Sal Mineo directed the 1969 Los Angeles production "Fortune and Men's Eyes and played the role of Rocky, a prison bully, who rapes a naive young prisoner, Smitty (played by Don Johnson in the L.A. production). Mineo's staging emphasized violence and sexuality. He added a scene to the play, staging Rocky's rape of Smitty in the prison shower, an event that had been kept off stage in earlier productions. The Los Angeles production, which was eventually moved to New York (without Mineo as an actor) featured full frontal nudity. Mineo also directed a subsequent San Francisco production. Although playwright John Herbert did not initially object to Mineo's alterations, he vociferously criticized Mineo's Los Angeles and New York stagings. (Being a convicted felon, the Canadian Herbert was unable to enter the U.S. to actually see the productions.) Herbert refused to sell him the film rights to his play, and the estrangement obviated any chance of Mineo being involved in the 1971 movie version of the play.
The play was inspired by playwright John Herbert's own experiences in the Canadian prison system. Like the character Mona, he was sent to prison (in 1947) after he was robbed and beaten by a group of teens who then accused him of having made a pass at them. Like Queenie, he performed in drag in the prison Christmas show.
It is worth noting that the song "Fortune and Men's Eyes" was written BT Galt McDermott who wrote the music for "Hair". It was sung by Ronnie Dyson who acted and sang and acted in "Hair". The lyrics of the song are from Shakespeare's 29th sonnet. Upon listening to it, through the extreme sadness there is a ray of hope for redemption.
Title is taken from a Shakespearean poem entitled "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes".