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==Sexuality== ==Sexuality==
Dean's ] is a matter of some debate. Often considered a ] film icon <ref>{{cite web | title=PopcornQ Movies | url=http://www.planetout.com/pno/popcornq/db/getfilm.html?1990 | accessdate=December 5 | accessyear=2005 }}</ref>, there are many published accounts of Dean having had sexual relationships with both men and women. For instance, "Dean had an intimate relationship with his pastor, Dr. James DeWeerd, which began in his senior year of high school and endured for many years."<ref>Billy J. Harbin, Kim Marra and Robert A. Schanke, eds., ''The Gay And Lesbian Theatrical Legacy: A Biographical Dictionary Of Major Figures In American Stage History in the Pre-Stonewall Era'' (University of Michigan Press, 2005), 133. See also Joe and Jay Hyams, ''James Dean: Little Boy Lost'' (1992), p.20.</ref> In his biography, "The James Dean Story," literary critic Ron Martinetti deals only with "one of Dean's ] relationships", namely, that in his early days in Hollywood and New York with a director named Rogers Brackett. However, at the beginning of his career, Dean seems to have "exchanged sexual favors for a place to live" and for "Hollywood contacts." "Interviews with ] and ] reveal that Dean's relationships included many brief homosexual encounters."<ref>Harbin, Marra and Schanke, ''The Gay And Lesbian Theatrical Legacy'', p.134.</ref> Dean's ] is a matter of some debate. Often considered a ] film icon <ref>{{cite web | title=PopcornQ Movies | url=http://www.planetout.com/pno/popcornq/db/getfilm.html?1990 | accessdate=December 5 | accessyear=2005 }}</ref>, there are many published accounts of Dean having had sexual relationships with both men and women. "Dean had an intimate relationship with his pastor, Dr. James DeWeerd, which began in his senior year of high school and endured for many years."<ref>Billy J. Harbin, Kim Marra and Robert A. Schanke, eds., ''The Gay And Lesbian Theatrical Legacy: A Biographical Dictionary Of Major Figures In American Stage History in the Pre-Stonewall Era'' (University of Michigan Press, 2005), 133. See also Joe and Jay Hyams, ''James Dean: Little Boy Lost'' (1992), p.20.</ref> Purportedly, at the beginning of his career, Dean "exchanged sexual favors for a place to live" and for "Hollywood contacts." "Interviews with ] and ] reveal that Dean's relationships included many brief homosexual encounters."<ref>Harbin, Marra and Schanke, ''The Gay And Lesbian Theatrical Legacy'', p.134.</ref>


], Dean's close friend, roommate, and indeed his first biographer <ref> Bast, William: "James Dean: a Biography," Ballantine Books, 1956 </ref> (''James Dean: a biography,'' 1956), who knew Dean throughout the last five years of his short life, has recently published an unexpurgated version of his first book, in which he now reveals <ref> Bast, William: "Surviving James Dean," pp. 133, 183-232. Barricade Books, 2006 </ref> that he and Dean were sexually involved and describes the difficult circumstances of their involvement (''Surviving James Dean,'' 2006). In this book Bast also deals frankly with some of Dean's other homosexual involvements <ref> Bast, William: "Surviving James Dean," pp. 133, 150, 183. Barricade Books. 2006 </ref>, including Dean's relationship with Brackett. ], Dean's close friend, roommate, and indeed his first biographer <ref> Bast, William: "James Dean: a Biography," Ballantine Books, 1956 </ref> (''James Dean: a biography,'' 1956), who knew Dean throughout the last five years of his short life, has recently published an unexpurgated version of his first book, in which he now reveals <ref> Bast, William: "Surviving James Dean," pp. 133, 183-232. Barricade Books, 2006 </ref> that he and Dean were sexually involved and describes the difficult circumstances of their involvement (''Surviving James Dean,'' 2006). In this book Bast also deals frankly with some of Dean's other homosexual involvements <ref> Bast, William: "Surviving James Dean," pp. 133, 150, 183. Barricade Books. 2006 </ref>, including Dean's relationship with Brackett.


