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Sal Mineo: A Biography
Sal Mineo is probably most well-known for his unforgettable, Academy Award–nominated turn opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and his tragic murder at the age of thirty-seven. Finally, in this riveting new biography filled with exclusive, candid interviews with both Mineo’s closest female and male lovers and never-before-published photographs, Michael Gregg Michaud tells the full story of this remarkable young actor’s life, charting his meteoric rise to fame and turbulent career and private life.
One of the hottest stars of the 1950s, Mineo grew up as the son of Sicilian immigrants in a humble Bronx flat. But by age eleven, he appeared on Broadway in Tennessee Williams’s The Rose Tattoo, and then as Prince Chulalongkorn in the original Broadway production of The King and I starring Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence. This sultry-eyed, dark-haired male ingénue of sorts appeared on the cover of every major magazine, thousands of star-struck fans attended his premieres, and millions bought his records, which included several top-ten hits.
His life offstage was just as exhilarating: full of sports cars, motor boats, famous friends, and some of the most beautiful young actresses in Hollywood. But it was fourteen-year-old Jill Haworth, his costar in Exodus—the film that delivered one of the greatest acting roles of his life and earned him another Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win—with whom he fell in love and moved to the West Coast. But by the 1960s, a series of professional missteps and an increasingly tumultuous private life reversed his fortunes.
By the late sixties and early seventies, grappling with the repercussions of publicly admitting his homosexuality and struggling to reinvent himself from an aging teen idol, Mineo turned toward increasingly self-destructive behavior. Yet his creative impulses never foundered. He began directing and producing controversial off-Broadway plays that explored social and sexual taboos. He also found personal happiness in a relationship with male actor Courtney Burr. Tragically, on the cusp of turning a new page in his life, Mineo’s life was cut short in a botched robbery.
Revealing a charming, mischievous, creative, and often scandalous side of Mineo few have known before now, Sal Mineo is an intimate, moving biography of a distinctive Hollywood star.
One of the hottest stars of the 1950s, Mineo grew up as the son of Sicilian immigrants in a humble Bronx flat. But by age eleven, he appeared on Broadway in Tennessee Williams’s The Rose Tattoo, and then as Prince Chulalongkorn in the original Broadway production of The King and I starring Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence. This sultry-eyed, dark-haired male ingénue of sorts appeared on the cover of every major magazine, thousands of star-struck fans attended his premieres, and millions bought his records, which included several top-ten hits.
His life offstage was just as exhilarating: full of sports cars, motor boats, famous friends, and some of the most beautiful young actresses in Hollywood. But it was fourteen-year-old Jill Haworth, his costar in Exodus—the film that delivered one of the greatest acting roles of his life and earned him another Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win—with whom he fell in love and moved to the West Coast. But by the 1960s, a series of professional missteps and an increasingly tumultuous private life reversed his fortunes.
By the late sixties and early seventies, grappling with the repercussions of publicly admitting his homosexuality and struggling to reinvent himself from an aging teen idol, Mineo turned toward increasingly self-destructive behavior. Yet his creative impulses never foundered. He began directing and producing controversial off-Broadway plays that explored social and sexual taboos. He also found personal happiness in a relationship with male actor Courtney Burr. Tragically, on the cusp of turning a new page in his life, Mineo’s life was cut short in a botched robbery.
Revealing a charming, mischievous, creative, and often scandalous side of Mineo few have known before now, Sal Mineo is an intimate, moving biography of a distinctive Hollywood star.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
May 14, 2019
Sal Mineo achieved a measure of stardom portraying sensitive teenager 'Plato' Crawford in the seminal 50's flick Rebel Without a Cause, which starred James Dean and Natalie Wood. The role snagged him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and from there his career went . . . sideways?
Michaud's bio on Mineo details the actor's upbringing in a working-class New York City family, the early success as a teen star in a spate of delinquent- and/or music-oriented movies in the late 50's, and finally a breakthrough as an adult with another Best Supporting nod for his work in Exodus.
However, from there Mineo's career (and this book) sort of went on life support. He found difficulty maintaining his status as an A-list actor, usually did not handle / manage his money very well, and had a reckless bisexual love life throughout the 1960's. Only in the early 70's did his life start rebounding - he headlined in some well-received plays, guest-starred as a 'villain of the week' on a number of popular TV crime dramas (Hawaii Five-O, S.W.A.T., Columbo, etc.), and found a good and steady boyfriend in stage actor Courtney Burr. But it all came to a shocking end when Mineo was senselessly and brutally murdered in a robbery gone wrong outside his L.A. apartment in early 1976.
Michaud's book was interesting and sometimes overly detailed in certain areas but yet still lacked a certain pizzazz in the narrative to make it truly compelling reading. (Many of Mineo's co-stars or contemporaries have already passed on, so they can't be counted on for anecdotes. But that's not his or their fault.) It was a good-if-standard Hollywood 'rags-to-riches-to almost rags again' bio, though the final chapter ends abruptly and sort of awkwardly, as if the author just ran out of ideas.
Michaud's bio on Mineo details the actor's upbringing in a working-class New York City family, the early success as a teen star in a spate of delinquent- and/or music-oriented movies in the late 50's, and finally a breakthrough as an adult with another Best Supporting nod for his work in Exodus.
However, from there Mineo's career (and this book) sort of went on life support. He found difficulty maintaining his status as an A-list actor, usually did not handle / manage his money very well, and had a reckless bisexual love life throughout the 1960's. Only in the early 70's did his life start rebounding - he headlined in some well-received plays, guest-starred as a 'villain of the week' on a number of popular TV crime dramas (Hawaii Five-O, S.W.A.T., Columbo, etc.), and found a good and steady boyfriend in stage actor Courtney Burr. But it all came to a shocking end when Mineo was senselessly and brutally murdered in a robbery gone wrong outside his L.A. apartment in early 1976.
Michaud's book was interesting and sometimes overly detailed in certain areas but yet still lacked a certain pizzazz in the narrative to make it truly compelling reading. (Many of Mineo's co-stars or contemporaries have already passed on, so they can't be counted on for anecdotes. But that's not his or their fault.) It was a good-if-standard Hollywood 'rags-to-riches-to almost rags again' bio, though the final chapter ends abruptly and sort of awkwardly, as if the author just ran out of ideas.
June 7, 2018
Very good book. It follows Sal Mineo’s career and life from the late 40’s when he was a child in Bronx and started acting to when he was in his 20’s having difficoulty getting roles to the end of his life, when profesionally things got better.
I like that the author talked to the loves of his life.
The one thing I did not like was the way the author portraided his family. The mother was portraided as a stage mother and greedy, so does the siblings. I think there is a difference between being a stage parent and a parent who encourage an interest in theatre If a child is already interested in it. And pherhaps Sal Mineo should have let professional managers taking car of his earnings. But I do not think Mrs Moneo wanted to profit from it.
Often When it has been written about Sal Mineo’s life it has been focused whether he was gay or bisexual or the murder. This book is focused of all his life.
As to Rebel without a cause, I think there was a romantic crush, since the character Plato was started of love and attention not so much about being gay. That is MY opnion.
I like that the author talked to the loves of his life.
The one thing I did not like was the way the author portraided his family. The mother was portraided as a stage mother and greedy, so does the siblings. I think there is a difference between being a stage parent and a parent who encourage an interest in theatre If a child is already interested in it. And pherhaps Sal Mineo should have let professional managers taking car of his earnings. But I do not think Mrs Moneo wanted to profit from it.
Often When it has been written about Sal Mineo’s life it has been focused whether he was gay or bisexual or the murder. This book is focused of all his life.
As to Rebel without a cause, I think there was a romantic crush, since the character Plato was started of love and attention not so much about being gay. That is MY opnion.
November 8, 2017
Excelente biografia de uma personagem mítica do cinema de Hollywood. Com apenas 16 anos, Sal Mineo protagonizou Rebel Without a Cause, ao lado de James Dean e Natalie Wood. O resto da sua vida (apesar de ter falecido ainda jovem, com apenas 37 anos), Sal passou-a a tentar provar a sua validade e compromisso enquanto verdadeiro actor, ao mesmo tempo que a liberdade que o esquecimento lhe proporcionava, lhe permitia ir explorando os lados mais interditos da sua personalidade.
Muito bem pesquisada, esta biografia pretende ser a definitiva abordagem (quase "anatómica") à pessoa, ao actor, à estrela, e a tudo o mais que coube na curta mas riquíssima vida de Sal Mineo.
Muito bem pesquisada, esta biografia pretende ser a definitiva abordagem (quase "anatómica") à pessoa, ao actor, à estrela, e a tudo o mais que coube na curta mas riquíssima vida de Sal Mineo.
July 2, 2018
Highly interesting read. I love biographies, especially ones on people that I find fascinating for one reason or another. I've been a Sal Mineo fan for many years, but have never found much information on him or his career. This book is it. Michaud has done a phenomenal job at researching his work here. As for the book itself, this is the story of an extremely talented, but very complex individual.
