THE FORTUNE CHRONICLES Part Two Page three

by Joe Bonelli (copyright by Joseph H. Bonelli, 2000)

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A number of interesting things happened during the run of the play. Sal's sweet and beautiful Weimeraner dog Dov (named, of course, for his rolein Exodus), was a regular member of our theatre family.  He stayed in Sal's dressing room during performances. 

At the beginning of the third act of Fortune, it is Christmas Eve and
regulations in the prison are relaxed. The cell door stands open as Queenie
and Mona rehearse their parts in the Prison Christmas Show.  The Guard sits on stage watching and everyone is relaxed and human for the only time in the play.
As Queenie (can't remember if it was Greer or Redding---Queenie got upstaged
for once!!!!) was spouting some comedic spiel, into the cell wandered the
gorgeous dog.  He looked around and trotted over to Sal to be petted.
Tom Reese, in total character as the Guard, jumped up and sternly called to the dog.
"Dov!!! Dov Landau!!!  What are you doing out of the office???  Get back to
the office right now!!"  Dov looked at Tom and wagged his tale.  Tom said,
not unkindly but sternly: " Now!!! Go on back to the office NOW!!! DOV!!"
The dog wagged his tale and trotted obediently off stage where we grabbed
him and took him back to the "office," in this case, Sal's dressing room.

