Love Wasn’t Enough—Rock Hudson & Phyllis Gates

A man fleeing from his home and registering at the Beverly Hills Hotel under his real name, Roy Fitzgerald, a woman packing her trunks to leave town—Hollywood was stunned when the marriage of Rock Hudson and his Phyllis took this sudden, tragic turn. They’ve issued no statement. “The matter is between me and Phyllis,” said Rock. “There is no point in talking about it.” But excuses were readily found. When he came back from the rugged location trip to Italy for “A Farewell to Arms,” Rock was twenty pounds underweight and on the verge of nervous collapse.

Phyllis had just recovered from a serious illness. And, instead of taking a needed rest, Rock immediately left to make “Twilight of the Gods” in Hawaii, and Phyllis went with him. It was there they decided that separation was the only answer. But it was the answer to a problem that went much deeper than physical ills, that existed long before Rock went overseas. A problem caused by the very thing that made everyone think they were ideally mated: “They are so much alike.” Rock, despite his success, is very shy and insecure. He needs someone to take a stand in between him and the terrific demands of fame. But Phyllis, equally shy, was not the one, it seems. And love just wasn’t enough.

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 1958