James Dean

By Tom Kirvan

He appeared in just three major films and his acting career lasted only five years, but James Dean left a legacy as a seminal figure in American cinema after he was killed in a car crash on September 30, 1955 at the age of 24.

A native of Marion, Ind., Dean was the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in “East of Eden,” followed a year later with a second nomination for his performance in “Giant,” the epic drama that also starred Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and Dennis Hopper.

But it was his signature movie, “Rebel Without a Cause,” that showcased Dean’s supreme acting talent and his rebellious nature that endeared him to generations of film-lovers.

In his youth, Dean bounced between Indiana and California following the death of his mother, who died of uterine cancer when he was 9 years old. After graduating from high school in Indiana in 1949, Dean enrolled in Santa Monica College before transferring to UCLA to study drama, eventually dropping out in 1951 to pursue a full-time acting career.

James Dean*

After some bit roles in several low-budget movies and TV shows, Dean got his big break when he was cast as Cal Trask in the movie “East of Eden,” an adaptation of a 1952 novel by John Steinbeck, the author of the literary masterpiece, “The Grapes of Wrath.” His brilliant performance in the movie opened the door to his starring roles in “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant,” a film in which he portrays a Texan ranch hand who strikes oil and becomes wealthy.

“Being an actor is the loneliest thing in the world,” said Dean as his star began to rise. “You are all alone with your concentration and imagination, and that’s all you have. Being a good actor isn’t easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I’m done.”

His life was tragically cut short in the fall of 1955 on a California highway, when Dean was involved in a head-on collision while driving one of his prized sports cars. His death came shortly after he had ironically filmed a public service announcement for the National Safety Council on the hazards of driving at excessive speeds.

Even more haunting for his legion of fans was this quote of Dean’s: “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”

*In-house publicity still, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons