Hollywood icon Rock Hudson, a defining star of the Golden Age, originated from modest beginnings. Born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. on November 17, 1925, he lived with his maternal grandparents in Chicago’s suburbs during his early years. The family’s residence—a cramped one-bedroom bungalow at 719 Center Street—housed six adults and five children sharing a single bathroom.
Rock Hudson’s movie success began with popular movies such as Giant, Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, and All That Heaven Allows. As he became more famous, he started viewing his many mansions as places of escape. “My house is the only place I really have any privacy,” he remarked. “Everything I do outside is observed and discussed, but once I pass through those gates, I can let my guard down.”,
Life at Home
In 1952, Hudson was seen with actor Bob Preble outside their shared Los Angeles home. The two lived together for three years across four different houses, with their final residence on Avenida del Sol having modern glass features and valley views. Preble left when he wed actress Yvonne Rivero.
It was widely rumored that Hudson, who was gay, was dating Preble. Preble confirmed the gossip by stating that he and Hudson “experimented a little…but nothing you would call a definite relationship.” He added, “I suppose he hoped the barriers would come down.”
Hudson wed secretary and interior designer Phyllis Gates in 1955. The pair is shown in their Los Angeles home that year, a two-bedroom ranch at 9151 Warbler Place. The property had a kitchen made of brick and wood, and Hudson furnished the living area with redwood lawn chairs because of financial constraints.
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The marriage is said to have been a sham to hide Hudson’s homosexuality. Gates later insisted their union was real. “I was very much in love,” she declared. “He was charming, his career was booming, he was handsome, six foot six inches tall.” Upon divorcing in 1958, she received $250 weekly for 10 years and received the 9151 Warbler Place house, then worth $35,000.
A New Home
After the divorce, Hudson moved to a coastal home in Malibu that sat on stilts. This was his main home while shooting the 1959 film Pillow Talk, where the ocean would crash beneath the structure. According to Rock Hudson: His Story, he became friends with local actors and stuntmen, including Don Burnett.
In 1961, while filming the romantic comedy Lover Come Back, Universal Studios leased Hudson a nearby residence at 9402 Beverly Crest Drive. The pad belonged to agent and producer Sam Jaffe and featured a red-tile roof, stucco walls, and dark wood beams. The three-and-a-half–acre property was surrounded by cliffs, and Hudson loved the house, wanting to own it.
When Hudson’s contract ended in 1962, Universal used the residence as a deal to keep him with the studio, offering to buy the house if he re-signed. He agreed, and Universal bought the home from Jaffe for $167,000, transferring ownership to Hudson five years later. Hudson then remodeled the house extensively, drawing inspiration from Mexican and Southwestern architecture.
Hudson called the home “The Castle” and decorated it with animal figures, including huge statues of eagles and horses, a lion fountain, and brass elephant heads in the master bedroom. He also placed nude male metal sculptures by Mexican artist Victor Salmones on the grounds.
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Despite claiming to value privacy, Hudson maintained an open-door policy and never locked his doors. Actor George Nader said Hudson wanted visitors and enjoyed the mystery of the unknown. Hudson also loved reading fan mail; his housekeeper Joy noted he would answer the phone or mail “faster than the dogs.”
At The Castle, Hudson inherited Jaffe’s gardener, Clarence Morimoto, and flexed his green thumb. The greenhouse was filled with orchids, tulips, zinnias, and roses, and he even grew limes for frozen daiquiris, mint for mint juleps, and peaches for peach ice cream. Hudson reflected on his hobby, saying, “For real relaxation, there’s nothing like gardening.”
The Castle was Hudson’s home until he died from AIDS-related complications on October 2, 1985. In a photo taken in January of that year, he’s pictured at home, and his memorial service was held there, attended by 300 people, including his Giant co-star Elizabeth Taylor. The same year, the home was appraised at $3 million, and in 1997, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen purchased the home for $9 million.
The property’s value increased significantly over the years, and in 2020, Allen’s estate put the residence on the market for $55.5 million. The home’s history and significance show the importance of Hudson’s legacy, and it remains a beloved and iconic part of Hollywood’s history. At the time of his death, Hudson’s home was a private oasis, filled with his beloved plants and decorations, and it was there that he found solace and peace in his final days, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the comfort of his own private sanctuary, The Castle, which stood on 9402 Beverly Crest Drive.
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