Our Beloved Rebel — James Dean

5/16/2019

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History Story: Our Beloved Rebel — James Dean

James Dean was an American actor from Indiana who died at the age of 24. His career was like a bright flash. Dean became a widely admired screen personality, a personification of the restless American youth of the mid-50s. Let’s learn more about his short but bright life.

Childhood

James Dean was born February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana, to Winton and Mildred Dean. His father was a dental technician. He moved the family to Los Angeles when James was five. Unfortunately, his mother passed away. James Dean returned to the Midwest and was raised by his aunt and uncle on their Indiana farm. During this time, Dean sought counsel from his pastor, the Rev. James DeWeerd, who influenced his later interest in car racing and theater.

School Years

In 1949, Dean graduated from high school and moved back to California. He attended Santa Monica City College for a time, but eventually transferred to University of California, Los Angeles, and majored in theater. In January 1951, he dropped out of UCLA to pursue a full-time career as an actor.

Beginning Of His Career

Dean's first television appearance was in a Pepsi Cola commercial. He was cast in his first speaking part, as John the Beloved Disciple, in “Hill Number One”, an Easter television special dramatizing the Resurrection of Jesus. To make ends meet, Dean worked as a parking-lot attendant at CBS Studios, where he met Rogers Brackett, a radio director who became his mentor.

History Story: actor james dean life interesting facts biography Beginning Of Career — pixabay

Fame

In July 1951, Dean appeared on “Alias Jane Doe”, which was produced by Brackett. In October 1951, following the encouragement of actor James Whitmore and the advice of his mentor Rogers Brackett, Dean moved to New York City. Proud of this accomplishment, Dean referred to the Actors Studio in a 1952 letter to his family as "the greatest school of the theater. It houses great people like Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, Arthur Kennedy, Mildred Dunnock, Eli Wallach... Very few get into it ... It is the best thing that can happen to an actor. I am one of the youngest to belong." There, he was classmates and close friends with Carroll Baker, alongside whom he would eventually star in “Giant” (1956).

Honours

Dean starred in three major motion pictures, beginning with the 1955 film adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel “East of Eden”. In his next film, Dean starred as the agonized teenager Jim Stark in 1955's “Rebel Without a Cause”, a part that would define his image in American culture. Dean then landed a supporting role to Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson in the epic, intergenerational family saga “Giant”. James Dean was the only actor in history to receive more than one Oscar nomination posthumously.

Cause Of Death

When Dean wasn't acting, he was a professional car racer. Just before filming began on Rebel Without a Cause, he competed in his first professional event at the Palm Springs Road Races. Dean achieved first place in the novice class and second place at the main event.

Shortly after completing the film “Giant”, the restless Dean drove off in his silver Porsche to compete in a sports car rally in Salinas, California. Speeding down the highway, he crashed headlong into a Ford sedan. The two cars hit each other almost head-on. Dean was pronounced dead on arrival shortly after he arrived by ambulance at the Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital at 6:20 p.m. Dean's funeral was held on October 8, 1955, at the Fairmount Friends Church in Fairmount, Indiana. The coffin remained closed to conceal his severe injuries.

History Story: actor james dean life interesting facts biography Cause Of Death — shutterstock

American teenagers of the mid-1950s, when Dean's major films were made, identified with Dean and the roles he played, especially that of Jim Stark in “Rebel Without a Cause”. His early and sudden death left a footprint on hearts of his fans.

Are you James Dean’s films fan? Share your thought in the comments below!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

48 Comments

Richard D. Boyle

I’m from Indiana and was in college at the time of James Dean’s amazing portrayal of Cal in East of Eden. I was still there as a Senior at the time of his death and my place of birth is less than 20 miles from his grave. I was a huge fan partially because of my admiration of John Steinbeck and of East of Eden. 25 years after his death, I attended a legal conference in the Canary Islands and had a layover in Madrid. I went out alone late at night to find a bar that also had music and food and found a late night classical music bar popular with university students. I was sitting alone and one of the students asked to join me. When he discovered I was an American he told the others to come join us. They wanted two things: to practice their English and to talk about James Dean and his movies. The next two hours proved to be much more interesting and enjoyable than my legal conference had been. Fortunately, their English was better than my Spanish. It remains a wonderful memory for, that night, I felt “love-bombed” with friendship.

Maureen Martin

I was 15 when he died. He was the teenagers idol. We saw all his movies. It was a Great shame to loose him so young. His sultry looks and quiets ways made us love Him more. Guess. He was also wild ! Adrenaline junky for car racing. Rest in peace Handsome,sexy man. You left us to soon. God bless

john duckett

The Ford Sedan gets a mention but not the driver - for the record it was 23-year-old California Polytechnic State University student Donald Turnupseed, who survived.

Neal Christopher Wigley

I have a wall of pictures that I display in his honor.

Betty Wiendels

Ilias Tsiabardas, He died 2 1/2 years before I was born. I wish he lived to the ripe, old age. If still alive, he would have been 93. He was such a gorgeous, talented actor!

Carol Wyatt

He was killed by a Spyder!

Ilias Tsiabardas

I was 10 years old when he died ,I so his films many times Over the years ,Very sad to die at his prime age 😪

Eve

I was only 2 when he died but I remember hearing how he died at a very young age. I'm pretty sure my mom and her girlfriends were fans.

Scott

We named our car club in grand junction Colorado after him- The Rebels” members displayed a a plague on the car …

Pat Lord Lawson

I was a teenager, but my mom was a fan before I knew about him! We watched all 3 of his movies together at the drive in movie theater.

Helene Goldberg

I was a teenager when he died. So affected by his death. He had such potential.. so sad

Willa Hagler

I adored him. His death affected me immensely.

Janet Crain

Great Actor. Loved him

Maryann Carey Kern

He died I remember so well,reading the Sunday’s news paper over my dads shoulder I screamed in he ear,he jumped and yelled at me.It was 29 days later I was married.😱👵🏻

Elaine Fabrizio

He was a fantastic actor ❤️

Lawrence Jordan

Lynne Mills, Donald Turnupseed, the other driver had minor injuries and hitchhiked to his family home. Apart from the inquest ,a couple of weeks later Turnupseed never spoke about the crash for the rest of his life and became a near recluse in his private life He refused all interview requests and photograph opportunities.He died in 1995 aged 63, of lung cancer.