[Music]
may the good lord be with you down
every
[Music]
forever
[Music]
[Applause]
on a bright sunny day in june of 1949
a young man set out from rural indiana
in quest of a dream
he was in a sense abandoned by a beloved
mother mildred who died when he was nine
and by a father wynton who sent him away
to be raised by relatives
but in less than five years he would
realize his dream
and the world would recognize his true
genius
although he made only three feature
films and died before his 25th birthday
his unique raw talent would catapult him
to stardom
and the status of international cultural
icon
his name was james byron dean
[Music]
as eighteen-year-old james dean traveled
to los angeles
he was returning to the town where he'd
spent his childhood
to his distant father and to the
artistic dreams instilled by his mother
he wanted to live what he called in a
high school essay
a talented life he wanted to be an actor
self-confident eccentric and strangely
driven
dean threw himself into drama classes at
santa monica city college
and at ucla by december 1950
dean began getting bit parts in
television and feature films
while at the same time cultivating new
friendships that would eventually
help further his career the first in a
series of serendipitous encounters
occurred when jimmy's friend from ucla
james bella took him along as an extra
to film this soft drink commercial
let's join the pepsi crowd
[Music]
that very day jimmy met isabelle
dressimer an agent who was impressed
with his youthful good looks
and agreed to represent him
the producers of the commercial were
also impressed with his boy next door
quality
and asked jimmy to come to the studio
the next day to film a second spot
this now famous pepsi commercial
next had jimmy photographed arranged
auditions
and encouraged him to enroll in acting
classes
dean's first significant role for
television was in a religious special
called
hill number one where he played the
disciple john the beloved
surely we did not spend three years
following the master
to return again to our nets was it for
this the master sent us out to cure the
sick
cast out devils soon afterward dressimer
got dean a part in this
trouble with father episode co-starring
martin milner
she loves me she loves me now she loves
me
i love her hi drexel oh hi really
she loves me she loves me now she loves
me
she loves me not who who loves you how
should i know
you know i wish somebody'd love me
somebody will
takes all kinds of women to make a world
by the summer of 1951
dean was working as a parking lot
attendant at ted's auto park
a haunt for out-of-work actors adjacent
to cbs
one morning while working at ted's dean
met rogers bracket
director of the popular cbs radio series
alias jane doe
brackett would become jimmy's mentor his
confidant
and the architect of his early career
in august thanks to roger's friendship
with director sam
fuller dean got a speaking part in his
first feature film
the stark war drama fixed bayonets
i think i hear them coming
and yeah there's some people out there
in the river
that's the word down to alert
could be the real god huh yeah it could
be the reds too
next bracket arranged for jimmy to meet
hal walker
who is directing a dean martin and jerry
lewis comedy called sailor beware
and cast him as a corner man to a boxer
who was to fight jerry lewis
that guy's a professional she wiz i
can't find a professional well that
wouldn't be fair he's rate wise
see come on into the dressing room i got
an idea
paragraph quote
what are the facts briennese stuffs your
ballot boxes
dressimer soon secured jimmy another bit
part in deadline usa starring humphrey
bogart
his part was trimmed down to a small
piece of a montage revealing how a
newspaper went to print
yes that's jimmy talking with humphrey
bogart
but tiny bit parts were not what the
ambitious young actor had in mind
with roger's blessing dean decided to go
to new york
in new york jimmy could find out for
sure if his acting aspirations were
valid
[Music]
just before he left los angeles dresemer
secured dean a part in douglas search
comedy
has anybody seen my gal starring rock
hudson
jimmy was cast as a smart aleck kid
ordering a soda from charles colburn hey
gramps i'll have a chalk malt heavy on
the chalk plenty of milk four spoons of
malt
two scoops of vanilla ice cream one
mixed with a rest and uh
one floating
right on schedule twenty-year-old james
dean left los angeles for new york
along the way he stopped to visit
roger's bracket in chicago
he then visited with marcus and ortense
winslow
his aunt and uncle who had raised him on
the farm in fairmont indiana since he
was nine years old
jimmy arrived in new york city in late
october
he settled in at the iroquois hotel on
west 44th
street which would be his home on and
off for the next few years as he
continued to pursue his dream
[Music]
dean started hanging out at the
rehearsal club a resident hotel for
female showbiz hopefuls
one rainy afternoon he asked an
attractive young woman to loan him an
umbrella
elizabeth sheridan known as dizzy was a
dancer
and would become the first love of his
young life
[Music]
sheridan watched with admiration as dean
began to land parts on television
[Music]
he was cast in a tiny role with no
