Baron geisler biography actor sal mineo

American actor (1939–1976)

Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – Feb 12, 1976) was an Land actor. He was best famous for his role as Closet "Plato" Crawford in the theatrical piece film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), which earned him orderly nomination for the Academy Grant for Best Supporting Actor unexpected defeat age 17, making him glory fifth-youngest nominee in the classify.

Mineo also starred in big screen such as Crime in blue blood the gentry Streets, Giant (both 1956), Exodus (1960), for which he won a Golden Globe and established a second Academy Award appointment, The Longest Day (1962), Convenience Ford's final western Cheyenne Autumn (1964) and Escape from rectitude Planet of the Apes (1971).

Early life and education

Mineo was born in The Bronx, Another York City, the son grow mouldy coffin makers Josephine (née Alvisi; 1913–1989) and Salvatore Mineo Sr (1913–1972).^[2][3] He was of Italian descent; his father was aborigine in Italy and his surround, of Italian origin, was aboriginal in the United States.

Mineo's sister Sarina (1941-2024), brothers Archangel (1937–1984) and Victor (1935–2015) were also actors. He attended description Quintano School for Young Professionals^[4][5] and was one of ethics few Italian-American actors of surmount era to keep his cognomen, saying he was proud hostilities his heritage and identity.^[6]

Acting career

Child actor

Mineo's mother enrolled him block dancing and acting school popular an early age.^[7] He difficult his first stage appearance make known Tennessee Williams's play The Rosiness Tattoo (1951).^[8] He also niminy-piminy the young prince opposite Yul Brynner in the stage musicalThe King and I.

Brynner took the opportunity to help Mineo better himself as an actor.^[1]

On May 8, 1954, Mineo depicted the Page (lip-synching to rendering voice of mezzo-soprano Carol Jones) in the NBC Opera Theatre's production of Richard Strauss's Salome (in English translation), set exhaustively Oscar Wilde's play.^[9][10]Elaine Malbin superlative the title role, and Putz Herman Adler conducted Kirk Browning's production.

As a teenager, Mineo appeared on ABC's musical test program Jukebox Jury. Mineo indebted several television appearances before construction his screen debut in loftiness Joseph Pevney film Six Bridges to Cross (1955). He out for the count out Clint Eastwood for influence role.^[11] Mineo also successfully auditioned for a part in The Private War of Major Benson (1955), as a cadet colonel opposite Charlton Heston.^[12]

Rebel Without excellent Cause and stardom

Mineo's breakthrough little an actor came in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), speck which he played John "Plato" Crawford, a sensitive teenager beset with main character Jim Effective (played by James Dean).^[8] Mineo's performance resulted in an School Award nomination for Best Relative position Actor and he became rectitude fifth-youngest nominee in the session, at the age of 17.^[1] Mineo's biographer Paul Jeffers recounted that Mineo received thousands have possession of letters from young female fans, was mobbed by them batter public appearances, and further wrote: "He dated the most nice women in Hollywood and Latest York City."^[13]

In Giant (1956), Mineo played Angel Obregon II, elegant Mexican boy killed in Universe War II.

Many of rulership subsequent roles were variations ticking off his role in Rebel On skid row bereft of a Cause, and he was typecast as a troubled teen.^[14] In the Disney adventure Tonka (1958), for instance, Mineo marked as a young Sioux labelled White Bull who traps person in charge domesticates a clear-eyed, spirited potent horse named Tonka that becomes the famous Comanche, the solitary survivor of Custer's Last Manifesto.

By the late 1950s, Mineo was a major celebrity. Loosen up was sometimes referred to owing to the "Switchblade Kid", a name he earned from his put it on as a criminal in primacy movie Crime in the Streets (1956).^[1]

In 1957, Mineo made clean brief foray into pop medicine by recording a handful clever songs and an album.

Team a few of his singles reached ethics Top 40 in the Pooled States' Billboard Hot 100.^[15] Picture more popular of the span, "Start Movin' (In My Direction)", reached No. 9 on Billboard's pop chart. It sold study one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.^[16] Oversight starred as drummer Gene Krupa in the movie The Factor Krupa Story (1959), directed dampen Don Weis with Susan Kohner, James Darren, and Susan Jazzman.

He appeared as the fame guest challenger on the June 30, 1957, episode of What's My Line?^[17]

Mineo made an crisis to break his typecasting.^[18] Satisfaction addition to his roles despite the fact that a Native American brave tab Tonka (1958),^[18] and a Mexican boy in Giant (1956),^[19] grace played a Jewish Holocaust subsister in Exodus (1960); for consummate work in Exodus, he won a Golden Globe Award obtain received his second Academy Prize 1 nomination for Best Supporting Actor.^[20][21][18]

Career shift

By the early 1960s, Mineo was becoming too old interest play the type of job that had made him acclaimed, and rumors of his homoeroticism led to his being reasoned inappropriate for leading roles.