Mineo's talents came to light in his childhood years and he (with the urging of his mother) embarked on what would become a very successful career on stage and screen. But unfortunately, he lacked the proper guidance and ability to transform to a successful adult career. He fell victim to people that, for lack of a better description, used and abused their authority over his career and he ended up for the better part of his entire life in debt and in a state of personal and emotional conflict. You will witness his family's abuse of his money and fame. Mineo's unbridled urge to spend, without reservation, the riches he briefly gained in his youth. But at the age of 21 and of the frame of mind of being disillusioned with his family's grip on his career, he chose to break from them all and attempt to manage what was left of his success, unfortunately to little avail. Add to all this the fact that as he aged, he became increasingly aware of his sexual identity and his problems grappling with how this was affecting him personally and with his career. Reading this book, you will witness Mineo's passion, his despair, his joys and his very dark side. There are instances that may leave you cringing on how he chose to dominate others for instant gratification. There are a couple of instances in which his conquests were obviously well below the age of consent. Some people may consider Mineo a pedophile by today's standards. This is a very sad story of a very troubled and spent individual who also happened to be one of the greatest talents of our times. It sounds like a book some may find a turn off, but this is a truly riveting story. I found it compelling and heart wrenching. I laughed, I cried, my jaw dropped.
Mineo's talents came to light in his childhood years and he (with the urging of his mother) embarked on what would become a very successful career on stage and screen. But unfortunately, he lacked the proper guidance and ability to transform to a successful adult career. He fell victim to people that, for lack of a better description, used and abused their authority over his career and he ended up for the better part of his entire life in debt and in a state of personal and emotional conflict. You will witness his family's abuse of his money and fame. Mineo's unbridled urge to spend, without reservation, the riches he briefly gained in his youth. But at the age of 21 and of the frame of mind of being disillusioned with his family's grip on his career, he chose to break from them all and attempt to manage what was left of his success, unfortunately to little avail. Add to all this the fact that as he aged, he became increasingly aware of his sexual identity and his problems grappling with how this was affecting him personally and with his career. Reading this book, you will witness Mineo's passion, his despair, his joys and his very dark side. There are instances that may leave you cringing on how he chose to dominate others for instant gratification. There are a couple of instances in which his conquests were obviously well below the age of consent. Some people may consider Mineo a pedophile by today's standards. This is a very sad story of a very troubled and spent individual who also happened to be one of the greatest talents of our times. It sounds like a book some may find a turn off, but this is a truly riveting story. I found it compelling and heart wrenching. I laughed, I cried, my jaw dropped.
July 7, 2017
I knew little of Mineo's life going into this bio, other than the standard info one can track down on Wikipedia or IMDB. The biographer does a poor job of detailing the aspects of a young man who lived by his own rules and could never really shake his "switchblade kid" persona. It was like reading a book report, padded down with unnecessary info that could've been concisely summarized. However, facts of Mineo's life were fascinating and daunting (he was often typecast; plagued by poor financial decisions; and was quite the man-whore), but many of his ideas for films and theater productions were too ahead of his time. Murdered at the age of 37, Sal's performances and carefree disposition are what set him apart from other young actors of his time.
August 5, 2021
Sal Mineo was such an unusual combination of angry young rebel and sensitive artist to become a teenage heartthrob movie idol. His career began on Broadway, playing first as an extra, young boy in Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo and then as Prince Chulalongkorn in The King and I starring Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence. He is probably best known for his iconic role opposite James Dean in the classic film Rebel Without a Cause, for which he was Oscar nominated; but, he was also nominated for his outstanding work in Exodus opposite 16 year old Jill Haworth (the future Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway) and won the Golden Globe for it. He had several top ten hits and had girls screaming and chasing him like all the rock and roll stars of the period. Then he made the tragic mistake of admitting his bisexuality. His career dried up. He went back to his roots, the theatre, and started producing and occasionally directing and/or appearing in controversial plays that explored society sexual and cultural taboos. He starred in the west coast production of P.S.Your Cat is Dead and directed and played Rocky in the controversial prison play Fortune In Men's Eyes He did have a long term relationship, but his life was cut short by a botched robbery.
This book was well researched and there were many interviews with people who both worked with him and were involved with him in personal relationships. It was well written, and stayed fairly true to life events and didn't dwell too heavily on the more sensational and exploitative parts of his life. His interest in the arts and his attempts to live a cultured, artistic and somewhat private life was explored and I found was sympathetic.
I recommend it to anybody who is a fan of Mineo's - especially if you've only read the more lurid accounts of his life (I've read two that were just dreadful). And, if you only know him as Plato in Rebel Without a Cause, this is a very good way to learn more about a young American artist cut down too early in his life.
This book was well researched and there were many interviews with people who both worked with him and were involved with him in personal relationships. It was well written, and stayed fairly true to life events and didn't dwell too heavily on the more sensational and exploitative parts of his life. His interest in the arts and his attempts to live a cultured, artistic and somewhat private life was explored and I found was sympathetic.
I recommend it to anybody who is a fan of Mineo's - especially if you've only read the more lurid accounts of his life (I've read two that were just dreadful). And, if you only know him as Plato in Rebel Without a Cause, this is a very good way to learn more about a young American artist cut down too early in his life.
June 24, 2014
I found that this biography struck a good balance between the professional and personal life of Sal Mineo. I have noticed that other reviewers have mentioned that it would have been more interesting to depict the "daily grind" on the set of his movies, but I feel that would have added very little to the biography as a whole. In fact, I think you can get a good feel for most of his performances by this book.
I found it interesting that Sal Mineo never managed to be financially secure, even when he was at the height of fame. Initially, this was due to the naïveté and / or entitlement of his family. This led to a lack of experience in handling his finances when he became independent. This question comes to mind at various points in the biography, but specifically for me at the end of the novel when his financial vulnerabilities leave him physically unprotected. Would it have been better to spend his days securely behind the walls of a mansion, or would he have maintained a bohemian lifestyle regardless of his finances?
Despite this and other unanswerable questions, the reader is drawn into the experiences of the actor from his discovery on the street with his sister. He matures, battles typecasting, defines his own sexuality, comes to terms with the need to be type-casted and even appears on celebrity game shows when he needs the money. His artistic focus on roles that would still be considered edgy today reflected a natural desire to be on the vanguard. I would say that Sal Mineo was true to the visionary artist, director and producer that he wanted to be. Unfortunately, he was roped in by many other factors.
Even when acting for cash, doing dinner theaters and guest star gigs on TV shows, Sal appears to have been fully dedicated to giving 100% to his craft. Michael Gregg Michaud does an excellent job capturing the times of the actor and the pop culture of the 50s, 60s and 70s. For example, the differences between 1970s Hollywood vs. Broadway are also informative. Sal Mineo found it easier to get work in California while his partner could only find work in NYC. This was partly due to Hollywood's silent disapproval of his relationship with Sal Mineo.
August 13, 2011
*This review is based on a copy of the book I won through Goodreads FirstReads Giveaways.*
Sal Mineo...a name that despite his immense talent is still not as well known as that of his Rebel Without a Cause co-star James Dean. Mineo, like Dean, was taken at a far too young age.
Written with the aid of interviews with those closest to Sal--including former lovers Jill Haworth and Courtney Burr, Jr. and friends like Michael Anderson, Jr., Eric Williams and Perry Lopez--this book gives a pretty complete picture of Mineo's life from his early beginnings, to all the furor around Rebel, to his later life as he struggled to recapture his fleeting fame. And just when it appeared he was on the cusp of a comeback, he was taken away all too soon in a senseless act of violence.
The author does a fine job of showing the rather entangled aspects of Mineo's personal life without the book becoming titillating or salacious. You see a young man struggling with his sexuality in his youth to becoming more comfortable with who he was by the later years of his short life. But what you come away with is that this is a man who despite his talent was insecure (and at times certainly self-destructive), and simply wanted to be loved above all things.
The author also does a fantastic job of telling Mineo's story without inflicting his own feelings into the story. What I mean is, he doesn't whitewash anything, nor does him condemn Mineo for anything. He simply lays it all before the reader allowing them to make up their own minds, and let's face it Mineo was not perfect--none of us are--and he wasn't always kind in everything he did. But you get the sense that he did his best, that he'd do anything for those he loved.
One of the things I found most interesting was the effects of Sal's family--most notably his rather domineering mother--on the rest of his life.
All in all, this is a rather complete look at Sal's life, comprehensive, yet easy to read.
Sal Mineo...a name that despite his immense talent is still not as well known as that of his Rebel Without a Cause co-star James Dean. Mineo, like Dean, was taken at a far too young age.
Written with the aid of interviews with those closest to Sal--including former lovers Jill Haworth and Courtney Burr, Jr. and friends like Michael Anderson, Jr., Eric Williams and Perry Lopez--this book gives a pretty complete picture of Mineo's life from his early beginnings, to all the furor around Rebel, to his later life as he struggled to recapture his fleeting fame. And just when it appeared he was on the cusp of a comeback, he was taken away all too soon in a senseless act of violence.
The author does a fine job of showing the rather entangled aspects of Mineo's personal life without the book becoming titillating or salacious. You see a young man struggling with his sexuality in his youth to becoming more comfortable with who he was by the later years of his short life. But what you come away with is that this is a man who despite his talent was insecure (and at times certainly self-destructive), and simply wanted to be loved above all things.
The author also does a fantastic job of telling Mineo's story without inflicting his own feelings into the story. What I mean is, he doesn't whitewash anything, nor does him condemn Mineo for anything. He simply lays it all before the reader allowing them to make up their own minds, and let's face it Mineo was not perfect--none of us are--and he wasn't always kind in everything he did. But you get the sense that he did his best, that he'd do anything for those he loved.
One of the things I found most interesting was the effects of Sal's family--most notably his rather domineering mother--on the rest of his life.
All in all, this is a rather complete look at Sal's life, comprehensive, yet easy to read.
July 23, 2011
Mineo is a mysterious, complex character, whose short-lived fame, and rather tumultuous life, make for a fascinating subject. As with many movie stars, his life was quite complicated, and often heartbreaking. There is something poignant about this man, born in the Bronx, who became a teen-idol before he was twenty, and ended up a complete has-been (despite his real talent and tenacious will to work and find projects) before he hit thirty. Michaud has certainly done a lot of research, and his biography is filled with facts, dates, events that do give us a an idea of what Mineo's life, in and off the limelights, may have been. His portrayal of the young, beautiful, and charismatic actor tries to be objective, but it is also very sympathetic to him, which is understandable: it's hard not to feel for the star, who fought so hard to prove his talent, and who dared live almost openly a gay life when few people dared do it. Yet, as is the case with many bios, something is missing: Michaud rarely takes a step back to analyze his subject and his trajectory , the movies he's done, the relevance of his career, what his failures say about Hollywood, the ambiguities of his sex life, or how emblematic Mineo is of his times. He sticks by the facts, but doesn't venture away from them in a way that would give scope and depth to his book. Thanks to some in-lentgh interviews he's conducted with some of Mineo's closest friends and lovers, his book remains riveting for anyone interested in movies. But it is frustrating at the same time, and one feels that the mystery of Mineo remains intact.
May 30, 2015
Far too detailed to be compelling or riveting reading. At times, this book reads like a narrativized resume; at other times, a review of Hollywood and Broadway history; at others, a rather dry, mundane retelling of vignettes from Sal's life. Sal's story should be gripping, but this author lacks the discipline to make it so. He also lacks a sense of dramatic structure; the story unfolds like a conglomeration of facts, presented with even importance, without contouring. There is a lot of research here - I'll give it that. But it seems as if the author threw everything in, whether it merited inclusion or not, and often parades these assembled facts rather unartfully. As a fan of Sal's work, I was rather disappointed with this autobiography, and frustrated that this overly cumbersome telling of Sal's story doesn't do justice to what should be a fascinating subject.
September 7, 2023
Reread this book
Read this one when it was first published. Decided to 📚 read it again. Great Detailed biography. I recommend it
Read this one when it was first published. Decided to 📚 read it again. Great Detailed biography. I recommend it
January 31, 2011
4.5 stars (or 8 out of 10).
Today, if you say Rebel Without A Cause, chances are the first name that will cross anyone's lips is James Dean. If you're lucky, one might first say Natalie Wood, but without a doubt, it is Dean that everyone remembers. People tend not to remember Sal Mineo's name. But when you mention the character of Plato, people will generally go "Oh, yeah, that kid. He was great." But no one remembers the actor behind the performance. Hopefully, Michael Gregg Michaud's new biography of Mineo (and James Franco's forthcoming bio-pic based upon it) will rectify that situation and put the spotlight back on an outstanding actor who died just as tragically as Dean and Wood, albeit, long after he had fallen from the spotlight.
Now, far from perfect, Michaud's book is a first and foremost a loving tribute to Mineo, an amazing actor who was twice nominated for an Academy Award (Rebel Without a Cause and Exodus). Relying on vintage interviews, letters, and news reports, Michaud builds Mineo's early life, depicting a driven young kid from the Bronx who one day discovers acting. Michaud paints out the dynamics of Mineo's family life before his ascent to fame resulting in an almost stereotypical New York-Italian family: tight-knit, loving, poor. But as Mineo begins to experience some success on the stage (and later television), the book focuses primarily of Sal's relationship with his mother: of her initial protectiveness of Sal and his career, to her misguided attempt to make certain that Sal felt no more special than her other kids by spending Sal's money on them as well. It's an interesting dynamic and I have to give Michaud props for doing it well. As the book continues into "Mineo Mania" (after Rebel, fan reaction to Mineo was on a par with the later Beatles phenom), we slowly and subtly see the relationship morph into one which will clearly influence Sal's almost desperate need for control later in life. It would have been easy to paint Mrs. Mineo as a villain, a harpy stage mother who took advantage of her son's fame and finances. But Michaud doesn't do that. He doesn't paint her black or white. He lets her develop.
With so much attention paid to Mrs. Mineo, the rest of Sal's family takes a major backseat. Although Michaud tells us how important Sal's father was to him, Mr. Mineo is hardly present in the book...almost a non-character; so it is really difficult to see how Sal's devotion and near reverence of him takes root. Other than occasional references to his brothers Mike (who gets the most attention) and Vic (who gets almost none) and sister, his siblings are likewise non-existent. The world of early Sal is clearly Sal and his mother. Now, whether this was a choice Michaud made to help explain Sal's later life or whether he simply didn't have the material available to flesh out the rest of the family is not clear and--in my opinion--a flaw.
Now, one of the earliest criticisms I saw of this book was that the time spent on Sal's relationship with James Dean and the filming of Rebel is a relatively small part of the book. And this is true. Those going into this book expecting salacious details of that time or some implication that Dean and Mineo were lovers will be greatly disheartened. Yes, the Rebel section is fairly minor in the grand scheme of this book. But that's not a flaw here. Rebel was the beginning of Sal's career and I again have to give kudos to Michaud for not making it Rebel heavy to satisfy Dean fans. It is, after all, a biography of Mineo and while pivotal and important in Sal's life, it was just the beginning. And Michaud does this period of Sal's life proud. The time spent of Rebel is done so masterfully, the relationship between Dean and Mineo deftly drawn...as strong and as intensely homoerotic as the relationship between Jim Stark and Plato, their respective characters in the film.
The mid-section of the book--where Sal's post-Rebel success propels him and his career forward--is where we first see Mineo struggling with control...the need to take charge of his own life and career. Immediately typecast as as juvie, Sal struggles to break free of that image even as his mother (acting as his manager) keeps selecting such roles for him, and producers can't seem to offer him any roles beyond what he had already played. He is awash in fame and adulation. Girls scream and chase him. His records sell like hot cakes. Yet, the roles he is offered just don't seem to correspond. It's an odd point in his life. Massive success without forward movement and Mineo gets lost in it.
It is here where Mineo begins his relationship Jill Haworth, his 14 year old co-star in Exodus, and perhaps the greatest female love of his life. At first lovers (they even became engaged at one point), they would remain friends for the rest of Sal's life, and the later part of the book relies heavily on Haworth's recollections of those days. After losing the Oscar for Exodus, we see Mineo once again typecast, albeit in a different type. One would think the second Oscar nomination would have led to more opportunities, but Hollywood once again could not see him any other way. This is part testament to Mineo's talent and the curse of it.
The descent of Sal's star is contrasted with the rising of Haworth's, who would go on to create the role of Sally Bowles in the Broadway production of Cabaret. There was clearly great love between the two, but the relationship between Mineo and Haworth is a complex one. In their meeting is perhaps the first sight of how Mineo begins to rely upon sex as a means of control and manipulation. Mineo begins to realize that his looks and his magnetism give him a measure of control in his personal life that he is so missing in his professional one. In that respect, Mineo uses Haworth as both beard and pawn. But, to Michaud's credit, you also never doubt his honest love for her.
As Mineo's star falls even harder, we see him valiantly trying to create opportunities for himself. Yet, each attempt seems to fall apart in his hands, and we find him focusing on others, trying to help create new stars. But there is a darkness behind it, Mineo's use of sex almost disturbing and possessive. And, in fact, it is when Mineo fixates on a young Bobby Sherman that his and Haworth's relationship hits a rough patch that will take years to repair.
The later part of the book also relies heavily on the recollections of the male love-of-his-life, Courtney Burr. Through Burr's eyes (and, through the eyes of Haworth with whom Mineo ultimately reconciled), we learn of the final years of Sal's life and his valiant efforts to rebuild something of a career for himself. It is also here that we get to see some of the less attractive sides of people who orbited the later years of Sal's life. Roddy McDowell comes off particularly heinous and Bobby Sherman fares no better. Though not as badly portrayed as the former two, Don Johnson comes off as a sycophantic opportunist. (David Cassidy, on the other hand, comes off extremely well). In this section of the book, it is Burr who seems to ground Mineo and who becomes not only his lover, but a sort of protector. His influence is a good one. But, on the cusp of resurrecting his career and embarking on an exciting new life with Burr, Mineo is cut down tragically outside of his apartment in West Hollywood.