dialogue in this cbs studio one
presentation of ten thousand horses
singing
starring a young john foresight on that
is thirty dollars
ah wow mr hebert usually gives me kind
of a special rate
for me mr basket good evening good
evening have you my reservation yes of
course sir
we can just get this dean managed to
make something out of the part
first he says yes at the desk everything
ready everything said 1003 for mr
basking
yes
and then once in the elevator jimmy
tells the elevator operator what floor
to go to
notice john foresight's reaction to
jimmy knowing full well that jimmy had
no dialogue
remember this was live television
[Music]
two weeks later dean received what was
his best part on television in 1952
in this cbs lux video theater
presentation
of the foggy foggy dew
this silent footage is all that remains
of that production
the soundtrack and the original picture
negative were destroyed in 1953
[Music]
dean was starting to feel very good
about himself
he'd been in new york no more than a few
months and had already appeared in
several television shows
he was finally fitting into the tempo
and rhythms of the city
[Music]
[Applause]
now he felt ready to approach the acting
mecca
the actor's studio since arriving in new
york he did nothing but procrastinate
until by chance he met a young
struggling actress named chris white
[Music]
chris also wanted to become a member of
this premier acting school
and had written an original scene
entitled ripping off layers to find
roots
after working together for six weeks on
the scene they auditioned for the actors
guru
lee strasberg
[Music]
then they waited
meantime jimmy found work with his
second appearance on cbs's studio one
in this presentation of abraham lincoln
based on a true story and co-starring
robert pasteen as
lincoln are you william scott
yes sir
the general tells me you've been
court-martialed yes sir
sleep on guard yes sir that's a very
serious offense
i know sir what was it
couldn't keep awake sir he did a long
march
23 miles sir you were doing double
garden yes sir who ordered you
i offered that way
well any white he was sick and
we both come from the same place sir
where is that
vermont dean started hanging out at
rikers coffee shop on 57th street
another haven for out-of-work actors
having met
martin landau previously at an open
casting session
dean began a close friendship with
landau and would meet here often for
coffee
and to discuss what roles were coming up
today hallmark honors on the hall of
fame
dean also met actress sarah churchill
daughter of prime minister winston
churchill
and host of nbc's hallmark hall of fame
through that friendship jimmy was cast
opposite cloris leachman
in this production of forgotten children
and now i have something extra special
to announce
martha's promise to accompany me to the
peach street catillions
but i guess all the rest of you boys
better go out and shoot yourselves
to you when's the wedding man well when
obviously asking me to continue and i
accept it that means i have to marry
myself son that shall be here long
enough to marry anyone can't be here
where are you going haven't you been
away now surely you've given up the idea
of going to new york monster seeing your
father roll over in his graveyard martha
would spend this money out no
i don't intend to spend any of papa's
money i'm going to work
i don't know thought something to teach
in school anything to make myself useful
i am an emancipated woman i'm the only
emancipated woman i ever knew lived in a
side street in memphis
[Music]
what happened next changed dean's life
forever
he and chris white were accepted into
the actor's studio
with dean becoming its youngest member
jimmy proudly sent a letter home to
marcus and ortense
to tell them of his accomplishment then
rogers bracket arrived in town and by
happenstance
introduced jimmy to lamyeal ayers who
was producing a new broadway play
titled see the jaguar competing against
more than 100 other actors
jimmy won the part it would be his
broadway debut
his reviews were excellent but the play
was not
it closed after only five performances
at the same time jimmy and liz sheridan
were growing apart
it was a bitterly disappointing end to
[Music]
1952
but 1953 would start off with a bang
thanks to the rave personal reviews
foresee the jaguar
dean would appear in an astonishing 16
television shows
over the next 12 months
the first was this one act play on kate
smith's
talent showcase presentation of the
hound of heaven
his co-star was veteran actor john
carradine
i'm looking for a mr hyder simpson
and a hound dog named raym that's your
son
no i figured it was well
if you and rip's all set we might as
well be moseying along
movie riff heaven mr simpson
now that guy is telling that fella i
ain't gonna set foot in heaven without
rip
oh you didn't get messed up with nobody
in there did you
i thought they behind the gate he went
in so i didn't go in
that'd be just a place of hell without
rip
you ain't far from wrong mr simpson
that is hell heaven's on down the road
there
peace well how come that fella lied to
me like that
i don't never give up always trying to
get our folk in there right at the last
minute
how come you wanted to keep with those
