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Sal Mineo: A Biography

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 114 ratings · 48 reviews

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 Michau...more 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.(less)

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published November 2nd 2010 by Crown Archetype

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Aug 12, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, goodreads-firstreads-giveaways

*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 comple...more

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May 13, 2012 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 St...more 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.(less)

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Jul 23, 2011 Denis rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 bio...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Goose rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't know much about Sal Mineo prior to reading this biography. I found this book to be interesting and informative especially in the early chapters. I felt the author did a good job of describing young Sal's family life and his parents and brothers and how they all reacted as Sal became more and more famous. As the reader, one can sense that Sal's mother is quickly out of her league as Sal's manager but she remains as such for many years to come. I did enjoy Sal's getting to know many famou...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Gerry Burnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gerry B's Book Reviews - http://www.gerrycan.wordpress.com

When I first came upon the title “Sal Mineo: A Biography” by Michael Gregg Michaud [Crown Archetype, 2010], I knew it was something I had to read. You see, in 1965 I spent an intimate evening with Sal Mineo in Toronto, and although this time was brief I can attest to some of the characteristics Michaud writes about; certainly Mineo’s disarming charm, his impetuousness, and his passion for life at whatever he happened to be doing at the ti...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

As some of you may know, I gave up Hollywood biographies last year after reading Star: the Life of Warren Beaty. Unlike writers, artists, historical figures, actors are pretty boring--what's interesting about them is on screen. But when I read that James Franco had optioned this biography of Sal Mineo, I thought I'd check it out from the library. Also, I had an interest in the mystery of who killed Sal Mineo, which turns out to be not such a mystery anymore. But for me it was like in the Indian...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Christopher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was fascinated to find out that Sal Mineo tried to option William Maxwell's The Folded Leaf as a film, and while in England trying to put together a film treatment for a pulp novel about hustlers, tried to get Edna O'Brien for the screenplay. Through their representatives, both Maxwell and O'Brien declined Mineo.
I wanted to like this book more, as I've long been intrigued by Sal Mineo as a later day glbtq film icon and of his time screen idol that sunk into tragic mediocrity. This was forced...more I was fascinated to find out that Sal Mineo tried to option William Maxwell's The Folded Leaf as a film, and while in England trying to put together a film treatment for a pulp novel about hustlers, tried to get Edna O'Brien for the screenplay. Through their representatives, both Maxwell and O'Brien declined Mineo.
I wanted to like this book more, as I've long been intrigued by Sal Mineo as a later day glbtq film icon and of his time screen idol that sunk into tragic mediocrity. This was forced by Hollywood typecasting/racism, financial incompetence, and Mineo's unwillingness to compromise his sexuality in certain aspects, but he had an unending drive to rise again and make what he saw as art. At varying times the biography was lacking the psychological theorizing depth that made Bosworth's Montgomery Clift great. Much of Mineo's earlier years is a rote listing of his life and film making. Only when Jill Haworth and then Courney Burr III enter with their personal recollections, as the two most prominent relationships in Sal Mineo's life (as I assume Mineo's surviving family did not contribute, as they are not depicted in an exceedingly great light in the later years of Sal's sexually open life), does the book pick up. The main difficulty may not quite be the author's fault alone, as Mineo was simultaneously a gregariously, casually open person on some things (acting craft, sex, filming experiences, sex) but still very guarded on his own inner emotions, encompassing his personal statements within a breezy, life is a thrill! sheen. With such a self guard up, we see a many facet portrait of Sal Mineo: a skilled young actor who took crap acting jobs in later years to maintain a ridiculously spendthrift life style, while remaining dedicated to personal projects of an artistic vision, that unfortunately often melded again and again with the limited theme of renegade sexuality that he loved exploring in his own life. The strangest sadness is if Sal Mineo had been born decades later, he would have been the same great actor/screen idol and heralded for his riskier projects and open sexuality. (less)

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Jan 30, 2011 Paul Jr. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, gay-actors, gay-history

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 biogra...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book via the Goodreads First Reads program - Thank you to everyone involved with the giveaway.

