.

[@katarzynamuszynska5426]

He wasnt that great Because He has AIDS And gives illness to men not telling them He was ill

[@alanscott7798]

He seemed such a special man.

[@January.]

*seemed like

[@jeffreyzeiss1326]

Regarding Liz Smith's comments that she wished her friendship with Rock Hudson turned to a romantic relationship... Liz Smith was a lesbian

[@DippyHippie]

Ya,so?

[@feliciamarte3031]

I know this comment was one year old but I was thinking the same thing about her being a lesbian God bless all ❤️🌈❤️

[@RickHauptman]

None of these folks knew Rock was Gay??? We all out here in the Community knew he was gay, yet none of his besties, including his gay aide Dale Olsen, knew? Good Lord, spare me such silliness!

[@carolking6355]

How right you are. I was a avid movie goer as a child and as a teenager he just did not appeal to me. I didn’t know about homosexuals then but I thought he was ‘soft’ I really adored Tony Curtis.

[@Bailey2006a]

God, I miss Elaine Stritch…what a life force!

[@sandrashevey8252]

Stritch said what others who became big in Hollywood and Broadway said, `They want you to live a nun`s life`. This is why she migrated to London where she lived and while her career doubtlessly declined her personal life improved. She was happy, sort of!

[@autumn7031]

Fantastic interview. Such classics. Rock was an amazing actor. I was disappointed when I learned he kept his illness from his partner, that wasn't fair, let alone anyone else he may have been with while with him. Gina was a great actress, so many classics...Elaine Stritch was the woman who played the Hilarious grandmother in Monster In Law with Jlo. She came on the scene for the wedding and she set Jane Fonda's character straight, it was awesome, she has one hell of a personality and simply a fantastic actress from her 1st movie to her last.

[@maureenburgess113]

I'm sorry that Rock Hudson passed away of that horrible disease I like him in Mac miller and wife I like to rest in peace darlingxx gone but never forgotten x X x

[@ennioburattini4481]

Gina Lollobrigida una icona Straordinaria del cinema Internazionale!!!!!!

[@angelacarleton9575]

I knew about his background being "gay" but to me Rock Hudson was a great actor who I admired and enjoy in movies. He was wonderful in comedy and serious roles like "Giant!" Loved him, of course with Doris Day, but was magnificent with one of my great Italian actresses called Gina Lollabrigida, who was fantastic together in "Come September!"

[@riccardobarracu6199]

Gina Lollobrigida the Legend

[@danielburns6634]

Rock Hudson is such a legend.

[@wendynichols6946]

I have to disagree with Elaine Stritch his girl friend was Marilyn Maxwell. Elaine in one of her interviews wished that RH had dated her but it was one dinner while they were making a movie together

[@kathw-fg1sr]

Wow, Gina is still gorgeous. 😍😍😍😍

[@ruthmitchell2909]

My Mother had a terrific crush on Rock Hudson and wouldn’t believe he was gay. Who would? It made no difference to us. Everyone loved him and still do!

[@coralynrojas8934]

Elaine Stritch is such a great actress !!!

[@Mouse01011]

So grateful for KZbin! Love being able to revisit this after seeing it almost 20 years ago! I am so surprised to hear so many of his closest friends/acquaintances proclaim that he may have been more bisexual than predominantly gay. And it's very possible he was. Back then when his doctors proclaimed he had AIDS, any man who had sex with men at that time was pigeon-holed as "gay" (still to this day). But I personally feel he was gay and just trying so hard to either hide it or overcome it (like a lot of gay men of his era).

[@lemorab1]

I agree with you that Rock Hudson was gay and trying so hard to overcome it or hide it. I knew gay men with this attitude back in the 1950's and 1960's, who deep down believed something was "wrong" with them. I remember an attitude of self acceptance and affirmation began to be expressed in the 1970's by a younger generation of gay men. I wish Rock Hudson could've lived another 25 years and could've been around for that.

[@Joyce-rf7nk]

He was so handsome

[@jubalcalif9100]

He was no Percy Helton (Hollywood Heartthrob extraordinaire), but the late great Mr Hudson was indeed one good lookin' chap !

[@lemorab1]

I loved Rock Hudson in "Giant." (1956) I grew up watching his movies. Thank you so much for this! I grew up in Los Angeles and we knew he was gay by the mid-1960's. I don't remember how or who told me, but we did. Probably, my mom told me.

[@RickHauptman]

Yet none of the panelists including gay Dale Olsen say they knew he was gay. Good Grief, what a bunch of fibbers.