see he was a fear that rip would have
warned you
and he would it too once he got a whiff
of that brimstone
you see you see mr simpson a man
he'll walk right into hell with both
eyes open
but not even the devil can fool a dog
the next four shows two episodes of
treasury men in action
and one episode each of you are there
and danger
are further examples of jimmy's early
work that have never been located
and most likely will never be seen again
another favorite hangout of deans was
cromwell's drug store
in the nbc building at rockefeller plaza
it was here where he met rod steiger
the pair co-starred in an episode of
tales of tomorrow entitled
the evil within steiger played a
scientist working on a new truth serum
jimmy played his lab assistant let's try
it again
yeah sure try it again
you know i think maybe this time no no
look let's face it let's face it this
thing has set us back
months years and days
did you call me last night yes
you did that's just like your plan
that's strange because annie said you
didn't call
you know she sounded strange upset
when you told me she broke the test
tubes
[Music]
see her out annie has never lied to me
before
well maybe she forgot maybe
now regularly employed jimmy moved into
this apartment on west
68th street he wrote home to his young
cousin marcus winslow jr
to send him some drawings to brighten up
the walls marcus was delighted to comply
sending him some of his best work which
meant a lot to jimmy at the time
a tantalizing hint of where television
acting might lead
came when jimmy was asked to audition
for the role of curly
in director fred zinneman's film version
of oklahoma
zinnamon would later note that jimmy's
test was sensational
but he didn't get the part and the
screen test was destroyed
with dogged determination dean kept
honing his craft both on stage
and in front of the television cameras
his next appearance was in nbc's
campbell
soundstage presentation of something for
an empty briefcase
let's petty or see
dean was cast as an ex-con trying to go
straight
and his co-stars were don hammer and
noted actor
robert middleton joseph stand up now
what's the reason for this
tremendous change of heart none of your
business
should we repeat i don't say anything
more don't worry boss will be all right
oh but i do worry because of young
foolish
shall i continue to worry joseph
i don't want any trouble sloane you have
trouble already it's like mickey says i
want to go straight i want to do
something worthwhile worthwhile
[ __ ] what could you possibly do what do
you know how to do well learned
something to do something
better than holding a hotel clerk to
filling stations are you finished yeah
and how are you going to live while
you're learning how are you going to eat
pay for this room
right joey want to do this one little
job with us tonight then you can well
you can do whatever you want to do
lay low for a while cause it'll be hot
well maybe you can learn to do something
worthwhile while you're
on the site mickey i didn't know you had
it in you
why very well well how about joseph you
want to learn something worthwhile while
you're
hot why don't you get yourself another
boy
because you know too much about me i'm
no stolen sloane
i just went out i don't want to do this
job tonight or ever
oh this sudden reformation must be a
woman in there somewhere
i thought so what's her name where would
have perhaps mickey and i can inform her
that you're no
angel yeah that'd be easy you tell your
worth
no i told her the truth
you wouldn't understand anything about
that would you sloan
one month later jimmy was back on cbs's
studio one
in a summer theater production of
sentence to death
jimmy portrayed a juvenile falsely
accused of murder
another murderer 10 10 what were you
doing
oh that's okay well i was right there
downstairs
yeah they got a television screen it's
uh uh 16 inches
i was watching a fight between 10 and
11. uh
lots of people there lots of people talk
to anybody in particular
one old guy
yeah he had a a white mustache
a nice old guy oh he'd remember him he
said
said it was his hobby that he would
never forgive me
and his address no his name
it won't fly felita what you're in no
now felika you're not the type that
would make any trouble
no no i don't want any trouble that's a
smart boy
one week later jimmy appeared on cbs's
danger series
the show was called death is my neighbor
this time dean portrayed a psychotic
janitor
oh listen jb that window is still stuck
and the gas stove doesn't work yet
okay i'll tell them
now that we're talking friendly i want
to tell you something about him
yeah well he's really
a nice old guy now
isn't there something you can do just to
keep them from moving
now look jb your uncle said that his
place was a fire trap
well uncle leo told me that that was
just an excuse to let you uh move in
here
now look jd let's just let your uncle
worry about this huh
come on i've got to get dressed because
i might see you tomorrow
sure can switch this subject awful fast
can't you look jb you can think of that
old guy in there
as your father all right but he's not my
father
oh now come on honey i'm late as it is
what do you want to do you want to dance
some more
cut it out jimmy next co-starred with
