Entertaining, gossipy look at the life, loves and career of legendary agent Henry Willson, best known for discovering Rock Hudson and a bunch of similar pretty boy actors - Guy Madison, Rory Calhoun, Race Gentry, Chad Everett, John Saxon, John Gavin, George Nader, Robert Wagner, Tab Hunter, Troy Donahue. He also had some female clients - Natalie Wood, Lana Turner, Rhonda Fleming - but he was best known for the boys, some of whom Willson slept with.
He got a reputation as a major Hollywood predator, which hurt him in the long run - actors associated with him would deny the association, he struggled to get new talent. Eventually Hudson dropped him as his agent in 1966 and Willson's career never recovered. He lost all his money (he was a prodigious spender), had poor health (he was an alcoholic) and died broke and alone (he seems to have never had a long term romantic relationship).
The book focuses heavily on Hudson, who was Willson's great achievement - and the agent could lay claim to Hudson being his achievement, he really championed him, and he became the biggest star in the country. There are also long entries on Guy Madison and Rory Calhoun, both of whom apparently Willson slept with, and who represented the twin desires of Willson.
Being gossip heavy the book emphasises the personal life - at times it seems Willson mostly went out seducing men and partying and Hudson just had sex. Occasionally I felt the book was a little unfair to Hudson, who was an engaging, likeable presence on screen - he had warmth which made him a bigger star than many of his contemporaries (eg Jeff Chandler) - whereas this book makes it seem like he slept his way to the top. (He had an affair with Ed Muhl of Universal!!!)
Also it can be a depressing and wearying book - all that predatory sex, straight men allowing themselves to be used for their career, alcohol addiction. It's not always a fun and breezy read.
Still, Willson had a definite place in Hollywood history and deserved a book.
No comments:
Post a Comment