Golden Age icons: The secret LGBTQ+ lives of old Hollywood stars

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, no one defined masculinity on screen like Rock Hudson. Starring opposite talent like Doris Day, he played leading man in '50s classics like Pillow Talk, All That Heaven Allows and Lover Come Back. 

While his carefully managed image included an arranged marriage to his agent's secretary, Rock's sexuality was an 'open secret' in Hollywood. When his AIDS diagnosis became public knowledge just before he passed in 1985, it shifted global awareness and research funding was significantly boosted. 

Before the likes of Julia Roberts and Diane Keaton pushed typically masculine tailoring onto everyone's wishlist, Marlene Dietrich was donning tuxedos and blurring the lines between fashion's binary code.

The actress had relationships with men and women throughout her life and was openly bisexual. She was rumoured to be dating writers, socialites and actresses, including Edith Piaf and Mercedes de Acosta.

Star of The Godfather, A Streetcar Named Desire and Apocalypse Now, Marlon Brando had an impressive standing of star power in Hollywood. He was also one of only a few Golden Age A-listers to discuss his identity later in his life.

During a 1976 interview, he explained, "Like a large number of men, I, too, have had homosexual experiences and I am not ashamed". He was married three times during his life and had relationships with both men and women. 

Greta Garbo is one of the most recognisable names from Hollywood's Golden Age, but for all her fame, the actress kept her private life fiercely protected from public attention.

She never married but letters published following her death suggest romantic, exceptionally close relationships with women like writer Mercedes de Acosta. 

Golden Age actress Alla Nazimova was born in Russia and became one of the silent era's best-loved stars, ruling the screen in Salomé, Camille and War Brides.

In her private life, Alla was a renowned host, providing decadent parties from her estate, the Garden of Allah. Her so-called 'sewing circle' reportedly referred to her social circle of bisexual and lesbian acting talent, leading to her title as "the founding mother of Sapphic Hollywood".

While many actors hid their private lives from scrutiny, William Haines refused to do so. One of MGM's most famous silent stars, William chose his partner Jimmie Shields over a career and quit acting in 1935.

He went on to become an A-list interior designer, working for the likes of Joan Crawford and Gloria Swanson.

Tallulah Bankhead ruled the screen in the '30s and '40s with hits like Lifeboat, Devil and the Deep, Faithless and A Royal Scandal. 

The actress was also renowned as an outspoken A-lister, defying pressures to keep quiet, prompting scandal with her heavy drinking, love of a party and openness about her relationships with men and women.

North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief star Cary Grant was one of the Golden Age's biggest stars, and certainly its most charming force on screen. We will never know for certain whether Cary was bisexual, but the nature of his relationship with Randolph Scott, the pair enjoyed a close relationship that has long been the subject of scrutiny. 

Neither Cary nor Randolph Scott publicly defined the nature of their relationship, but the pair lived together for years at the so-called 'Bachelor Hall', interviewed and were often photographed together, leading many to conclude they were more than friends.

Montgomery Clift's star power in the Hollywood Golden Age was almost unrivalled, earning four Oscar nominations total for projects including A Place in the Sun and From Here to Eternity. 

While he was a blinding star on screen, Montgomery remained quiet about his private life. It was only after the actor passed that his friends revealed the actor had struggled living with his sexuality a secret, reportedly dating both men and women away from the public eye.