Until I read this book I knew very little about Sal Mineo.

I probably saw "Rebel without a cause" in the very late 70's when in my early teens (on TV), so it suprised me how quickly I was drawn into this biography. It is a frank,honest and sympathetic account of this talented man's life. The author certainly did a lot of research, but the fact that direct quotes and input were available f...more

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Nov 20, 2010 Frederick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, mineo-sal, michaud-michael-gregg

If you thought not much more could be written about the nineteen-fifties star-making machine, guess again. Sal Mineo's life is interesting largely because he was an iconoclast, but the early part of the book, focusing on his rise to stardom, is quite interesting because it shows how dependent on chance a star's rise can be. The middle and later parts of the book show Mineo simultaneously falling apart and asserting himself. The author, Michael Gregg Michaud, does not comment on Mineo's behavior,...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Clifton rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you want just the facts about Mineo, this is the book for you. If you want interpretation/analysis of Mineo's life and times, don't look for it here. Mineo was a gay star of movies and the stage, where he pushed boundaries in such plays as "Fortune and Men's Eyes," yet he never came out in public. Michaud says very little about this. He suggests the police were initially blindsided by homophobia in their investigation of Mineo's murder, but doesn't dwell on that or provide other examples. As...more

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Jun 02, 2012 James Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sals story is fascinating. Only really mentioned in relation to his brief contact with Jimmy Dean. Sal was and is an icon, his strength of character and determination were something to behold.

From his childhood in the Bronx with his family, to becoming the provider and later the loser of his mothers determination.

Sal went from being a box office draw to theatrical producer, controversial, deviant, loving and yet cruel. Sal becomes a human monster with all the frailties and eccentricities that...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Jo-Ann Murphy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was happy to win this through the Godreads giveaways. I know very little about this actor, but I recognize the name. I had totally frgotten he was murdered. This was a very slow read. At times I thought were getting a day by day account of the man's life. It was certainly a colorful life. I would have liked just a few more facts about his death because the few facts did not seem to add up to the man convicted. I would also liked to have known the opinions of the other characters mentione so fe...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Most famous for his role as lost teen, Plato, in the classic film "Rebel Without A Cause", Sal Mineo's life mirrored the tragic lost soul of his most memorable character. A teen heartthrob and sought after actor in his youth, Sal experienced the cold back of Hollywood's hand as he aged. By his mid-20's he was already struggling for roles and by his 30's, he was a downright out-of-work actor, doing mostly dinner theatre at Holiday Inns across the US. Despite this, Sal never wavered or took solace...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Neil Mudde rated it 1 of 5 stars

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 y...more 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!(less)

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Apr 26, 2011 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, old-hollywood

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 ti...more 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.(less)

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Dec 21, 2010 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: families, biography

Won in goodreads giveaway, and reviewed well in the LA Times. He has always fascinated me.

I remember hearing the news of Sal Mineo's death (though I had to look up the exact date, 2-12-76).

Michaud's biography, "Sal Mineo," gives us an insider's look at Mineo's unexpected rise to fame as a child star with his Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor in "Exodus." And like many other child actors who rocket to fame, everything after that became a huge struggle, from his recording career t...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Martha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, biography, 2011, non-fiction, hollywood

I finished this book a few days ago, but we went through a blizzard the middle of the week (lost power for over a day) & another big snow yesterday. So I've had some time to think about it. I was and still am a big fan of Sal Mineo's and loved his movies. The one I remember the most was Exodus which I plan to see again along with several others. He also appeared in many television roles so I was able to watch him frequently. I don't remember his music ... don't know why. I found the book qui...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This biography is intimately thorough and well written. As a fan of Rebel Without a Cause, I was vaguely aware of Sal Mineo. After reading this, I was surprised and saddened by the struggles he faced. His energy and passion were brought to life in these pages.

There are certain bits that seem obligatory, as if to show the complete story and not leave anything out. These are the one-sentence mentions of Sal Mineo's appearance on a television show that don't relate to the main storyline. Otherwise...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Mike Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall interesting book about the life of a Hollywood child star. I thought the writing was good and the author touched on many aspects of Sal Mineo's life. The end of the book left me wanting for more though. I would have liked an afterword, letting us know what happened to Sal's family and some of his friends. In particular, I'm curious to know what happened to his brothers and sister.

