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James Byron Dean was born February 8, 1931 in Marion,
Indiana to Winton and Mildred Wilson Dean. James was an only child.
His father was a farmer who later became a dental technician. Winton Dean
moved his family to Santa Monica, California, when James was six years
old. James was particularly close to his mother, and when she died
from cancer in July 1940, it was devastating for him. Upon his
mother's death, at the age of nine years old, his father sent him to back
to Indiana to live with his Uncle Marcus and Aunt Ortense Winslow; Winton
Dean's sister and brother-in-law.
James grew up in Fairmount, Indiana with his aunt,
uncle, and his younger cousin, Marcus. He helped with farm chores
around the Quaker home. During his high school years at Fairmount,
he played guard on the basketball team, rode his motorcycle, and won state
titles in drama. In 1949, James graduated and left for Los Angeles,
California, where he lived for only a short time with his father and
step-mother. He attended Santa Monica City College where he studied
pre-law, but he didn't do well in his law classes. It was drama that
appealed to him. James went to the University of California in Los
Angeles the following year, but soon after he quit school and began
auditions wherever he could find them. He landed a small role in
"Fixed Bayonets" in 1951, and he left Hollywood to go to New York.
In 1953, he made it into the Actors Studio which was run by Lee Strasberg.
Soon his career seem to be taking off. He was doing television and
Broadway plays.
James received his big break when Elia Kazan offered him
a contract with Warner Brothers in 1954. His first film was "East of
Eden", a big success for James, but not as big as his next film."
Rebel Without A Cause", also starring Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, was a
smash. James invented the role of the troubled teen and became a
symbol of 50's teen rebellion. Upon finishing "Rebel Without A
Cause" in June 1955, James began working on "Giant", which co-starred
Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. He completed "Giant" in September
of that same year.
James had some free time before his next film would
begin, and he planned to do some racing with his new Porsche Spyder.
He had always been fascinated with fast cars, and he loved to race.
On September 30th, 1955, James and his mechanic, Rolf Wuetherich, went for
a drive and were involved in a head-on collision in Paso Robles,
California. Rolf suffered several injuries, but James Byron Dean was
dead at the young age of 24.
He was taken back to Fairmount, Indiana, and buried on
October 8, 1955. Over three thousand people attended the young
star's funeral. Upon its release, less than a month later, "Rebel
Without A Cause" began the legend of James Dean. He was nominated
for Best Performance and awarded numerous other awards for his pictures.
Fan clubs grew by the dozens, and Warner Brothers received tons of fan
mail from all over the country. James has inspired many other young
actors throughout the years, and was, in fact, Elvis Presley's idol.
Is it any wonder that both he and Elvis, along with Marilyn Monroe, are
true American legends. He was a true star, who we lost much
too early to a horrible tragedy.
James Dean may be gone, but he will never be forgotten! |
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