[@lemorab1]

@@RickHauptman This is one of the more ridiculous "memorials" I have ever heard regarding a departed cinematic legend. I almost wonder if they had orders going in on how to spin their "recollections."

[@wendynichols6946]

He was a great man good looking good actor

[@davidfrontini829]

Rock Hudson was a few weeks shy of his 60th birthday when he had passed away. Come November this year in November, 2023, he would have been 98 years old if he were still alive.

[@coralynrojas8934]

Rock Hudson died Oct 2, 1987 RIP lover boy !!!

[@tomblinzig7307]

1985.

[@kathymetzger5862]

I was one of the maybe many who did not know Rock Hudson was Gay. I had a BIG CRUSH on him and wanted to meet and I hope He’s in Heaven so I can give Rock a big Hug and Kiss

[@louk231]

Really too bad that Larry cut Gina short while she was telling her story of her close encounter with Rock...and then pretty much ignored her for the rest of the show...I like Larry but he goofed up with Gina on this night...

[@elizabethaljamal8904]

Rest in peace. And Gina Lollobrigida too.

[@jobrownrigg]

Thank you for this upload.

[@halinatantau1506]

Gina Lolobrygida is so beautiful

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

💯

[@Bailey2006a]

Ironically, Liz Smith never came out of the closet…

[@lemorab1]

She kind of did in her autobiography.

[@RobertDAvanzo-rk3ew]

"Tony Randall" " (Rosenberg) was another fake

[@sheilathomas3618]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@davidmorris6443]

Unerversal studios knew that he was gay when he signed the contract......just like geroge cocker James whale there were a lot of. Gay men and woman In entertainment business....

[@davidmorris6443]

The unerversal give him that name his real name is.....roy Harold Scheuer jr

[@glasshalffull8471]

His Movies we're a bit before my time, my first show of Rock's was McMillan and Wife which was often on a Friday evening, I would watch it with my grandma, she loved him, 'He's on his own that one' she would say, however she said the same of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

[@mason6963]

The actors and actresses back in those days absolutely knew. For anyone to say they were a friend and didn't know..... they weren't really a friend!

[@vice4134]

Cleary, Rock Hudson is gay and refused to come out of the closet. That's fine. His choice! RIP!

[@vanessagreenlee5618]

Sometimes you can't tell,which men are gay or straight,cause some of them have that masculine appearance,and the ones that act feminine some of them are straight men.

[@dangerouslycheeky3746]

Tony Randall said he got that a lot, but he used it to his advantage and let people believe what they wanted.

[@Oughut88]

Oh how I miss Larry King.

[@mell6398]

Not being judgy here just an observation...the actors even during that period be they married or unmarried indulged in affairs quite frequently.

[@barbarawebb7185]

Little mention of Doris Day

[@deborahstrickland4624]

Larry King only wanted the salacious details, I wanted to hear someone from the panel say, " he was my friend and I frankly didnt care if he was gay or not"....did I miss that?

[@MJ-qb5ph]

Yeah he is fishing for the whole ‘I will keep your big secret’ thing - but what can they say? If a friend asks you to respect something you do it - isn’t that what friendship is? Of course the closet is horrible

[@commanderkeen3787]

Larry's face at 39:05 after hearing that story from Diane Ladd 😮

[@ashokbhandagi5035]

He was Handsome Hero

[@danielbisson8032]

this all playacting everybody knew he was gay

[@terr777]

Liz Smith was covering her own sexuality here. Hopefully, we've evolved a bit.

[@lepanhman]

Handsome fella & I’m not gay .I can say that as a straight male

[@rickrick5041]

Me too. Very handsome

[@thehangmancometh1813]

That's what Rock Hudson said and look what happened to him!

[@January.]

@@thehangmancometh1813 The prevalence of ignorance in the world is horrific.

[@vanessagreenlee5618]

L 13,I admired good looking women,but I don't feel attraction for good looking women,cause I'm not gay.

[@topsyturvy1873]

Too bad we don't have personalities like Larry King on tv, oh well there are no more great actors, singers, to interview anyway. Is he going to interview Justin Bieber? hahahaha

[@morganphillips8634]

Very true. The talent is gone.

[@bluedragon4]

I think this shows what a great actor he was because some of these women think he wasn't gay at the time they knew him or that he had all these female lovers. Rock had male lovers from the start. I just watched the new documentary on him on HBO MAX. These men are still alive and had stories about actually having sex with him where the women in this interview that he "dated" do not. Rock found reasons not to be in sexual situations with them. This whole odd hour is trying to push a narrative about him like he wasn't really gay. That he had many female lovers. The man had a type and that type had a penis.

