The Many Faces of Men: Male Icons in 1950s America

The 1950s brought in a change of how men were viewed. This was especially the case with the role of fathers during this time. Until the 1950s and melodramas, the men who dominated film were the ‘manly men’, those that were slightly crazy, or the single bachelors with multiple women. However, by the time the melodrama came to the screen, men were taking on a new role in The United States. They were becoming true fathers with a ‘softer side’. They were known to help around the house, aid in raising children and even bring home an income. At the same time, due to the opening of sexuality the image of sex symbols arose encompassing anyone of large fame at the time. They are what are now seen as normal traits, but in the fifties this was a new phenomenon; one that lasted and that created the image of ‘boy next door’ and ‘super dad’ as well as creating a new kind of sex symbol from these two images.

The ‘boy next door’ image was one that was brought on by Rock Hudson in the 50s. Average, stable, and kind were just some of the traits that gained importance. They were qualities that seemed to be exactly what the people of the time were looking for in a screen hero and when comparing an actor such as Rock Hudson to other great names of the time such as James Dean and Marlon Brando, one can see where the appeal for this particular image derived from. Dean and Brando were known for being on the wild side, they lived the life of fast cars, women, and an abundance of alcohol with the occasional fight. They were what men wanted to be- tough- but would never. Hudson on the other hand was quiet, tried to live his life as far away from the media, drank moderately, and dated, eventually marrying. He was what most women at the time were looking for, and what men could possibly be. This was the image that changed men. They could be softer and more grown up. Such is the case in the Douglas Sirk films Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows. The role of Rock Hudson usually followed these lines and portrayed precisely these types of men. In the first of the two films he makes the transition from ‘bad boy’ to ‘Boy Next Door’ by adopting a new method of living and thinking, and in the second he plays a man who has no need of fanciful pursuits and no time for people who are other but themselves. He lives a simple life and is happy with what he has and whom he knows.

The second image that the 1950s created was that of the father. As mentioned, previously father roles was that of money-maker, however, in the 50s there was a shift in this respect as fathers started taking on a more active role within the house by helping with the children and household work. There was an increase for example, in how many men knew how to change diapers, or knew of pregnancy stages. These men were the grown up versions of the ‘Boy Next Door.’ They were trustworthy, good husbands and fathers who were to be found in the home, not only in bars or at work. They went to their son’s football game, and managed to work at the same time in order to keep food on the table and electricity in the house. Rock Hudson was the icon of this type of man as well. Hudson dated in the beginning of his carrier, but unlike Dean or Brando kept his dating habits quiet, and eventually settled down with Phyllis Gates in 1955.[1] For the three years he was married, Hudson was seen as the perfect husband. This was most likely brought on by his pre-marital image, and his movie roles. Funny enough, though, in both Magnificent Obsession and All that Heaven Allows the father figure is missing. In both cases we get the impression that the father possessed all the qualities that were being searched for in men, however, through death did not appear in the story. Also, though, not a melodrama, his role in Lover Come Back (1961) contains a perfect example of the father role. After a drunken night where Jerry Webster (Rock Hudson) and Carol Templeton (Dorris Day) accidentally get married and consummate their marriage, they manage to get an annulment and Webster moves across the United States in order to give Templeton space. Templeton meanwhile, is pregnant but does not enlighten Webster and when she goes into labour Webster is told. The impression the audience receives when Webster arrives at the hospital to witness the birth and confront his ex-wife is that he is a man who feels as thought he has missed something crucial in the previous months. It is as if he has been hoping or rather dreaming of starting a family and was forced to miss out on it. The desire of having a family drew many men at the time and resulted in America’s post- World War II baby boom.[2]

The ‘boy next door’ and ‘super dad’ became a new type of sex symbol towards the end of the 50s. Rock Hudson’s movies allowed for previously not noticed men to feel like heroes. They could star in movies; be cowboys, gardeners, stupid multimillionaires, run corporate companies; and win over the beautiful woman with which to start a family. The viewer sees a woman like Joyce Philips, who married an outstanding doctor well loved in the community and yet she finds it in her heart to forgive and fall in love with Bob Merrick. All of a sudden there is a realisation that if she can forgive a man for his faults and fall in love with him for his new found strengths he must really be a good guy. Just like in the early 90s the person with glasses was the geek, before the 50s dangerous men were attractive. This was the image that launched both Marlon Brando’s and James Dean’s carriers. With Rock Hudson’s carrier though, it was the industries way of showing that being normal and stable was the appropriate and attractive thing to do. Slowly the dangerous look began to fade and more ‘boy next door’ figures began making an appearance and Rock Hudson was inducted one of the first men to match the description for this particular sex symbol.

Rock Hudson was beyond a doubt one of the strongest icons of men in the fifties. He brought to the movies a wholesomeness that was previously missed and gave men a new idol to strive to be- could be. It became cool to be good and appealing to be kind and just. This was just the beginning of the chain reaction, though, paving the way for the coming out of homosexuals almost thirty years later. Once again Rock Hudson was a strong member in this movement, not only coming out and telling people that he was a homosexual, but also began the awareness movement connected to AIDS. In a time where social and medial change was inevitable, Rock Hudson and his peers helped shape men in society into beings that can be considered small personal heroes: Fathers and Husbands. Also, with the Post World War II baby boom underway, and a steady increase in the amount of children born in the subsequent years the ‘super-dad’ role continued to thrive and more men committed to family life. The trend still seems to be changing as the notion of stay-at-home-dad can from time to time be seen in some current families. This trend is obviously partially a result of what was sent in motion in the 1950s and will continue to change over the course of time.


