It was 50 years ago this week that James Dean died in a car wreck on his way to a race in California. He was driving his new Porsche Spyder.

A lot has been said about this young man and he remains the ultimate 50's icon....."you were just too cool for school.".... the lost boy, the ultimate rebel. In actuality, he was a shy conservative farm boy, somewhat lost in Hollywood, and he avoided the Hollywood parties and general phoniness of that place.

The penultimate scene in "East of Eden" remains one of the finest acting jobs I have ever seen. We will never know the full depth and range of his tremendous talent. But he lives on, the symbol of lost and disillsioned youth.

"I know my life would look alright if I could see it on the silver screen."

The penultimate scene in "East of Eden" remains one of the finest acting jobs I have ever seen. We will never know the full depth and range of his tremendous talent. But he lives on, the symbol of lost and disillsioned youth.

His few movies are all around very good, if he had not died he would have surpassed Brando in talent and achievement.

Yes, and I should add that he was also as beautiful as a Greek god down from Mt. Olympus.
One of my married daughters has a huge poster of him up on the wall of their apartment, the famous "Life " magazine shot of him walking down the street, jacket slung over his shoulder..her jealous husband wants to take it down. She said, "Touch that poster and die."

One of my married daughters has a huge poster of him up on the wall of their apartment, the famous "Life " magazine shot of him walking down the street, jacket slung over his shoulder

I have that one, and i like the one with Monroe, Bogart, Presley, and him are playing pool.

Plus his performance in Rebel was definitely the best rookie performance i've seen

I look like James Dean... after the crash :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_Without_a_Cause_curse

hmmm, 13 years before it struck again?

trivia - Dean died just as the cast and crew were putting the final sound touches on Giant. His final scene in the movie, when he falls over drunk while trying to give a speech to an empty room, was dubbed by Nick Adams.

Fifty years ago today James was killed.
Part of the myth was that he was speeding.

"Along came a Spyder, picked up a rider, took him down the highway to eternity.."

Tho he had received a ticket for speeding just hours before the crash, he was not speeding at the time of the accident. The sun was going down, he could not see well, couldn't see the guy in the big heavy Ford turning right in front of him. Result--crash. The lightweight Porsche couldn't withstand the impact.

Does anyone know whatever became of this car?

We are going to Fairmount, Indiana (where he was from) this weekend to pay our respects to Jimmy. On a side note, my mom is from this area and knew some of James' kin.

maybe this should go in the quote thread, but maybe not, seeing as it is September 30th

"I don't know what to do anymore. Except maybe die." ~ James Dean
as Jim Stark (Rebel Without A Cause)

found on this page (3 part excerpt from a book)
http://www.johngilmore.com/Celebrities/james_dean_part3.html

We watched East of Eden today. All that Cain and Abel stuff, nobody really goes into it in the birthday scene, how the movie shows the rivalry that will develop when favoritism is at play in a family - Aron's deliberately ruining Cal's present by announcing his 'engagement' while Adam is standing there with Cal's present in his hand about to open it.

Of the main characters, only Richard Davalos (Aron) is still alive and will be 70 in November of this year.