James Franco...obtains rights to Sal Mineo book! Screen bio in works?

Sal Mineo played both sides of fence sexually!

Folks in West Hollywood are familiar with two facts about actor Sal Mineo

For starters, there were whispers that Sal Mineo walked a tight-rope when it came to his sexual prowess.

Some say, for instance, that he was a wild child - with a hunger for kinky sex - who  played both sides of the fence.

Subsequently, there were quite a few rumors - and alot of outright speculation - that Sal Mineo and screen heart-throb James Dean often liked to tango.

The tales about James Dean weren't new to me.

For a brief period, I rented a small apartment at 1236 N. Harper in West Hollywood, which was known to have been a residence for a handful of luminaries in the business back in the fifties.

For instance, Katherine Hepburn allegedly rented the front suite for a couple of years, before she moved on to larger digs west in Beverly Hills and beyond.

And, the one-bedroom apartment next door was a respite from it all - neighbours have sworn up-and-down about it,  in fact - that James Dean once hung his hat there before he sauntered back east to study acting and pursue serious roles more fervently.

The suites were known for their deep walk-in closets which fueled alot of titillating gossip, too.

It has been rumored that Dean, for instance, engaged in "S & M" romps behind those heavy wooden doors with a posse of actor friends during the heady days of his budding career.

Curiously, several years ago, I crossed paths - and became friends with - an Englishman by the name of Lawrence (Larry) Parnes.

Mr. Parnes, among other things, was not only credited for having discovered the English Pop Singer - Tommy Steele - but was also known to have managed the Beatles when they were the Silver Beatles.

The fab four later became Internationally famous around the globe after signing up with Manager Brian Epstein - who essentially launched their careers - after scooping them up from under Parne's nose.

I mention Parnes in this post in reference to Sal Mineo & James Dean because apparently (while on a trip to America with his parents way back in the 50's) Mr. Parnes crossed paths with - and had a torrid affair with - actor James Dean.

Indeed!

A few years ago - while visiting Mr. Parnes on his estate in the quaint little English town of Rye (coincidientally, he resided on an old country road just down the way from McCartney at the time) he confided to me that he had savored a clandestine affair with Dean way back when.

Allegedly, the impressario (a teen at the time) was strolling along a Los Angeles Street one day on his own - when he spied a handsome young man standing in front of a bar - who gave him a wink and motioned him over for a chat.

"Can I buy 'ya a drink," the rugged dude asked out-of-the-blue.

"But, I'm under age," was Parne's rueful reply.

"That's okay. The bartender is a friend of mine," the  handsome hunk chuckled, as they strolled inside the dark environs of the smokey little watering hole to down an ale or two.

Uh-huh.

The stud was none other than James Dean!

One thing apparently led to another - at which point - Parnes found himself in the sack with Dean.

Although Larry didn't provide any details - he didn't infer by a long shot - that any kind of  S & had gone down on the occasion of their roll-in-the-hay.

So, as to the rumors about Dean - and his alleged hunger for kinky sex (cigarette burns) - I can not attest to whether they are true or not.

An interesting bit of scuttlebutt, though, when one considers the rumors about the two actors - Mineo and Dean - who worked side-by-side on the set of "Rebel Without a Cause".

Bottom line?

What intrigues does James Franco intend to pursue in respect to the Sal Mineo film bio?

News at 11!

http://www.thetattler.biz

James Franco a Sal Mineo look-a-like?

Marilyn Monroe...crypt in Westwood tourist attraction!

After a delightful afternoon in Westwood at an art exhibition, I slipped into the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery to take a gander at the crypt of screen siren, Marilyn Monroe.

Just as I expected, fresh cut flowers adorned her resting place.

Although the Westwood Cemetery stands in the shadow of the Oppenheimer Building on Wilshire - and is postage-sized - there are a number of heavyweights interned there.

Just a few steps away from Marilyn, for instance, tourists can take a peak at Producer Ross Hunter's plaque.

And, some of the headstones are etched with hilarious epitaphs.

For instance, on Merv Griffin's understated stone the script reads,

"I will not be right back after this message."

What would you expect from the loud-mouthed comedian, Rodney Dangerfield?

"There goes the neighborhood," he chuckles from the great beyond.

Dean Martin's last words are taken from one of his hit tunes.

"Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime."

I found it ironic that a couple of plots over from Jack Lemmon, Billy Wilder hails. If you recall, the dynamic duo teamed up on the hit comedy, "Some Like it Hot".

Other luminaries such as - Walter Matthau, Louise Jordan, and Mel Torme - attract a host of fans from all parts of the country each year - pining to pay their respects.

Across town, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, fans of the great and not-so-great can whisper in awe at the tombs of - heart-throb Rudolph Valentino (we share the same birthday, May 6th), screen idol Tyrone Power, actress Fay Wray, dashing Douglas Fairbanks Jr., sex goddess Jayne Mansfield, screen tough guy Edward G. Robinson - and a multitude of others.

In fact - the grave sites have become such a ghoulish attraction in this regard - that it was only inevitable that sight-seers would be hungry to hover over the fated spot where they met their final demise, too.

So, enter - "Graveline Tours" - a company that takes you on a tour of the locations where celebrities gasped their last breath.

Along the way, you may stop outside of - "The Viper Room - to take a respectful glance at the spot where River Phoenix collapsed, for instance. Or, check out the mysterious garage on Holloway Drive, actor Sal Mineo stepped out of to meet his appointment with death.

For the longest time, I thought pilgrimages to grave sites were foolish, a waste of time. After all, weren't the precious memorials just a way to "mark" a sentient being's "time" on this mortal coil?

But, a couple of years ago, I was inclined to reconsider that notion when an eerie experience jolted me into reality.

One day, I embarked on a trip to Forest Lawn in Toronto, to pay respects at my own father's tomb.

Because "Victor's" stone had been a bit neglected over the years - what with my mother gone and myself residing in the U.S. - it had unfortunately slipped into the ground a bit out of plain view.

So, after the grounds-keeper assisted me in locating the plot, I proceeded to tidy up the vicinity of his marker and planted a flowering bush to brighten up the site a bit.

As I turned to stride off, I couldn't help but notice the stone adjacent to my Dad's was a bit neglected, too.

I felt a little pang in the deep recesses of my heart; it was as if someone was crying out to me, but who?

"Aw, what the heck," I said to myself. "Why not tidy up that stone, too?"

Shortly after I began to sweep dust and debris off the stone, I was suddenly taken aback when I spied the name etched on the marble placer for the first time.

Oh my God! It was my Aunt Louise's burial site!

A chill ran up and down my spine. Gosh, was she the one urging me from the eternal ether to take some compassion on her neglected stone, too?

Although the grave site may not be a soul's final resting place - undoubtedly - a grave site on this earthly plane is a place where a loved one may connect to a spirit that has passed.

Like humans, souls get nostalgic, too.

Walter Scott once said,

Death, the last sleep? No, the final awakening.