In the end, this biography is fascinating. Michaud shows us all sides of Mineo, the good and the petty and ugly side. But because he makes us love Sal in the beginning of the book, we tend to be more forgiving of him by the time we face the not-so-attractive side of him. Still, there are a few things it is hard to overlook about the man, in particular his apparent predilection for underage lovers. But even in that we see a man desperately searching for control and for the childhood he never seemed to have had. Michaud doesn't make us forgive him of that, but he does let us understand it a little bit.
My major qualm with the book is that it relies so heavily on the recollections of Haworth and Burr, two people who clearly loved him deeply. In fact, no one, it seems, didn't like Sal. And that, frankly, calls into question the objectivity of the author. It comes off a bit one-sided. It would have been nice to have heard from people who didn't recall Mineo so fondly. And this also calls into question the biting remarks about McDowell, Johnson and Sherman. Granted, McDowell is gone and could not participate (even if he would have wanted to, which is doubtful given he remained closeted until the day he died), but Sherman and Johnson are still around. It would have been interesting to have heard their perspectives and, frankly, it would have been nice to give them a little rebuttal time given their portrayals in the book. Of course, the author might have pursued interviews, but this can't be known for certain.
Still, the bio is incredibly entertaining. Michaud will make you fall in love with Mineo, painting a vivid portrait of fascinating man. And, perhaps more importantly, he will help to shine the light on an incredibly talented, powerful actor who is largely forgotten...but shouldn't be.
Today, if you say Rebel Without A Cause, chances are the first name that will cross anyone's lips is James Dean. If you're lucky, one might first say Natalie Wood, but without a doubt, it is Dean that everyone remembers. People tend not to remember Sal Mineo's name. But when you mention the character of Plato, people will generally go "Oh, yeah, that kid. He was great." But no one remembers the actor behind the performance. Hopefully, Michael Gregg Michaud's new biography of Mineo (and James Franco's forthcoming bio-pic based upon it) will rectify that situation and put the spotlight back on an outstanding actor who died just as tragically as Dean and Wood, albeit, long after he had fallen from the spotlight.
Now, far from perfect, Michaud's book is a first and foremost a loving tribute to Mineo, an amazing actor who was twice nominated for an Academy Award (Rebel Without a Cause and Exodus). Relying on vintage interviews, letters, and news reports, Michaud builds Mineo's early life, depicting a driven young kid from the Bronx who one day discovers acting. Michaud paints out the dynamics of Mineo's family life before his ascent to fame resulting in an almost stereotypical New York-Italian family: tight-knit, loving, poor. But as Mineo begins to experience some success on the stage (and later television), the book focuses primarily of Sal's relationship with his mother: of her initial protectiveness of Sal and his career, to her misguided attempt to make certain that Sal felt no more special than her other kids by spending Sal's money on them as well. It's an interesting dynamic and I have to give Michaud props for doing it well. As the book continues into "Mineo Mania" (after Rebel, fan reaction to Mineo was on a par with the later Beatles phenom), we slowly and subtly see the relationship morph into one which will clearly influence Sal's almost desperate need for control later in life. It would have been easy to paint Mrs. Mineo as a villain, a harpy stage mother who took advantage of her son's fame and finances. But Michaud doesn't do that. He doesn't paint her black or white. He lets her develop.
With so much attention paid to Mrs. Mineo, the rest of Sal's family takes a major backseat. Although Michaud tells us how important Sal's father was to him, Mr. Mineo is hardly present in the book...almost a non-character; so it is really difficult to see how Sal's devotion and near reverence of him takes root. Other than occasional references to his brothers Mike (who gets the most attention) and Vic (who gets almost none) and sister, his siblings are likewise non-existent. The world of early Sal is clearly Sal and his mother. Now, whether this was a choice Michaud made to help explain Sal's later life or whether he simply didn't have the material available to flesh out the rest of the family is not clear and--in my opinion--a flaw.
Now, one of the earliest criticisms I saw of this book was that the time spent on Sal's relationship with James Dean and the filming of Rebel is a relatively small part of the book. And this is true. Those going into this book expecting salacious details of that time or some implication that Dean and Mineo were lovers will be greatly disheartened. Yes, the Rebel section is fairly minor in the grand scheme of this book. But that's not a flaw here. Rebel was the beginning of Sal's career and I again have to give kudos to Michaud for not making it Rebel heavy to satisfy Dean fans. It is, after all, a biography of Mineo and while pivotal and important in Sal's life, it was just the beginning. And Michaud does this period of Sal's life proud. The time spent of Rebel is done so masterfully, the relationship between Dean and Mineo deftly drawn...as strong and as intensely homoerotic as the relationship between Jim Stark and Plato, their respective characters in the film.
The mid-section of the book--where Sal's post-Rebel success propels him and his career forward--is where we first see Mineo struggling with control...the need to take charge of his own life and career. Immediately typecast as as juvie, Sal struggles to break free of that image even as his mother (acting as his manager) keeps selecting such roles for him, and producers can't seem to offer him any roles beyond what he had already played. He is awash in fame and adulation. Girls scream and chase him. His records sell like hot cakes. Yet, the roles he is offered just don't seem to correspond. It's an odd point in his life. Massive success without forward movement and Mineo gets lost in it.
It is here where Mineo begins his relationship Jill Haworth, his 14 year old co-star in Exodus, and perhaps the greatest female love of his life. At first lovers (they even became engaged at one point), they would remain friends for the rest of Sal's life, and the later part of the book relies heavily on Haworth's recollections of those days. After losing the Oscar for Exodus, we see Mineo once again typecast, albeit in a different type. One would think the second Oscar nomination would have led to more opportunities, but Hollywood once again could not see him any other way. This is part testament to Mineo's talent and the curse of it.
The descent of Sal's star is contrasted with the rising of Haworth's, who would go on to create the role of Sally Bowles in the Broadway production of Cabaret. There was clearly great love between the two, but the relationship between Mineo and Haworth is a complex one. In their meeting is perhaps the first sight of how Mineo begins to rely upon sex as a means of control and manipulation. Mineo begins to realize that his looks and his magnetism give him a measure of control in his personal life that he is so missing in his professional one. In that respect, Mineo uses Haworth as both beard and pawn. But, to Michaud's credit, you also never doubt his honest love for her.
As Mineo's star falls even harder, we see him valiantly trying to create opportunities for himself. Yet, each attempt seems to fall apart in his hands, and we find him focusing on others, trying to help create new stars. But there is a darkness behind it, Mineo's use of sex almost disturbing and possessive. And, in fact, it is when Mineo fixates on a young Bobby Sherman that his and Haworth's relationship hits a rough patch that will take years to repair.
The later part of the book also relies heavily on the recollections of the male love-of-his-life, Courtney Burr. Through Burr's eyes (and, through the eyes of Haworth with whom Mineo ultimately reconciled), we learn of the final years of Sal's life and his valiant efforts to rebuild something of a career for himself. It is also here that we get to see some of the less attractive sides of people who orbited the later years of Sal's life. Roddy McDowell comes off particularly heinous and Bobby Sherman fares no better. Though not as badly portrayed as the former two, Don Johnson comes off as a sycophantic opportunist. (David Cassidy, on the other hand, comes off extremely well). In this section of the book, it is Burr who seems to ground Mineo and who becomes not only his lover, but a sort of protector. His influence is a good one. But, on the cusp of resurrecting his career and embarking on an exciting new life with Burr, Mineo is cut down tragically outside of his apartment in West Hollywood.
In the end, this biography is fascinating. Michaud shows us all sides of Mineo, the good and the petty and ugly side. But because he makes us love Sal in the beginning of the book, we tend to be more forgiving of him by the time we face the not-so-attractive side of him. Still, there are a few things it is hard to overlook about the man, in particular his apparent predilection for underage lovers. But even in that we see a man desperately searching for control and for the childhood he never seemed to have had. Michaud doesn't make us forgive him of that, but he does let us understand it a little bit.
My major qualm with the book is that it relies so heavily on the recollections of Haworth and Burr, two people who clearly loved him deeply. In fact, no one, it seems, didn't like Sal. And that, frankly, calls into question the objectivity of the author. It comes off a bit one-sided. It would have been nice to have heard from people who didn't recall Mineo so fondly. And this also calls into question the biting remarks about McDowell, Johnson and Sherman. Granted, McDowell is gone and could not participate (even if he would have wanted to, which is doubtful given he remained closeted until the day he died), but Sherman and Johnson are still around. It would have been interesting to have heard their perspectives and, frankly, it would have been nice to give them a little rebuttal time given their portrayals in the book. Of course, the author might have pursued interviews, but this can't be known for certain.
Still, the bio is incredibly entertaining. Michaud will make you fall in love with Mineo, painting a vivid portrait of fascinating man. And, perhaps more importantly, he will help to shine the light on an incredibly talented, powerful actor who is largely forgotten...but shouldn't be.