[@lemorab1]

This makes me wish I had HBO MAX. Thanks for injecting a dose of reality into the discussion.

[@gaykid80]

A lot of these women are still in denial… Even after decades and after what the whole world realised on his last days. Part of this has to do with homophobia: How could a guy so handsome and perfect be gay? 😂😂

[@MJ-qb5ph]

@@gaykid80I wonder that too - he was fine therefore he can’t be gay. Why not?

[@Winnipegger100]

I can't get over some of the ignorance of the people on the panel in regards to being gay. They all still seem to believe that he chose to be homosexual and had affairs with women. Yes it does happen but the tone seems to be that he was mostly straight and just had casual affairs with men. Even in his biography, Rock said who the true love of his life was and he was a man. Shame Elizabeth Taylor wasn't there...she would tell them the truth of Rock.

[@eugeniasyro5774]

We knew he was queer back in the 70s. Mom would say, What a waste." When he died, it wasn't a surprise.

[@danielroa18]

Todavía. Vive el. Ex amante. Que. Demandó. A rock. Hudson

[@andrewwerner2061]

I think rock Hudson was bi. I liked him in so many movies didn't care who in his private life who he had sex with he was a awesome actor.

[@danielbisson8032]

they are ALL tooting thier own thing

[@brian-ld4vd]

How did people not know he was gay? The only celebrity that shocked me by being closeted was Raymond Burr ... I had no idea he was gay.

[@markdoyle2880]

What was that guy who acted with him in pillow talk on for. He clearly wasnt his friend and that was proven when he couldnt even say where he was when he heard was dead.

[@January.]

"That guy" is esteemed actor TONY RANDALL. ASININE....

[@carolking6355]

I watched a full hour of Phylis Gates talking about her marriage to Rock but it’s disappeared. She was so in love but found out later her boss had arranged it with Rock as people were starting to rumour about him being gay. She said he was the perfect husband but it was all fake. They never had a cross word. When he left her she was in total shock and she said she never saw or heard from him ever again. No explanation. Nothing. She was completely heart broken. I think he was a rotten, fake person. If these women thought he had any feelings of any kind for them they are delusional. I think he just loved himself but enjoyed sex with men. He was a good actor in his own life and how cruel. According to Wikipedia they were married for 3 years on Rocks page. I haven’t looked up Phyllis. I wonder who took that interview down. It is a number of years since I saw it.

[@johndaniel9820]

Wasn't Liz Smith a lesbian?

[@johnpickford4222]

Yes, but she wanted a romantic relationship with Rock Hudson. Even in his death she is hiding behind him.

[@paddycaldwell3112]

I’ll never understand why Larry king did this job for so long , the first LK I ever watched was with Linda Thomson and every question he asked I don’t think he let her finish answering all he did was interrupt through the whole interview and now I’m so aware of it , it’s so annoying I just can’t understand why he lasted

[@robertriquier2046]

He seemed to be a great guy. Maybe a little to promiscuous with some things, but that's life sometimes.

[@carolking6355]

I’ve just seen it was with Larry King the interview took place with Phyllis Gates . Where is it Larry?

[@javierbarrucz7755]

🪦 rock Hudson 39:14

[@vanessagreenlee5618]

The other gay actor ,that hid his homosexuality,cause his tv career,was the Brady bunch dad.

[@capoislamort100]

Robert Reid- fine actor.

[@psb1969]

​@@capoislamort100Reed

[@Shazzadut1]

Oh there have been so many, even in the golden years of Hollywood. Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, Tab Hunter, Montgomery Clift. And today there is Jim Parsons, Neil Patrick Harris, Cynthia Nixon, Jodie Foster, Jane Lynch, Star Treks George Takei, Lily Tomlin, Richard Chamberlain etc. etc.

[@danielbisson8032]

theyardsy were beards for easch qther

[@user-ke8st8jc1v]

Rock Hudson was just like all Hollywood fakes and hypocrites ,such crass selfishness

[@johncotner5206]

Diane Ladd ?

[@wendynichols6946]

These women seem to forget he liked men the only woman he loved was Marilyn maxwell

[@wendynichols6946]

Yes Liz and that woman who was blackmailing Rh was his wife Phyllis Gates who was also a lesbian

[@brober]

The posthumous re-heterosexualization of Rock Hudson by lesbian Liz Smith and closeted gay Tony Randall. Only in Hollywood.😂

[@kellygreen5556]

Yes, the whole show was laughable and homophobic

[@johnpickford4222]

Bruce Robertson: Perhaps you are hiding your own closeted behavoir because there was never any proof, NO PROOF, that Tony Randall was gay or bisexual. He was married for decades to his first wife and fathered children with his second in his early sixties.

