#sal mineo: a biography

[revolutioncomeand-die]

A friendly reminder of Sal Mineo's charming love history with actor Courtney Burr III: 

[…] the whole adventure that the two of us had—a lot of ups and downs, but that's life. That makes that whole story; it just doesn't go smoothly. There were a lot of different things in it. But it was tremendous. I wouldn't trade a minute of it for any type of success. It was really great. And the two of us got to grow as young men and as young gay men at the same time. Me because I was only 21 and I'd sort of just come away from school and parents and everything, and Sal because he was still adjusting to his sexuality even though he was 30—but he'd been out for a while. But it was funny because I looked so young and he liked the idea that he was the corruptor and I said, "Sal—I've been out longer than you have!" So I sort of played the angel.

—Courtney Burr III via https://www.boyculture.com/boy_culture/2011/04/the-twinkie-defense-an-interview-with-courtney-burr.html

[alex51324]

Went to some effort to dig this post up, because it encapsulates why I'm so disappointed in Izzy's S2 ending. Let's look at the crucial bit again:

Izzy Hands is obsessed with Blackbeard in a way that, if the plan was to steer this ship towards heteronormativity, absolutely has to also be either villain-coded or tragic. In a "straight” (in multiple senses) narrative, the only two ways the story can end are if he either becomes the antagonist and is defeated, or accepts that the protagonist's relationship with the love interest is more important than his feelings, happiness, or (often) life, and sacrifices himself so that the object of his devotion can ride off into a sunset of (heterosexually) married bliss. “That, but the love interest is also a dude!" is okay, but it's not what my soul wants.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic that we get to see same-sex love as central and celebrated, but I still want to know more about the guy whose feelings the story itself tells us are weird and unacceptable.  What compels me to get into the sandbox and dig around is trying to find a way that the ending can be happy for him, too.  

"That, but the love interest is a dude" is exactly what we got.

My first, and formative, tragic queer-coded character was Sal Mineo as Plato in Rebel Without A Cause. James Dean plays a somewhat-troubled teenager making a new start at a new high school. He immediately makes friends with The Weird Kid (Mineo; the overt in-universe explanation for his troubledness is that his parts are divorced, but it's obvious he's crushing hard on James Dean's character) and a popular girl who has some struggles of her own (Natalie Wood).

Mineo and Dean were expressly and explicitly directed to play their scenes together with the same sort of energy as the scenes between Dean and Wood, BTW. The quote, which appears in multiple biographies of Dean is, "Look at him (Mineo) the same way you look at Nat."

We get some scenes of the teenagers clashing with authority and generally palling around, both as the two couples (Dean/Wood and Dean/Mineo) and as a trio. Eventually Mineo's character gets a little too intense--he invites Dean's character over for a sleepover, and starts talking about how he wants him to teach him how to hunt and fish--and James Dean sort of laughs it off, and we see him getting a bit more explicitly romantic toward Natalie Wood.

Plato runs off to the planetarium (the location of an earlier scene), having stolen a handgun from his mother's nightstand drawer. Dean and Wood somehow figure out where he's gone and (subtextually) that he's probably suicidal. They find him in the (closed for the night) planetarium, going on about "man alone" (a callback to the earlier scene).

They start to talk him down, as the police arrive at the planetarium (where they are, you know, technically breaking-and-entering). The three teens come out with their hands up, but one of the policemen sees Plato's gun. Dean yells that he took the bullets, but the police shoot Plato dead. James Dean covers the body with his iconic red jacket--a symbol of adolescence and rebellion--and accepts his father's sportscoat in return.

The surviving teens are released to the custody of their parents, and we end on Dean and Wood, now framed as a stable, mature, heterosexual couple, having left troubled little Plato behind.

Anyway, this movie had a big impact on me when I saw it as a teenager. Hadn't thought of it in years, but it popped right into my mind after That Finale.

It's the same story--the weird little queer gets shot, more-or-less by accident, and in doing so frees up the main character to move forward. There's a bit of touching symbolism with the body and its accoutrements. The big difference is that James Dean is stepping into his future with Nathan instead of Natalie.

And that fucking sucks. Blah-blah-blah about how that's progress, but my queer little heart is still waiting for the ending where someone picks Sal Mineo up off the ground and takes him home, too.

(Note: It's possible some details from the movie are not 100% accurate; I decided not to look up an actual synopsis, because the point is the impression it made on me.)

Our Flag Means Death and the Appeal of Izzy Hands

This is a thing that came up in the comments of my new fic, and I’m bringing it over here for a wider audience.  

Briefly, the appeal of Izzy Hands is that, if this were a hetero show, he would be the queer character (hat tip to kitewithfish for this phrasing).  

Decades-if-not-centuries of media where queerness can only ever been subtextual have taught us to look for our stories around the edges of the main plot.  And Izzy’s unspoken, queer-in-multiple-senses devotion to Blackbeard is exactly that type of story. 

Izzy Hands is obsessed with Blackbeard in a way that, if the plan was to steer this ship towards heteronormativity, absolutely has to also be either villain-coded or tragic. In a “straight” (in multiple senses) narrative, the only two ways the story can end are if he either becomes the antagonist and is defeated, or accepts that the protagonist’s relationship with the love interest is more important than his feelings, happiness, or (often) life, and sacrifices himself so that the object of his devotion can ride off into a sunset of (heterosexually) married bliss.

“That, but the love interest is also a dude!” is okay, but it’s not what my soul wants.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic that we get to see same-sex love as central and celebrated, but I still want to know more about the guy whose feelings the story itself tells us are weird and unacceptable.  What compels me to get into the sandbox and dig around is trying to find a way that the ending can be happy for him, too.  

If this were, say, 2003, and the canon romance arc was between Ed and, like, Stella Bonnet or whatever, Izzy/Ed would be the slash ship, and we’d all be writing fix-its where Ed takes the relationship skills he learned from Stella and applies them to his relationship with Izzy. I can see the fanart now: Izzy in the outfit Ed wears to the fancy party, Ed leaning toward him (and/or actually kissing, depending on rating) and the caption, “You wear fine things well.”

Granted, this would all have an undercurrent of misogyny that I’m just as glad we can dispense with (and even gladder that we are sometimes managing to avoid even in fandoms where the canon love interest is a woman).  And, repeating for emphasis, the actual, on-screen representation of healthy, happy, queer love is genuinely great.  But, y'know, you can be nostalgic for a thing even if you wouldn’t necessarily want to actually go back to it.

[100gayicons]

Sal Mineo began his acting career as a child, appearing on Broadway in Tennessee Williams' play The Rose Tattoo (1951). The same year he performed opposite Yul Brynner in the musical “The King and I”.

His film acting breakthrough was in “Rebel without a Cause” (1955) where he played a troubled youth obsessed with a friend performed by James Dean. Mineo received his first Oscar nomination for the role.

In the 1950s he was a popular star in many films, and received his second Oscar nomination for his role in “Exodus” (1960).

Mineo met actress Jill Hathorn during the filming of “Exodys”. They had an on again off again relationship - and were briefly engaged. In Mineo’s biography by Michael Michaud, the engagement ended when she caught him with a man. But they remained friends through this life. (Hathorn btw, originated the role of Sally Bowles in the original Broadway production of “Cabaret”.)

In the 1960s, Mineo outgrew the youthful roles that he was best known for. He saw a decline in the roles offered to him.

In the 1960s he appeared frequently on television in supporting roles. Then in 1973, he portrayed Milo the chimpanzee scientist in “Escape from the Planet of the Apes”.

Mineo tried his hand at directing, choosing the drama “Fortune in Men’s Eyes” as his first effort. He costarred with a young Don Johnson in a story about the gritty reality of men in jail. The production was controversial, Mineo added a drag routine by one of the prisoners, and amplified the sexual scenes and nudity. It was a success and additional productions were mounted in New York, San Francisco and Honolulu.

In the 1970 production in San Francisco version Mineo cast Courtney Burr in the role of the young jail victim. Mineo and Burr soon developed a romantic relationship. They were partners for the rest of Mineo’s life. (Although it’s been rumored that Mineo and James Dean had a sexual relationship, Burr has said Mineo did not become sexual with men until later.)

I met Mineo briefly in late 1975 when he starred in the play “P.S. Your Cat is Dead” in San Francisco. Mineo played a bisexual burglary who is tied nude to a kitchen counter for most of the play. (I saw it several times and knew the best spot for get a premium view!) On the last performance in SF,a friend and I shook hands with him backstage, gushing at how much we enjoyed the show. He was very gracious and handsome up close.

Sadly, when “PS” moved to Los Angeles, Sal Mineo was murdered late one night in a parking lot. At first the crime was a mystery with no suspects... but in 1979, prison guards overheard an inmate bragging about the crime. The facts matched up and the inmate was charged and convicted of murdering Sal Mineo.

After Mineo’s death, it was revealed that he was the model for Harold Stevenson’s massive 40 foot long nude painting, “The New Adam” (1963). It is currently owned by and hangs at the Guggenheim Museum.

For an uncensored view, go to:

https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/The-New-Adam/F3C80C4299681001

And there are some fun animated gifs of Sal here:

https://pompeyshead.tumblr.com/post/640980399327166464/manderley-who-killed-teddy-bear-1965

[blackkudos]

Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell (February 16, 1931 – May 6, 2002) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work influenced rock and roll. His compositions include "Fever", recorded by Little Willie John; "Great Balls of Fire" and "Breathless", recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis; "Don't Be Cruel", "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender" (with Winfield Scott), recorded by Elvis Presley; and "Handy Man", recorded by Jimmy Jones.

Biography

Blackwell was born in Brooklyn, New York. He learned to play the piano as a child and grew up listening to both R&B and country music.

His first success was winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater, in Harlem, in 1952. This led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition "Daddy Rolling Stone", which became a favorite in Jamaica, where it was recorded by Derek Martin. The song later became part of the Who's mod repertoire. Enjoying some early recording and performing success, he found his first love was songwriting and by 1955 had settled into the groove that he would ride for decades. His first successes as a songwriter came in 1956, when Little Willie John's R&B hit with the sultry "Fever" was an even bigger pop success for Peggy Lee, and "Don't Be Cruel" began a highly profitable association with Elvis Presley.

Blackwell was one of the leading African-American figures of early rock and roll, although he was not well known by the public. His own records never cracked the Top 40, yet he wrote million-selling songs for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dee Clark and others. He also recruited other songwriters to write for Presley, such as Winfield Scott.

In the liner notes of Elvis' Golden Records (1958), Anne Fulchino, of RCA, wrote,

While sipping coffee, Steve Sholes pulled out a demonstration record of 'Don't Be Cruel' and told Elvis it was a new song written by Otis Blackwell, whom Elvis had long admired as a rhythm and blues artist. It took just a few bars to convince Presley that it was a perfect song for him, and he decided to cut it right away. Presley learned the song within minutes—he had an inherent musical sense—and in short order a great master was put on tape.It isn't often that the title of a song will create a whole new expression in Americana. 'All Shook Up' did exactly that. Youngsters and adults alike have made the phrase a common part of everyday usage. The background to the song itself is a rather interesting one. Since the huge success of 'Don't Be Cruel', Elvis had been anxious to record another song from the pen of Otis Blackwell. Eventually, Blackwell came around with 'All Shook Up' (first recorded by David Hill on Aladdin). Presley wasn't completely satisfied with the song, and with Blackwell's consent re-wrote part of the lyrics. Thus, as co-writer as well as artist, Presley produced his ninth consecutive gold record, his first in the year 1957.

During an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, Blackwell said he never met Presley in person. When he was having a contract dispute with his publishing company, he also wrote under the white-sounding pen name John Davenport. Blackwell composed more than a thousand songs, garnering worldwide sales of close to 200 million records. Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, asked Blackwell to appear in the Presley movie Girls! Girls! Girls!, for which he had written "Return to Sender", but a superstition about meeting Presley kept him from accepting.

In 1956, Blackwell gave "Don't Be Cruel" to friend Frankie Valli's group, the Four Lovers, but as they were recording it he asked to take it back and in turn gave it to the up-and-coming Presley. In exchange for this song he gave them "You're the Apple of My Eye", which became a chart hit for the Four Lovers (Billboard number 64). The song was performed on Ed Sullivan's television show that same year and was probably instrumental in at least shaping events for the group to eventually becoming the Four Seasons. A shortened version of "You're the Apple of My Eye" is also featured in the Broadway show "Jersey Boys".

As the tide of rock and roll receded, Blackwell recorded R&B songs for numerous labels, including Atlantic, MGM and Epic. In later years he was in semi-retirement, making only occasional live appearances.

In the 1980s, Blackwell toured and recorded with the Smithereens as his backing band for both live shows and studio recordings. The partnership produced two self-funded albums, "Let's Talk About Us" and "From the Beginning," which were released independently on Blackwell's ROC-CO imprint.

