Why James Dean Was THE Bad Boy in Classic Hollywood Movies
Perhaps no other film actor represents youthful angst and rebellion than James Dean. He's the icon of brooding youth, of troubled teens and adolescent angst. He's the soulful bad boy of the silver screen. Before Johnny Depp and Paul Newman, there was James Dean. Although he was criticized in his lifetime as a Brando imitator, James Dean was always a true original. Even more than fifty years after his death, James Dean remains the bad boy of classic Hollywood cinema.
James Dean, Farm Boy
Even after all his Hollywood success, James Dean always identified with his humble farm boy roots. He was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. As a young boy, his family moved to Santa Monica after his father had abandoned farming to become a dental technician. When he was eight years old, his mother died of breast cancer. His mother's early death would haunt him for the rest of his life. When he was nine, his father sent him back to Indiana, where he was taken by his Aunt Ortense and Uncle Marcus Winslow on a farm in Fairmount, Indiana. Dean would later recall his years in Indiana fondly. At Fairmount High School, his love of drama was ignited. After graduating, he moved back to California to live with is father and stepmother. He enrolled in Santa Monica College, and later transferred to UCLA to study drama. This caused a rupture between him and his father, resulting in estrangement.
Life in the Big Apple
Dean had trouble finding acting gigs in Hollywood, so he decided to move to New York with the hopes of pursuing stage work. New York proved fortuitous for Dean. He was accepted to study under prominent dramatic teacher Lee Strasberg in the Actor's Studio. He started to pick up steady television work and a few theatrical roles.
Dean soon caught the eye of Elia Kazan, legendary theatrical and film director, who was looking to cast the role of Cal in the upcoming production of John Steinbeck's East of Eden. The part came down to Paul Newman or Dean. After a screen test, Dean won the role of the alienated youth. This marked the beginning of an extraordinary career, remarkable both for its brevity and impact. James Dean died heartbreakingly young at the age of 24, in an automobile accident near Paso Robles, California.
Film Highlights From a Short But Unforgettable Career
James Dean is remarkable not only for his intense performances, but also for the fact that he was able to construct an enduring screen image in an incredibly short period of time. During his short lifetime, Dean only starred in three roles: his startling debut in East of Eden, his unforgettable and iconic performance in Rebel Without a Cause, and his impressive role in Giant. Even though he had only been acting for a short period of time, there is no whiff of the amateur in Dean's performances. He is intense, startling, and mesmerizing on the big screen. Here are the highlights from a short but unforgettable career.
East of Eden (1955) : Based on the classic John Steinbeck novel, Dean plays Cal Trask, a young man growing up in the beautiful Salinas valley. Cal plays the son of a constantly disapproving father, who seems to favor his other "good" son Aaron. Dean plays Cal to perfection: he is emotional, spontaneous, and intense. Dean took this role personally, because the relationship between Cal and his father mirrored the real-life relationship he shared with his own father.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) : The classic Hollywood movie about teenage angst and rebellion. Dean plays Jim, the new kid on the block who has trouble making friends and who steadily becomes more and more alienated from his parents. It has been said that our notion of the teenager was created in the post-war 1950s, and this movie, especially Dean's performance did much to create and popularize the image of the rebellious teenager.
Giant (1956) : A giant of a film. A sprawling multigenerational epic about the life of a Texas family. Dean plays Jett Rink, an embittered poor ranch worker who strikes it rich. A strong performance from Dean, who was posthumously nominated for an Oscar.
All three of Dean's films stand up over time, and his performances still resonate with young people and film lovers all over the world.
