Reconstructing Rock.
JOEL GREY (CABARET) IS POOLSIDE, surrounded by musclemen. He's at a mansion in Montreal, on the set of Showtime's Further Tales of the City, the latest chapter in Armistead Maupin's landmark book-cum-TV series. Grey plays Guido, guy Friday to a closeted star modeled on Maupin's late friend Rock Hudson. "It felt like I was meant to play this part," Grey says. "I made Come September in 1961 with [Hudson] and Gina Lollobrigida. He was a delightful guy."Despite the movie star's fictional name in Tales, the circa-1980 Hollywood pool party is painstakingly re-created from Maupin's firsthand recollection of a Hudson soiree--right down to the party-pooping surprise appearance of Nancy Reagan. "The party did happen, and Nancy Reagan did show up," Maupin says. "It's great to be able to show the part of Rock's life he felt he never could."
But Maupin warns that although attitudes have evolved in the past 20 years, the Hollywood closet remains intact for American leading men. "It's simply become more sophisticated," he says. "Back then we had Rock Hudson. Now we have the Church of Scientology."
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| Title Annotation: | Review |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) |
| Article Type: | Television Program Review |
| Date: | Aug 29, 2000 |
| Words: | 181 |
| Previous Article: | From the Archives of The Advocate. |
| Next Article: | Sparks gets Queer. |
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