john kerr
and wendy drew in the nbc series the big
stories production
of rex newman joplin missouri again
jimmy played a young hood on the lamb
nothing's happening how much longer are
we going to vote
we told the minister we'd be there by
five
go without ally
maybe you better leave his license all
over again
it says you and me on there i don't care
anything about how imagine
i need the best man i told how he will
wait
you're going on the honeymoon with us
too
i'll listen to you no you listen
hold on you think i've waited for this
day you
and me married how imagine doesn't fit
into this
this is our day ours sure honey sure
but how he's our friend he wouldn't be
right not letting him stand up for us
we have to wait
all right i knew you'd come i knew it
how'd it go fine fine couldn't have been
better that fella you saw
changed his mind are you keep talking
about it
julia look at this pride you two been up
to something oh it's not a chance it's a
business deal honey that's all
dave i'm gonna get you two married what
are we waiting for i'll get my coats
get the ring card me
that's what you said you're gonna bring
it right up a guy
well we just have to go pick it up
why don't you leave that to me
well mr and mrs shall we go
um
jimmy's hobbies and interests were quite
diverse and eclectic
his creative energies found outlets
everywhere
a bullfighting aficionado he would
practice for hours with his cape
he loved to draw
[Music]
he loved to paint
and he loved to write poetry
he played the bongo drums and a recorder
[Music]
he studied modern dance but always
acting was his primary passion
jimmy next appeared in the cbs omnibus
presentation of glory in flower
an original play by william inge who
wrote it with dean in mind
but i kind of like it his co-stars were
the legendary hume cronin
and jessica tandy
hey bronco
where'd you get that phone
bronco evans you're 17 years old you
can't drink that hooch in my bar and
have my license taken away before
sundown
now how a layoff i'm not hurting anybody
any of the rest of you kids been
drinking
come on now tell me the truth i don't
know who you are
yeah yeah that's talented
you want to be ashamed of yourself don't
give me that last week you were in
trouble with the juvenile authorities
for smoking marijuana
what's going to become of you i'll
manage you all right thank you
you don't have to worry about me i can't
let you stay here brother you're going
to drink
give me that bottle you can sit there
i'm not going to take orders from you i
love boy
someday you're gonna have to take orders
from someone
don't give a [ __ ] truck you little goon
kids like you just litter up a place
causing trouble
don't you just deploy hey take it easy
boys i'm not running any torture
champion out of handless trying better
than you
ten days later jimmy appeared in this
nbc
craft television theater presentation of
keep our honor bright
it was written by george roy hill jimmy
portrayed a college
student caught in a cheating scandal
there were others i know there were
others they used my exam
copy now you wouldn't kick the whole lot
of
out of the south would you huh look jim
if the others have cheated you're on
your honor to tell us who they are no no
i'm not
you've already decided to expel me now
uh
i don't know you or the honor committee
anything
but if you'll promise to let us all take
the exams
over again i'll tell you the names we
can't promise that
the final decision isn't ours but matt
it's our job to find out who all the
cheaters are that's right matt
i move we accept his condition if he
writes down all the names right now i
second that
opposed motion carry now how about those
names
uh we'll get to take the exams over
again and uh we're gonna have a chance
to graduate
you heard us that was the majority come
on quit stalling how about a max
jim we can't guarantee you that you
won't be expelled
but we will recommend that you all take
the exam again that's all we can do
okay now how about it
[Music]
just two days later jimmy appeared in
his second campbell sound stage in this
production of
life sentence his co-star was georgina
johnson it is considered one of his
finest television performances
he portrayed a convict who daydreams
about the warden's wife
and wants her to go away with him
but you introduce yourself to me where
where there's a party going on here
the glasses tinkle and there's music
and i say
hi uh i've seen you around before
my name's hank braden
i'm gene hello gene
in two weeks i get out of here i'm going
to take you away with me to a nice
big city and we're gonna make it nicer
and bigger
in a mere 12 days in november 1953
jimmy worked in three challenging roles
in nbc's craft television theater's
presentation of a long time till dawn
written by rod serling he played an
embittered ex-con
yeah we were going to get a gas station
see and
we're going to both work on it both have
us oh we get along fine
i realized getting i don't get it pop i
just don't get is it so hard to
understand
you marry a girl from a little town you
bring her into a new yorker sticker to a
little room
you go out and get into trouble not once
or twice but all the time how much do
you think a girl can stand
i i stood it didn't i didn't i stand it
back bites run around the dirty dude i
stood it
oh yeah the pop you got a great town
here you know there eight million people
stand in line out there to give you
their business
that's what you always thought but joy
nobody was against you you were against
yourself
you acted like a fish thrashing around
in the net when all the time
if you only would stand still and be
patient i stood still i'd hardly moved
for six months
and self papi was twelve by eight and a
half
yeah i get out and i find my wife is
skipped you gotta fine time
one week later dean co-starred opposite
gene lockhart
in the armstrong circle theater
production of the bells of cocaine
jimmy portrayed a blue collar worker
struggling to raise an asthmatic child
oh joey
hey how's your little boy
god asthma hasn't he how'd you expect
them to be you would ask me how you
think you would be
no i i was only asking you a civil
question
my wife and me we were
we were up with him about all night he
just
laying there trying to get his breath
and you know
gasping for air he can't do nothing
does that answer your question yeah it
does joe but but now
kind of man offer you a little sympathy
without you going off like that now
thanks for your sympathy pop
except for they don't pay no doctor bill
[Music]
on thanksgiving day 1953
nbc's robert montgomery presents aired
this presentation of
harvest dean co-starred with acting
legends dorothy gish
and ed begley as a farm boy who's
unlucky in love
this must be about the last of the beef
isn't it ellen yes
almost anything well first cool day
comes along we'll have to
butcher that baron heifer he's hog fat
right now
i want to make some first-rate beef
[Music]
paul aren't you feeling well i feel all
right mom
paul where are you going uh i'm gonna go
to a
movie or something
jimmy's own luck was about to change in
the same month
he was cast again in a broadway
production an adaptation of andrei
jide's provocative play
the immoralist co-starring with
geraldine page and louis jourdan
he would play a corrupt and seductive
arab boy
jimmy and geraldine became close friends
almost immediately
[Music]
[Applause]
the same cannot be said of jordan who
never became close to jimmy
the opening night of february 8th
coincided with jimmy's 23rd birthday
as the curtain came down each cast
member took a bow
when his turn came however jimmy
curtsied
the audience went wild but director
daniel mann
and legendary producer billy rose were
furious
impulsively jimmy gave his two-week
notice
it was during his two-week run in the
immoralist that things started happening
very quickly for jimmy first he met
noted photographer
roy chat jimmy would become chat's
friend
and his student of photography along
with martin landau
at the same time screenwriter paul
osborne was adapting john steinbeck's
novel east of eden for the screen
osborne and film director edith kazan
caught one of jimmy's performances in
the immoralist
and knew they had found the perfect cow
set up a series of screen tests the
first was opposite patricia smith as
abra
in a scene that was eventually pulled
from the script by censors
afraid of its sexual overtones
it's me
yeah yeah cause i got to talk to you
i got it i went i gotta tell you i got
to three thousand dollars
and i've got to give it to him
now what time you get uh you have to go
to the hospital in the morning
what time you what time you get off
get off from the hospital five
next kazan paired joanne woodworth with
jimmy in this test
utilizing dialogue from the famous
ferris wheel scene
carol
do you think aaron really loves me
well you're crazy sure
i don't know
i just i seem to just seem to to lose
him now and
cow may i ask you something and you
don't mind
all right
well when you
you know people say you you stay out all
night and
well when you go out with with these
girls thing
the girls who follow you around and and
like that mexican girl
why do you go out with them and
do do you love them
or or is it because you're bad
finally kazan tested jimmy with broadway
star julie harris
but warner brothers studio head jack
warner felt that harris was too old to
play abra
so kazan then asked his friend famous
life magazine photographer jean milay
to film this silent test in color with
no special lighting or makeup
upon seeing the test jack warner
approved julie harris
for the role of apra kazan was also busy
casting the role of
cal's twin brother aaron you have the
nerve to lie there
and tell me that he doesn't love you get
the hell off of me
you say one more word i'm gonna beat
your head in it came down to this test
between richard davalos and that of
another struggling actor at the time
paul newman
[Music]
now over here look it right at me with
it now above me right above the camera
look right at it
yeah right there that's it that's it all
right now come over here look at me
now look at each other just surely now
what do you think of each other
wow well we can't print that
you think you hit the bobby stocks
league
answer do you think you can you think
you hit the bodysucks league
yeah all they want to go
i don't want to go kazan would
eventually settle on davalos
on february 23rd dean gave his final
performance
in the immoralist on march 6
warner brothers officially announced