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Dec 03, 2010 Beth Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway-first-read

goodreads first read giveaway.

this book was fascinating. it was an outstanding story told beautifully by the author. i learned a lot about old hollywood, and the challenges of a young actor trying to make a living.

it amazes me the tragic figure that sal mineo really was....he was so tortured by his sexuality, his looks, his talent. hitting it big with one of his first films, then trying to fit into a man's world as he grew up, but looking so young. the stereotypes that he got because of his look...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Cynthia (aka Artemis) rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Readers of Hollywood Bios

Shelves: first-reads, biography, hollywood

Not as interesting as I thought it would be as the author really only used two sources for the most of his information. Unfortunately, Sal gets caught in what seems to be typical of the Hollywood snares: bad management and type casting. His mother tries her best to manage his career early on, but fails. Sal can't seem to break free from teen roles. He tries his hand at the other end of the spectrum, directing. A word for Sal's career would be mediocre. Of course, his various relationships and se...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Russ rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've discovered that reviews are as arbitrary as opinion polls. For me Sal Mineo was one of the Hollywood Stars of my youth. This biography was a detailed account illuminating many of the achievements and flaws of an actor whose life impacted an astonishing number of Americans. Like many, I well remember the shock of his death as the loss of a truly talented actor.

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Nov 14, 2012 Jason rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was very disappointed with this book for several reasons. When it first came out - it was on my 'to read' least for sometime until I finally purchased it...had been looking forward to it. But - it did not live up to my hopes. First - it's just not written very well. It's another book of so many that think they need to get EVERY boring detail in and none of the heart or storytelling. The book has very little feeling..just stale reporting. And on top of that...it's hard to realize someone you li...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Liza Lankford rated it 4 of 5 stars

What an excellent book! I really didn't know much about Sal Mineo before reading this one. Most of my background came from the usual "Rebel Without a Cause" and hearing how he died at such a young age. It was interesting to find though, even then, the typical story of a young actor being estranged from his parents over financial matters, and continuing to struggle with such matters for the rest of his life. It's a familiar story, as we often hear similar ones in the tabloids today. The author de...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Rick Segers rated it 4 of 5 stars

I came into this book knowing nothing more than having heard his name. I had seem him in a couple of pictures but knew nothing else.
He was a very complex and troubled individual. If you are a fan of mid 20th century pop culture, this is a very good book for you. His interactions with some icons of the 50's through the 70's will surprise you.

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Jan 14, 2011 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book free from Goodread's first reads. I postponed reading it until after the holidays. I thought it was very good, informative and well written. If you like biographies this is a great one. Lots of info about Sal that I had never heard before.

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Dec 03, 2010 Jessica (booneybear) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodread-wins-first-reads, books-read-in-2010, biographies, books-in-my-home-library, non-fiction-read

Years ago my mother got me into watching a ton of classic movies from the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's. When she suggested that I watch 'Rebel Without a Cause' she told me to keep my eyes not on James Dean but to really watch Sal Mineo. I was captivated by Sal's performace in the movie. I can see why my mom told me to watch him.

I never really had an opportunity to follow Sal's career and am glad I got the opportunity to read this biography to get better acquainted with a very talented actor. While...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Jennifer Ware rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies, goodreads

I received this book from goodreads.com for free. 387 pages. About the last couple dozen were dedicated to his murder and the trial of his killer. About 200 pages were dedicated to his sad sex life. I was extremely disappointed and disgusted. My mom loved Sal Mineo. I wanted to win this book for her. I am so glad I didn't pick it up at the store and wrap it up for Christmas. There was no reason for all the detail into his sex life. I suppose some people enjoy that, but not me. I would never have...more

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May 12, 2012 Steven Cassidy added it

Strangely heartbreaking bio of a man who I would like to have met. Have massive respect for the drive and determination of the man One of the best bios I have read in a long time. Must look up his films.

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