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Sal Mineo: Gene Krupa
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Sal Mineo steals the screen with his acclaimed portrayal of one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time in THE GENE KRUPA STORY. Defying the wishes of his parents, the young Krupa sets out for NewYork in search of fame and fortune with his musician buddy, Eddie (James Darren), and his small-town sweetheart Ethel (Susan Kohner). After Krupa's incredible talents are discovered, his rocketing career leaves little time for Ethel. Now playing in the fast lane, the hard-hitting drummer falls for sexy jazz singer, Dorissa (Susan Oliver), who introduces him to drugs. But after serving time in jail and losing true-love Ethel, Krupa yearns for only one thing: a second chance at life and love.Special appearances by Anita O'Day and Red Nichols, and a superb soundtrack with Krupa on drums highlight this compelling story of a musical genius who transformed the sound of jazz percussion.
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Sal Mineo stars as the gifted drummer who, as a young man, sets out for New York with his best friend (James Darren) and and his girlfriend, Ethel (Susan Kohner), to make it as a professional musician. Krupa quickly makes inroads and finds himself in the fast lane, where he begins a relationship with a jazz singer (Susan Oliver) who introduces him to the world of narcotics. Before long, he finds himself in jail. Upon his release, he transforms the sound of jazz percussion forever.
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Sal Mineo plays Gene Krupa, the charismatic musician who took the jazz world by storm. With his best pal (James Darren), Krupa leaves his hometown for New York City, where he's recognized for his talents as a drummer. But in addition to fame, Lady Luck ... brings him an addiction to drugs, by way of a singer (Susan Oliver) whom he beds. Krupa's career halts when he ends up in jail, but he gets a second chance on music and life when he's freed.
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Mineo was so successful as a drummer in "The Gene Krupa Story" that "Krupa was so impressed by Sal as a drummer that when the film was completed, he gave Sal a set of Krupa's own drums." (p. 75) When Mineo got into financial trouble, did he ever consider becoming a drummer? No word.
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Trying to break out of typecasting, Mineo played an Indian brave in the 1958 film Tonka and the title character in a television "Du Pont Show of the Month" drama called "Aladdin." His first truly adult role, and the one in which he left Plato-incarnations behind, was that of drummer Gene Krupa in The Gene Krupa Story. For Mineo, an accomplished drummer in his own right, the role was a near perfect fit. He and Krupa were the same size and shared the same Italian-American heritage.
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This semi-biographical film chronicles the life of jazz drummer Gene Krupa (Sal Mineo) from his early childhood to his troubled adult career. Although his father (Gavin MacLeod) wanted him to join the priesthood, Krupa persisted in a musical career, which made him famous but cost him the love of girlfriend Ethel Maguire (Susan Kohner) and fostered a drug addiction. This film features a lot of musical numbers, including "Memories of You," "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," and "Royal Garden Blues."
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Gene Krupa