George Nader & Mark Miller

George Nader (October 19, 1921, Pasadena, California – February 4, 2002, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American film and television actor of Lebanese descent. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 through 1974, including Phone Call from a Stranger (1952), Congo Crossing (1956), and The Female Animal (1957). During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several series, including the unique NBC adventure offering, The Man and the Challenge (1959–60). However, his best-remembered role may have been as "Roy", the hero who saves the world from the clutches of "Ro-man" in the low-budget 3-D sci-fi romp Robot Monster (1953).

Born in Pasadena, California, Nader began his film career in 1950, after having earned his bachelor of arts in theatre arts at Occidental College. Nader appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. That work led to a number of bit parts in 1951 and '52. His big break was his first starring role, which came in Robot Monster (1953), a 3-D feature film directed by Phil Tucker. This role and his rugged good looks won him a Universal Studios contract in the 1950s, and he made a number of films for Universal. In 1955, he won a Golden Globe Award for "Most Promising Newcomer."

Despite this accolade, Nader often found himself struggling in the shadow of more famous leading men, such as Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, and Jeff Chandler. His films of that period included 1954's Carnival Story and Sins of Jezebel and 1956's Away All Boats. He also was Esther Williams' leading man in her first straight dramatic film, The Unguarded Moment, released by Universal in 1956. He moved into television in the late 1950s, appearing in several short-lived series including The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen and The Man and the Challenge. In the 1961-1962 season, he appeared as insurance investigator Joe Shannon in the syndicated crime drama Shannon; his co-star was Regis Toomey. Nader also appeared frequently on The Loretta Young Show, a dramatic anthology series on NBC.


George Nader & Mark Miller, with friend Rock Hudson are buried together at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Cathedral City)

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nader

I stumbled across Chrome by George Nader, a classic of gay SF, in the front bookrack of the local bookshop in my little hometown during my college days. It was pretty obviously a gay book but it wasn't relegated to a back rack, special section (gay lit sections didn't exist in those days in the wilds of northern Maine) or worse yet banned. There it was, in plain sight, just waiting for me to discover the weird and sexy story of Chrome and his liege, Lord Vortex. Not exactly the Persian Boy, but there was definitely a taboo power dynamic going on. It's been years since I read it, but as I recall, something was wrong with Vortex's arms, which were encased in tubes for healing, so Chrome had to help him with lots of things. Romance ensued. --Lynn Flewelling

Chrome is a science fiction novel published by Putman in 1978. The writer’s only book, I had once owned a paperback reprint. Drawn by the strangely martial and homoerotic cover art, I had purchased it while closeted in graduate school, read a few pages and blanched, as if it was going to dye my bookshelf radioactive pink and alert my stoner friends that I was indeed a fag. (...) Chrome was the first science fiction book to feature gay characters, written by a gay author and published by a major publisher, in hardback, and yet it is largely forgotten. Plotting and character issues aside, this book is a pioneer text. --Tom Cardamone

Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985), was an American film and television actor. Though widely known as a leading man in the 1950s & 60s (often starring in romantic comedies opposite Doris Day), Hudson is also recognized for dramatic roles in films such as Giant and Magnificent Obsession. In later years, Hudson found success in television, starring in the popular mystery series McMillan & Wife & landing a recurring role on the prime time soap opera Dynasty.

Hudson was voted "Star of the Year", "Favorite Leading Man", and similar titles by numerous movie magazines. The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall actor was one of the most popular and well-known movie stars of the time. He completed nearly 70 motion pictures and starred in several television productions during a career that spanned over four decades.

Hudson died in 1985, being the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.

While Hudson's career was developing, he and his agent Henry Willson kept his personal life out of the headlines. In 1955, Confidential magazine threatened to publish an exposé about Hudson's secret homosexual life. Willson forestalled this by disclosing information about two of his other clients. According to some colleagues, Hudson's homosexuality was well known in Hollywood throughout his career; former costars Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Saint James claimed they knew of his homosexual activity, as did both Doris Day and Carol Burnett.


Rock Hudson with George Nader

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Hudson

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
Amazon: Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher