Sal Mineo: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel (1999)

Stars:

Carroll Baker, Michael Bassino, Peter Bogdanovich

On the night of February 12, 1976, a scream is heard from a West Hollywood, California, apartment concourse, and the body of a 37-year-old male is discovered, the victim of a stab wound. Newspaper headlines launch the "little-remembered" victim into a newfound fame, a fame which he has been attempting to restore since the death of a friend, which had created his star many years earlier....

Bob Brown narrates this account of the life and career of actor Sal Mineo, from his 1939 birth, in The Bronx, New York, the third son of Sicilian immigrants Josephine and Salvatore Mineo, Sr., who meet in The Bronx and get along well in spite of sporting completely different personalities, for Josephine's approach is outgoing and forthright, while Salvatore remains rather quiet and timid.

Salvatore, Jr., derives his personality from either parent, as timid yet determined to share his many talents before audiences, as Josephine enrolls Sal at the age of nine, along with his sister, Sabrina, into dancing classes and takes him to acting auditions.

As a result, young Sal lands his first professional acting role on Broadway at age 11, in "The Rose Tattoo." Sal Mineo understudies for the role of the Prince in the Broadway run of "The King and I," starring the legendary Yul Brynner, and advances into the role when the previous performer outgrows the part.

Soon, Sal heads to Hollywood to begin his career in film and on television, when he lobbies for the role of John 'Plato' Crawford (which has already been cast) for "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) .... and is re-cast with Sal, who co-stars with Natalie Wood and James Dean, who mentors the promising Sal during the film's production; and, in the aftermath of James' untimely passing, audiences and critical attention boosts Sal's rising star, lending to him the nickname of "The Switchblade Kid."