James Dean (1 Viewer)

[Emcee]

When I originally got into Old Hollywood a decade or so ago, James Dean was one of the primary attractions. Like Marilyn Monroe, he's forever solidified as that ageless poster boy for teenage rebellion. His three feature films ─ East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant ─ prove he was a maturing actor destined for cinematic greatness. Following in the footsteps of his idols Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, he helped usher in the method-style of big screen acting. He was a trailblazer and distinctive image of Old Hollywood youth.

I've always had an admiration of James Dean. With his filmography being sparse, one has to take a interest in his personal life, if only just to know more about him. His acting was quite good, but it's been eclipsed by the image. Just as Monroe's platinum-haired glamour girl persona has swept over her desire to be a serious actress, Dean's abilities as an actor have been sidelined by the bad boy stereotype. That red-leather jacket and torn jeans almost solely defines in him a society that likes him that way.

A variety of discussion topics can abound when talking about James Dean. As mentioned, we can talk about his acting, his personal life, his premature death, and whether or not he would've lived up to his supposed potential had he lived longer. Naturally, theories on the latter have people on many different spots on the spectrum. Some seem to think Dean would've matured as an actor and continued to turn out fine performances, while others side with the idea that he could've simply been a cinematic trend that would have cooled off with age. But we'll never know for sure.

Either way, James Dean is a pivotal part of Old Hollywood history. He is a legend, a myth, and a genuine individual continuing to captive audiences.

ABOVE: Publicity still of James Dean in the film "East of Eden" (1955). ​

 

[Emcee]

Any James Dean fans around here?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Any James Dean fans around here?

I like Dean and recall the promotion of that big three of Brando, Clift, and Dean when I was a kid.

I think he was an interesting actor that was growing. I don't find the films he made to be great pictures but he stands out in them. I recall Rebel being the one mentioned most when I was a kid in the 1970s. Now, I don't find Rebel, East of Eden, or Giant great pictures to revisit unless it is to have another look at Dean doing his thing.

I would have loved to have seen Dean survive to see what would have become of him. First, if he did survive and let's say acted all the way into the 1970s or 1980s, I don't think East, Rebel, and Giant would be as well remembered as they are. Basically, East is alright if more than a little overwrought, Giant is kind of a ponderous mess, and Rebel is interesting because it falls into Ray's general thing of bizarrely overheated melodrama.

I mean, I have to admit were Dean not in East or Giant, I would never have watched them more than once.

Rebel is an interesting relic of the 1950s and falls right in line with Ray's other work.

With Brando kind of losing interest in acting and Clift having his accident and falling into abusing booze and pain medication, maybe Dean would have had an interesting career. I would have loved to see him in some better films.

 

[Emcee]

I like Dean and recall the promotion of that big three of Brando, Clift, and Dean when I was a kid.

That trio are really the prototype for method acting. Well, and Monroe, of course.​

I think he was an interesting actor that was growing. I don't find the films he made to be great pictures but he stands out in them.

Dean was definitely a good actor, but perhaps the material he was given wasn't the best. In saying that, I think that East of Eden and Giant are very good movies, and Rebel Without a Cause practically defines old school teenage rebellion.​

I would have loved to have seen Dean survive to see what would have become of him.

This subject is particularly interesting to ponder, especially because Dean died so prematurely. Personally, I think he would have continued to grow and give strong performances in well-received films. Considering he wouldn't have had the same career paths as Brando or Clift, he might've gotten some films that the two of them didn't end up making. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) was intended to star Dean, but his death left that opportunity open for Paul Newman.​

With Brando kind of losing interest in acting and Clift having his accident and falling into abusing booze and pain medication, maybe Dean would have had an interesting career.

Despite a short career, Dean was notorious for his on-set behavior. Many of his co-stars -- especially the men -- hated working with him. Raymond Massey (who played his father in East of Eden) despised him. Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Harris, and the other women he worked with had more positive encounters with him.​

 

[Keith Cobby]

I'm not a fan of JD but he did appear in one of my favourite films - Has Anybody Seen My Gal? Still waiting for a blu ray release of this fine comedy.

 

[cinemiracle]

Any James Dean fans around here?

I was a huge fan of Dean. My best friend in the sixties was a spitting image of Dean. Sadly he passed away a few months ago.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) was intended to star Dean, but his death left that opportunity open for Paul Newman.

Dean was also supposed to play the lead in The Left Handed Gun which Newman also replaced him in. I've always felt Newman is doing his Dean impression in the film. Hopefully Warner Archive does a Blu-ray of The Left Handed Gun, I would love that.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think that East of Eden and Giant are very good movies, and Rebel Without a Cause practically defines old school teenage rebellion.

My favorite Dean performance is Giant, though I am not a huge fan of the film he is electric in it. One thing I noticed about Dean watching him in his three main pictures is he does look like he really is making some of the older male actors uncomfortable. Particularly Massey and Backus, they just look like they are not quite sure what to do or if he is acting or having a breakdown. I think he pours so much into what he is doing that they were not sure how to react to him so they kind of look truly horrified.

Dean would have been a great actor for 1970s pictures and if he kept the intensity he had it would have been impressive. The thing that you have to keep in mind with him is he was not a big star but became one in part because of his sudden death. So, if he had stayed alive it would have been interesting to see what he was cast in and how he would have changed, because the way he acted I think he would have changed and been different in different types of films.

In Eden and Rebel he is doing the angsty teen roles, which he does wonderfully, but honestly I would have liked to see him move beyond that kind of thing. Which he was with Giant and that's why I like him more in that film. It is a glimpse of what he may have been developing into.

I don't mean to knock his pictures I just think the best was ahead of him. I think they are all worth watching now, but mainly for him not because I really love the films.

 

[Emcee]

Dean was also supposed to play the lead in The Left Handed Gun which Newman also replaced him in. I've always felt Newman is doing his Dean impression in the film. Hopefully Warner Archive does a Blu-ray of The Left Handed Gun, I would love that.

I wasn't aware of The Left-Handed Gun being for Dean originally. Don't know if I've ever seen that movie.​

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I wasn't aware of The Left-Handed Gun being for Dean originally. Don't know if I've ever seen that movie.​

It seemed tailor made for his persona and the way Newman plays it is sort of as if Dean from Eden or Rebel is playing Billy the Kid. It is definitely another angry and troubled young man role. I'm sure Dean would have been great in the part.