In 1991, Blackwell was paralyzed by a stroke. Three years later, Shanachie released the album Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell, containing 15 songs written by Blackwell and recorded by the likes of Kris Kristofferson ("All Shook Up"), Blondie's Debbie Harry ("Don't Be Cruel"), the Smithereens ("Let's Talk About Us"), Graham Parker ("Paralyzed"), and Ronnie Spector ("Brace Yourself").

Blackwell died of a heart attack in 2002, in Nashville, Tennessee, and was interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in that city.

Awards and recognitions

Otis Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1991 into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame. Blackwell's crowning moment came in the late 1980s when the Black Rock Coalition, a prominent organization of black rock musicians, led by Vernon Reid, the lead guitarist of the band, Living Colour, held a tribute for him at the Prospect Park Bandshell in his native Brooklyn. Many prominent musicians and singers took part including Blackwell himself, who performed an assortment of his best songs, including "One Broken Heart for Sale," "Back Trail," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Daddy Rolling Stone."

Blackwell was named one of the 2010 recipients of Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This category encompasses those who primarily work behind the scenes in the music industry.

Legacy

Blackwell was one of the greatest R&B songwriters of all time. His songwriting style is as uniquely identifiable as that of Leiber and Stoller, Chuck Berry, or Willie Dixon and helped redefine popular music in America in the 1950s. This is true even though he often collaborated with such partners as Winfield Scott, Eddie Cooley, and Jack Hammer. Blackwell was one of the most important innovators who helped invent the musical vocabulary of rock and roll at its very beginning. His works have been recorded by a host of major artists, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, James Brown, the Who, Johnny Thunders, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, the Judds, Carl Perkins and Peggy Lee, among numerous others. At other times in his career, Blackwell was also successful as a record producer, having helped turn out hits for artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson and Sal Mineo.

Songs

Songs composed by Blackwell, with the performers who made them famous, include the following:

"All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley)

"Don't Be Cruel" (Elvis Presley); inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002

"Fever" as "John Davenport" with Eddie Cooley (Peggy Lee, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998; Little Willie John, Madonna, the McCoys, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Over the Rhine, and numerous other performers).

"Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis); inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998

"Breathless" (Jerry Lee Lewis, X)

"Let's Talk About Us" (Jerry Lee Lewis)

"Hey Little Girl" (Dee Clark)

"Handy Man" (Jimmy Jones, Del Shannon, James Taylor)

"Return to Sender" (Elvis Presley)

"One Broken Heart for Sale"(Elvis Presley)

"Nine Times Out Of Ten" with Waldense Hall (Cliff Richard, Ral Donner)

[angstics]

he was allegedly into men. it isnt like rock hudson, sal mineo, monty clift where they self-identify as gay. there’s a famous quote of the one time he talked about it (“not going through life with one hand tied behind my back”) which turns out not to be real. below the cut is research on the topic from the dissertation “reputation of an american rebel” by l. w. scheibel (2014)

The biography authorized by the James Dean Estate, written by George Perry, attempted to “straighten” his image by asserting, “The belief that he was a homosexual is a persistent myth. The truth is that he was a great experimenter, and that he avidly and almost greedily soaked up all the experiences that life could offer” (216). Dean’s longtime biker friend John Gilmore, best known for his true crime and hard-boiled literature, detailed their “experimentations” with gay sex in his memoirs. Television writer and Dean’s former roommate William Bast described their own sexual relationship, in addition to Dean’s involvement with other men in showbusiness, such as radio producer and television director Rogers Brackett, who helped his career. Biographer Donald Spoto commented, “Dean’s conduct throughout his short life indicates that he was not entirely heterosexual, as even his girlfriends confirmed” (81). Elaborating on Dean’s transgressive sexual practices, he went on to write, “Jimmy became known as something of a dabbler in the varieties of sexual experience; even in the repressed 1950s, it seemed, sex could have a political subtext” (134).

i recently read some work on james dean and it got me thinking about why his image was used by mcr from 2002-2004. (it was on their website, merch (1, 2), banner (1, 2), shirts, even their guitar straps into at least 2007)

it was a pretty big part of who they were. but they *never* talked about why they chose him. i had my theories about him being the epitome of "live fast, die young" and his reputation as a star rebel, and that's probably it. maybe even the "famous living dead", considering the X's. but i hadnt considered james dean's unusual kind of masculinity.

richard dyer briefly talks about dean in comparison to rock hudson in his book "the culture of queers" (2002). comparing acting styles, dyer sees hudson as classic hollywood - straight, stiff, normal - while dean's naturalism "suggests someone ill at ease in the world, marginal and insecure." to dyer, hudson is stable heterosexuality, dean is insecurity associated with homosexuality. i connect this further to how it isn't just stability in sexuality, but in gender performance as well. dean's anxiety is so physical (intense eyebrows, hunched shoulders, flailing and wailing) that it's closely linked to how he's perceived, and how he's perceived as a man. he is insecure in his body, as if he's trying to escape it. he lacks masculine traits such as confidence, emotional stability .. even class (he directly represents this narratively in rebel without a cause). it wasnt the strong masculinity cinema, and dominant culture, favored. deyer also attributes dean's appearance (along with other actors' like monty clift and sal mineo) to othering him from the hudson-gable-cooper dominant masculinity: "physically slight, with intense eyes and pretty faces". many things contribute to the conclusion james dean disrupted dominant masculinity. im reading a book on this rn so im sure there's more to say (the book is gay fandom and crossover stardom by michael deangelis).

sooo i think that out of historical context, dean isnt as much disrupter. pretty much any idiot emo boy wants to act like james dean. he's cool now. but i like reading uneasy masculinity when i see that mychem poster. im not saying it was intentional, but dean's anxiety is the most important aspect of his acting to me. that necessarily translates to his expression, including gender expression. also i trust that film major and hitchcock-tattooed ray toro knows something about rebel without a cause

[alvadee]

I wrote a thing where I compiled everything that directly discusses Victor’s orientation. Mainly because I feel like a crazy person for not really being convinced that he was gay because everyone I see posting about him is so adamant about it (thanks Ryan Murphy) and I want to have a second opinion but I know I have to give you the full picture for that. As best as I can at least.

So to anyone interested enough in my research on that topic who actually reads this post: Please let me know what your opinion is and if I’m crazy! lol

The reason why people seem to believe that Victor was undoubtedly gay is, as far as I can tell, basically because his Wikipedia page makes it seem like that.

Under the short section “Personal Life” you find this alleged quote by him:

"I've heard or read about actors being asked the immortal question, 'Why have you never married?' They answer with the immortal excuse, 'I just haven't found the right girl.' Because I'm on the hefty side, no one's asked me yet. If they do, that's the answer I'll give. After all, if it was good enough for Monty Clift or Sal Mineo." (the two actors referenced were gay (or bi according to some))

The quote is from the book “Fade To Black: A Book Of Movie Obituaries” by Paul Donnely (2003). The book doesn’t give a source for the quote though, so I have no idea when, to whom and in which context he supposedly said this.

Personally I do think he said it because it sounds like him. But for me it reads like one of his many quips instead of a half-joking coming out. After having read many interviews with him and knowing his sense of humor and he himself saying if in doubt people should just assume he’s joking I think he purely intended this as a joke. But that’s my interpretation, others think it was meant seriously.

In the Wikipedia section they also wrote:

“Buono was unusual among gay performers of his era by openly living together with same-sex partners” 

and give as source the book “Behind the screen: How gays and lesbians shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969″ by William Mann (2003). A gay writer who wrote a couple of other things about that topic and specializes in Old Hollywood biographies. I’ve written him a mail a couple of weeks ago, asking where he got his information about Victor from because that genuinely interests me but so far no reply.

The part in his book Wikipedia is referencing is: “More and more of Hollywood’s gays bucked the marriage route of the past two decades and returned to an earlier tradition of living with their same-sex partners: Dick Sargent and his scriptwriter boyfriend; Jack Larson and producer James Bridges; Raymond Burr and Robert Benevides; Victor Buono and a series of young men.”

And that’s all. lol These two blurbs are the reason why nowadays people think he was gay and why Victor was portrayed on Ryan Murphy’s “Feud” the way he was and even got a scene where he blows a guy in a gay movie theater.

Funnily enough Wikipedia still has this at the end of his “Personal Life” section though:

“Despite his weight, Victor Buono was known to be a playboy according to the commentary on the DVD edition of Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte“

The commentary was done by a film historian. I don’t have the DVD but I saw it discussed in a movie forum and the “playboy” is meant in a straight sense, as in with the ladies.

Now lets move on to what I found during my research on the topic of his love life and orientation.

First the facts. Victor never married. He never presented a woman as his girlfriend officially to the public and as far as I know he didn’t do so in private either. (He took women as dates to parties and galas though) And no credible source ever claimed they knew who he had been dating, man or woman. No one has ever claimed to have seen him with a man that could have been his lover or partner. 

Moving on. From all the friends and co-workers who ever spoke and wrote about Victor, these are the only people I could find so far who even commented on the topic of his orientation:

-Actress Diane McBain who starred with Victor in “Savage Season” (1971). Besides writing about how great Victor was and what a wonderful time they had hanging out together in Mexico, she said: “I never decided if he was gay or straight. He didn’t seem particularly interested in women or men. In fact, in one of our many conversations, he called himself “very self-sufficient”. “

-Gay fiction author Victor J. Banis mentions Victor when he talks about which celebrities he encountered at which (gay) bars: “Victor Buono liked the bar at the Gallery Inn, on Santa Monica Boulevard, and was about as pleasant a drinking companion as you could ask for, smart, funny, and unpretentious. We passed many a rainy afternoon sipping the grape and discussing old movies and stars.”

- Mark Rothman, a writer who worked together with Victor three times on TV shows. He just wrote in a 2017 blog post after watching “Feud” that he would have never guessed that Victor was gay and that he had the feeling “that he never flounced it, or minced it in public, particularly in 1962. A far less tolerant time. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to portray him this way. I’m just sayin’…”.  

- Ron Miller wrote the book “You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet! Interviews with Stars from Hollywood’s Golden Era” (2017), he interviewed Victor in 1965 and wrote in the afterword of the interview: “Buono never married and often gave whimsical answers when asked about it. Some sources say he was openly gay, but others say he liked women. Let’s just say that he didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he never “got the girl” on screen and draw our own conclusions about why.”

-This is a source from a movie message board I would usually not include because it is basically anonymous and hence not a credible source but I think in this case it might be credible. Because nowhere online does it ever say that Victor and Peggy Kellner were dating or even good friends. I only know that because Victor’s nephew told me how important she was in his life. Even if what the commenter said is not true, they must have lived in Victor’s area or known Victor or Peggy:

-There’s also Ken Clarke, who wrote in his memoirs “Confessions of a Banjo Picker” (2011) that Victor and him were good friends for ten years and traveled a lot together, as well as occasionally worked together. He wrote: “I never saw him hit on anyone. Not a man, not a woman. I just assumed that he didn’t have any sexual interest in either, even though he had been touted around Hollywood as being a “ladie’s man”.” 

But he also wrote this about his last visit in Victor’s home

Yeah... that’s wild if true. I don’t know what to make of it. I see no reason why he should have made it up but it sounds a bit out of character for Victor. I sent the pages to Victor’s nephew Wayne and he only said he thinks Ken is a fraud.

I am currently talking to Ken but we haven’t discussed this topic yet but of course I will try to ask him about it.

Now I want to talk about what Wayne, Victor’s nephew, told me in our long interview.

He lived with Victor for several years during the 60s. According to him Victor’s family never never asked or discussed Victor about his orientation and no one saw or ever met any partner of his. And his family lived with him most of the time. Victor was the breadwinner of the family since his father went to prison in 1958 and in the 60s his mother, brother, a boy taken in by the family and Wayne lived in his big household. Though Wayne and the other boy didn’t live with them the entire decade as far as I know, just a couple of years. And in the 70s I know that at least his mother was still living with Victor. When he later had a ranch he built a house for her too. Of course Victor was often shooting or on tour and hence stayed in hotels. But overall the lack of privacy makes the notion that he ever lived with a partner unnoticed by his family impossible.

Wayne also gave me his notes about Victor from when he talked with his “Uncle Tony”, the boy I mentioned, who had been taken in by the Buono family, on the phone a couple of years ago (he has since passed) :

-Tony observed at first meeting Victor C. that he showed strong signs of being gay at 15 years old.”

– “Then around the time Victor C. turned 18 years old he had a secure friendship with Jonathan McMurtry, whom Tony said was gay as well.”

Wayne also said he had tried to contact McMurtry to talk about his and Victor’s friendship but got no reply. Of course I looked him up too. He’s still alive and acting, He’s also married to a woman and has a daughter... I didn’t find a way to contact him either.

Victor wasn’t the type to have many close friends but Wayne told me that the only female best friend he truly cherished had been Peggy Kellner. They became friends in the late 50s when Victor would help her out in the costume shop of the Old Globe and remained close friends until Victor’s untimely death at 43. Peggy was for over twenty years the costume and set designer at the Old Globe Theater where Victor got his start and later became a university professor. Around 1960 she was briefly married but got divorced after two years because her and her husband didn’t have time for each other due to their work. She remained unmarried lived alone until her death in 1997.

