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==Death== ==Death==
Dean had become friends with fellow auto enthusiast and multi-millionaire ], one of the last people to speak to Dean when they met on their way from Los Angeles to an auto race in ]. A few hours later Dean was driving his ] west on ] (later ]) near ] when a car driven from the opposite direction by 23-year-old ] student Donald Turnupseed, attempting to take the fork onto highway 41, crossed into Dean's lane without seeing the very low-slung, topless silver-grey Porsche in the twilight. The two cars hit almost head on. According to a story in the Oct 1, 2005 edition of the ]{{ref|crashspeed}}, ] officer Ron Nelson and his partner had been finishing a coffee break in ] when they were called to the scene of the accident, where they saw a heavily-breathing Dean being placed into an ambulance. His mechanic Rolf Wutherich 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, aged twenty-four. Dean had become friends with fellow auto enthusiast and multi-millionaire ], one of the last people to speak to Dean when they met on their way from Los Angeles to an auto race at ] in ]. A few hours later Dean was driving his ] west on ] (later ]) near ] when a car driven from the opposite direction by 23-year-old ] student Donald Turnupseed, attempting to take the fork onto highway 41, crossed into Dean's lane without seeing the very low-slung, topless silver-grey Porsche in the twilight. The two cars hit almost head on. According to a story in the Oct 1, 2005 edition of the ]{{ref|crashspeed}}, ] officer Ron Nelson and his partner had been finishing a coffee break in ] when they were called to the scene of the accident, where they saw a heavily-breathing Dean being placed into an ambulance. His mechanic Rolf Wutherich 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, aged twenty-four.


Contrary to reports of excessive speed 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, was not cited by police for the accident, and died of lung cancer in 1995. While completing ''Giant'', Dean had recently filmed a driving safety announcement targeted at teenaged drivers. "The life you save," he had said in conclusion, "may be mine." Contrary to reports of excessive speed 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, was not cited by police for the accident, and died of lung cancer in 1995. While completing ''Giant'', Dean had recently filmed a driving safety announcement targeted at teenaged drivers. "The life you save," he had said in conclusion, "may be mine."
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Two films from 1955, ''Rebel Without a Cause'' and '']'', are most often cited as having symbolized the growing post-war rebellion of ]s teenagers along with playing a part in the emergence of ] 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 ] and ] of apparently timeless fascination. Two films from 1955, ''Rebel Without a Cause'' and '']'', are most often cited as having symbolized the growing post-war rebellion of ]s teenagers along with playing a part in the emergence of ] 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 ] and ] of apparently timeless fascination.

==Sexuality==
James Dean's sexual life is a matter of some debate. Long considered a gay film icon , there are many published accounts of bisexual relationships. In literary critic Ron Martinetti's biography, "The James Dean Story," Martinetti writes, "Only one of Dean's homosexual relationships is dealt with in this book--and that in his early days in Hollywood and New York with a director named Rogers Brackett. Toward the end of his own life, however, when he was stricken with cancer, Rogers granted me the only interviews he ever gave on Dean. He was tired of the "half-truths" that had been published and wanted "to set the record straight." This book draws on those interviews and the letters he wrote me; many of the items are published here for the first time, since Rogers requested that they be withheld until after his death."

Further, ], an expert on Hollywood gays, published a 1972 interview with ] in which the actor said, "] told me they had a big affair." Further sources support the view that Dean could have had homosexual relationships. ], a member of Dean's "Night Watch" motorcyle riders, wrote a book on James Dean claiming they had a homosexual encounter. In his ] biography, ], himself homosexual and part of the Hollywood gay circles of the 50s and 60s, describes Dean as being bisexual. In her memoir of her brief affair with Dean, actress ] states Dean had an affair with Rogers Brackett, a radio director for an advertising agency whom Dean met in the summer of 1951 while working as a parking attendant at ]. In Val Holley's ''James Dean: the Biography'' (1997) gay studies scholars will also find evidence of a homosexual social life. "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 ] knew Dean to be bisexual.


==Memorial== ==Memorial==

Revision as of 18:16, 13 November 2005

This article is about the actor James Dean. You might also be looking for Jimmy Dean.
File:JamesDean.jpg
James Dean

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was a charismatic American film actor who epitomized youthful angst. Dean's status as a cultural icon is likely embodied in the title of his most cited work, Rebel Without a Cause.

