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Too Fast To
Live,
Too Young To Die
Sad, but true. Screen legend James Dean did die very young.
But before he did, he definitely made his mark.
James Byron Dean was born to Winton and Mildred Wilson Dean
in Marion, Indiana on February 8, 1931 and moved with them to Santa
Monica, California at age six. Three years later, the young James
Dean moved back to Indiana following the death of his mother who had
fallen victim to cancer.
Dean's formative years were spent in Fairmount, Indiana where
he lived with his Aunt Ortense and Uncle Marcus Winslow. He
participated in basketball, drama and forensics at the local high
school, but was apparently dissatisfied with his surroundings.
Following his graduation, Dean moved back to California to live with
his father and stepmother in 1949.
With pre-law as his major, Dean enrolled at Santa Monica
College but later transferred to UCLA and switched his major to
drama. Not seeing eye-to-eye with his son's choice of studies,
Dean's father threw him out of the house.
Eventually landing on his feet, Dean began his acting career
with a TV commercial for Pepsi-Cola followed by appearances on the
television game show Beat the Clock. Dropping out of college to
pursue acting, he supported himself by working as a parking lot
attendant at CBS studios. Eventually, at the urging of his friends,
he shifted gears by moving to New York to pursue acting on stage.
Dean studied under Lee Strasburg at the legendary Actors
Studio in New York, and soon began to get steady work. Appearing in
television shows such as Studio One, Lux Video Theatre, Kraft
Television Theater, Robert Montgomery Presents and General Electric
Theater, he sharpened his skills and eventually made his way to the
Broadway stage.
After compiling a resume that included not only television
but also bit parts in forgettable films such as Sailor Beware and
Fixed Bayonets, Dean received noteworthy reviews for his performance
on stage in The Immoralist and drew enough attention to finally be
offered more substantial roles in Hollywood.
James Dean's first leading role on film came in 1955 with his
turn as Cal Trask in East of Eden. Raising eyebrows with the
intensity of his performance, Dean was nominated for an Academy
Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (the first posthumous
nomination in Academy Awards history).
Also released in 1955 was a film that not only affected the
youth culture of the era in a tremendous way, but also featured the
role that would most often be associated with James Dean. Rebel
Without a Cause was controversial, successful and solidified Dean as
a major screen star.
Dean's swan song came in the form of his third and final
starring role in Giant. Released in 1956, shortly after his death,
Giant featured Dean in a performance that would secure his second
posthumous Academy Award nomination.
Dying in a 1955 automobile accident, Dean's life was cut
short after only three major film appearances. But three was enough
to illustrate his amazing talent, and three was enough to make James
Dean a legend
By Jeff Little
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