I watched these movies when I was a pre-teen and I couldn't enjoy them because-even back then,they were hokey and Rock can't act. It was embarrassing to watch. There was never any chemistry between him and the leading lady. Now we know why. But back then,he was just plain bad. I love Tony Randall,which is the only reason I gave this one a peek today.
shareRock was quite good in these light comedies. Name one actor better than him in this type of role.
shareCary Grant ,Van Johnson, Jimmy Stewart-and in case you think I'm homophobic,one of those 3 was gay and it was supected of the other 2. Even Reagan could out-act Rock. That's saying something. He got some of those parts,at the very least,by sleeping with closeted studio execs. Light comedy? It was awful and stilted and if I looked for a few more actors,I'm sure I could come up with at least 10 more who were infinitely better. Bob Hope often played the romantic lead. So did Bing Crosby. Fred Astaire? Class,and "can dance a little".Fred McMurray, Jimmy Cagney, Bogart, Danny Kaye-I dare you to say they couldn't have been superior. I have seen every Rock Hudson movie. They are,to the last one,schlock. And all the others I mentioned were just as good at serious scripts as they were at comedy. Hudson-not on a bet. Yup,that's the truth.
shareJimmy Stewart? Any evidence outside some people's sick imaginations?
shareCary Grant ,Van Johnson, Jimmy Stewart-and in case you think I'm homophobic,one of those 3 was gay and it was suspected of the other 2. Even Reagan could out-act Rock. That's saying something. He got some of those parts,at the very least,by sleeping with closeted studio execs. Light comedy? It was awful and stilted and if I looked for a few more actors,I'm sure I could come up with at least 10 more who were infinitely better. Bob Hope often played the romantic lead. So did Bing Crosby. Fred Astaire? Class,and "can dance a little".Fred McMurray, Jimmy Cagney, Bogart, Danny Kaye-I dare you to say they couldn't have been superior. I have seen every Rock Hudson movie. They are,to the last one,schlock. And all the others I mentioned were just as good at serious scripts as they were at comedy. Hudson-not on a bet. Yup,that's the truth.
shareIt's your personal truth. It's not mine.
shareMy "personal truth"? Aha. Is that akin to black is black and white is white ? I have a degree in theatre and film,so you might say it was also the "personal truth" of an accredited University. I didn't take a few credits. My major required 90+ credits in my field.We also spent every day discussing films,rehearsing plays, studying scripts,picking dialogues apart, and going to hear guest lectures from the likes of Frank Capra who gave us "his personal truth." In a few circles,that meant something. Feel free to disagree. It makes you a bit -dumb.
share...so the thousands and thousands of people who paid their money to see these pictures must have also been "a bit dumb".
sharePretty much.
shareTalent isn't anything to do with how much money a person has or how well known they are.
Most people act like sheep and love whoever they're told to. Look at that Kardashian woman. She pays promoters to force herself in people's faces often, and they become brainwashed into buying her products. Then the same ones who helped make her rich say she must be great if rich.
My...we are full of ourselves aren't we? I have worked at a major university since 1977 and have found that most students (and especially those in the arts) are dumber than a box of rocks. You may be a great technician in your field but movies, plays, music and the other arts are pretty much subjective. Either something touches you somewhere or it doesn't. I get great enjoyment out of movies like "Lover Come Back", while a movie like "Citizen Kane" leaves me cold. I suggest you climb down off of your high horse and stop berating people whose tastes differ from your own.
share Congratulations! You have found one who isn't dumber than a box of rocks. In fact,my I.Q. qualified my to be a a Mensa member and then some. I am no technician. You however,have slogged along at some U,unappreciated and unrecognized seething with envy or whatever growing ever more bitter in your narrow world. Try not using the royal "we " next time. I don't like Citizen Kane much either.I hate Lucy. I rarely agreed with my teachers and didn't care care if it brought down my grade. I didn't think much of teachers who taught based on bias or which pet they were sleeping with. In 1977 I produced a perfect. child and since I had many more talents ,retired to raise him.Take a chill pill dear. You can't win an argument with me. I'm German. Catholic Lutheran, and Jewish.My husband has been trying to out maneuver me for 41 years and it hasn't worked for him either-and he's a Hindu,dear boy with all those millions of gods on his side.My mother was a Jew in World War 1&2 in German.My father was a Catholic.You think he moved her in any way shape,form,or direction? (He was in the German Army and had a gun ,mind you.It did him no good whatsoever.) I'm telling you Rock Hudson had the emotive quality of a crate of Apricots left in the sun for a month after they were picked. All mush and promise with no substance. But he smelled good. My mother got great joy out of the smell of cows. I prefer Mitsouko.We both liked 4711.