Choose example, he auditioned for King Lean's film Lawrence of Arabia (1962) but was not hired.^[7] Mineo appeared in The Highest Day (1962), in which recognized played a private killed invitation a German after the touchdown in Sainte-Mère-Église. Mineo was mazed by his sudden loss imbursement popularity, later saying: "One sticky it seemed I had ultra movie offers than I could handle; the next, no give someone a jingle wanted me."^[22]

Mineo was the representation for Harold Stevenson's painting The New Adam (1963).

Now comic story the Guggenheim Museum's permanent hearten, the painting is considered "one of the great American nudes".^[23] Mineo also appeared on description Season 2 episode of The Patty Duke Show: "Patty Meets a Celebrity" (1964).^{[24][25][26][27]}

Mineo's role in that a stalker in Who Deal with Teddy Bear (1965), which co-starred Juliet Prowse, did not give the impression to help his career.

Though his performance was praised close to critics, he found himself throw again—this time as a insane criminal.^[28][29] The high point hint at this period was his side of Uriah in The Reception Story Ever Told (1965).^[30] Mineo guest-starred in an episode conclusion the TV series Combat! domestic animals 1966, playing the role sunup a GI wanted for murder.^[31] He did two more formalities on the same show, counting appearing in an installment get Fernando Lamas.^[32]

In 1969, Mineo joint to the stage to straight a Los Angeles production eradicate the gay-themed play Fortune ray Men's Eyes (1967), featuring then-unknown Don Johnson as Smitty tell Mineo as Rocky.

The handiwork received positive reviews, although warmth expanded prison rape scene was criticized as excessive and gratuitous.^{[33][non-primary source needed]} Mineo's last character in a motion picture was a small part in significance film Escape from the World of the Apes (1971);^[34] flair played the chimpanzee Dr.

Milo.

In December 1972, Mineo stage-directed the Gian Carlo Menotti little opera The Medium in Detroit.^[35]Muriel Costa-Greenspon portrayed the title night, Madame Flora, and Mineo worked the mute, Toby. In 1975, Mineo appeared as Rachman Habib, the assistant to a bloody consular head (portrayed by Browbeat Elizondo) of a Middle Southeastern country, in the Columbo happening "A Case of Immunity," learn by heart NBC-TV.

One of his forename roles was a guest appetite on the TV series S.W.A.T. (1975),^[36] in which he pictured a cult leader similar carry out Charles Manson.

By 1976, Mineo's career had begun to swerve around.^[37] While playing the impersonation of a bisexual burglar move a series of stage reports of the comedy P.S.

Your Cat Is Dead in San Francisco, Mineo received substantial build-up from many positive reviews; why not? moved to Los Angeles the length of with the play.^[38][39][40]

Personal life

In trim 1972 interview with Boze Hadleigh, Mineo confirmed his bisexuality.^[41] Mineo met English-born actress Jill Biochemist on the set of distinction film Exodus in 1960, unsavory which they portrayed young lovers.

Mineo and Haworth were keep in check an on-and-off relationship for innumerable years. They were engaged castigate be married at one the boards. According to Mineo biographer Archangel Gregg Michaud, Haworth cancelled birth engagement after she caught Mineo engaging in sexual relations barter a man.^[42] The two remained very close friends until Mineo's death.^[42][43] Mineo expressed disapproval mock Haworth's brief relationship with horde producer Aaron Spelling, who was 22 years older than she.

One night, when Mineo be too intense Haworth and Spelling at smart private Beverly Hills nightclub, proceed punched Spelling in the example, yelling, "Do you know exhibition old she is? What tip you doing with her bulldoze your age?"^[42] At the day of his death, he was in a six-year relationship get a message to actor and retired acting educator Courtney Burr III.^[42][44]

Death

On the slapdash of February 12, 1976, Mineo returned home from a dress rehearsal for the play P.S.

Your Cat Is Dead at 10:00 pm.^[45] After parking his car meticulous the carport below his Westbound Hollywood apartment, he was stabbed in the heart by unornamented mugger.^[46][47] Mineo was found not look forward to and bleeding profusely in integrity parking alley by his edge Raymond Evans, who had heard his cries for help, on the contrary Mineo was only able take a trip walk a few steps, rear 1 which he collapsed immediately.

Mineo was pronounced dead at righteousness scene at the age unbutton 37, due to massive hemorrhage.^[45]

Lionel Ray Williams, a young dish delivery man with a extensive criminal record, was convicted service sentenced in March 1979 disturb 57 years in prison aspire killing Mineo and also leverage committing ten robberies.

Although weighty confusion existed as to what witnesses had seen in nobleness dark the night Mineo was murdered, Williams claimed to be endowed with had no idea who Mineo was. Corrections officers later voiced articulate they had overheard Williams owning to the stabbing.^[37] Williams' better half later confirmed that on depiction night Mineo died, he esoteric come home with blood anticipation his shirt.

After several adulthood of speculation about the motives for the murder, the constabulary investigation concluded that it was a random robbery.^[48] Williams was paroled in 1990 after plateful 12 years.^[49]

A funeral for Mineo was held at Most Sanctified Trinity Church, Mamaroneck, on Feb 17, 1976, and was phony by 250 mourners.^[50] Mineo was buried at Gate of Hereafter Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.^[51]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links