Super Sal

Sal Mineo is one of my favourite actors, but I am afraid that his life was more interesting than some of his movies. He seems to have charted the same course as Liberace - from square to hipster, from the closet to the freedom of the open air.

For example, take a look at this picture from the 1950s - it reminds me of Sal's role in Rebel Without A Cause, where he played a high school student who went to class wearing a tie!



Before his death, he moved on to this groovier look (and groovier acting roles - some of which were very brave in directly dealing with gay themes in those dark days).

His brief life mirrored his times in its quest for a more honest way to live, a more truer way to be.

Viva Liberace!

One of my favorite musicians is Liberace. The man and his music radiates such a positive energy. I love the story of his life -- it is the story of an individual finding his voice and then using it to shout to the whole world.

Here is an early photo of Liberace. It is from the 1950s and is an image of the dull, conservative ethos of that time:

Black & white is so right for this look.

But by the end of his career, he had changed into this:

Isn't this better -- in every way. He is so free and colourful in this photo -- like a butterfly emerging from a boring, grey cocoon.

But Liberace's music was never boring. It always has bright tempos and shining tones -- the gayest music of its time!