THIS revealing biography of film star Rock Hudson, who died very publicly of Aids in 1985 when he was 59, focuses heavily on his promiscuous gay private life.

It says a lot for the efficiency of the old Hollywood studios' publicity machines that this was kept secret from his millions of adoring female fans, until his final illness made further concealment impossible.

The handsome and gentle giant, who became known as the Baron of Beefcake, was born Roy Scherer in Chicago in 1925. He came from a broken home where money was short and he always wanted to be an actor.

This dream was resolutely pursued after he had served as an aircraft mechanic in the Second World War. Back in Los Angeles, where he was briefly a truck driver, he got his first film work through an older lover with showbusiness connections.

At first, Hudson's thespian skills were non-existent but his striking good looks were a great asset. He toiled diligently with his voice and drama coaches until he became a fairly competent actor, but never a critics' darling.

Within a few years, he had achieved phenomenal success, with hits such as Magnificent Obsession in 1954, Giant in 1956, and Pillow Talk in 1959.

Hudson's sex life was remarkably reckless, considering how concerned he always was to keep his private life concealed from the public. Possibly for the sake of his image he did marry briefly, but unsurprisingly this ended in divorce.

The star comes across as a nice, unpretentious guy, who was liked by almost all who knew him.

It is a shame that his last months were blighted by a media circus generated by his illness, and the cruel lack of sympathy shown to him in many quarters, at a time when Aids was not yet fully understood.

Rock Hudson by David Bret, (Robson Books, £16.95).