⚫ In his 1992 biography, ''James Dean: Little Boy Lost'', journalist Joe Hyams, who claims to have known Dean personally, devotes an entire chapter to Dean's alleged relationship with Angeli; however, he also presents what appears to be a far-fetched account alleging Dean's early molestation by a minister, and describes it as Dean's first homosexual encounter (although the minister, the Reverend James DeWeerd, himself portrayed his relationship with Dean as a completely conventional one). Hyams also suggests that any homosexual acts that the undeniably shrewd Dean involved himself in appear to have been strictly "for trade," as a means of advancing his career. <ref> Bast, William, "Surviving James Dean", pp.133, 183-232. Barricade Books, 2006 </ref>, although this has been disputed by Bast and other Dean biographers.<ref> Spoto, Donald, "Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean", pp.150-151. HarperCollins, 1996 </ref>.
Furthermore, ] published a ] interview with ] in which the actor said, "] told me they had a big affair." ], a friend of Dean and a member of his "Night Watch" motorcyle riders, wrote a book on the actor claiming they had an "experimental" homosexual encounter. In his ] biography, ], himself homosexual and part of the Hollywood gay circles of the 50s and ], describes Dean as being bisexual. According to Leigh W. Rutledge, "Dean bragged to a friend that he'd performed homosexual acts with 'five of the big names in Hollywood.' He also claimed to have worked, with his friend ], as a street hustler after he first arrived in Hollywood. When asked if he was gay, he replied, 'Well, I'm certainly not going through life with one hand tied behind my back.' "<ref>Leigh W. Rutledge, ''The Gay Book of Lists'' (2003), p.27. See also Randall Riese, ''The Unabridged James Dean: His Life and Legacy from A to Z'' (1991), 239.</ref> According to Hollywood biographer ], gay Hollywood columnist ] "would put the make on the most prominent young actors, including ], ], ], ] and James Dean. Quirk said there was rampant gossip at gay parties regarding not only Connolly's escapades with these actors but also a noteworthy pornography collection he would display to those he favored."<ref>See Val Holley, ''Mike Connolly and the Manly Art of Hollywood Gossip'' (2003), p.22.</ref> In her memoir of her brief affair with Dean, actress ] confirms <ref> Sheridan, Liz: "Dizzy & Jimmy", pp. 144-151. ReganBooks HarperCollins, 2000 </ref> that Dean had a sexual involvement with Rogers Brackett, a radio director for an advertising agency whom Dean met in the summer of ] while working as a parking attendant at ].<ref>On Dean's relationship with Brackett, see also Hyams, p.79.</ref> Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon's book ''Who's Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day'' (]) includes an entry on James Dean. "Live Fast, Die Young – The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause," a recent book by Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel, states that ''Rebel'' director Nicholas Ray knew Dean to be bisexual.

However, after Dean signed his deal with Warner Brothers, the studio's public relations department, perhaps seeking to squash any rumors about the actor's sexuality that might have followed him from New York, actively began ] about Dean's liaisons with a variety of young actresses, including but not limited to, the young Italian star ], who was shooting '']'' on an adjoining Warner lot. For a very short time (for the relationship was a short one) the story of a Dean-Angeli love affair was also promoted by Dean himself, who fed it to various gossip columnists, and indeed to anyone who cared to listen, including his costar, ], who in interviews has reported that Dean told her about being madly in love with Angeli. In his autobiography, ''East of Eden'' director ], while dismissing the notion that Dean could possibly have had any success with women, paradoxically also alluded to Dean and Angeli's "romance," claiming that he had heard them loudly making love in Dean's dressing room, although how he alone could have been aware of this while the rest of the staff at Warner Brothers remained in ignorance of this noisy turmoil is a mystery. Angeli's mother was supposed to have disapproved of the relationship because Dean was not a Catholic, among other things. In any event, Dean soon found himself dumped by Angeli in favor of singer-actor ], whom she had previously dated, and whom she in fact married, although the marriage was reportedly a disaster. Some friends of Dean still maintain that he was heartbroken over Angeli's marriage, although Bast reports (2006) that Dean seemed merely angered at being dumped, and losing out in what he saw chiefly as a contest of wills between himself and Angeli's mother. Gossip columnists, however, kept the myth of the eternal romance churning, reporting that shortly before Angeli died in the 1970s, she maintained that Dean was the only man she ever loved.