I told Wayne that someone online had claimed that Victor and Peggy had been dating, he said that he had visited Peggy at her home with Victor a couple of times and his impression was that it was a platonic relationship.

I had asked why Wayne was so certain that Victor was gay even though there’s basically no proof for it (as in any tangible information). He basically answered that it just was his impression of Victor. I also asked if he would say that Victor had been in or out of the closet and he said “neither”. 

Wayne seems to be the only one in the direct, still living family with that opinion. If the family members disagree because they truly think it isn’t true or because they’re just old and homophobic I don’t know of course. Victor’s still living, younger brother David is convinced that Victor was straight. He and Wayne even had an argument about that.

And lastly I’m gonna talk about how Victor presented himself and what he said on that topic.

The only instance I could find yet where he was directly asked why he wasn’t married was in a long article about him in the “Castle Of Frankenstein” magazine from 1966 (when he was 28), he replied:

“As wrapped up in theatre as I am, no matter who I married -and I haven’t anyone in mind- I’d feel like a bigamist.”

I can only add that Victor was indeed always busy and loved spending 90% of his time being involved with his craft.

In interviews, on TV or in newspapers and magazines, he always acted straight. Not that he presented himself as a playboy in anyway. In his comedy material he himself pointed out that being fat means you’re not considered dating material for a lot of people. But he did say several times that he and fat men in general are great lovers, that he appreciates female beauty but thinks the character is more more important and that he’s open and willing to date. In general he talked very little about his own love life or women he found attractive but when these topics where brushed in conversations he gave answers that implied he liked women.

What I’m trying to summarize is that Victor never tried to overcompensate and appear like a womanizer but he also never said anything that implied in anyway that he wasn’t straight.

The only times he brushed the topic of homosexuality in conversation was in 1972 where he said regarding to roles that he’d like to play: 

“Maybe Lear some day. I’d love to do Oscar Wilde if and when a play is written about a poet-dramatist who was a homosexual instead of a homosexual who wrote in his spare time.

and in 1978 when he appeared in the play “Dracula” as Van Helsing and he described the story as “a simple tale of homosexuality”.

The only time he ever said something concrete about his relationship status and who he was with was in December of 1969, in an interview for a newspaper that he gave after one of his Christmas themed one-man shows in front of a Women’s club:

Obviously he did not end up marrying but I’m fairly certain the “attractive young designer from Arizona” was Peggy Kellner. Since she was a designer and from Tucson Arizona. If she wasn’t meant I have no other guess who he could have referred to.

And lastly here’s what I think about all of that.

When I started to research Victor I thought he was gay. That’s what his Wikipedia page said after all. Only when I read more about Victor and realized that that he had not been out publicly (or privately) and that there were no gay rumors about him during his lifetime, that there was no trace of any male lover or partner and that some stuff contradicted itself (like that he supposedly lived with a series of young men, yet his family always lived with him) that I wondered if he was definitely gay after all.

I can’t shake my impression that the fact that people don’t officially know if he had been with women means for most that he had to have been with men. Since there’s nothing in-between... I think a reason I feel like that is because I’m ace and know how others would most likely misinterpret my orientation because I’m not dating. 

If what Ken Clarke wrote in his memoirs is true then there’s obviously no question that Victor was gay and he was just extremely secretive and private about it towards everyone. Which would have been a feat.

If it’s not really true then I’d say I personally think it was quite likely that Victor was ace or bi (or pan). Ace because because we don’t know anything about any partner (except the women he apparently wanted to marry in 1969) and maybe that’s because there really wasn’t anyone or only very few. And I was amazed that Diane McBain and Ken Clarke both basically had the impression that he wasn’t interested in anyone.

Bi (or pan) because gay rumors often have some truth to them. But if we take the unlikely claim seriously that he had many gay lovers we should also take the claim seriously that he was a ladies’ man. 

I guess I personally will only find peace when I find something concrete. It doesn’t even have to be a name. Just someone who worked with him who’s like “oh yeah, of course, I was in this play with Victor and he was dating this one manager”. I mean there were a lot of gay actors during the 60s and 70s who had to keep their orientation a secret. Raymond Burr even made up ex-wifes and children he didn’t have to keep a straight image for the public, which he did successfully. Yet we still now today all about his long term partner and details about their life together. I find it a tad strange that there’s basically nothing to find about Victor. 

The only name of a potential romantic partner I have is Peggy Kellner so far. That’s why their relationship gets more credibility from me for now.

[alvadee]

I think there is a good chance Victor was gay, or at least also interested in men, but I find it super annoying that 90% of this assumption is based on his quote: “I've heard or read about actors being asked the immortal question, 'Why have you never married?' They answer with the immortal excuse, 'I just haven't found the right girl.' Because I'm on the hefty side, no one's asked me yet. If they do, that's the answer I'll give. After all, if it was good enough for Monty Clift or Sal Mineo.” which you can find on his wikipedia page in the very short section about his personal life. 

First of all, we have no clue in which context it was said. I have found it in two books, neither give a context to whom and why he said it or which year. But one of the books was a collection of quotes where celebrities where shading other celebrities and there the quote was definitely intended as a witty comment on Sal Mineo’s and Monty Clift’s sexuality instead of actually being about Victor himself (the two actors are often called gay, even though they were most likely bi, at least that seems to be the consens nowaday). Also if you read interviews with Victor and know his sense of humor the quote feels more like one of his typical quips than a confession. 

And since he was never publicly out and even in interviews in the 70s implied he was attracted to women if doesn’t make much sense that he would make such a contradicting public statment that is meant to be taken seriously.

Again, there’s a good chance he was gay, I don’t deny that. One book says he openly lived together with a series of young men and that he was a playboy (but the book doesn’t get more specific than that and gives no source either and my expirience as a Marilyn Monroe fan makes me take this with a big grain of salt, it also contradicts what i know (that even close friends didn’t know he had partners or who they were and that most of the time close family members lived in his household, i guess it’s still possible though). Another book by a gay author mentions which gay bar Victor apparently liked but the author only says that he and Victor would often discuss movies and art there while having a drink, no further info on his dating habits.

There’s also a biography by someone who says he was friends with Victor for a decade (late 60s to late 70s) and that in all that time he never saw him dating or generally being romantically involved with anyone and that when Victor told him when he was 39 that he thought about coming out of the closet and the friend  responded basically with “good for you! i thought you were asexual at best”, it enraged Victor so much he threw him out of the house and ended their friendship. He then says he suspects Victor reacted like that because he was secretly in love with him. And tbh that sounds so wild and out of character I have a hard time believing that’s exactly what happened but that’s what he wrote.