Tom had taken a moment that could have broken down the  barrier between
audience and player, between reality and theatrical illusion of reality, and
instinctively and professionally, turned it into a believable stage moment
that NO ONE in the audience knew wasn't a regular part of the show.
This takes real control.  Tom Reese, sadly no longer with us, is the finest
example of that "plug-away-at-it" character actor that is the backbone of
the film, tv and theatre world.  You see these guys all the time, yet can't
call their name.  They are totally dependable, believable in many roles
though essentially the same, and WORK ALL THE TIME!!!!!!
As much as I revere the memory of Sal and the friendly working relationships
with one-day-to-be-stars Don Johnson and Tommy Lee Jones that I had during
my two runs with Fortune, it is "Tom Reese" that, as an actor, I long to be.
The Tom Reeses are the backbone of the acting industry.
I guarantee you that all of you who watch ANY old television regularly,
would recognize this guy's face INSTANTLY!!!!
He was a real pro!!
Before Sal stopped performing the role of Rocky, he took a week off to go to
Hawaii and attend the World Premiere of his latest film (which he did solely
for the money), a dreadful, big-budget mishmash called KRAKATOA, EAST OF
JAVA (later retitled VOLCANO--- it didn't help!).  This monumental waste of
talent such as Sal and Maximilian Schell, had been filmed in the gigantic
widescreen process known as Cinerama----a process that can ONLY be
experienced properly in a theatre performance---telling about it doesn't work!
When Sal returned, he told us that he hated the picture so much that he
stood up in the middle and yelled out:
 "This is the worst piece of s--t I've ever seen in my life!!" and walked out!!!
While it makes a great story, it is NOT the sort of thing that encouraged
mainstream Hollywood to slip Sal back into the fold.
Shortly thereafter, Sal was invited to the Hollywood premiere (I guess they
never learn!!) of the same film at the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard
near Vine Street.  The event was to be covered by The Steve Allen Show, at
the time a typical interview and entertainment syndicated show, co-hosted by
that great musician and Tonight Show pioneer, and his wife, actress Jayne
Meadows.
Sal conceived a great publicity stunt for the premiere.  He got some off
duty cops (amazing, considering...well, you'll see) and a medium-sized,
plain van. Then he got Tom  Reese and his understudy together and they
handcuffed Sal and the rest of the cast, Bobby, Gary and Don, together, and
off they went.
As they piled into the back of the van and started for the Dome---about
three or four miles away-- the rest of us prepared for the evening's
performance as usual.
Later Bobby told me what ensued..
As the van pulled away, Sal suggested that the four in the van (the two
"guards" were up front), share his smoke (NOT one of his Kool's) and off
they roared!!!
We got the stage ready quickly and piled into the bar to see the arrival,
which was on live tv in Southern California.  When the van pulled up with a
POLICE ESCORT, no one quite knew what was going on.  Then, out steps Sal
WITH THREE GUYS (rather space-y, it seemed!) HANDCUFFED to him!!!  Jayne
Meadows had no choice but to interview Sal and have him introduce the
others.  Steve Allen asked bemused questions from somewhere in limbo.  I
remember Bobby looking around, wondering where that voice was coming from.
In the bar at the theatre, we were all on the floor in hysterics.
They got back in the van and roared away.  By this time, we had an audience
assembling and it took the cast awhile to return.  It got to be 15 minutes
after curtain was due to go up and they still weren't back.  We had
explained to the audience what was going on and they were patient, but
beginning to squirm.
At last, after another ten or so minutes, I spotted the still escorted van
coming down La Cieniga Boulevard.  I waved them down and directed them to
the side of the theatre where a big double door opened directly into the
auditorium, by the stage right proscenium arch.
I threw open the doors and said to Sal and the three STONED actors:  "You're
ON!!!" and ran in shouting, "They're coming! They're coming!! He's bringing
'em back!!!"
Sal and company entered, crossed amidst relieved applause that they didn't
acknowledge (of course), and entered the stage via the stage left
into-the-audience stairs.  They went upstage to the cell entrance, were
locked in by The Guard (Reese) and the show began!!!
Except for a few bobbled lines at the beginning, the performance was
teriffic!!!!
The audience LOVED being in on this gigantic Hollywood joke!!!!
During the course of the run, we became acquainted with a film director who
specialized in second-unit work (going out and filming backgrounds, etc.)
named Michael Coyte.  Michael owned an apartment building above the Sunset
Strip, near the Whisky-a-Go-Go.  We often went there as a large group for
after performance parties.  Lots of other young Hollywood folk would come.
Teddy, Timmy and Mickey Rooney Jr. were regulars.  Coyte had a 16-mm
projector (no video tapes in those days, folks!) and would show films.  We
would eat (great buffet spreads!!) and drink (booze!! booze!! booze!!) and
watch a movie.  On a particular off-night Monday we all congregated at
Coyte's for an Academy Award party.
One day Micheal Coyte ran into Sal at the grocery.  He invited us all over
that night for a gathering, saying he had rented a Mineo movie and we would
all have a blast.
Sal didn't bother to tell us.  Only he and one other went.  Michael was
stuck with tons of food.
When he asked Sal where everyone was, Sal said, "Here!!"
It turned out that Sal didn't want to sit through (and hear comments from
all of us, about) TONKA!!! (Sorry, folks!  Sal hated TONKA!)
Early one evening I stopped at the Rexall store where I got props for the
show and where we all ate regularly in the coffee shop. I was exiting
through the coffee shop with my package when I saw Sal at a table.  He waved
