Reviewer: Alan Chin
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Pages: 420
Sal Mineo was raised in a family who struggled to make ends
meet. His father owned a casket factory in the Bronx, and his mother managed
Sal’s early television and stage career. Sal appeared in a number of TV spots
and big stage productions, including The King and I, staring Yul Brynner,
before becoming one of the hottest teen stars of the fifties. His role opposite
James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause made Sal into a teenaged heartthrob. Other
notable movie roles were in Giant, The Gene Krupa Story, and Exodus. While
still a teen, Sal was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Supporting
Actor (Rebel and Exodus).
In Rebel, Sal’s character, Plato, was the first gay
character to ever be shown in a Hollywood film. Many young gay guys, myself
included, didn’t even understand what the movie was trying to show with that
role, but we connected with it in ways no other movie role had ever done. And of course, we fell in love with Sal. It
made Sal a national sensation.
But when Sal grew into his twenties, and was no longer
suitable for teen roles, his career began a long, downhill slide. Many other
child stars have had difficulty making the transition to adult roles, but Sal
had two other career setbacks to overcome: 1) his mother, as manager, had spent
all his money supporting his family, leaving him virtually penniless; 2) He was gay, and rumors of his private
affairs began circulating around Hollywood and Broadway, and that was the kiss
of death for this remarkably talented actor.
Michaud does an excellent job of presenting Sal Mineo’s rise
to stardom, his mother’s mismanagement of his career, and the wild life he
unsuccessfully tried to keep under wraps. The book is extremely well written
and paced, while still managing to include a great deal of detail of the actors
life and untimely death.
The book goes into excellent detail regarding Sal’s movies
and the major television roles, as well as Sal’s failed attempts at
producing/directing. It also gives the dirt on Sal’s private life, with accounts
from several of his ex-lovers.
Movie buffs will certainly enjoy this meticulous look into
Sal Mineo’s highs and lows, his dreams and ghosts, but this book can be enjoyed
by everyone, because it is not merely a presentation of Sal’s life, but also a
peek into that elusive thing we call The Entertainment Business. I thought it was brilliant, with something noteworthy
on every page.
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