⚫ In his 1992 biography, ''James Dean: Little Boy Lost'', journalist Joe Hyams, who claims to have known Dean personally, devotes an entire chapter to Dean's alleged relationship with Angeli; however, he also presents what appears to be a far-fetched account alleging Dean's early molestation by a minister, and describes it as Dean's first homosexual encounter (although the minister, the Reverend James DeWeerd, himself portrayed his relationship with Dean as a completely conventional one). Hyams also suggests that any homosexual acts that the undeniably shrewd Dean involved himself in appear to have been strictly "for trade," as a means of advancing his career, a notion that may be partially true, but is certainly not the entire truth, as evidenced by Bast<ref> Bast, William, ''Surviving James Dean'' (Barricade Books, 2006), pp.133, 183-232.</ref> and other Dean biographers<ref>Donald Spoto, ''Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean'' (HarperCollins, 1996), pp.150-151. See also Val Holley, ''James Dean: The Biography'', pp.6, 7, 8, 78, 80, 85, 94, 153.</ref>


==Legacy== ==Legacy==

Revision as of 03:04, 18 February 2007

Template:Two other uses

James Dean
BornJames Byron Dean
Height5 ft 8 (173cm)

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American film actor. Dean's mainstream status as a cultural icon is best embodied in the title of his most cited role in Rebel Without a Cause. His enduring fame and popularity rests on only three films, his entire starring output. He was the first person to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and remains the only person to have two such nominations posthumously.

Childhood and education

Born in Marion, Indiana to Winton and Mildred Wilson Dean, James Dean and his family moved to Santa Monica, California, six years after his father had left farming to become a dental technician. Dean was enrolled in Brentwood Public School until his mother died of cancer in 1940.

At age nine, Dean was sent by his father to live with his aunt Hortense and uncle Marcus Winslow on a farm in Fairmount, Indiana, where he was brought up with a Quaker influence. In high school, Dean played on the basketball team and studied forensics and drama. After graduating from Fairmount High School in 1949, Dean moved back to California with his beagle, Maxx, to live with his father and stepmother.

He enrolled in Santa Monica College (SMCC), pledged to the Sigma Nu fraternity and majored in pre-law. Dean transferred to UCLA and changed his major to drama, which resulted in estrangement from his father. While at UCLA, he beat out 350 actors to land the role of Malcolm in Macbeth.

Acting career

Marlon Brando was a great influnce on James Dean, Dean was not only accused of copying his acting style, but but also his rebel lifestyle. Dean began his professional acting career with a Pepsi-Cola television commercial, followed by a stint as a stunt tester for the Beat the Clock game show. He quit college to focus on his budding career, but struggled to get jobs in Hollywood and paid his bills only by working as a parking lot attendant at CBS Studios.

He actually had very small parts in several films before achieving stardom. The first film in which he spoke was Sailor Beware, where he played a boxing trainer. The Paramount comedy starred Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Following friends' advice, Dean moved to New York City to pursue live stage acting, where he was accepted to study under Lee Strasberg in the storied Actors Studio. His career picked up and he did several episodes on early-1950s TV shows such as Kraft Television Theater, Studio One, Lux Video Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Danger and General Electric Theater. One early role, for the CBS series, Omnibus, (Glory in the Flower) saw Dean portraying the same type of disaffected youth he would later immortalize in Rebel Without a Cause (this summer, 1953 program was also notable for featuring the song "Crazy Man, Crazy", one of the first dramatic TV programs to feature rock and roll music). Positive reviews for his role in André Gide's The Immoralist led to calls from Hollywood and paved the way to film success.