[1] Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boom, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-WW2_baby_boom

50 questions

1. Should boxing be banned?
No. Why?

2. Should the driving age be raised to 18?
Yes. At 16 You're not even an adult, and considered responsible, so why should you be
able to endanger the lives of others?

3. Should semi-automatic weapons be banned?
Yes, to the public.

4. Should teens who murder be executed?
No one should be executed.

5. Should hunting be outlawed?
It should be regulated in each individual area.

6. Should recycling be mandatory?
Manditory? No. Requested? Yes.

7. Should schools require student uniforms?
Absolutely. It's easier for the students and better for the administration. Students can
be intellectually different, they don't need to have different clothes to show how they
differ.

8. Should college athletes be paid?
No. It's EXTRA-curricular. They don't have to do it. Education comes first.

9. Should condoms be available in high school?
Yes. For the safety of their students. They're going to do it anyway, so promote saftey!

10. Should the death penalty be abolished?
Yes.

11. Should handguns be banned?
To civilians.

12. Should assisted suicide be permitted?
Yes, but under the strictest guidelines.

13. Should legal immigration be stopped?
You could try...

14. Should dying people be kept on life support?
It should be decided by the family and doctors.

15. Should tobacco products be banned?
You could try that too... All I'm saying is Contraband.

16. Should the logging industry be allowed to harvest public forests?
Absolutely not. They should grow their own.

17. Should state lotteries be banned?
No. Why?

18. Should alcoholic beverages be banned?
Can you say the C-word

19. Should alcoholic beverages be legalized for all ages?
For all ages no, but there should be a difference in age when it comes to hard and soft liquer

20. Should the Internet be censored?
not unless there isn't freedom of speech.

21. Should school prayer be allowed?
Yes, but students shouldn't be forced to participate.

22. Should music lyrics be censored?
Freedom of speech.

23. Should extremist groups (i.e. KKK, skinheads)be banned?
Freedom of speech, but they should be monitered closely.

24. Should parents of teen vandals be held responsible for their child's damage?
It depends on the age of the teens and the damage.

25. Should research on cloning be discontinued?
No, but there should be strict oversight.

26. Should convicted sex offenders' names be made public?
Absolutely not. They have a right to live in peace like anyone else. Unless they do something else illigal

27. Should affirmative action laws which give special privileges to minorities be eliminated?
Yes. I think that to be united, people must get through it together and with the same leverage. Segregation helps no one.

28. Should a rookie salary cap be enforced in pro sports?
All sports players should have capped salaries.

29. Should the U.S. provide foreign aid?
It's the responsibility of all nations to can help to help.

30. Should females in the military be excluded from combat and other "hazardous" duties?
Why? Are women worth more than men? They're still sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, wives and husbands.

31. Should high schools be segregated by the sex of the student?
To what end?

32. Should parents of students who are excessively absent from school be prosecuted under the law?
Isnt' failing enough of a punishment?

33. Should "home schooling" be permitted?
Why not. If parents think they can do better let them. However, parents should be advised against it. They miss out on the eperiences and I can't imagine it being anything but lonely.

34. Should Native Americans be allowed to have gambling casinos on their reservations?
yes. Should they fall into the trap laid against them and get stuck in the ruck? No.

35. Should students failing their classes in high school have their driver's license revoked?
No, a lot of students would have no way to get to school then. How would that help?

36. Should pros be allowed to draft college athletes before they graduate?
No. It doesn't force them to finish their education, which they should.

37. Should wolves be reintroduced to public lands?
Is that safe?

38. Should free, disposable needles be given to drug addicts?
yes. Rather that than HIV.

39. Should marijuana be legalized?
No. People mistake it for being legalized in The Netherlands. It isn't legal. There are just no laws saying that it can't be used.

40. Should adopted children be given the choice of contacting their biological parents?
absolutely. Roots are important. They mold people. Also it's important to know any medical problems that could occur.

41. Should mothers who give their children up for adoption be allowed to keep their identity secret?
If they so desire.

42. Should welfare be limited by time?
No. But people should be actively searching. If they aren't

43. Should all pregnant women be required to take an AIDS test?
Not unless the doctor think's it's neccessary

44. Should off-shore drilling be banned?
It's bad for the environment, but there's supply and demand, and considering that we're running low on everything. Until we find alternate things to use, I suppose we're going to have to keep drilling.

45. Should school funding come from local property taxes?
Property taxes? Well, not at the moment, with this economy.

46. Should casino gambling be legalized in Ohio?
I'm not sure why it was banned in the first place.

47. Should the U.S. phase out the Electoral College (regarding presidential elections)?
Yes, though I'm not sure that's possible anymore.

48. Should abortion be legal?
Yes.

49. Should universities limit the number of years a student has to finish his/her study?
No. One should be able to learn as long as you want.

50. Should families of victims be allowed to decide the punishment of those who commit crimes?
Absolutely not. How could they be clearheaded enough to make an informed decision.