July 20, 2025
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for over 900 book reviews in all genres
Sal Mineo rose to stardom with his role in Rebel Without a Cause, a performance etched into millions of hearts as a prototype juvenile delinquent.
Born in the Bronx, he was cast in hit Broadway plays at age eleven (1952 Tony award winners The Rose Tattoo and The King and I). Rebel was his second film role, with a seventeen-year-old Natalie Wood and heartthrob James Dean, who had just completed East of Eden. Sal was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
He went on to film Giant with Dean, and Somebody Up There Likes Me opposite Dean, who tragically died while filming.
MineoMania struck with fan clubs and never-ending mail. Like many other young actors (Ricky Nelson, Fabian), he started a recording career, earning gold records. He was the family business, yet lived on a $20-a-week allowance. Where was all the money going? Overspending, unwieldy debts, and IRS back taxes—the nest egg saved for when he turned 21 was spent before he got it.
Exodus (with Paul Newman) won him a Golden Globe, and Tonka, The Longest Day, The Gene Krupa Story, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Krakatoa - East of Java (which it is not) followed. Meeting actress Jill Haworth on Exodus led to a serious relationship, but she was surprised by what everyone else already knew when she found him in bed with singer Bobby Sherman. A well-known homosexual, Sal's taste in projects changed, starring in the sexually provocative film Who Killed Teddy Bear? He directed and starred in the lurid jail rape play Fortune and Men's Eyes with Don Johnson and chose salacious roles with themes of child abuse, hustlers, and drag queens. A Toronto production of Sugar and Spice about a Manson-style murder had patrons fleeing the aisles.
With debt like quicksand, he managed to scrape by with dinner theatre, TV game shows, and drama cameos, and an unrecognizable role in Escape to the Planet of the Apes. As director and star in the unlikely play PS Your Cat is Dead, he was back with a stage hit in 1975.
As they moved the play to San Francisco in February 1976, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death by a robber. He was 37.
A detailed afterword outlines the daunting process of finding the anonymous assailant, his admissions, and resulting sentence of 51 years to life.
Sal Mineo will remain known to millions, frozen in time as a 16 year-old Rebel.
A polished performer regardless of the work, he turned in notable performances. The strain of turning from teen idol to adult roles was great, compounded by the times which called for edgy drama with dark angles. In the last five years of his life, his friend and lover Courtney Burr III supported and encouraged him, and both Courtney and Jill contributed greatly to this in-depth profile of a man who was often his own worst enemy. This biography is comprehensive and becomes more detailed as the murder case proceeds.
With the majority of his success well before he was 21, to pushing the envelope as an actor, this is fascinating reading. For Hollywood fans, recommended.
for over 900 book reviews in all genres
Sal Mineo rose to stardom with his role in Rebel Without a Cause, a performance etched into millions of hearts as a prototype juvenile delinquent.
Born in the Bronx, he was cast in hit Broadway plays at age eleven (1952 Tony award winners The Rose Tattoo and The King and I). Rebel was his second film role, with a seventeen-year-old Natalie Wood and heartthrob James Dean, who had just completed East of Eden. Sal was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
He went on to film Giant with Dean, and Somebody Up There Likes Me opposite Dean, who tragically died while filming.
MineoMania struck with fan clubs and never-ending mail. Like many other young actors (Ricky Nelson, Fabian), he started a recording career, earning gold records. He was the family business, yet lived on a $20-a-week allowance. Where was all the money going? Overspending, unwieldy debts, and IRS back taxes—the nest egg saved for when he turned 21 was spent before he got it.
Exodus (with Paul Newman) won him a Golden Globe, and Tonka, The Longest Day, The Gene Krupa Story, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Krakatoa - East of Java (which it is not) followed. Meeting actress Jill Haworth on Exodus led to a serious relationship, but she was surprised by what everyone else already knew when she found him in bed with singer Bobby Sherman. A well-known homosexual, Sal's taste in projects changed, starring in the sexually provocative film Who Killed Teddy Bear? He directed and starred in the lurid jail rape play Fortune and Men's Eyes with Don Johnson and chose salacious roles with themes of child abuse, hustlers, and drag queens. A Toronto production of Sugar and Spice about a Manson-style murder had patrons fleeing the aisles.
With debt like quicksand, he managed to scrape by with dinner theatre, TV game shows, and drama cameos, and an unrecognizable role in Escape to the Planet of the Apes. As director and star in the unlikely play PS Your Cat is Dead, he was back with a stage hit in 1975.
As they moved the play to San Francisco in February 1976, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death by a robber. He was 37.
A detailed afterword outlines the daunting process of finding the anonymous assailant, his admissions, and resulting sentence of 51 years to life.
Sal Mineo will remain known to millions, frozen in time as a 16 year-old Rebel.
A polished performer regardless of the work, he turned in notable performances. The strain of turning from teen idol to adult roles was great, compounded by the times which called for edgy drama with dark angles. In the last five years of his life, his friend and lover Courtney Burr III supported and encouraged him, and both Courtney and Jill contributed greatly to this in-depth profile of a man who was often his own worst enemy. This biography is comprehensive and becomes more detailed as the murder case proceeds.
With the majority of his success well before he was 21, to pushing the envelope as an actor, this is fascinating reading. For Hollywood fans, recommended.
October 26, 2011
Having see Sal Mineo in some of the movies, I was somewhat familiar with his body of work in movies, but never really knew too much about his personal life.
Sal's background is Italian, his parents come to the US as a young couple and eventually settle in the Bronx, Sal is discovered as he is a very beautiful child,after some involvement in gang type behaviour by storing stolen goods he is given the opportunity to redeem himself. The family seems to be a close knit family, at least in the early years, and as Sal becomes more successful and makes more money Momma takes over the management of his life, she decides what contracts he gets involved in, Sal simply follows her decisions, which I believe in hindsight are detrimental to his career toward's the end. Sal at times makes thousands of dollars only to be paid $20.00 per week out of this. Momma rules the household, Poppa has little to say, Poppa starts a casket company which is floundering in the beginning, so Sal;s earning go into the company, at the height of Sal'd earning power Momma decides they need to live in a larger house, and she buys a mansion, and lo and behold all relatives come out of the woodwork and move in, now this may sound like a caring Italian family it turns out not being the case at all. Momma as I said early has the final say over what work Sal acccepts, she can barely speak English, Sal learns nothing about how to handle money, this too factors in to the dreary end as he grows older.
It is a story about a beautiful young man who is given the opportunity work in movies, Momma did not believe in the then popular "stars system" the major studios used hence losing out on some great movie opportunities. Sal gains popularity by being in the movie "Rebel without a cause" mainly due to the then most popular James Dean, they apparently have some interactions which may be construed as sexual, certainly for that era, were gay men simply were not to be known about, they guarded this secret with their lives, i.e. Rock Hudson, Liberace, etc, etc, I could not help but sense that Michaud's writing style resembled the movie "rags" of those days, lots of innuendo and talk about other real famous movies star, he told me very little about Sal Mineo, what did he think, how did he feel, no doubt the fact that he started in movies early in his life this contributed to his lack of education, at least when being on the set of major movie companies, he had to attend certain amounts of hours in school, which he did not like, he had little guidance as to how to prepare for the day that when he grew older and lose his popularity what trade to fall back on, he dabbled in singing, and being of that age, I was totally surprised as I do not recall ever hearing a song sung by Sal, now at least not knowingly, apparantly he did have some success in this field, but no major hits. He gets the role of Gene Krupa in that titled film, Sal is adapt at drums, and watching him play the drums I was impressed although I am no lover of drums, but for the movie he was good, although one cannot help and sense this boy is a very pretty boy,his looks distracted me from seeing him act, probably his role as Dove in "Exodus" is one of the more outstanding roles, he is paired up with Jill, who is sweet and pretty, that they are a sweet and pretty young couple, it appears that even though Jill was underage Sal and her had sex unbeknowst (so they say) to Preminger who directed the move, Exodus was a powerful story in its time, telling us about Isreal and setting the scene for good Israel, bad Arabs, etc which I will not go into.
I you tubed a few interviews Sal and Jill had, they certainly come accross as children with little knowledge about the real politifcal background of the situation, althoughSal was given awards by Jewish orginization with very littel understanding as to what they were all about. His sexuality is very unclear throughout the book, was he gay?, I think if it was not for the fact that he "liked" James Dean and was encouraged to use that feeling for Dean in some of the scenes of Rebel that made it more realistic, but meanwhile Sal loves his hetero sex, and according to Maude has it rather frquently, and seems not to be able to be a one woman man, at one point Jill discovers him in bed, with one of his paramours, stomps out of there and goes back to her Momma, Sal then decides accroding to Maude to love men, There is no sens of time in which the story plays itself out. Stonewall happened, yet there is no mention of this Sal did not openly flaunt his gayness, well at least according to Michaud, but since Hollywood Hedda Hopper etc certainly knew what was going on in the lives of the stars, it was not talked about.