[@anneheimburger3186]

Tony Randall was married to his first wife for 50 years. He later married a woman, much younger than him and had 2 children.

[@RobertDAvanzo-rk3ew]

It is pathetic that even today the fans can't believe the actors they love are really homosexual. And Randall -Rosenberg was as obvious as Liberace.

[@gaykid80]

So true. All these celebrities in 2003 they were still with their mind in the 1960s, and in huge denial.

[@montibarnett6740]

I'm watching all this it was bisexual let him enjoy itI'm watching all this it was bisexual let him enjoy it

[@ritanorscia1903]

RIp.

[@jadezee6316]

it was NO secret that Rock was gay..because he never tried to hide it...

[@marilynadams349]

Pat Boone wife visit

[@RickHauptman]

Liz Smith talking about Rock being in the closet??? Gurlll, you were a well-known lesbian, why all this subterfuge and lies about you yourself?

[@corduerorose9747]

Where's doris day

[@stephenwilliams1269]

Too classy to join the bandwagon. She respected his privacy as a good close friend would when asked.

[@kellygreen5556]

Her movies with" Rock" "Tony" and herself were an "ALL GAY CAST"

[@montibarnett6740]

Larry King seemed to be the beginning of gossip following everybody and everything

[@danielbisson8032]

liz smith was a lesbian and phyllis gates was a lesbian

[@myahollandia3552]

His ex wife ?? So they were both bisexual

[@danielbisson8032]

@@myahollandia3552 people lied about phyiiis she was really gay they covering for each other

[@danielbisson8032]

gays are capable of having sex with heteroseuals

[@juttadestiny6810]

Phyllis gates was straight,! Read her book my husband Rock Hudson! Some idiot wrote a disgusting book years ago (I read it) put down many actors Paul Newman was one actor that he wrote about disgusting crap written! I've read many autobiographies and biographies in my 68 years! Please research thank you 💜

[@danielbisson8032]

@@juttadestiny6810 most of her friends said she was a lesbian

[@robertdeluca4104]

He liked men and women

[@danielbisson8032]

tony randaLL WAS GAY TOO

[@juttadestiny6810]

Don't think so! He was married and loyal to 1st wife for 50 years an remarried had had 2 children with 2nd wife before he died ❤️💜 he had a good reputation no scandals what so ever! Thank you 💜

[@kellygreen5556]

"Randall" aka Rosenberg was the biggest queen I have ever seen. I had to look away when Liz Smith here talks about how she desired Rock as "any woman would". She was a lesbian and later half "came out". And she knew Phyllis Gates was a lesbian and the marriage was a cover up. I think Gina Lollobrigida also knew Rock was gay when he fell asleep on her but her vanity wouldn't let her admit it.

[@johnpickford4222]

daniel bisson: Where is your proof unless you had an affair with him. Why do you make asinine comments without being able to support them? It must be to cover up your own homosexuality.

[@kellygreen5556]

Thanks for telling the truth that " Tony" Rosenberg was Gay. And you don't have to prove anything to anonymous handles on the internet who can't face reality. They would say Liberace wasn't Gay because he once said so! It is homophobia to not want to face that celebrities you admire were really homosexual but had to lie about it to have a career. There is no point in lying now about them.

[@danielbisson8032]

@@johnpickford4222 maybe i did have an affair how would u and i am very gay

[@Bailey2006a]

Diane Ladd is a great actress but a real whack a doodle

[@cmcb09]

Both she and her former husband Bruce Dern great talents but full of it.

[@hollywoodjaded]

She was promoting quackery: chelation; thymus injections, etc. Then, saying Mary Magdaland -- I hope that was simply her regional accent coming through.

[@Richard-nj1tp]

They are trying so hard to making Rock straight! He was gay people! Get over it!

[@maryc6189]

Sent himself to Hell.

[@kokolovitch56]

He paid a heavy price for his deviate behavior.

[@michaelciccone2194]

Very sad...one boy friend after another.

[@margochanning11]

he paid the price of cultural shame not deviant behavior.

[@kokolovitch56]

@@margochanning11 So you don’t consider sucking and f-n guy deviant behavior?

[@January.]

@@michaelciccone2194 *boyfriend SO WHAT

[@January.]

*deviant behavior The prevalence of ignorance in the world is horrific

[@Shazzadut1]

I always believed he was bi not homosexual. I’ve read just about every book about him, and watched everything I could, and several people said he loved women. I’m sure he had an affair with Marilyn Maxwell, and possibly Claudia Cardinali.