Hollywood’s First Gay Teenager and His Two Tragic Endings

Early in Rebel Without a Cause, Sal Mineo’s Plato spots James Dean’s Jim in the school hallway, the morning after they’ve had a chance encounter while being booked at the local police station. Plato sees Jim’s reflection in a mirror hung on his locker door, immediately above a glamour shot of the actor Alan Ladd. It’s a way to show that Plato will soon worship Jim the same way he idolizes a movie star, sure. But for gay audiences—both at the time and now—it’s one of many unspoken but crystal-clear indications that Plato is drawn to Jim as more than… Read Full Article