Childhood and education

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

File:James Dean stamp.gif
James Dean on a United States postage stamp

At age nine Dean was sent by his father to live with relatives on a farm near Fairmount, Indiana where his upbringing received a Quaker influence. In high school Dean played on the school basketball team and participated in forensics and drama. After graduating from Fairmont High School in 1949 Dean moved back to California to live with his father and stepmother.

He enrolled in Santa Monica College, pledged Sigma Nu fraternity and majored in pre-law. Dean transferred to the University of California Los Angeles and changed his major to drama, resulting in a parental fight that left him turned out of his father's house.

Acting career

Dean began his acting career with a Coca-Cola television commercial followed by a stint as a stunt tester in the game show Beat the Clock. He quit college to focus on his budding career but struggled to get jobs in Hollywood and succeeded in paying his bills only by working as a parking lot attendant at CBS studios.

Following the advice of friends 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 Dean did several episodes on early-1950s episodic television programs such as Kraft Television Theater, Studio One, Lux Video Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Danger and General Electric Theater. Positive reviews for his role in André Gide's The Immoralist led to calls from Hollywood and film stardom.

He appeared in several uncredited bit roles in forgettable films like Sailor Beware but gained recognition and success in 1955 with his first starring role, Cal Trask in East of Eden, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role (the first posthumous acting nomination in Academy Awards history). He followed this up in rapid succession with two more starring roles in Rebel Without a Cause and the posthumous 1956 release Giant, for which he was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Death

Dean had become friends with fellow auto enthusiast and multi-millionaire Lance Reventlow, one of the last people to speak to Dean when they met on their way from Los Angeles to an auto race at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. A few hours later Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder west on Highway 466 (later 46) near Cholame, California when a car driven from the opposite direction by 23-year-old Cal Poly student Donald Turnupseed, attempting to take the fork onto highway 41, crossed into Dean's lane without seeing the very low-slung, topless silver-grey Porsche in the twilight. The two cars hit almost head on. According to a story in the Oct 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. His mechanic Rolf Wutherich 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, aged twenty-four.

Contrary to reports of excessive speed 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, was not cited by police for the accident, and died of lung cancer in 1995. While completing Giant, Dean had recently filmed a driving safety announcement targeted at teenaged drivers. "The life you save," he had said in conclusion, "may be mine."

Legacy

James Dean is one of only five people to have been nominated Best Actor for his first feature role and the only one nominated twice posthumously. He is buried in Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana.

Two films from 1955, Rebel Without a Cause and Blackboard Jungle, are most often cited as having symbolized the growing post-war rebellion of 1950s teenagers along with 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 and pop icon of apparently timeless fascination.

Sexuality

James Dean's sexual life is a matter of some debate. Long considered a gay film icon 1, there are many published accounts of bisexual relationships. In literary critic Ron Martinetti's biography, "The James Dean Story," Martinetti writes, "Only one of Dean's homosexual relationships is dealt with in this book--and that in his early days in Hollywood and New York with a director named Rogers Brackett. Toward the end of his own life, however, when he was stricken with cancer, Rogers granted me the only interviews he ever gave on Dean. He was tired of the "half-truths" that had been published and wanted "to set the record straight." This book draws on those interviews and the letters he wrote me; many of the items are published here for the first time, since Rogers requested that they be withheld until after his death."

Further, Boze Hadleigh, an expert on Hollywood gays, published a 1972 interview with Sal Mineo in which the actor said, "Nick (Adams) told me they had a big affair." Further sources support the view that Dean could have had homosexual relationships. John Gilmore, a member of Dean's "Night Watch" motorcyle riders, wrote a book on James Dean claiming they had a homosexual encounter. In his Natalie Wood biography, Gavin Lambert, himself homosexual and part of the Hollywood gay circles of the 50s and 60s, describes Dean as being bisexual. In her memoir of her brief affair with Dean, actress Dizzy Sheridan states Dean had an affair with Rogers Brackett, a radio director for an advertising agency whom Dean met in the summer of 1951 while working as a parking attendant at CBS. In Val Holley's James Dean: the Biography (1997) gay studies scholars will also find evidence of a homosexual social life. "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.

Memorial

In 1977 a Dean memorial was built in Cholame. 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.

The dates and hours of Dean's birth and death are etched into the sculpture along with one of his favorite lines from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince - "What is essential is invisible to the eye."

Filmography

File:RebelWOCausePoster.jpg
James Dean on the film poster to Rebel Without a Cause

Stage

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Television


External links

Footnotes

  1. Chawkins, Steve, "Remembering a 'Giant'", Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2005.
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