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