So basically, there’s evidence when you search for it but that quote certainly ain’t none. And people seem to forget as so often that besides gay and straight people can be bi, pan or ace too.

Anyway, the evidence for him liking women is the vague statment that he was a playboy I saw echoed by older people a couple of times but without a source, his own words in several interviews and some people who say they knew him who claim he was straight. One even gave a name of his supposed last girlfriend which is a woman who I know was close to him and one family member called “his closest female friend” and you can only know that name when you actually are from Victor’s circles in San Diego so it sounds pretty believeable to me. 

His relatives who have posted about him online have also never referenced his sexual orientation (but they have watched his portrayal in Feud). His nephew only said that he had lived with Victor for several years in the 60s as a teen and implied that he didn’t witness any of his romantic life during his stay there. And I haven’t found any co-actor or confirmed friend of his who ever commented or questioned his sexual orientation, back in the 60/70s or now.

The book “You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet: Interviews with Stars from Hollywood's Golden Era” has a nice interview with Victor in it and part of the afterword reads: “Buono never married and often gave whimsical answers when asked about it. Some sources say he was gay, but others say he liked women. Let’s just say that he didn’t seem bothered by the fact he never “got the girl” onscreen and draw our own conclusions about why.” 

Which tbh is my conclusion too from what I’ve read so far. Victor was certainly not publicly out as people seem to think now after watching Feud and it seems that if he was gay he wasn’t even out to people close to him. Which again, makes his Sal Mineo and Monty Clift quote probably a joke.

[angstics]

This got a little long but literally before opening Tumblr and seeing this post, I was reading a Jimmy Dean biography & watching East of Eden. A little bit of a fixation rn.

In the film, Jim and Judy are always "the" heterosexual couple. AFAIR, Plato is never seen wanting Judy -- he has a far stronger relationship with Jim. That's who he constantly goes after. So that leads analysts to wonder, what is Plato's role in the story if this isnt a conventional love triangle? There's only 2 real possibilities as a "third". 1. if the couple are textually play acting as a married couple, then Plato could be play acting as their child. He certainly acts younger despite all of them being unstable high schoolers (also helped by Sal Mineo (and Wood btw) being ~7 yrs younger than Dean). 2. If Judy isnt his love interest and he seems to be more interested in Jim, then maybe there is a love triangle, with Jim in the middle.

There's textual scenes & BTS incidents that prove the queer reading btwn Plato and Jim are not only a part of the film, but INTENDED on the part of director Nick Ray & the actors (but seemingly not the screenwriter?). Documented in the book "Live fast, die young: the wild ride of making Rebel without a cause" (x). Mineo had an infatuation for Dean which he's talked about ("It's only years later that I understood I was incredibly in love with him" in 1976 [x]), which also plays into queer readings since it seems quite obvious (the screen tests, the photos, the accounts of how they rehearsed: "Dean asked Ray to 'tell Sal Mineo to look at me the way Natalie looks at me.'" [x]).

Sometimes analysts see it as both romantic and parental -- bc they can. Rebel conflates lover-parent dynamics in mostly a symbolic way -- Judy and Jim are the couple but Judy takes care of them both; Jim takes care of them both... why? There's a textual connection too in relation to Natalie Wood's character and her father, but that's a panic surrounding familial father-daughter love rather than sexual.

Figures: Judy takes care of them both ^

This relationship is explained by Michael DeAngelis in his book "Gay fandom and crossover stardom: James Dean, Mel Gibson, and Keanu Reeves" (2001, x):

It becomes impossible to deny the allusions to the Madonna image, and in comparison with the traditional configurations of the nuclear family, this variation would seem to be polymorphously perverse: Judy becomes both mother and lover to the man [Jim] whom she perceives as both the ideal lover and father; Jim is portrayed both as Judy’s son and as mother to Plato, and if the mysterious conflations of desire and filiation between Judy and Jim are extended to the two men, Plato also perceives Jim as both the ideal father and the perfect lover. Within the utopic space of the mansion, however, the binaries and polarizations of gender and sexuality, and the ‘‘proper’’ assignment of these variables between mother and father, become neutralized in relationships of equivalence and tolerance. The configuration of the triad thus transcends a description as simply homosexual, heterosexual, filial, or incestuous—it need not be any single one of the above, and yet it harbors the potential to function as all. (pg 54)

Then:

Although this intrusion permanently disbands the triad and forces them to leave their place of safety, in the process drawing Jim and Judy closer together as a heterosexual couple, Jim fails to confirm the police’s characterization of Plato as the threatening, pathological menace who must be fired back at. ‘‘He needs us,’’ Jim asserts, and when Judy attempts to qualify his statement with ‘‘he needed you maybe, but so do I, Jim,’’ he returns, ‘‘He needs you, too.... He wanted to make us a family. I guess he just wanted us to be like his...." (pg 56)

To put it in perspective, DeAngelis later connects this to something John Gilmore (a friend/sexual partner of James Dean's) wrote in his 1975 biography on Dean: "Eventually I was to feel as though I were mother, brother, lover to him, and that there were only Dean and myself and no others in the whole world...." (pg 113)

I’m reading this analysis of Rebel without a Cause and it keeps saying Jim and Judy have a sort of parental relationship with Plato. I’ve never seen the movie but isn’t it famous for being queer?

[blackkudos]

Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell (February 16, 1931 – May 6, 2002) was an African-American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock and roll. His compositions include Little Willie John's "Fever", Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" and "Breathless", Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel", "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender" (with Winfield Scott), and Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man". He should not be confused with another songwriter and producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell.

Biography

Otis Blackwell was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, and died in Nashville, Tennessee. He learned piano as a child and grew up listening to both R&B and country music.

He first became famous by winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York in 1952, led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition "Daddy Rolling Stone" which became a favorite in Jamaica where it was recorded by Derek Martin. The song later became part of The Who's Mod repertoire. Enjoying some early recording and performing success, he found his first love was songwriting and by 1955 had settled into the groove that he would ride for decades. His first successes came in 1956 when Little Willie John's R&B hit with the sultry "Fever" was an even bigger pop success for Peggy Lee. Then, "Don't Be Cruel" began a highly profitable association with Elvis Presley.

Blackwell was one of the leading African American figures of early rock 'n' roll, although he was not well known by the public. His own records never cracked the Top 40, yet he wrote million-selling songs for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dee Clark and others. He also recruited other songwriters to write for Presley such as Winfield Scott.

