Rock Hudson winked at rumors about his sexuality in this classic rom-com

Welcome back to our queer film retrospective, “A Gay Old Time.” In this week’s column, we revisit 1959’s Pillow Talk, a rom-com that seemingly references the rumors that Rock Hudson was gay while attempting to prove he wasn’t.

It’s not uncommon for an actor’s personal life to inform and sometimes even reflect the roles that they play throughout their careers. The persona that they build outside their movies (a problematic party girl, the beloved America’s sweetheart, the womanizing bachelor, the difficult-to-work-with diva) can sometimes give added context to their performances; either by leaning into them or subverting them completely.

This is especially fascinating looking back at movie stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, during an era when their public images were carefully curated to align with the studio system and the moral values of the time.

And, decades later, once details of what really went on behind the scenes—behind these manicured personas—the relationship between actor and character can be seen under a whole different light.

In honor of the release of Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed, a new HBO documentary that takes a deep dive into the personal and professional life of the Hollywood icon—as well as the ways his homosexuality played into them—this week we’re taking a look at one of his most famous roles with the 1959 sex comedy Pillow Talk; particularly at the way his character played into the preconceptions audiences had of Hudson as a leading man back then, and a closeted gay man today.

The Set Up

In Pillow Talk, Rock Hudson and Doris Day (in the first collaboration of what would be a fruitful career together as co-stars and friends) play Brad Allen and Jan Morrow, two neighbors that are forced to begrudgingly share a party line (oh, the 1950s).

Brad is an incorrigible womanizing millionaire with suitors calling him at all hours of the night. Jan is a busy interior designer that just wants to be able to make business calls. Although they live in the same complex, they have only heard each other’s voices, and that’s been enough to get deep into each other’s nerves.

When, through a series of misunderstandings, they run into each other at a dinner, Brad realizes who she is; she doesn’t. Brad then decides to pretend to be a southern gentleman named Rex Stetson, believing he can convince Jan to fall for him in an attempt to get one over on her. Only, of course, they end up actually falling in love.

Women Want To Be With Him, Men Want To…

Pillow Talk marked a turning point in Rock Hudson’s career. Up until then, his career had been curated to be the All-American male aspiration for both men and women.

His most famous role were with the domestic melodramas of Douglas Sirk (Magnificent Obsession, Written In the Wind, All That Heaven Allows), in which he played the ideal of what every woman should look for, and what every man should strive to be like: protective, hopelessly romantic, tender, and manly. He had also made a name for himself in action flicks, westerns, and swashbucklers, playing enhanced and heroic versions of this masculine ideal.

Selling Sex With A Smile

With Pillow Talk, Hudson made an entrance into a lighter and more subversive genre: the sex comedy. These films are motivated and complicated by romantic and sexual affairs, where two people that are seemingly opposites end up coming together at the end. Here, rather than being someone that women should aspire to have, Hudson became someone that they should want to fix. The swooning leading man that is usually trying to win their hearts now became the charming rascal that is trying to trick them.

This shift in genre within Hudson’s filmography also reflects a shift that was happening with his public persona, as well. The public was beginning to wonder why Hudson was perennially “single” and not publicly dating anyone, despite being one of Hollywood’s most desired leading men. This change into a more overtly sexual (and painfully hetero) type of film felt like a calculated move to get the audience to see him not as just the unattainable romantic ideal, but a flawed partner that is just as charming.

Playing Straight, Playing Gay

Pillow Talk also appear to comment on the rumors (that we now know to be true) that Hudson was gay.

In a standout sequence, Brad asks Jan over the phone about his new suitor (which is of course himself). When she remarks how much of a gentleman he is being with her, Brad warns that “Rex’s” kindness may mean something else: “There are some men who are devoted to their mothers. The type that likes to collect recipes, or exchange bits of gossip…” Jan immediately shuts it down, but a seed of doubt has been planted.

Later on during their date, Brad as Rex is sure to bring up those talking points to play a mind game on her (“Ain’t this tasty? Wonder if I could get the recipe. Sure would like to surprise my ma, when I get back…”). However, her fears that he might be gay (something always implied, never explicitly stated) are quickly squandered when Rex leans in for a kiss right after.

It’s a series of jokes that are quick, played for laughs, and without much weight or repercussion in the plot. But it has bigger significance looking back, either as a clever nod to the circulating rumors, or as an attempt to squash them.

A Whole New Side Of Rock

Overall, Pillow Talk is a charming, light, and extremely entertaining movie that brings out the natural chemistry and charisma in both its stars, and was in many ways ahead of its time in terms of gender roles and expectations.

But it is a much more fascinating artifact when seen through Rock Hudson’s career at that point. It’s a role that by making him more devious and slippery, it also managed to give him more credibility as a romantic partner for the audience, and that managed to slightly comment on what we know was his real pillow talk behind closed doors.

Pillow Talk is available for digital rental via AppleTV, Google Play, Prime Video, YouTube TV, and Vudu.