At one point he decides Momma's got to go, and takes over or tries to manage his own financial affairs, he blows money like there is no tomorrow, he has several managers that seem to be constantly looking for moneys he has made on some of his projects.
Reading the story I could not help but feel very sad, for a life that had so many great opportunities to be squandered by him screwing everything in site, not a care in the world for tomorrow, had he put a few bucks away the end of his life may have been different.
I know he had been murdered, and got to a point in the book, that I felt enough of this crap already revivals of this, half assed attempts at reopening old shows, working and sleeping with Courtney whose only contribution (besides being a sexual partner) was to stop other freeloaders from having Sal pay for their meals in swanky restaurants
Sal comes across as an un-educated rather no mind of his own, except for being pleased what he sees in the mirror, not realizing that outward beauty does not last forever, in any case I felt like bring on the murder, I was amazed that the murder was caused by someone trying to rob him, which is rather pathetic, for at that point Sal lived on borrowed money having blown all his own money, friends would sometimes pay his rent so sad, in any case he gets stabbed by some character for money, and dies, I always thought it was some sexual thing, perhaps some S & M scene, so rather disappointed how it actually happened, Off course the family whith whom he had disasociated himself for years, were right on his doorstep, they went through his personal papers, created a fire in the bathtub, and destroyed all his personal papers to make sure ( so they thought) no one would learn about his personal, and especially his sexual life. His body was flown back to N.Y. were he was buried with his father..Imagine a few weeks later Momma comes with a bill for his burial etc etc to be re-imbursed, I cannot imagine the audacity of this woman,her cash cow had long gone, but here is her attempt to squeeze a few more pennies out of her deceased son.
The Author goes on infinitum about the killer, the search for, the circumstances, the verdict, like at that point I felt like "who cares"
Over all I felt very sorry and extremely sad for a wasted life? The Author gave us very little about Sal himself, perhaps because Sal had never written too much, or talked about himself, it simply seemed like a story based on observations and using a lot of major star's name, Yul Brynner, Paul Newman, Natalie Wood, the list goes on, it talks about Sal working with them they say very little about Sal. Yul stuck with Sal the longest and no doubt in a community like Hollywood, he must have been aware of some of Sal.s personal interaction how unfortunate he was not allowed, or we did not get any comments from him about Sal.
The author writes about some of the wellknown actors that are no doubt still alive today, and their sexual laisons with Sa.
I need to stop at one point and will simply state, that hey Sal, you had a hell of a ride, and perhaps you did it your way, now rest in peace!
Sal's background is Italian, his parents come to the US as a young couple and eventually settle in the Bronx, Sal is discovered as he is a very beautiful child,after some involvement in gang type behaviour by storing stolen goods he is given the opportunity to redeem himself. The family seems to be a close knit family, at least in the early years, and as Sal becomes more successful and makes more money Momma takes over the management of his life, she decides what contracts he gets involved in, Sal simply follows her decisions, which I believe in hindsight are detrimental to his career toward's the end. Sal at times makes thousands of dollars only to be paid $20.00 per week out of this. Momma rules the household, Poppa has little to say, Poppa starts a casket company which is floundering in the beginning, so Sal;s earning go into the company, at the height of Sal'd earning power Momma decides they need to live in a larger house, and she buys a mansion, and lo and behold all relatives come out of the woodwork and move in, now this may sound like a caring Italian family it turns out not being the case at all. Momma as I said early has the final say over what work Sal acccepts, she can barely speak English, Sal learns nothing about how to handle money, this too factors in to the dreary end as he grows older.
It is a story about a beautiful young man who is given the opportunity work in movies, Momma did not believe in the then popular "stars system" the major studios used hence losing out on some great movie opportunities. Sal gains popularity by being in the movie "Rebel without a cause" mainly due to the then most popular James Dean, they apparently have some interactions which may be construed as sexual, certainly for that era, were gay men simply were not to be known about, they guarded this secret with their lives, i.e. Rock Hudson, Liberace, etc, etc, I could not help but sense that Michaud's writing style resembled the movie "rags" of those days, lots of innuendo and talk about other real famous movies star, he told me very little about Sal Mineo, what did he think, how did he feel, no doubt the fact that he started in movies early in his life this contributed to his lack of education, at least when being on the set of major movie companies, he had to attend certain amounts of hours in school, which he did not like, he had little guidance as to how to prepare for the day that when he grew older and lose his popularity what trade to fall back on, he dabbled in singing, and being of that age, I was totally surprised as I do not recall ever hearing a song sung by Sal, now at least not knowingly, apparantly he did have some success in this field, but no major hits. He gets the role of Gene Krupa in that titled film, Sal is adapt at drums, and watching him play the drums I was impressed although I am no lover of drums, but for the movie he was good, although one cannot help and sense this boy is a very pretty boy,his looks distracted me from seeing him act, probably his role as Dove in "Exodus" is one of the more outstanding roles, he is paired up with Jill, who is sweet and pretty, that they are a sweet and pretty young couple, it appears that even though Jill was underage Sal and her had sex unbeknowst (so they say) to Preminger who directed the move, Exodus was a powerful story in its time, telling us about Isreal and setting the scene for good Israel, bad Arabs, etc which I will not go into.
I you tubed a few interviews Sal and Jill had, they certainly come accross as children with little knowledge about the real politifcal background of the situation, althoughSal was given awards by Jewish orginization with very littel understanding as to what they were all about. His sexuality is very unclear throughout the book, was he gay?, I think if it was not for the fact that he "liked" James Dean and was encouraged to use that feeling for Dean in some of the scenes of Rebel that made it more realistic, but meanwhile Sal loves his hetero sex, and according to Maude has it rather frquently, and seems not to be able to be a one woman man, at one point Jill discovers him in bed, with one of his paramours, stomps out of there and goes back to her Momma, Sal then decides accroding to Maude to love men, There is no sens of time in which the story plays itself out. Stonewall happened, yet there is no mention of this Sal did not openly flaunt his gayness, well at least according to Michaud, but since Hollywood Hedda Hopper etc certainly knew what was going on in the lives of the stars, it was not talked about.
At one point he decides Momma's got to go, and takes over or tries to manage his own financial affairs, he blows money like there is no tomorrow, he has several managers that seem to be constantly looking for moneys he has made on some of his projects.
Reading the story I could not help but feel very sad, for a life that had so many great opportunities to be squandered by him screwing everything in site, not a care in the world for tomorrow, had he put a few bucks away the end of his life may have been different.
I know he had been murdered, and got to a point in the book, that I felt enough of this crap already revivals of this, half assed attempts at reopening old shows, working and sleeping with Courtney whose only contribution (besides being a sexual partner) was to stop other freeloaders from having Sal pay for their meals in swanky restaurants
Sal comes across as an un-educated rather no mind of his own, except for being pleased what he sees in the mirror, not realizing that outward beauty does not last forever, in any case I felt like bring on the murder, I was amazed that the murder was caused by someone trying to rob him, which is rather pathetic, for at that point Sal lived on borrowed money having blown all his own money, friends would sometimes pay his rent so sad, in any case he gets stabbed by some character for money, and dies, I always thought it was some sexual thing, perhaps some S & M scene, so rather disappointed how it actually happened, Off course the family whith whom he had disasociated himself for years, were right on his doorstep, they went through his personal papers, created a fire in the bathtub, and destroyed all his personal papers to make sure ( so they thought) no one would learn about his personal, and especially his sexual life. His body was flown back to N.Y. were he was buried with his father..Imagine a few weeks later Momma comes with a bill for his burial etc etc to be re-imbursed, I cannot imagine the audacity of this woman,her cash cow had long gone, but here is her attempt to squeeze a few more pennies out of her deceased son.
The Author goes on infinitum about the killer, the search for, the circumstances, the verdict, like at that point I felt like "who cares"
Over all I felt very sorry and extremely sad for a wasted life? The Author gave us very little about Sal himself, perhaps because Sal had never written too much, or talked about himself, it simply seemed like a story based on observations and using a lot of major star's name, Yul Brynner, Paul Newman, Natalie Wood, the list goes on, it talks about Sal working with them they say very little about Sal. Yul stuck with Sal the longest and no doubt in a community like Hollywood, he must have been aware of some of Sal.s personal interaction how unfortunate he was not allowed, or we did not get any comments from him about Sal.
The author writes about some of the wellknown actors that are no doubt still alive today, and their sexual laisons with Sa.
I need to stop at one point and will simply state, that hey Sal, you had a hell of a ride, and perhaps you did it your way, now rest in peace!
August 22, 2025
This is a very well-crafted and well-rounded biography by Michael. He allowed the story of Sal Mineo to not only be told by his loved ones, but to be told by the man himself through a variety of quotables.
Coming into this read I already had an interest in Sal Mineo’s story while having only seen “Rebel Without a Cause.” Through brief summarizations of his life, it gave me the idea of it being a tragedy. I was pleasantly surprised that it was only his death that was the true tragedy.