that james dean had been cast as cow
in the film adaptation of john
steinbeck's novel
east of eden on march 8th
kazan joined jimmy on his first airplane
round
from new york to los angeles jimmy's
entire wardrobe was tied up in a bundle
of brown paper and string
[Music]
but he was returning to los angeles in
style
he moved into an apartment on the warner
brothers lot
that he shared with richard davalos
throughout the filming of east of eden
kazan put jimmy on a high protein diet
and sent him to palm springs to get a
tan
with other cast members jimmy underwent
wardrobe makeup and photographic tests
one such test was this scene which later
would be rewritten and restaged in the
final version of the film
action
you think it's pretty yes it's very
pretty cow
don't drink any more wine cow it's just
wine but you've been drinking so much of
it
mine won't hurt you
uh did aaron
aaron didn't tell you what was in his
present huh
no
really he didn't cow
you don't believe me please believe me
i'll tell you if you're well
i'm not going to worry about it
you know something i bet dad hasn't even
got the least notion he's having a
birthday today
he probably doesn't
i can hardly wait to see his face can
you
oh boy i forgot i almost forgot
well dad's getting so old honestly i
couldn't even get all of his candles on
one kick so i just got this one here
what's a big one it's a beautiful
at last filming of east of eden
officially began
on may 27 1954
a few weeks into the filming jimmy
visited paul newman on the set of the
silver chalice
where he was introduced to newman's
co-star the lovely ingenue
pier anjali she was beautiful
she was talented and like jimmy had lost
a parent
her father at a young age within weeks
jimmy and pierre could be spotted around
town together
a romance was beginning to bloom
[Music]
while the hollywood publicity machine
approved of the match
pier's strict italian mother did not so
the lovers started seeing each other
[Music]
secretly
east of eden was a closed set kazan
wanted to protect jimmy from the press
but another kind of pressure came when
jimmy's idol marlon brando showed up
unannounced jimmy boldly reciprocated
calling on rondo on the set of the
costume drama
desiree the next day
east of eden wrapped on august 9th
already reports of jimmy's astonishing
work in the film were filtering through
the entertainment industry
[Music]
jimmy moved back to his apartment on
west 68th street
and started doing television again he
much preferred his friends there
and the feeling of community that new
york offered with its live theater and
television roles
to the loneliness of hollywood
his first role upon his return to new
york was in an nbc
filco playhouse production of run like a
thief
jimmy's co-stars were kurt castner and
gusty huber
my room has been searched those
policemen i told you they were here
i don't know why they'd pick me alex why
didn't you tell me are you searching
every room
i don't know did you see them no
after work i went to one of the guy's
room he said uh
it had been searched i didn't believe
him then i went to mine oh it's your
imagination robbie
i don't know why they would think of me
i don't like nothing imagination rabbit
no i'm sorry it is excuse me you see
this
this bureau my mind's over here
now i don't dust as much as you do so
you can see right
right where they moved it
well the college kid must be a joke on
you robbie forget about it will you
no i can't i know this happened
see they don't know me now i'm i'm new
here
they're gonna start asking me a lot of
questions pretty soon
i don't want that they they went through
my laundry they went they went through
my closet
the door was open when i came back i
just cleaned my room and i know i closed
it my bed i know how to make my own bed
they tore it up my pillows are always
like this
this is the way
on different occasions jimmy would meet
with his friends at the coffee shop on
the roof of the museum of modern art
on this particular day it was composer
leonard rossiman's birthday
and jimmy was joined by roy schatt marty
landau
billy gunn and bob heller
within a few weeks pierre angeli was in
the gossip columns linked to other men
jimmy commented that he worried about
pierre telling a friend
they're getting to her i'm going to lose
her
dean returned to hollywood bitter he
uncharacteristically agreed to go out on
an arranged date with rising starlet
terry moore
they attended the premiere of sabrina on
september 22nd
[Music]
the following morning jimmy went to
googie's a coffee shop next to schwab's
drugstore on sunset boulevard
he hung out with friends and tried to
cool his frustrations
and then pier came back to him
they attended the gala premiere of a
star is born
looking stunningly young and in love
they talked about marriage jimmy asked
her to come back to new york with him so
that they could get married
pierre replied that her mother would
never approve of them eloping
[Music]
just days later without warning pierre
announced
that she was engaged to singer vic dimon
the story is told that as pierre angeli
married vic dimon
dean sat across the street from the
church a dark and brooding presence on
his motorcycle
this rumor is not true but the loss
appear
like the death of his mother left jimmy
