SkullOrchard

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean

Mondo Kane

And that date is responsible for one of my (Newly discovered) favorite movies

Throwing Copper

You really have to wonder how big he could have become had he lived? Such a shorty body of work.

SkullOrchard

Great movie.

Ash Ketchum

And REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE opened after Dean's death.

George Stevens originally wanted Alan Ladd to play Dean's part in GIANT, but Ladd's wife convinced him he was too big a star to play the third lead, so he went with Dean, even though neither of Dean's two starring movies had opened yet. Dean gave Stevens a lot of grief and when Stevens ran into Ladd after the shoot, he berated him for not taking the part and sparing him all the trouble he had with Dean. (Ladd had famously starred in Stevens' SHANE.) Ladd regretted it, too, because he would never again be offered a part as good as Jett Rink in GIANT. The closest he came was his role as Nevada Smith in THE CARPETBAGGERS (1964), which, ironically, came out after Ladd died.

mrhan

James Dean's 'Little Bastard' Missing Porsche May Have Just Been Found

Just a few days from the sixtieth anniversary of James Dean’s death on September 30th, 1955, we may have our greatest clue to finding the location of the infamous Porsche he fatally crashed in, long-rumored to be cursed.

According to ABC7 Chicago, the Volo Museum located in Volo, Illinois, claims they have received a credible tip as to the whereabouts of the long-lost Porsche 550 Spyder, whose tales of curses are not just stories, they’re downright terrifying.

After Dean’s death in the car, it broke a mechanic’s leg, two men who purchased parts from the vehicle wrecked the cars they used them on killing one, and many more stories of horrifying incidents related to anyone who came into contact with the car have been told for decades. It was even nicknamed “Little Bastard.”

After suspiciously surviving unharmed after its first exhibit completely burned to the ground, it was being transported from its second exhibit and managed to crush a truck driver, fall off of two more transport trucks, and then vanish - seemingly until now.

From AB7 Chicago:


Long rumored to be cursed, the Auto Museum made a reward offering of $1 million for the wreckage in 2005. Following an episode of “Brad Meltzer’s Lost History” that aired in winter 2014, the museum says, they were contacted by a man in the spring with an intriguing tale.

“He said he was 6 years old at the time, and was present as his father and some other men put the wreckage behind a false wall in a building in Whatcom County, Washington,” said Brian Grams, director of the Volo Auto Museum.

It’s also reported that the man coming forward knew exclusive details related to the car and passed a polygraph test.

The conversation over the exact whereabouts of the car are ongoing, with the man wanting a guaranteed amount of the reward money before revealing the location. The museum is trying to establish clear legal ownership of the car before granting any rewards, but everything looks to be moving forward.


“This guy’s story is awesome, and our most believable lead to date,” Grams said. “It’s kind of like Al Capone’s vault. If it is in there, it continues the legend of this car’s notorious history.”


Have we finally figured out the location of James Dean’s fatal Porsche, or will this just be another peg in the long-storied history of the mysterious car?


http://jalopnik.com/james-deans-litt...jus-1733467706

Sonny Corinthos

I've often wondered that as well. Dean is one of my all time favorites. It's a shame he died so young and we never got the chance to see him in other roles.

jjcool

Agreed. Another actor in a similar situation was John Cazale. Looking at their bodies of work, it is staggering to think what would have come from them both, had they lived.

EddieMoney

He would died young from lung cancer, anyway.

Jaymole

He was all set to star in Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, Meteor & Parts:The Clonus Horror before his untimely death

dhmac

takeaway lesson: always turn on your driving lights when it's dusk

Sean O'Hara

Not only that, but what would Hollywood have been like? After Dean's death, studios wasted a decade trying to entice younger audiences with the likes of Tab Hunter, Fabian and Frankie Avalon before stumbling on the formula of success with Hoffman, Beatty and Redford. If Dean had been around, would they have gotten things right earlier?

mrhan

Well, they did have Paul Newman after Dean died. There was also Steve McQueen. Maybe they weren't up to par to Dean's acting but both better race car drivers.

JumpCutz

3 terrible movies. They would have knocked his stellar filmography down a few pegs.

Jason

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hanshotfirst1138

Too fast to live, too young to die, bye bye.

EddieMoney

He died.

A long time ago

hanshotfirst1138

Living people have a way of doing that.

GoldenJCJ

I enjoyed some of his tasty sausages in his honor today.

Ash Ketchum

I watched the first half of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE last night before going to bed and there's a bit where Buzz, the chief bully, taunts Jim (Dean) by telling him he's funny. Jim responds, "You think I'm funny?" and I immediately piped in with "Funny how? I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you?"

Too bad there was nobody around to get the reference.

Mabuse

Can't tell if joking. Is that really true?

Sonny Corinthos

Sad to think four years has passed since this thread was started. It's been awhile since I watched one of Dean's movies. I need to pop one in this week in remembrance of such a talented person who died way too soon.

GoldenJCJ

JeffTheAlpaca

They were named after him or just a coincidence?

JeffTheAlpaca

I got the box set a couple of years ago but have not opened it yet.

I watched Rebel Without a Pause again a couple of years ago.

A great movie.