We got the larger-than-life depiction as readers, but not just from the likes of his celebrity; it was the vibrance of his personal life.
I didn't feel like this was a doom and gloom story nor was it a, “it wasn't that bad,” sanitization. The author's authority took several back seats through retellings from those such as his lovers and long-time friends Jill and Courtney. I'm glad he incorporates the love and numerous rough patches that come with any relationship we feel are worth sustaining.
The entire time it felt like I was reading about a human being who had an eventful life and not just a character.
Michael’s writing coincides with those close to him. Much like Sal, we didn't have to sit too long in the low moments of his life as he always found a way to incorporate joy and fun even through career ups and downs.
He didn't shape a story for us to pity him, or chastise his life. He let us get to know him.
My only real criticism is wishing we got a heart-warming summarization of his life opposed to ending on the court case but I understand the chronological order.
If you would like to get to know Sal Mineo I would highly recommend.
Favorite quote: “I can't imagine that this project wouldn't work out. I never even think in those terms. It's going to work. It's going to happen. I won't think negatively under any circumstances.”
Coming into this read I already had an interest in Sal Mineo’s story while having only seen “Rebel Without a Cause.” Through brief summarizations of his life, it gave me the idea of it being a tragedy. I was pleasantly surprised that it was only his death that was the true tragedy.
We got the larger-than-life depiction as readers, but not just from the likes of his celebrity; it was the vibrance of his personal life.
I didn't feel like this was a doom and gloom story nor was it a, “it wasn't that bad,” sanitization. The author's authority took several back seats through retellings from those such as his lovers and long-time friends Jill and Courtney. I'm glad he incorporates the love and numerous rough patches that come with any relationship we feel are worth sustaining.
The entire time it felt like I was reading about a human being who had an eventful life and not just a character.
Michael’s writing coincides with those close to him. Much like Sal, we didn't have to sit too long in the low moments of his life as he always found a way to incorporate joy and fun even through career ups and downs.
He didn't shape a story for us to pity him, or chastise his life. He let us get to know him.
My only real criticism is wishing we got a heart-warming summarization of his life opposed to ending on the court case but I understand the chronological order.
If you would like to get to know Sal Mineo I would highly recommend.
Favorite quote: “I can't imagine that this project wouldn't work out. I never even think in those terms. It's going to work. It's going to happen. I won't think negatively under any circumstances.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2025
Definitely the definitive biography of Sal Mineo! Michaud certainly did his homework, and unlike other books, received firsthand accounts from the people who knew him best. The book paints a portrait of an extremely talented yet imperfect person. My only gripe the book are the endless reviews attached to each project mentioned. Instead of seven or so reviews following a mention of Sal’s appearance on say an episode of “Combat!,” one or two reviews, or a summary of the critical response would keep from slowing the book down.
The relationship between Mineo and Courtney Burr III is really interesting and would make an amazing film. Why this hasn’t happened yet, I don’t know.
I’d like to respond to a critic who slammed the book for supposedly exploring Sal’s sex life excessively. First of all, the book is hardly salacious. It’s matter of fact. Sex was a big theme in Sal’s life and he was open about it. At no point did I feel that the book was mentioning sex in order to keep the reader’s attention. If you have a problem with the sex that is mentioned, your issue isn’t with Michaud, it’s with Sal Mineo.
The relationship between Mineo and Courtney Burr III is really interesting and would make an amazing film. Why this hasn’t happened yet, I don’t know.
I’d like to respond to a critic who slammed the book for supposedly exploring Sal’s sex life excessively. First of all, the book is hardly salacious. It’s matter of fact. Sex was a big theme in Sal’s life and he was open about it. At no point did I feel that the book was mentioning sex in order to keep the reader’s attention. If you have a problem with the sex that is mentioned, your issue isn’t with Michaud, it’s with Sal Mineo.
April 24, 2022
I didn't know anything about Sal Mineo before reading this book but after seeing his excellent performance in the movie "Exodus" I became interested in learning more about him and came across this biography. The book itself is well researched and written. I'm not a fast reader but flew through this.
His story covers many sad issues common to celebrities that reach huge stardom at a young age - such as: being cheated by the family/people you trust the most; extreme rebellion against this family and their version of morality; becoming a hot commodity and then an unknown virtually over night; and continuous struggles to escape typecasting.
While he had many struggles in both his personal and professional lives, one thing everyone seems to agree about him is that he was a dynamic actor (and as a result had already been nominated for two Academy Awards by the age of 21 and determined man that would not give up on achieving his goals. His life was unfortunately and tragically cut short before he could realize many of them.
His story covers many sad issues common to celebrities that reach huge stardom at a young age - such as: being cheated by the family/people you trust the most; extreme rebellion against this family and their version of morality; becoming a hot commodity and then an unknown virtually over night; and continuous struggles to escape typecasting.
While he had many struggles in both his personal and professional lives, one thing everyone seems to agree about him is that he was a dynamic actor (and as a result had already been nominated for two Academy Awards by the age of 21 and determined man that would not give up on achieving his goals. His life was unfortunately and tragically cut short before he could realize many of them.
December 3, 2024
Sal Mineo’s life was the quintessential Hollywood tragedy, capably and comprehensively covered by Michael Gregg Michaud in ‘Sal Mineo: a Biography’. Nominated for an Academy Award in his teens for ‘Rebel without a Cause’ and again for ‘Exodus’, Mineo’s career peak came early, and was merely a sad prelude to a rapid and humiliating downward spiral into B-grade films, poorly received stage productions and, eventually, meaningless roles in amateur dinner theatre. The author appropriately documents all of this against Mineo’s turbulent background of endless financial struggle and unrelenting creditors, unfulfilling closeted homosexuality and, worst of all, poor choices through misplaced optimism. The author writes in a compelling way and thoroughly explores every facet of the star’s long decline, but the material is sad, hopeless, and, ultimately, devastating. When Mineo’s life is cut tragically short through a bungled robbery in a seedy laneway it typifies all that came before, and leaves the reader with sadness and regret of squandered waste and of what could have been.
July 24, 2024
What a sad life!
Sure he had some high points early on but poor Sal just couldn't catch a break after a while. Youngest person to have 2 Oscar noms. A strong desire to get beyond acting to finally direct. Dealing with a sexuality the world wasn't yet ready to handle. And then of course it sounds like things are FINALLY coming together for him when...well, you know.
Loved the research and interviews that went into telling this man's life. The eerie foreshadowing during one night with friends and a Ouija board. Amazing stuff. I was constantly googling as I read to find a clip or a mention relating to the actions I'd just read. For instance, towards the end there's mention of an interview in his apartment for a James Dean documentary and I found a little clip real that had exactly what I was looking for. Sal still looked so young at the end for someone who crammed so much into a short life.
Sure he had some high points early on but poor Sal just couldn't catch a break after a while. Youngest person to have 2 Oscar noms. A strong desire to get beyond acting to finally direct. Dealing with a sexuality the world wasn't yet ready to handle. And then of course it sounds like things are FINALLY coming together for him when...well, you know.
Loved the research and interviews that went into telling this man's life. The eerie foreshadowing during one night with friends and a Ouija board. Amazing stuff. I was constantly googling as I read to find a clip or a mention relating to the actions I'd just read. For instance, towards the end there's mention of an interview in his apartment for a James Dean documentary and I found a little clip real that had exactly what I was looking for. Sal still looked so young at the end for someone who crammed so much into a short life.
February 20, 2020
Others here have given succinct reviews of this book but I disagree with those who thought Michaud was too matter-of-fact with listing the timeline of Sal Mineo's life without giving a more philosophical or psychological outlook of the whole thing. I suspect the author couldn't have done that, probably finding Mineo still to be a greatly mysterious subject, so.....why make up things ? Anyway, it's an easy-to-read, enjoyable book, even the minor tidbits: what a nice man Yul Brynner was; what a jerk Roddy McDowall could be; and Mineo smoking pot with Jon Provost-Timmy from Lassie (the jokes just write themselves). It's a story that takes you far beyond his Plato character gazing adoringly at James Dean. For those intrigued by MIneo who want more, I recommend reading this 1972 interview http://www.salmineo.com/newstand/inte... and watching this 1975 interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjilT...
December 21, 2018
I mostly remember Sal Mineo from Rebel Without a Cause and Exodus. He however never managed to make the transition to an adult movie actor. Through the 60s and early 70s he did a lot of Television and it was quite good. There were also a few plays with quite good reviews. Sal was murdered in 1976. He was working on a play and hoping to make a success of it. This book kept my interest and I enjoyed reading it.
January 29, 2022
Sal Mineo was a gifted actor who longed to be accepted and instead ended up being tragically hip. The book details his film and stage work, his denial of his own sexuality and his raucous seamy side. While there is plenty of information, the author’s rather boring style of cut and paste with no insight got tiring very quickly. In the hands of a better writer, this could have been a revelatory read, instead, it reads like a Wikipedia entry.
