American actor James Dean, whose photographs are presented in the article, was born on February 8, 1931 in the city of Marion, Indiana. The boy’s father, a dentist, devoted a lot of time to work, so his mother was raising her son. Unfortunately, she died of cancer when James was nine years old. With the death of his mother, little Dean lost the closest person. The bewildered child could not find a place, being left alone.
Friendship with a priest
The father did not have the opportunity to take full care of the growing son and decided to give it to the care of his sister and her husband, who lived in the city of Firemount, on a thriving dairy farm. There, Dean James fell under the influence of Quakers representing the religious "Society of Friends." In addition, fate brought the young man to the Reverend DiWird, a priest of the Methodist church, who greatly influenced Dean's worldview. Thanks to this acquaintance with the minister of the church, James became interested in racing and acting.
People noticed how deep the relationship between Rev. Father and young Dean was. A close friendship arose when James graduated from high school and continued afterwards for many years.
In 1949, the future actor returned to his father’s home, who had already managed to get married. Dean James decided to continue his studies and entered the college of St. Monica in law. After studying for a year and a half, he transferred to the University of California at the Department of Dramatic Art. Father, learning that his son decided to become an actor, quarreled with him.
Debut
In the meantime, James showed true acting talent, and he began to participate in the performances of the troupe directed by Whitmore. Not having completed his studies at the university, Dean took up a performing career. Soon he made his debut in a low-budget picture, in an inconspicuous role. Then he was lucky, and the second film with his participation was a film in which two American singers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dean Martin, were shot right away.
In anticipation of invitations to shoot, James had to earn extra money in a car park at the CBS studio. One day he met Rogers Beckett, the director of broadcasts at the radio advertising agency, who provided the actor with housing and offered career development assistance.
At the end of 1951, on the advice of his new friend, James Dean, whose photo had already begun to appear in newspapers and magazines, moved to New York. Successful participation in several television projects paved the way for him in the training studio of the famous Lee Strasberg. And training in a prestigious workshop of dramatic art allowed Dean to communicate with such stars as Marlon Brando, Arthur Kennedy, Mildred Dannock, Julia Harris.
Dean's career began to gain momentum, he participated in the most popular performances and regularly starred in prestigious film projects. Dean James, films with whose participation became increasingly popular, was waiting for proposals from the directors. In the meantime, only three years remained before the tragic death of the actor. And for this short period, James Dean, the actor, undoubtedly promising, managed to star in his three main roles. These were the films: "East of Paradise", "Giant", "Rebel for no reason."
"East of Paradise"
The American director Elia Kazan set out in 1953 to make a film based on the John Steinbeck novel. It was a saga of two families in three generations. The Trask and Hamilton families lived between 1800 and 1910 in the California Salinas Valley. The main character of the film, Cal Trask, is a young man who is not morally determined, driven by emotions.
The difference between Steinbeck’s novel and its adaptation is that Cal Trask is in the center of the movie, and he doesn’t stand out in the book. Interpretation of Elia Kazan suggested the participation of Marlon Brando, however, the screenwriter persistently offered James Dean as a more typical lead actor. John Steinbeck, personally meeting with the actor, also sided with him. As a result, Dean James was approved for the lead role. Filming began in April 1954 in Los Angeles.
Dean's organic performance of Cal Trask's character opened the way for him to the next picture, no less important and significant for his career. It was a film directed by Nicholas Ray entitled Rebel Without a Cause. The picture became the second best seller with the participation of a young actor.
"Rebel for no reason"
This is a youth drama about teens who seek themselves and do not find. From hopelessness, all-devastating riots arise, which end with broken destinies and crippled souls. Dean's expansive game has become a role model for millions of American teens for years to come. The manner of James was copied by young actors, he became the standard of reincarnation for the entire last generation, one way or another involved in the film industry.
Dean's partners then became such Hollywood stars as Natalie Wood, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo.
"Giant"
This is the last film of the actor, which was released after his death. The role of Dean was of a secondary nature, the main characters were given to megastar Elizabeth Taylor and venerable Hollywood actor Rock Hudson. Nevertheless, the image of the oil tycoon, which James was to create, required considerable effort and talent. The character was much older than the actor himself, so Dean dyed his hair a grayish-ash color, cut his hair and brought wrinkles. In general, he managed to reincarnate, and the end result looked quite convincing.
For the role of the oil bigwig Jetta Rink, the actor received his second Oscar nomination, posthumously. James Dean, whose filmography consists of only five films, is nevertheless immortalized on the famous "Walk of Fame" in Los Angeles.
Death
On September 30, 1955, Dean James and his mechanic drove a Porsche sportscar to US Route 466, later renamed State Route 46. A 1950 Ford Custom Tudor was driving towards them, driving a 23-year-old Donald Thornspid , student of the Polytechnic University. He made a left turn without missing the Porsche actor. At great speed, a head-on collision occurred, as a result of which Dean James died on the spot.