inconsolable
a love like this would never come his
way again
he threw himself into the only other
thing he cared for
his work
[Music]
and now there was as much work as he
wanted starting with this cbs
general electric theater presentation of
i'm a fool
his co-star was natalie wood who within
three months would become his co-star
in revel without a cause well
in this next race
there's this horse uh
been about been ahead he's uh
well if i were you folks i wouldn't put
a sin on him in this first heat because
he's
probably going to run like a
oxen-hitched uh
flower
yeah well anyway after this heat's over
though i'd get right down there
and i'd lay on my pile on december
6 1954 east of eden was sneak preview
and the word was out james dean was an
actor of extraordinary talent
he had transcended cinema acting so that
it was no longer acting
it was behavior and it was deeply
personal
the bar had been raised should have gone
right on
in there should have gone right on in
there and talked to her
[Music]
he said don't get anybody out
he said you stay with me
you take care of me oh
[Music]
jimmy continued to meet with his friends
at googies
one morning he confronted his friend
jack simmons
and asked him if he really wanted to be
an actor
jack said yes so jimmy jumped on his
motorcycle
and with jack in tow proceeded to
producer mort
abrams house jimmy had just committed to
do this cbs
general electric theater production of
the dark dark hours
and he convinced abrams to give his
friend jack a role
jimmy's co-stars were constance ford and
the future president of the united
states
ronald reagan you're the doctor
yes we had an accident here
bring him in oh man
doc's gonna take a look i'm sorry man
say hello to doctor pewee hello to the
doctor trying to bring him right down
here
sorry man he's a guy
oh no no no no no
now you take out that bullet and stop
talking
i'm not a surgeon
well fake it dad what huh
but do the
best you can you dig me
i can't i'm alone here i'd have to have
some help oh man
hey squad maybe he wants the sheriff to
hold the light
i can't do it alone you gonna play this
one solo man
you wanted to die die okay
okay but but i'll help you
well like i gotta cover this cat
you marry doc now listen uh-huh now
what's the wife for if she can't help
you
take it easy boys don't push me too far
go get his wife bud
hurry up
jimmy returned to his apartment in new
york and resumed his student-teacher
relationship with roy
schatt searching for good locations
jimmy would photograph roy or roy would
photograph jimmy
[Music]
jimmy purchased a 16 millimeter bolex
camera and started experimental
photography
using the water fountain in roy's
backyard
then roy took this series of portraits
of jimmy
which are now referred to as the torn
sweater session
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
foreign
[Applause]
[Music]
on new year's eve 1954 roy had a party
and invited jimmy
marty landau bob heller barbara glenn
billy gunn and tony ray son of director
nicholas ray still in new york jimmy
next appeared in this
abc u.s steel hour production of the
thief
yes dear
i shouldn't like to talk about it roy
schatt came to rehearsals and shot this
layout throughout the day
amongst the many photos was this one
which prompted jimmy to say
roy look picasso
you're going away from me yeah
oh yes yes if we won't speak to you
often and i'll never forget what you did
for me never wherever i go and as long
as i live
she's going away it from be like
a second honeymoon
i trust you have a very good time but
you're going away from me forever
i'm afraid for you you mustn't do
anything
foolish and do you promise me
do you know what my love for you is like
do you know now right
do you then don't be afraid
because i can be all right i promise you
[Music]
goodbye
[Music]
i must go now
my husband is waiting
that very day warner brothers announced
that dean had been cast in his next film
rebel without a cause
returning to hollywood jimmy rented this
cozy apartment on sunset plaza drive
just above sunset boulevard with its
endless rows of nightclubs
one of his favorite clubs was cyros
where his friend
sammy davis jr was performing jimmy was
at ringside at sammy's final show
on january 26th
as the final script for rebel without a
cause was being prepared
director nick ray started script
readings with the cast at his chateau
mama
suite in bungalow 2
and with the premiere of east of eden
approaching the warner brothers
publicity machine began to grind
life magazine photographer dennis stock
approached jimmy to do a photo layout
it was decided that the two would go to
the fairmont farm for some hometown
photos
and jimmy could spend some time with his
young cousin marcus
jr whether in new york or hollywood
jimmy kept in touch with young marcus
who had always looked up to jimmy as his
older brother
then it was off to new york where dennis
stock captured one of the most
iconographic images of the young actor
on the verge of stardom
strolling through times square in the
[Music]
rain
not wanting to experience a media circus
typically
and to the chagrin of the warner
brothers brass
jimmy skipped the east of eden world
premiere in new york
[Applause]
nonetheless east of eden would establish