January 11, 2025
This author is a fraud and a sham and should be ashamed!! Of how he describes Sal's mom in a negative light and making her out to be a stereotypical Italian overbearing stage mom. I am related to them!!!!! My own parents knew him and his parents and his grandparents!!! Sal's mom was a nice, sweet, quiet woman who just wanted peace, quiet, and to be left alone!!!! How dare this author!!!!! He should be ashamed!!!
January 18, 2018
A sad, intimate look into the life and tragic death of a screen legend, one that has always intrigued me. Michaud's book is a fascinating look into Mineo's history, career and private life.
February 11, 2018
Straightforward rendition of Salad Mineos life, background and untimely death.
January 26, 2019
Interesting life, but the way it was written was very dry.
June 22, 2023
An immense talent.
A light extinguished too soon.
A Legend born of tragedy.
An insightful and unflinching biography.
A light extinguished too soon.
A Legend born of tragedy.
An insightful and unflinching biography.
December 20, 2023
Way too much gay talk and perverse descriptions for me!
February 28, 2025
One of the worse uses of paper and ink I have ever seen
April 26, 2011
From my blog: http://garbolaughs.wordpress.com/2011...
I had been anticipating Michaud’s book for several months prior to its release – half anticipating, and half dreading. You see, despite what Michaud likes to claim in interviews, this isn’t the first seemingly-legitimate biography of Sal Mineo to hit the shelves. I have treasured my copy of Sal Mineo: His Life, Murder, and Mystery by H. Paul Jeffers (2002, Running Press) ever since I bought it; in fact, I’ve read and referred to it so many times there are actually pages falling out. I was apprehensive about having a new account of Sal’s life, partially because I felt like everything I knew about Sal came from that first book. However, Jeffers’ biography is far from a literary masterpiece; written by someone who knew Sal on a physical, if not intimate, level, much of it reads like hilarious Mary Sue fanfiction (“basking in the sight of his unruly black hair, the bedroom eyes, imperfect nose, muscled arms and torso, narrow hips, and bewitching smile”), and Jeffers relies a little too much on dubious Hollywood sources like Boze Hadleigh (although Michaud is guilty of this too). As the release of Michaud’s book grew closer, my apprehension turned to giddy eagerness. I bought the book the day it came out and finished it the day after.
What I found in Michaud’s Sal Mineo is a serious, well-written, thoroughly-researched account of Mineo’s life that even I, who thought I knew everything about the subject, gleaned a lot of surprising new information from. The book contains a deftly-woven mix of facts and personal anecdotes derived from contemporary articles and interviews with the actor, as well as the accounts of Sal’s close personal friends and acquaintances whom Michaud took the time to locate and endear himself to. Best of all, it is not at all derivative of any previous work. Rather than expound upon or contradict Jeffers’ biography, Michaud instead presents us with an entirely new perspective through his use of previously-unpublished information and all-new anecdotes. Jeffers’ work is like the pulpy “unauthorized” paperback account; Michaud’s is a serious and dignified examination of the all-too-brief life of Sal Mineo and the people he loved. The two books compliment each other nicely.
What’s especially remarkable about Michaud’s book is the unprecedented access he was granted to the recollections of two of Sal’s closest companions, who here collaborate for the first time with a Mineo biographer. Jill Haworth (who tragically passed away just a week ago) was the female love of Sal’s life from 1960 to 1964; Courtney Burr III was the male love of his life from 1970 until Sal’s death in 1976. It cannot be overstated how valuable the contributions of these two people were to this work, especially given that both of them have been very reluctant in the past to speak on the subject of Sal Mineo and incredibly wary of anyone who asked. While this does lend a loving, personal quality to the book, it also has its negatives. Later chapters become tedious as each movement of both Sal and Courtney Burr are recounted. Furthermore, while Michaud does a marvelous job of piecing together Sal’s life before he knew Jill Haworth, the book ends up very heavily biased against Sal’s family. Perhaps this was Michaud’s revenge against the Mineo clan for not answering his calls (assuming he made an attempt to contact them), or his reward to Burr for his cooperation. While I understand that the religious beliefs of the Mineo family caused them to disapprove strongly of Sal’s later life and his relationship with Burr, that’s their prerogative and their right, and I don’t feel it was fair or particularly professional of Michaud to condemn them for it. Sal’s sister Sarina and brother Victor have spoken lovingly of their brother in previous biographical pieces on Sal, and his niece Samantha (who never knew her uncle) has voluntarily spoken on behalf of the family in the past. Why were these people not consulted for the special point of view they could have offered? It left me feeling as though the book was missing an important chunk of information, and the nasty insinuations Michaud makes about Mineo’s mother Josephine at the very end left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
Overall Michaud’s Sal Mineo is a rich and engaging look at a brilliant artist and sensitive soul who was taken from this earth much too soon. Any nit-picky gripes held by die-hard fans (of which, let’s admit, there are few) are far outweighed by the wealth of knowledge and insight into Mineo’s life and work Michaud has provided us, with the invaluable contributions of Haworth and Burr. No matter my personal qualms with some of his journalistic choices, I am grateful to Michael Michaud for giving this overlooked actor the serious biographical treatment he has so long deserved.
I had been anticipating Michaud’s book for several months prior to its release – half anticipating, and half dreading. You see, despite what Michaud likes to claim in interviews, this isn’t the first seemingly-legitimate biography of Sal Mineo to hit the shelves. I have treasured my copy of Sal Mineo: His Life, Murder, and Mystery by H. Paul Jeffers (2002, Running Press) ever since I bought it; in fact, I’ve read and referred to it so many times there are actually pages falling out. I was apprehensive about having a new account of Sal’s life, partially because I felt like everything I knew about Sal came from that first book. However, Jeffers’ biography is far from a literary masterpiece; written by someone who knew Sal on a physical, if not intimate, level, much of it reads like hilarious Mary Sue fanfiction (“basking in the sight of his unruly black hair, the bedroom eyes, imperfect nose, muscled arms and torso, narrow hips, and bewitching smile”), and Jeffers relies a little too much on dubious Hollywood sources like Boze Hadleigh (although Michaud is guilty of this too). As the release of Michaud’s book grew closer, my apprehension turned to giddy eagerness. I bought the book the day it came out and finished it the day after.
What I found in Michaud’s Sal Mineo is a serious, well-written, thoroughly-researched account of Mineo’s life that even I, who thought I knew everything about the subject, gleaned a lot of surprising new information from. The book contains a deftly-woven mix of facts and personal anecdotes derived from contemporary articles and interviews with the actor, as well as the accounts of Sal’s close personal friends and acquaintances whom Michaud took the time to locate and endear himself to. Best of all, it is not at all derivative of any previous work. Rather than expound upon or contradict Jeffers’ biography, Michaud instead presents us with an entirely new perspective through his use of previously-unpublished information and all-new anecdotes. Jeffers’ work is like the pulpy “unauthorized” paperback account; Michaud’s is a serious and dignified examination of the all-too-brief life of Sal Mineo and the people he loved. The two books compliment each other nicely.
What’s especially remarkable about Michaud’s book is the unprecedented access he was granted to the recollections of two of Sal’s closest companions, who here collaborate for the first time with a Mineo biographer. Jill Haworth (who tragically passed away just a week ago) was the female love of Sal’s life from 1960 to 1964; Courtney Burr III was the male love of his life from 1970 until Sal’s death in 1976. It cannot be overstated how valuable the contributions of these two people were to this work, especially given that both of them have been very reluctant in the past to speak on the subject of Sal Mineo and incredibly wary of anyone who asked. While this does lend a loving, personal quality to the book, it also has its negatives. Later chapters become tedious as each movement of both Sal and Courtney Burr are recounted. Furthermore, while Michaud does a marvelous job of piecing together Sal’s life before he knew Jill Haworth, the book ends up very heavily biased against Sal’s family. Perhaps this was Michaud’s revenge against the Mineo clan for not answering his calls (assuming he made an attempt to contact them), or his reward to Burr for his cooperation. While I understand that the religious beliefs of the Mineo family caused them to disapprove strongly of Sal’s later life and his relationship with Burr, that’s their prerogative and their right, and I don’t feel it was fair or particularly professional of Michaud to condemn them for it. Sal’s sister Sarina and brother Victor have spoken lovingly of their brother in previous biographical pieces on Sal, and his niece Samantha (who never knew her uncle) has voluntarily spoken on behalf of the family in the past. Why were these people not consulted for the special point of view they could have offered? It left me feeling as though the book was missing an important chunk of information, and the nasty insinuations Michaud makes about Mineo’s mother Josephine at the very end left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
Overall Michaud’s Sal Mineo is a rich and engaging look at a brilliant artist and sensitive soul who was taken from this earth much too soon. Any nit-picky gripes held by die-hard fans (of which, let’s admit, there are few) are far outweighed by the wealth of knowledge and insight into Mineo’s life and work Michaud has provided us, with the invaluable contributions of Haworth and Burr. No matter my personal qualms with some of his journalistic choices, I am grateful to Michael Michaud for giving this overlooked actor the serious biographical treatment he has so long deserved.
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