Rory calhoun gay

Probably Willson's most prominent client was Rock Hudson.

At the most, it was guilt by association - his first agent in Hollywood was the notorious Henry Willson. But there were never any substantiating facts or convincing rumors. At the very least, they were magnanimously open-minded to all forms of sexual expression, especially when it came to advancing their film careers.

Huge throngs of these hopeful wistful young gorgeous guys hung out at talent agent Henry Wilson's infamous extravagant all-male parties which he would throw at his glamorous home in the Hollywood Hills.

At the time of his death, Durkin was living with his agent Henry Willson and the two were said to be lovers.

In the fallout aftermath of the tragic death of the young man who well might have been the only real love of his life, Willson quickly became widely known for his stable of good-looking, well-built, albeit marginally talented (not to mention predominantly homosexual) male actors, each of them with unusual names which Wilson himself personally had bestowed upon them.

Henry Willson personally discovered and named the likes Rock Hudson, Troy Donahue, Tab Hunter, Chad Everett, Robert Wagner, Nick Adams, Doug McClure, Ty Hardin, Clint Walker, Van Williams, John Derek, Race Gentry, Guy Madison, and Rory Calhoun, among others (including my personal favorite first and last name combination, "Buck Class").

While today certain high-profile producers and directors and even a spattering of movie stars are now out and presumably proud, it can easily be said that more than a few gay actors and their handlers are still saddled with problems that Henry Willson, Agent, would recognize all too well.

"If a young, handsome actor had Henry Willson for an agent, 'it was almost assumed he was gay, like it was written across his forehead," recalls Ann Doran, one of Willson's few female clients.

The closeted dilemma of the gay actor traces its roots in the movie industry further back, however.

Henry Willson made himself a key player in the Hollywood social and commercial stratosphere by implementing a unique business model as that of agent and career coach, investing thousands in living expenses, cosmetic makeovers, fashion guidance, and acting lessons for his hopeful wannabe starlet studs.

A look into the life of Hollywood mogul agent Henry Willson today gives us a unique insider glimpse at the dilemmas of his gay clients living a double life, straight leading man by day while conducting lively after-hours same-sex affairs and sexual liaison trysts under the very flashbulbs of the publicity machine which had created their iconic statures in the first place.

This retrospective examination shines a proverbial spotlight on the hidden sociocultural history of the American movie studio system through the late 1950s, which itself began to rupture in the 1960s with the sexual revolution as "outing" became a national passtime.

These boys' names all do have a certain lyrical lilt to them, don't they? Predictably, many of them headed out to the local bars to blow off steam before deploying.

In June 1942, the Navy took the unusual yet fascinating action of placing about 30 bars and nightclubs across the city off limits to sailors.