Seriously,my mom had a thing for Ramon Navarro,and he was considered very sexy way back when.She was going to name me after him if I was a boy.I'm surprised she didn't name me Ramona. He was gay. I much prefer Danny Kaye and own most of his movies. I believe he and Bernstein had an affair.If true,they made a lovely couple. Hudson is simply an insult to acting,to getting a part because you deserve it,not because you slept your way up the ladder. Actors are some of the most guarded individuals in the world.They hide behind multiple facades,either trying out the various personalities to see if they fit,or seeing if some other world if better for them. They take one different accents,names,hair colors,till they may forget what their real identity was. Usually the only fact they are sure of is that they didn't fit and weren't wanted.
Full of myself? Berating people? I answered with facts.Someone said name one person who could do light films better and I named many names. That's not berating.That's a content filled answer. I don't have a high horse.Do you? How very old fashioned of you. The facts are under March 11. This dumb rock is a 3carat ruby.
Wow...I'm certainly glad that I never had to grade any of your papers in college. what a mind-numbing experience that must have been. It's sad that you feel you have to toot your own horn to such an extent. We all have family histories, personal accomplishments etc. However, the majority of people don't feel the need to spew them out to total strangers. But hey - congrats on giving birth to the "perfect child". I didn't realize that the second coming had actually happened.
shareInsufferable. You have an interesting perspective and respectable history, but my goodness, that was obnoxious and self-serving.
shareWell said. I enjoy IMDB, but people attacking other people for their taste is tiresome. I disliked the OP but kept reading because I hoped someone would give this person a fitting response. And you did.
Unlike you both, I have no qualifications in film whatsoever, but know what I like, sometimes without analyzing why.
But I thought Rock Hudson was very underrated, especially in films like these and dramas like Giant. And that is my opinion and my two cents worth or whatever.
He wasn't a dancer like Van Johnson, or a leading man like James Stewart who could do any genre well, but IMO his work was certainly equal to Cary Grant's.
Yet, despite all that education, you still can't distinguish between opinion and fact. And your opinion carries no more weight than anyone else's! Oh, and if you can't stand Rock Hudson, I suggest you refrain from watching his movies and posting pompous comments about him on IMDB.
shareJames Garner
I watched these movies when I was a pre-teen and I couldn't enjoy them because-even back then,they were hokey and Rock can't act. It was embarrassing to watch. There was never any chemistry between him and the leading lady. Now we know why. But back then,he was just plain bad. I love Tony Randall,which is the only reason I gave this one a peek today.
I have a degree in theatre and film,so you might say it was also the "personal truth" of an accredited University. I didn't take a few credits. My major required 90+ credits in my field.We also spent every day discussing films,rehearsing plays, studying scripts,picking dialogues apart, and going to hear guest lectures from the likes of Frank Capra who gave us "his personal truth." In a few circles,that meant something. Feel free to disagree. It makes you a bit -dumb.
Sorry-I was taking Physics instead of Typing.and 6th year French instead of Homemaking.I still type with 2 fingers. But I can proof read if I must. Are you from India or just sloppy? I say this because you wrote "no time for writing course with all that going on!" Indians,Pakistanis,frequently leave out the "a" that belongs after the word "for" when they speak and consequently when they write. I've never cared about perfect presentation. I never rated less than an "A " in English.Teachers graded my ideas,poetry,fiction writing,and not my spacing. Why do you feel the need to attack another person and call them insecure.Who stole your sand bucket and ate your cookies? You don't seem to care much about Rock Hudson.Your point,rather,is to pick a fight. Fine.I went to a terrible college. And you missed the point entirely.As a Theatre major,my field was acting,not film.I was not enamored of Hudson's acting style. My question then was the same as it is today when I see an actor who has no talent ,pretending to carry a part. Who is he sleeping with?
sharei have a degree, a masters, numerous professional qualifications...so, so many letters after my name - and i think rock hudson was a charismatic and engaging actor. given i am so highly educated i could conclude that everyone else who disagrees is a moron. fortunately i am a rational person and as such i accept that tastes are relative, qualifications are consequently irrelevant and my assessment of who is or isn't a good actor has no more value than anyone else's.
Maybe you might try seeing "Seconds"
shareGetting back to the original subject....
I've never been a fan of Rock Hudson and always thought he was a relatively poor actor. However, he was exceptional in all the movies he made with Doris Day. Their chemistry together is palpable, amazing and scintillating. In fact, I think the Doris-Rock chemistry blows the doors off other celebrated screen partnerships like Tracy-Hepburn or Loy-Powell.
Rock in "Giant" was awful, and he's been similarly lousy in other movies. Obviously he was no Charles Laughton or Claude Rains in the acting department. But for whatever reason, he was amazing when paired with Doris. She brought out his absolute best.
As for answering who was a better light comedian... please. How about Cary Grant, the consummate and greatest light comedian ever? Or William Powell?