East of Eden

Main article: East of Eden (1955 film)
File:East of edendvd.jpg

Director Elia Kazan was looking for a new young actor to play the role of Cal in East of Eden; Dean and another relatively unknown actor, Paul Newman, were the final two chosen. Following a screen test in New York City, the part was given to Dean.

On March 8, 1954, Dean left New York City and headed for Los Angeles to begin shooting East of Eden. Dean played the son of a constantly disapproving father (played by Raymond Massey).

The relationship between Cal and his father paralleled that between Dean and his own father, so Dean took the role personally. He became known on the set for his improvisational contributions to the script; his creativity proved to be very important, as some of the most famous scenes in the movie were his contribution to the script. Dean would apparently drive past cinemas during the release of the film and stare in amazement as people lined up to see him.

He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role (the first posthumous acting nomination in Academy Awards history).

Rebel Without a Cause

Main article: Rebel Without a Cause
File:Rebel Without a Cause screenshot.jpg
James Dean with Natalie Wood in Rebel Without a Cause.

He followed this up in rapid succession with the starring role in Rebel Without a Cause, a film that would prove to be hugely popular among teenagers. The film is widely cited as an accurate representation of teenage angst.

The film co-starred Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. Director Nicholas Ray often encouraged Dean’s creative input.

Giant

Main article: Giant (film)
File:Giant James Dean.jpg

Giant, which was posthumously released in 1956, saw Dean play a supporting role to that of both Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. His role was notable in that, in order to portray an older version of his character in one scene, Dean dyed his hair grey and shaved some of it off to give himself a receding hairline.

Giant would be Dean’s last film. Towards the end of the film, an artfully aged Dean is at a banquet set to make a speech. This would be his last ever on-screen appearance. That scene has been dubbed “The Last Supper”. Reportedly, as Dean portrayed the drunken Jett Rink, the actor mumbled so much that co-star Dennis Hopper had to re-record the dialogue, since Dean had died by the time the film was being edited.

Dean was nominated for an Academy Award after the release of the film.

Racing career and "Little Bastard"

When Dean got the part in East of Eden, he bought himself a red race-prepared MG TD and shortly afterwards, a white Ford Woodie station wagon. Dean upgraded his MG to a Porsche 356 Speedster, which he raced. Dean came in second in the Palm Springs Road Races in March, 1955 after a driver was disqualified; he came in third in May 1955 at Bakersfield and was running fourth at the Santa Monica Road Races later that month, until he retired with an engine failure.

During filming of Rebel Without a Cause, Dean traded the car in for one of only 90 Porsche 550 Spyders. He was contractually barred from racing during the filming of Giant, but with that out of the way, he was free to compete again. The Porsche was in fact a stopgap for Dean, as delivery of a superior Lotus Mk. X was delayed and he needed a car to compete at the races in Salinas, California.

Dean's 550 was customized by the young George Barris, (who would go on to the design of the Batmobile). Dean's Porsche was numbered 130 at the front, side and back. The car had a tartan on the seating and two red stripes at the rear of its wheelwell. The car was given the nickname "Little Bastard" by Bill Hickman, his language coach on Giant. Dean was keen to show off his new sportscar to friends, but his acting friends had bad feelings about the car. Barris would later have bad premonitions about the car as well.

Death

Porsche 550 Spyder

Dean and his mechanic Rolf Wuetherich set off from Competition Motors, where they had prepared his Porsche 550 Spyder that morning for a sports car race at Palm Springs. Dean originally intended to trailer the Porsche to the meeting point at Salinas, behind his new Ford Country Squire station wagon, crewed by Hickman and photographer Stanford Roth, who was planning a photo story of Dean at the races. At the last minute, Dean drove the Spyder, having decided he needed more time to familiarize himself with the car. At 3:30PM, Dean was ticketed in Kern County for doing 65 in a 55 mph zone. The driver of the Ford was ticketed for doing 20 mph over the limit, as the speed limit for all vehicles towing a trailer was 45 mph. Later, having left the Ford far behind, they stopped at Blackwell's Corner for fuel and met up with fellow racer Lance Reventlow.

Dean was driving west on U.S. Highway 466 (later California State Route 46) near Cholame, California when a 1950 Ford Tudor, driven from the opposite direction by 23-year-old Cal Poly student Donald Turnupseed, attempted to take the fork onto California State Route 41 and crossed into Dean's lane without seeing him. The two cars hit almost head on. According to a story in the October 1, 2005 edition of the Los Angeles Times, California Highway Patrol officer Ron Nelson and his partner had been finishing a coffee break in Paso Robles when they were called to the scene of the accident, where they saw a heavily-breathing Dean being placed into an ambulance. Wuetherich had been thrown from the car, but survived with a broken jaw and other injuries. Dean was taken to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 5:59PM. His last known words, uttered right before impact, are said to have been "That guy's got to stop... He'll see us."

Contrary to reports of Dean's speeding, which persisted decades after his death, Nelson said "the wreckage and the position of Dean's body indicated his speed was more like 55 mph (88 km/h)." Turnupseed received a gashed forehead and bruised nose and was not cited by police for the accident. He died of lung cancer in 1995. Rolf Wuetherich would die in a road accident in Germany in 1981. While completing Giant, and to promote Rebel Without a Cause, Dean had recently filmed a short interview with actor Gig Young for an episode of "Warner Bros. Presents" wherein he ad-libbed the popular phrase "The life you save may be your own" instead into "The life you save may be mine." Dean's sudden death prompted the studio to re-film the section, and the piece was never aired - though in the past several sources have referred to the footage, mistakenly identifying it as a public service announcement. (The segment can, however, be viewed on both the 2001 VHS and 2005 DVD editions of Rebel Without a Cause.). BMW once made a commercial with the footage of the infamous public service announcement and reconstruction of the crash, which cuts into a scene indicating that Dean would be alive if he had driven one of their models, the commercial was never shown due to poor taste but is aired in programs such as Tarrant on TV.

Memorial

James Dean Memorial in Cholame. Dean died about 900 yards east of this tree.

James Dean is buried in Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana. In 1977, a Dean memorial was built in Cholame, California. The stylized sculpture, composed of concrete and stainless steel around a tree of heaven growing in front of the Cholame post office was made in Japan and transported to Cholame, accompanied by the project's benefactor, Seita Ohnishi. Ohnishi chose the site after examining the location of the accident, now little more than a few road signs and flashing yellow signals. In September, 2005, the intersection of Highways 41 and 46 in Cholame (San Luis Obispo county) was dedicated as the James Dean Memorial Highway as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death. (Maps of the intersection 35°44′5″N 120°17′4″W / 35.73472°N 120.28444°W / 35.73472; -120.28444)

The dates and hours of Dean's birth and death are etched into the sculpture, along with a handwritten description by Dean's close friend, William Bast, of one of Dean's favorite lines from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince - "What is essential is invisible to the eye."

The James Dean Gallery opened in 2004 in Indiana, but closed due to financial problems at the end of February 2006.

Sexuality

Dean's sexual orientation is a matter of some debate. Often considered a gay film icon , there are many published accounts of Dean having had sexual relationships with both men and women. "Dean had an intimate relationship with his pastor, Dr. James DeWeerd, which began in his senior year of high school and endured for many years." Purportedly, at the beginning of his career, Dean "exchanged sexual favors for a place to live" and for "Hollywood contacts." "Interviews with Barbara Glenn and Arlene Sachs reveal that Dean's relationships included many brief homosexual encounters."

William Bast, Dean's close friend, roommate, and indeed his first biographer (James Dean: a biography, 1956), who knew Dean throughout the last five years of his short life, has recently published an unexpurgated version of his first book, in which he now reveals that he and Dean were sexually involved and describes the difficult circumstances of their involvement (Surviving James Dean, 2006). In this book Bast also deals frankly with some of Dean's other homosexual involvements , including Dean's relationship with Brackett.