me over to join him and a handsome young man.
"This is David," he said.  We all had coffee and, as it was raining (most
unusual) Sal asked if I could take him to the theatre in my car and drop
David at his.  "Sure," I said.
I dropped Sal and took David to his car.  David had seen the show and
enjoyed it.  I invited him back to join us for some after-theatre
socializing, but he stated that he really didn't like to hang around shows
unless he was in them. (This is TOTALLY understandable to anyone in the
theatre.  No matter how welcome you seem, it is always a family that you are
not a part of.) I dropped David off and returned to the theatre.
About a year and a half later I was in Mississippi and happened to see a
familiar looking young guy on an episode of The FBI.  I was talking to Sal
on the phone soon after and mentioned that I had seen this kid, and wondered
if he was the same David I had met.
"That's right," said Sal.  "He's up for a series."
He was indeed.  Not long after, the series premiered and EVERYONE (the young
girls, at least!!!) in America knew David Cassidy!!!
Don Johnson went on vacation for a week while Sal was out of town.  At the
time, Don had no understudy, so it was agreed that Mona's understudy, a
young guy named Michael Tracy, would learn Smitty's part and go on for the
week Don was out.  Unfortunately, the odds caught up with everyone.
At the week's first performance on Tuesday, the crucial, choreographed fight
scene involving the four prisoners, went awry.  Gary Tigerman, playing Mona,
received an eye injury.  Bobby Redding playing Queenie, cut his back on a
coathook and required stitches. They were both out by doctor's orders, for
the rest of the week. Fortunately, no one else was hurt, and Bobby's
understudy Robin (can't remember his last name!) went on as Queenie,  but
there was now NO actor to play Mona, as Michael Tracy, Mona's understudy,
was playing Smitty..
Lenny Marsal, the stage manager, came to me on Wednesday morning.  Did I
think I could step into the role and play it for the rest of the week?
Having worked on, by now, about 200 performances and having conducted about
100 understudy rehearsals, I felt I could pull it off.
So, on I went and, if I say so myself, did a pretty good job of the role.
The truth is, I found my part in Fortune.  Mona was an excellent role for me
and, I believe if I had lost some weight, that I could have had a good crack
at it for New York.  Many in the company said they were very impressed with
my interpretation of the role.
But, I tell ya!!!!  When you are being slapped around for two hours by
several people who are louder and bigger than you, it is NOT hard to react
in character!!!
My big regrets were that Sal didn't get to see me (though he told me that he
heard glowing things and was proud and the he knew I could do it anyway!) ,
and that I didn't have the sense to say to him:  "Okay, I saved the show.
Now you owe it to me to put me on in ONE performance with you and the rest
of the originals in the last two weeks run."  I think he would have done it
if I had asked.
Oh, well!!!! Regrets!
This, folks, is the perfect example of "The show must go on!"
About a month or six weeks before the show closed, a young couple came to
the show. They were Kenneth Waissman and Maxine Fox who were from New York,
and who were forming a production team.  They were interested in a New York
production of Fortune, as their maiden voyage as a producing team. (This
started a pattern with Waissman/Fox of finding already existing properties,
honing them, and bringing them to New York.  More in Part Three!!)
As the show had evolved drastically from its opening, there was no working
script.  Stage Manager Lennie Marsal and I spent an entire night in an
office, dictating the script from an original and laboriously constructing a
"blow-by-blow" description of the production as it existed at the time.
Ken and Maxine took the script and went back to New York to find backers.
Moe Weiss and his co-producer, Sal's manager Phil Gitelman (wonderful
man!!!) decided that the show had run its course by about the beginning of
July, 1968.  The decision was made to close the show.  They decided to
invite the original cast back (including Sal, of course) to complete the
run.
Roger Garrett was unable to do so but Don Johnson (who had also left a few
weeks before), Tom Reese, Gary Tigerman and Michael Greer, finished the run
triumphantly, a few weeks later.
It was during this period that I fetched Don Johnson from his exit to see
the man walking on the moon..
It was also during this last run that we were shocked and horrified over the
brutal murders of Sharon Tate and her friends, and that of the LaBianca
family shortly thereafter, by the minions of the monster of the era, one
Charles Manson.
We all wondered if any of us had crossed paths with any of this strange
"family."
In Hollywood, we probably did!!
The Los Angeles production of Fortune and Men's Eyes was a milestone in the
American theatre.  Never before had a person pranced about nude onstage, let
alone simulated a sex act.
But the show that had shocked at first was, a few short months later, being
patronized by intelligent high school groups.  Parents and administrators
had decided that the message was too important to ignore.
Bobby Redding and I moved to the Valley.
Then I decided that I would go back to Mississippi and New Orleans for awhile.
Yet, always in the back of my mind, was the idea that I belonged with Fortune in New York.
And that's where I wound up. 
After hitchhiking across the country!!!!!  Halfway south!!!  Halfway north!!!!
And by mid-September of 1969, I walked into the door of Stage 73  on Third
Avenue in New York, a couple of preview nights before the official opening
of Sal Mineo's Fortune and Men's Eyes!! They had no job for me.
But, twenty-four hours later, they did.
I sat, once again, at the sound board, and prepared for another run.
But that's   ANOTHER story!!!!

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PART THREE Just Added June 2001