From the jacket liner notes of the Elvis' Golden Records (1958) Anne Fulchino from Radio Corporation of America wrote:

"While sipping coffee, Steve Sholes pulled out a demonstration record of "Don't Be Cruel" and told Elvis it was a new song written by Otis Blackwell, whom Elvis had long admired as a rhythm and blues artist. It took just a few bars to convince Presley that it was a perfect song for him, and he decided to cut it right away. Presley learned the song within minutes—he has an inherent musical sense—and in short order a great master was put on tape. It isn't often that the title of a song will create a whole new expression in Americana. "All Shook Up" did exactly that. Youngsters and adults alike have made the phrase a common part of everyday usage. The background to the song itself is a rather interesting one. Since the huge success of "Don't Be Cruel", Elvis had been anxious to record another song from the pen of Otis Blackwell. Eventually, Blackwell came around with "All Shook Up (first recorded by David Hill on Aladdin) ." Presley wasn't completely satisfied with the song, and with Blackwell's consent re-wrote part of the lyrics. Thus, as co-writer as well as artist, Presley produced his ninth consecutive gold record, his first in the year 1957."

During an appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," Blackwell said he'd never met Presley in person. When he was having a contract dispute with his publishing company, he also wrote under the white-sounding pen-name of "John Davenport", Throughout his lifetime, Blackwell composed more than a thousand songs, garnering worldwide sales of close to 200 million records. Colonel Tom Parker, manager of Elvis asked Otis to appear in the Presley movie Girls! Girls! Girls!, for which he had written "Return to Sender," but the superstition about meeting Elvis kept him from accepting.

In 1956 Blackwell first gave "Don't Be Cruel" to friend Frankie Valli's group The Four Lovers but as they were recording it he asked to take it back and in turn gave it to an up-and-coming Elvis Presley. In exchange for this song he gave them "You're The Apple Of My Eye" which became a chart hit for the Four Lovers (Billboard #64). The song was performed on the Ed Sullivan show that same year and was probably instrumental in at least shaping events for the group to eventually becoming The Four Seasons. A shortened version of "You're The Apple Of My Eye" is also featured in the Broadway show "Jersey Boys".

As the tide of rock 'n' roll receded, Blackwell recorded R&B material for numerous labels including Atlantic, MGM and Epic. In later years he was in semi-retirement, making only occasional live appearances. Otis Blackwell is the grandfather of Torian Brown.

During the 1980s, Blackwell toured and recorded with The Smithereens as his backing band for both live shows and studio recordings.The partnership produced two self-funded albums, "Let's Talk About Us" and "From The Beginning," which were released independently on Blackwell's ROC-CO imprint.

In 1991, Blackwell was left paralyzed by a stroke. Three years later, Shanachie released Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell. The album features 15 Blackwell-penned tracks recorded by the likes of Kris Kristofferson ("All Shook Up"), Blondie's Debbie Harry ("Don't Be Cruel"), The Smithereens ("Let's Talk About Us"), Graham Parker ("Paralyzed"), and Ronnie Spector ("Brace Yourself"). Otis Blackwell died in 2002 of a heart attack and was interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.

Awards and recognitions

Otis Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1991 into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame. Blackwell's crowning moment came in the late 1980s when the Black Rock Coalition, a prominent organization of black rock musicians, led by Vernon Reid, the lead guitarist of the band, Living Colour, held a tribute for him at the Prospect Park Bandshell in his native Brooklyn. Many prominent musicians and singers took part including Blackwell himself, who performed an assortment of his best songs, including "One Broken Heart for Sale," "Black Trail," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Daddy Rolling Stone."

Blackwell was named one of the 2010 recipients of Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This category encompasses those who primarily work behind the scenes in the music industry.

Legacy

Otis Blackwell was one of the greatest R&B songwriters of all time. His songwriting style is as uniquely identifiable as that of Leiber and Stoller, Chuck Berry, or Willie Dixon and helped redefine popular music in America in the 1950s. This is true even though he often collaborated with such partners as Winfield Scott, Eddie Cooley, and Jack Hammer. Blackwell was one of the most important innovators who helped invent the musical vocabulary of rock & roll at its very beginning. Blackwell's works have been recorded into immortality by a host of other major figures in the record field, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, James Brown, The Who, Johnny Thunders, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, The Judds, Carl Perkins and Peggy Lee, among numerous others. At other times in his career, Blackwell has also been successful as a record producer, having helped turn out hits with artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson and Sal Mineo.

Songs

Songs he composed, with the performer who made them famous, include:

"All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley)

"Don't Be Cruel" (Elvis Presley); inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002

"Fever" as "John Davenport" with Eddie Cooley (Peggy Lee inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, Little Willie John, Madonna, The McCoys, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Over the Rhine, and countless other performers).

"Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis); inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998

"Breathless" (Jerry Lee Lewis and X)

"Hey Little Girl" (Dee Clark)

"Handy Man" (Jimmy Jones, Del Shannon, James Taylor)

"Return to Sender" (Elvis Presley)

"One Broken Heart for Sale"(Elvis Presley)

Wikipedia

[froody]

lollipop and the double heart emojis

🍭 What’s a headcanon/theory you have about your special interest?I think Andy definitely had moderate to severe anxiety and was on the autism spectrum. This isn’t a personal belief to me but some people will still fight you to say he was “just weird” and not actually facing and overcoming personal challenges. To find someone so great who had similar mental/physically problems to me really gives me courage.

💕 What’s your fav thing about your special interest? Andy shows up everywhere. I’ve been reading every piece of material I could on him for 3 years and I’m still finding out things I didn’t know. He’s like a footnote in everyone’s biography. He did everything, saw everything and spoke to everyone. Did you know he met Sal Mineo?

[blackkudos]

Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell (February 16, 1931 – May 6, 2002) was an African-American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock and roll. His compositions include Little Willie John's "Fever", Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" and "Breathless", Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel", "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender" (with Winfield Scott), and Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man". He should not be confused with another songwriter and producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell.

Biography

Otis Blackwell was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, and died in Nashville, Tennessee. He learned piano as a child and grew up listening to both R&B and country music.

He first became famous by winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York in 1952, led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition "Daddy Rolling Stone" which became a favorite in Jamaica where it was recorded by Derek Martin. The song later became part of The Who's Mod repertoire. Enjoying some early recording and performing success, he found his first love was songwriting and by 1955 had settled into the groove that he would ride for decades. His first successes came in 1956 when Little Willie John's R&B hit with the sultry "Fever" was an even bigger pop success for Peggy Lee. Then, "Don't Be Cruel" began a highly profitable association with Elvis Presley.