In his 1992 biography, James Dean: Little Boy Lost, journalist Joe Hyams, who claims to have known Dean personally, devotes an entire chapter to Dean's alleged relationship with Angeli; however, he also presents what appears to be a far-fetched account alleging Dean's early molestation by a minister, and describes it as Dean's first homosexual encounter (although the minister, the Reverend James DeWeerd, himself portrayed his relationship with Dean as a completely conventional one). Hyams also suggests that any homosexual acts that the undeniably shrewd Dean involved himself in appear to have been strictly "for trade," as a means of advancing his career. , although this has been disputed by Bast and other Dean biographers..

Legacy

James Dean was the first — and is one of five — to have been posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award and the only one so nominated twice. His estate still earns about $5,000,000 per year, according to Forbes Magazine. James Dean has received more fan mail posthumously than any other person.

Along with Blackboard Jungle, Dean's Rebel Without a Cause is frequently cited as having symbolized the growing post-war rebellion of 1950s teenagers as well as playing a part in the emergence of rock and roll as a lasting cultural phenomenon. Many young people of that and later generations modeled themselves after James Dean.

His charismatic screen presence and very brief career combined with the publicity surrounding his death at a young age transformed Dean into a cult figure. His name is mentioned in countless songs, movies, and is a pop icon of apparently timeless fascination. Some examples of this:

  • Phil Ochs wrote a biographical song about James Dean called "Jim Dean of Indiana" and released it on what would be his final album.
  • James Dean was noted by writer/director George Lucas and actor Hayden Christensen as a direct inspiration for the latter's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
  • In John Mellencamp's song Jack and Diane, the second verse talks about Jack "scratching his head and does his best James Dean." The next line starts with "Well then there" a sequence of words uttered to Jim Backus in Rebel Without a Cause.
    • Mellencamp has also produced or co-produced several of his albums under the pseudonym "Little Bastard," a reference to Dean's car.
  • British singer Daniel Bedingfield's second single from his 2002 album, Gotta Get Thru This, is titled, "James Dean (I Wanna Know)." "James Dean" is only said in the song's first line, "I could be the James Dean of the music scene." Ironically, Bedingfield himself was seriously injured in a car accident on New Year's Day 2004.
  • The Smiths, song "Stretch out and Wait", Morrissey uses lines from "Rebel without a cause" the lines from the movie in the song are "As we lie, you say : Will the world end in the night time ? (I really don't know) Or will the world end in the day time ? (I really don't know) And is there any point ever having children ? Oh, I don't know. What I do know is we're Here and it's Now". Also, the first solo video from Morrissey for the song "Suedehead" shows him walking around sites in Fairmount Indiana, home of James Dean and acting out famous Dean photos by photographer Dennis Stock (in a black torn sweater; playing os; riding a tractor etc...)
  • The song "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" by The Smiths is said to be written about Dean by Morrissey who is a Dean fan.
  • Dean's also mentioned in Billy Joel's history themed song "We Didn't Start the Fire".
  • Dean is unflatteringly referred to as "just a careless driver" in British indie band Half Man Half Biscuit's song "99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd".
  • Don McLean also mentions Dean in "American Pie", the line goes "When the jester sang for the king and queen, in a coat he borrowed from James Dean..." an allusion to the young Bob Dylan's (the jester of the song) fascination with the 50's idol.
  • Dean is mentioned in the song "moviestar" made by Harpo.
  • Dean is mentioned in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."
  • Dean is also mentioned in American rock group Bon Jovi's song "These Days", the line goes "I guess she's tryin' to be James Dean".
  • Singer Hilary Duff has a song, Mr. James Dean, which is a tribute to the actor.
  • Rapper Jay-Z's song "Allure" off The Black Album (Jay-Z) lines mention "Even James Dean couldn't escape the allure/ Dyin young, leavin good lookin corpse."
  • Referenced in the Nas song "Blunt Ashes", featured on the 2006 album, Hip Hop Is Dead.
  • Popular Band Senses Fail refers to James Dean in their song "Choke on this", the line goes "You can be my James Dean, I'll be your sweet queen."
  • Dean is mentioned in Rufus Wainwright's song "Peach Trees" from his album "Want Two": "And I really do wish you were here next to me, cos I'm going to see James Dean."
  • Dean was said to be inspiration for the monologue at the beginning of Placebo (band)'s song "This Picture (song)" and is mentioned in their song "2468": "He kicked me out of the house and he burnt all my pictures of sweet Jimmy Dean."
  • Dean is the subject of the John Prine song "Picture Show".
  • The Eagles recorded a song called "James Dean" on their album On The Border. The lyrics note that Dean was "too fast to live, too young to die."
  • Dean is mentioned by British indie band Space in their song "A Little Biddy Help from Elvis": "Buddy Holly and Jimmy Dean could come to our wedding in the sky"
  • Deana Carter mentions Dean in her song "One Day At A Time" the line goes: "And Thelma and Louise, you got nothing on me, and you can tell ol' James Dean to get in line".
  • Dean is mentioned in David Essex's hit single Rock On, in the line "See her shake on the movie screen, Jimmy Dean (James Dean)".
  • Dean is one of the stars referenced in Madonna's song Vogue.
  • Rock group The Goo Goo Dolls has a song titled "James Dean", off of their album "Jed", where the subject dreams of being just like Dean, until 'And then you go and you tell me/that you found out Dean was gay...'
  • Dean is mentioned in Sensation White Edition 2006
  • Alternative band Anberlin mentions James Dean, "so mysterious - shadows meet James Dean"
  • In Brian K. Vaughan's comic series Runaways, the titular characters meet up twice at the James Dean memorial at Griffith Observatory. The comic contains several other references to Dean and Rebel Without A Cause.
  • The Frank and Walters' song "This is not a song" contains the line "This song is not about old James Dean 'cause he's mentioned in too many songs already".
  • Dean has also been referenced in several country music songs, including Shenandoah's "I Wanna Be Loved Like That" with the opening lyric "Natalie Wood gave her heart to James Dean," and Sawyer Brown's "Some Girls Do" with the lyric "You was laughing at me, I was doing James Dean."

