James Dean is one of my heroes. It's funny because Jimmy was around way before I was even born. I was born 20 years after Jimmy died. When I was a kid, I really didn't know who James Dean was. It wasn't until the time when I was at my cousin's house, in his basement--where I saw this poster hanging on the wall. It depicted a guy walking down the street wearing a blazer with a turtle-neck, hands in his pockets and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He looked so cool, so I asked my cousin who that was on the wall? and he said, "That's James Dean."
It wasn't until I was in high school that I got into the whole James Dean thing. I started buying books and posters of Jimmy, trying to comb my hair the way he did, wearing the same clothes that he did, everything, including smoking. He was Mr. Cool, and I had to laugh when Luke Perry was being called "The Next James Dean." There will never be a new James Dean.
Like many other Dean fans, I have watched all of his movies. They were all good. Rebel was his most famous film, but I especially liked Giant. Dean's career was one of the shortest in Hollywood history. His film career lasted just 16 months, and he enjoyed (or endured) only 206 days of fame. I think if he were alive today, he would still be making movies, or have already made more interesting films after the first three. But he died early, and became a worldwide symbol of eternal youth. Also, Dean was one of the most photogenic stars to hit Hollywood. I don't think Dean ever took a bad photo--maybe some pictures were average--but the majority of his pictures were decent--especially the black-and-white photos of him. There are probably people who haven't even seen Dean's three films, but they recognize his image in a poster shop or him on a cardboard cutout. My recommendation, watch his films.
All of Dean's three films were about angry, rebellious men. See the way he cries out in East of Eden when his father (Raymond Massey) refuses to take the money that Cal (Dean) raised for him--when his father lost it all in the lettuce business. Look at the frustration and anguish on his face in Rebel Without a Cause when his father (Jim Backus) refuses to stand up for him against his badgering and dominating mother (Ann Doran). And see the look of arrogance, defiance, and rapture on his oil-stained face in Giant when he strikes oil, and rubs it in Rock Hudson's face, and comes on to Elizabeth Taylor at the same time.
One of the reasons that his films will continue to be timeless is that Dean is so captivating in each of the characters he portrayed. Everyone at some point in their life, tries to rebel against authority. We don't want to be nagged, or told what to do every single minute of our life. Dean expressed that rebelliousness so perfectly that we will never get bored of his image. I can remember my Kindergarten teacher trying to control my behaviour, attempting to get me to conform to what she considered, in her mind, as appropriate behaviour. She, in fact, ruined my spirit. Rebelling against authority will never go away; and that's so apropos with Dean's image, and consequently his legacy will live on. James Dean died before he got old, lost his hair and looks, and before we got tired of him. The quote that sums up James Dean's career is that "he died before he became famous." Critics have often wondered what kind of an actor Dean would've become, had he lived. We can only guess. I think Jimmy would've been great as boxer Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (the role went to Paul Newman after Jimmy's death). It was also rumoured that Dean had the role of Danny Fisher--based on the book A Stone for Danny Fisher, written by Harold Robbins. But the role went to Elvis Presley in the retitled and rewritten film called King Creole.
I saw Rebel Without a Cause on television as a child, and I recall seeing this guy wearing a red windbreaker and jeans. I really didn't pay much attention to James Dean then--being about 10 years old at the time. But he was the highlight of the film. It's sad that his fame and popularity bolstered after he died in that car crash on September 30, 1955. An example to show how unknown Dean was when he was alive. Just before the fatal car crash, Dean was pulled over for speeding, and the officer giving him the ticket didn't even know who he was when Dean said he worked for Warner Brothers.
James Dean was a gifted individual and his legend
will live forever. I don't think he wanted to die on that September afternoon.
Many in the media have stated that Dean drove like a maniac at the time
of the crash. Some have said he had a death wish. I'm sure he did drive
erratically before his death, but in late 1992, the television program
called What Happened? (no longer airing) investigated the car crash
that killed Dean. With computer animation and other investigative techniques,
they determined that Dean didn't drive like a maniac (as what some people
in the media thought). The studies showed that Dean was driving around
55-60 M.P.H. prior to the crash. They also said that Donald Turnupseed
(the driver of the Ford Tudor that collided with Dean) should've saw Dean
coming and should've waited until Dean passed him, so that he could then
make his left hand turn. Dean had the right of way, and Turnupseed made
an error in judgment. So, Dean's death was just a terrible accident, a
horrible tragedy that ironically has given him immortality. And that is
what all living actors want and try to achieve so desperately.
-These pictures show the horrendous condition of Dean's Porsche after
the crash and the paramedics taking Dean's shattered body away (the photos
were taken by the late Sanford Roth). The headstone above shows many stains
of lipstick, which shows the massive worship of Dean's appeal with fans
all over the world. It was the death of a rising young star, and the birth
of a legend.
Brandon Yip
Copyright © 1999 by Brandon Yip