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Marilu Henner / production still from James Bridges' Perfect (1985)

#Marilu Henner #Perfect #James Bridges #1985 #film #1980s

With the new Superman movie opening, I thought I’d repost Superman’s Gay Pal - Jack Larson, the original TV Jimmy Olson.

Jack Larson started his career in Hollywood with a role in “Fighter Squadron” (1948), which also was Rock Hudson’s first film (in an uncredited role). After appearing in a few B movies, he was cast as Jimmy Olsen, a cub reporter, on “Adventures of Superman” in 1951. Larson as Jimmy has been described as young, handsome, boyishly, peppily sexy! I agree.

The Superman series was syndicated and didn’t have the big money backing of a major network, so budgets were small, and the characters rarely wore different clothes so that shots could be used interchangeably in multiple episodes.

After the series ended, Larson was frustrated that he had become typecast as the naive Olsen.

“Everywhere I went, it was, ‘Jimmy! Jimmy! Hey, Jimmy, where’s Superman?’ Suddenly, I couldn’t take the bus or the subway anymore. It absolutely freaked me out.”

In later years, he embraced the role and the fans who avidly watched the show. He attended conventions (often with Noel Neill, who plays Lois Lane on the series, and both appeared in other Superman projects: the 1992 syndicated Superboy series and Lois & Clark on ABC in 1996).

When asked about being gay in 1950s Hollywood, he said:

“We never made a fuss about being gay, but we never hid anything. Maybe I was naive, but I never felt oppressed."

In 1953, while scenes for “ From Here to Eternity” were being filmed in Hollywood, Jack Larson met Montgomery Clift. Larson later reminisced about how Clift kissed him on the mouth the first time they met.

Contrary to popular opinion, Larson felt that Clift was not worried or depressed about being gay. Larson and Clift were lovers and then close friends. In 1958, when Larson feared being typecast as Jimmy, it was Clift who advised him to move on and find new creative outlets.

Larson did as Clift suggested; he went on to write scripts and librettos for operas. When he was commissioned by composer Virgil Thomson to write the libretto for his opera “Lord Byron”, it was Larson’s proudest achievement.

One unexpected friendship of Larson was with novelist and essayist Gore Vidal. They met at a party in 1954. Vidal’s date was a slim sailor who sat on Vidal’s lap during the party of the evening. Larson and Vidal continued their friendship for years. Vidal even attended the premiere of “Lord Byron” in 1972. Larson remembered that Vidal was the first person to run out of intermission and whisper, “So far, so good,” he said.

Larson was also close friends with writer Christopher Isherwood and visited him often at his home, as Isherwood was dying of prostate cancer.

“He didn’t want to be in the hospital. It was a long and very painful death, but that’s the way Christopher wanted it, without morphine.”

But Larson’s “longtime companion” was James Bridges, the Oscar-nominated writer-director. They met in 1958. Bridges directed a number of plays written by Larson before moving on to directing films. In turn, Larson worked behind the scenes on all of Bridges, and is listed as a producer for four of them.

Bridges is best know for such popular films as “The Paper Chase” (1973), “China Syndrome” (1979), and “Urban Cowboy” (1980).

Larson and Bridges were also friends with British painter David Hockney. Here are drawing of “Jack and Jim” from 1967.

Larson and Bridges lived in Los Angeles in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939. Bridges died in 1993. They were together 35 years.

Larson continued to act in occasion roles on TV. He also has a supporting role in “Superman Returns” (2006).

Larson died peacefully of natural causes at his home in 2015.

You can read my posts about Montgomery Clift, Christopher Isherwood, and Gore Vidal at these links:

MONTGOMERY CLIFT

💬 0 🔁 10 ❤️ 34 · Montgomery Clift helped redefine masculinity in the movies of the 1950s. Rather than portray macho men like John Wayne, C

CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD

💬 2 🔁 37 ❤️ 89 · Christopher Isherwood was the English author who created Sally Bowles... more accurately he created the fictional version

GORE VIDAL

💬 0 🔁 19 ❤️ 48 · Gore Vidal was an writer, a political pundit and one of the most polarizing figures of the 20th Century. He was also a se

#gay icons #Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen #Jack Larson #gay actor #george reeves #Montgomery Clift #David Hockney #James bridges #long time companion #Brandon Routh