Blackwell was one of the leading African American figures of early rock 'n' roll, although he was not well known by the public. His own records never cracked the Top 40, yet he wrote million-selling songs for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dee Clark and others. He also recruited other songwriters to write for Presley such as Winfield Scott.

From the jacket liner notes of the Elvis' Golden Records (1958) Anne Fulchino from Radio Corporation of America wrote:

"While sipping coffee, Steve Sholes pulled out a demonstration record of "Don't Be Cruel" and told Elvis it was a new song written by Otis Blackwell, whom Elvis had long admired as a rhythm and blues artist. It took just a few bars to convince Presley that it was a perfect song for him, and he decided to cut it right away. Presley learned the song within minutes—he has an inherent musical sense—and in short order a great master was put on tape. It isn't often that the title of a song will create a whole new expression in Americana. "All Shook Up" did exactly that. Youngsters and adults alike have made the phrase a common part of everyday usage. The background to the song itself is a rather interesting one. Since the huge success of "Don't Be Cruel", Elvis had been anxious to record another song from the pen of Otis Blackwell. Eventually, Blackwell came around with "All Shook Up (first recorded by David Hill on Aladdin) ." Presley wasn't completely satisfied with the song, and with Blackwell's consent re-wrote part of the lyrics. Thus, as co-writer as well as artist, Presley produced his ninth consecutive gold record, his first in the year 1957."

During an appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," Blackwell said he'd never met Presley in person. When he was having a contract dispute with his publishing company, he also wrote under the white-sounding pen-name of "John Davenport", Throughout his lifetime, Blackwell composed more than a thousand songs, garnering worldwide sales of close to 200 million records. Colonel Tom Parker, manager of Elvis asked Otis to appear in the Presley movie Girls! Girls! Girls!, for which he had written "Return to Sender," but the superstition about meeting Elvis kept him from accepting.

In 1956 Blackwell first gave "Don't Be Cruel" to friend Frankie Valli's group The Four Lovers but as they were recording it he asked to take it back and in turn gave it to an up-and-coming Elvis Presley. In exchange for this song he gave them "You're The Apple Of My Eye" which became a chart hit for the Four Lovers (Billboard #64). The song was performed on the Ed Sullivan show that same year and was probably instrumental in at least shaping events for the group to eventually becoming The Four Seasons. A shortened version of "You're The Apple Of My Eye" is also featured in the Broadway show "Jersey Boys".

As the tide of rock 'n' roll receded, Blackwell recorded R&B material for numerous labels including Atlantic, MGM and Epic. In later years he was in semi-retirement, making only occasional live appearances. Otis Blackwell is the grandfather of Torian Brown.

During the 1980s, Blackwell toured and recorded with The Smithereens as his backing band for both live shows and studio recordings.The partnership produced two self-funded albums, "Let's Talk About Us" and "From The Beginning," which were released independently on Blackwell's ROC-CO imprint.

In 1991, Blackwell was left paralyzed by a stroke. Three years later, Shanachie released Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell. The album features 15 Blackwell-penned tracks recorded by the likes of Kris Kristofferson ("All Shook Up"), Blondie's Debbie Harry ("Don't Be Cruel"), The Smithereens ("Let's Talk About Us"), Graham Parker ("Paralyzed"), and Ronnie Spector ("Brace Yourself"). Otis Blackwell died in 2002 of a heart attack and was interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.

Awards and recognitions

Otis Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1991 into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame. Blackwell's crowning moment came in the late 1980s when the Black Rock Coalition, a prominent organization of black rock musicians, led by Vernon Reid, the lead guitarist of the band, Living Colour, held a tribute for him at the Prospect Park Bandshell in his native Brooklyn. Many prominent musicians and singers took part including Blackwell himself, who performed an assortment of his best songs, including "One Broken Heart for Sale," "Black Trail," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Daddy Rolling Stone."

Blackwell was named one of the 2010 recipients of Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This category encompasses those who primarily work behind the scenes in the music industry.

Legacy

Otis Blackwell was one of the greatest R&B songwriters of all time. His songwriting style is as uniquely identifiable as that of Leiber and Stoller, Chuck Berry, or Willie Dixon and helped redefine popular music in America in the 1950s. This is true even though he often collaborated with such partners as Winfield Scott, Eddie Cooley, and Jack Hammer. Blackwell was one of the most important innovators who helped invent the musical vocabulary of rock & roll at its very beginning. Blackwell's works have been recorded into immortality by a host of other major figures in the record field, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, James Brown, The Who, Johnny Thunders, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, The Judds, Carl Perkins and Peggy Lee, among numerous others. At other times in his career, Blackwell has also been successful as a record producer, having helped turn out hits with artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson and Sal Mineo.

Songs

Songs he composed, with the performer who made them famous, include:

"All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley)

"Don't Be Cruel" (Elvis Presley); inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002

"Fever" as "John Davenport" with Eddie Cooley (Peggy Lee inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, Little Willie John, Madonna, The McCoys, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Over the Rhine, and countless other performers).

"Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis); inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998

"Breathless" (Jerry Lee Lewis and X)

"Hey Little Girl" (Dee Clark)

"Handy Man" (Jimmy Jones, Del Shannon, James Taylor)

"Return to Sender" (Elvis Presley)

"One Broken Heart for Sale"(Elvis Presley)

Wikipedia

[froody]

Really? Okay.

In season 8 episode 13 when Father Mulcahy is passed up for a promotion again, he looks vaguely skyward and says “I’m beginning to think somebody up there doesn’t like me.” which is an incredibly dramatic statement on the surface, especially uncharacteristic of a devoted priest. It is actually a reference to the biography of American boxer Rocky Graziano entitled Somebody Up There Likes Me which was adapted into an incredibly successful movie starring Paul Newman (Sal Mineo is also in it, I would die for Sal Mineo) in 1956. Father Mulcahy is a boxer himself so it is plausible he is a fan of Rocky Graziano and would have read the biography. Those watching the show would have noticed the reference. The problem is, the episode itself is set in 1952 and the book was not published until 1955. MASH contains a lot of historical errors when it comes to referencing pieces of popular culture. For instance, there is an episode in season 5 that also takes place in 1952, Hawkeye references the opening theme for The Mickey Mouse Club, a show that did not begin airing until 1955-

don’t watch mash with me I will pause every 5 minutes and mansplain the 50s cultural references until you get so frustrated you leave my house and block me on all forms of social media