I have to respectfully disagree because I'm always shocked at how good he is when I catch one of his performances. I thought he was excellent in his Sirk appearances and he blew me away in Seconds. Giant isn't one of my favorites but I thought everyone did a good job, even though I think Grace Kelly, Stevens' original choice, would've made a much better Leslie than Elizabeth Taylor. However, I agree he and Doris Day were priceless together.
shareI read in Richard Burton's biography that in the beginning he was extremely contemptuous of Hollywood and its ham actors. He would cite the example of a "star" like Rock Hudson to his wife Elizabeth Taylor stating "he can't shake hands and say hello at the same time!"
Later, when Burton the great stage actor got to understand the challenges of screen acting and light comedy he actually became something of an admirer of Rock Hudson and complimented him on his comic timing.
Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean..neither tarnished nor afraid..
Honey-Richard Burton is overvalued as an actor himself.All bluster and blunder.It was appreciated back then.So was the drama of the Burton-Taylor relationship. He drank a lot.His nose was rosy. Rock wasn't a rival and Burton appreciated that more than anything. I can cite the real stars. They gave quiet performances and very often didn't appear as leading men. Charles Laughton. He could do more with an eyebrow or the twitch of his nose than Rock ever did. Most importantly,he played a variety of roles and emotions. Alec Guinness.His performances are a joy to watch. If you want light comedy,let's just watch Danny Kaye.And G-d knows there is nothing in my background (or foreground) that excludes gay actors. My absolute ,I have loved him forever,actor,is Derek Jacobi. You can't get any more gay .As far as I'm concerned,he's the finest actor of the last 2 centuries. I adore him. I love him. I worship him. If you are not watching Season 2 of Last Tango in Halifax which began (Hallelujah!) the same night as Season 1 of Vicious with Ian Mckellan (who was said to carry an unrequited torch for Jakobi in college) on PBS, you are bereft of sense and the greatest joy available in the entire week.
Light comedy indeed. I first saw Derek Jakobi when he performed in I,Claudius. He was 38. He portrayed Claudius,the emperor who had not only a stutter but also a club foot. My next favorite was Cadfael,the medaeval monk who solved mysteries. Don't even try to compare Burton or Hudson's range and performances.You can't do it. And don't insult me personally. I'm not against Rock Hudson as a man. I simply know that his talent was less than average and he skated by on looks and a sort of mediocre charm ,not because he was a superior talent. He got a pass by some because they themselves were gay.That casting couch exists as well. Sleeping your way to the top has never been and never will be a new concept.
That's just your opinion - there are no absolute truths where personal preferences for artistes or artistic works are concerned.
For example, you rated Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy of films and 2001: A Space Odyssey at 4/10, The Dark Knight is 5/10, The Godfather and The Shining are a comparatively generous 6/10. Yet despite such exacting standards, you found it in your heart to suggest a rating of 9/10 for Oh, God!, Ever After: A Cinderella Story and Coneheads.
Some people might find that silly and an opportunity to put someone down. I, on the other hand find it interesting and an example of the diversity of human tastes and shades of opinion.
Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean..neither tarnished nor afraid..
+1. And it's silly to compare actors with completely different styles and different methods. As to Hudson's supposed lack of talent, I suggest viewing Seconds. I thought he was phenomenal and can only imagine the depth of his disappointment when it flopped. Fortunately, enough "cultists" appreciated it to keep the pilot light burning and even though it's too little too late, he's now being given the credit he deserves as the star of a masterpiece of the horror genre.
shareHe was a revelation in Seconds, but I personally prefer his colourful romantic comedies over Seconds or the excellent Sirk films. I would say Come September was probably the most enjoyable.
Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean..neither tarnished nor afraid..
I haven't seen "Seconds" yet, but I'd say when it came to light romantic comedies, Rock Hudson fit the bill quite nicely. He was charming, believable and handsome enough to make any girl fall in love (gay or not - I wasn't around, but I doubt if most audiences back in this time frame had a clue about his preferences). I've seen dramatic performances of his where he could be mistaken for a block of wood, but his three films with Doris Day are each delightful, with a big amount of the credit going to him.
shareWhat an overbearing pratt you are (the OP that is). Clearly, you have the IQ of a box of spanners, too.
shareI couldn't enjoy these movies because, even back then, they were hokey and Rock can't [couldn't] act. It was embarrassing to watch. There was never any chemistry between him and the leading lady.
On the contrary, Doris and Rock had great chemistry! They were the best of friends from the very start of working together.
shareI was just talking about "Lover Come Back" with a friend. Rock was mediocre in most of his dramas, and his drunk scene in "The Tarnished Angels" is a lot worse than mediocre, but he and Doris (and Gina*) (and Paula**) had great chemistry and were obviously having a lot of fun making their comic films. Their fun is infectious, and the movies hold up.
* Come September
** Man's Favorite Sport?
You are entitled to your opinion, I love these fluffy movies.
I am a four eyed evil genius.
Hudson was excellent in "Pillow Talk", "Lover Come Back", and all of the other comedies he made. He had great chemistry with Doris Day.
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