Born Martin Harris Calinieff in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a Jewish family, he sang and danced as a teenager and by the age of fifteen was dancing in local night clubs. Two years later he moved to New York and performed under the name of "Mickey Calin".\n', 'Callan\'s first big break came when he was cast in The Boy Friend (1954) and Catch a Star (1955). He and his dance partner, Grace Genteel, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and Chance of a Lifetime.\n', 'When he was 21, he auditioned for Jerome Robbins for the role of "Riff" in the original Broadway production of West Side Story (1957–59). He auditioned several times before getting the role. He scored a great personal triumph. From October 1957 there were reports of studios interested in him.\n', '

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