James Dean is mentioned in Rob Z's (Robert Zarro) song California"The first Star I seen said James Dean

  • Elvis Presley was a noted admirer of James Dean due to his rebellious image and persona. According to David Burner, "Both Dean and Elvis Presley conveyed a smoldering sexuality at the same time both threatening and androgynous."
  • Rock band REM mention Dean in their song 'Electrolite'. The lyrics are:
Hollywood is under me.
I'm Martin Sheen
I'm Steve McQueen
I'm Jimmy Dean
  • Creator Matt Groening revealed in the Futurama Vol. 1 DVD Commentary that the character Fry was specifically drawn dressed like Dean, in the iconic red jacket, white t-shirt and blue jeans.
  • Alternative band the Killers mentions James Dean in their song titled "Under the Gun"
  • Lesław, vocalist and guitarist of Polish rockabilly band Komety is a big James Dean fan; his first band had a song called "Chcialbym Umrzec Jak James Dean" ("I Want to Die Like James Dean").
  • Canadian singer-songwriter Kat Goldman mentions Dean in her song "Damn Town", off her 2006 CD, "Sing Your Song". The line goes "You're in your white t-shirt, looking very Jimmy Dean"
  • English rock band Bloc Party references Dean in the song "Helicopter." The lyrics are:
So James Dean
So blue jeans
Gonna save the world
He's gonna

The curse of "Little Bastard"

Since Dean's death, his Porsche 550 Spyder has been infamous as being the vehicle that killed not only him, but for injuring and killing several others in the years following his death.

Over the years, many people have come to believe that the actor's vehicle and all of its parts were cursed. Legendary Hot Rodder George Barris bought the wreck for $2,500, only to have it slip off its trailer and break a mechanic's leg.

Soon afterwards, Barris sold the engine and drive-train to physicians Troy McHenry and William Eschrid respectively. While racing against each other, the former would be killed instantly when his vehicle spun out of control and crashed into a tree, while the latter would be seriously injured when his vehicle rolled over while going into a curve.

Barris later sold two tires, which malfunctioned as well. The tires, which were unharmed in Dean's accident, blew up simultaneously causing the buyer's automobile to go off the road.

Two young would-be thieves were injured while attempting to steal parts from the car. One tried to steal the steering wheel from the Porsche; his arm ripped open on a piece of jagged metal. Later, another man was injured while trying to steal the bloodstained front seat. This would be the final straw for Barris, who decided to store "Little Bastard" away, but was quickly persuaded by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to loan the wrecked car in a highway safety exhibit.

The first exhibit from the CHP featuring the car ended unsuccessfully, as the garage storing the Spyder went up in flames, destroying everything except the car itself, which suffered almost no damage whatsoever from the fire. The second display, at a Sacramento High School, ended when the car fell, breaking a student's hip. "Little Bastard" also found itself causing trouble while being transported several times. On its way to Salinas, the truck containing the vehicle lost control, causing the driver to fall out, only to be crushed by the Porsche after it fell off the back. On two separate occasions, once on a freeway and again in Oregon, the car came off other trucks, although no injuries were reported, another vehicle's windshield was shattered in Oregon.

It was last used in a CHP exhibit was in 1959. In 1960, when being returned to George Barris in Los Angeles, California, the car mysteriously vanished. It has not been seen since.

Filmography

Stage

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Television

Further reading

  • Holley, Val : James Dean: The Biography. St. Martin's Griffin, 1996. ISBN 0-312-15156-X
  • Spoto, Donald : Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean. Harpercollins, 1996. ISBN 0-06-017656-3
  • Dalton, David : James Dean-The Mutant King: A Biography. Chicago Review Press, 2001. ISBN 1-55652-398-X
  • Gilmore, John : Live Fast-Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of James Dean. Thunder's Mouth Press, 1998. ISBN 1-56025-169-7
  • Gilmore, John : The Real James Dean. Pyramid Books, 1975. ISBN 0-515-03814-8
  • Frascella, Lawrence and Weisel, Al : Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause. Touchstone, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-6082-1
  • Hyams, Joe; Hyams, Jay : James Dean: Little Boy Lost. Time Warner Publishing, 1992. ASIN: 0446516430
  • Sheridan, Liz : Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life With James Dean : A Love Story. HarperCollins Canada / Harper Trade, 2000. ISBN 0-06-039383-1
  • Bast, William : James Dean: A Biography. Ballantine Books, 1956.
  • Bast, William : Surviving James Dean. Barricade Books, 2006. ISBN 1-56980-298-X

Biographical Films

References

  1. Chawkins, Steve, "Remembering a 'Giant'", Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2005.
  2. "Plot Summary for "Warner Brothers Presents"". Retrieved February 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. "PopcornQ Movies". Retrieved December 5. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. Billy J. Harbin, Kim Marra and Robert A. Schanke, eds., The Gay And Lesbian Theatrical Legacy: A Biographical Dictionary Of Major Figures In American Stage History in the Pre-Stonewall Era (University of Michigan Press, 2005), 133. See also Joe and Jay Hyams, James Dean: Little Boy Lost (1992), p.20.
  5. Harbin, Marra and Schanke, The Gay And Lesbian Theatrical Legacy, p.134.
  6. Bast, William: "James Dean: a Biography," Ballantine Books, 1956
  7. Bast, William: "Surviving James Dean," pp. 133, 183-232. Barricade Books, 2006
  8. Bast, William: "Surviving James Dean," pp. 133, 150, 183. Barricade Books. 2006
  9. Bast, William, "Surviving James Dean", pp.133, 183-232. Barricade Books, 2006
  10. Spoto, Donald, "Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean", pp.150-151. HarperCollins, 1996
  11. Lisa DiCarlo (October 25, 2004). "The Top Earners For 2004". Retrieved February 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |year= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  12. David Burner, Making Peace with the 60s (Princeton University Press, 1997), p.244.

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