his power
as a rising star and he returned to
hollywood
once back in hollywood jimmy treated
himself to his first porsche
a white 356 super speedster convertible
he couldn't wait to take it for a spin
early one morning in march jimmy was
speeding down laurel canyon boulevard on
his motorcycle
and ran a red light at sunset boulevard
almost colliding with a car
driven by world famous photographer phil
stern
after the two exchanged obscenities
jimmy realized who phil
was and invited him over to schwab's
drug store for breakfast
by the time breakfast was over phil had
invited jimmy to
tag along with him over to the guys and
doll set
where phil was supposed to do a layout
with marlon brando
while waiting for brando phil would
shoot these famous photos of jimmy
including jimmy's interpretation of
comedy
tragedy and a primal scream
on march 23rd jimmy started wardrobe
tests for rebel without a cause
he also tested with a variety of
different actors for the part of plato
among them were gregory marshall richard
baimer
and jack simmons
jimmy campaigned to convince nick ray to
cast simmons in the role
although simmons lost the part to sal
mineo he was given the role of cookie in
the film's final casting
a friend once remarked jimmy always had
to be the best at
everything he did on march 26th
he entered his 356 speedster in a road
race in palm springs
and astonishingly finished first in one
race
and second in another
[Music]
jimmy's knack for striking up
friendships with photographers was
unparalleled one such relationship
developed when world-renowned
photographer
sanford roth was assigned by warner
brothers
to cover dean now one of the studio's
most valuable assets
sanford invited jimmy to come home that
day to meet his wife beulah
and stay for dinner what follows is a
representation of a special
collaboration of two distinct artists
and some of the most striking
photographs ever taken of james dean
[Music]
so
[Music]
so
[Music]
on march 28th rebel without a cause
began filming in black and white and
cinemascope
but when jack warner got wind of how
well east of eden was doing
he shut down production and told nick
ray to start again
this time in color i don't want any
trouble
the blade game huh buzz
[Music]
i thought only punks fought with knives
well who's fighting
i'm fighting it's examination time man
it's
a crazy game
[Music]
yeah somebody get him a knife no come on
give him a knife
pick it up i don't want any trouble pick
it up
pick it up
[Music]
now you understand the action now
there's no sticking
crunch
just a little jabbing
[Music]
it's better what's the matter
what are you waiting on toria though i
thought you wanted a little action
what are you crunch chicken now you call
me that
[Music]
hey
[Music]
george stevens had started
pre-production on his texas saga
giant as jimmy stardom grew so did his
ambition
even as he continued to pour himself
into the work of making rebel
he was angling for the role of jet ring
in steven's forthcoming
film he had read the script and started
hanging around steven's office
and the studio art department
[Music]
stevens wanted alan ladd warner brothers
preferred montgomery clift
dean being the darkest of horses would
prevail
meanwhile jimmy's passion for racing was
also accelerating
on may 1st he entered his second road
race at minter field in bakersfield
california
and ended up placing third that day
back in hollywood he continued to do
television work but by now
his celebrity was such that he was asked
to film a special introduction
for the cbs schlitz playhouse
presentation of the unlighted road
hello i'm james dean
welcome to the schlitz playhouse of
stars
our play is the story of a young man
named jeffrey latham
who opened the door of a
very ordinary innocent looking roadside
diner
my name is deegan mike deegan
i'm jeff latham
you got anybody waiting for you in stem
how long did you say you worked in
diamonds
[Music]
a couple years off and on well look kid
i need a helper how'd you like a job
right here full condiments wages
all the grub you can eat you like the
saving room rent got a folding cart in
the back room
well is it a deal
okay listen i got uh some papers here i
got my army discharge
ah forget it kid put them away i go by
faces
you're hired
okay
[Music]
while nick ray was in the midst of
shooting rebel
george stevens had commenced production
on giant and had organized this press
conference to introduce the cast
jimmy took time out from his last week
of filming rebel to attend
giants started shooting at warner
brothers in burbank
then moved on to the virginia location
for the opening sequence
while jimmy finished his work on rebel
unbeknownst to warner brothers jimmy had
entered a road race in santa barbara
but before going to the races he stopped
at the studio and dutifully fulfilled
his obligation to film hair and makeup
tests
for the upcoming epic
[Music]
right
hey boy
it make me wake you up soon
[Music]
arriving in santa barbara jimmy prepared
his 356 speedster for the fourth race
the under 1500 cc production event
while waiting for his race he walked
through the pits
and had his first encounter with a
porsche spider
it was love at first sight
[Music]
although he started in the 18th position
jimmy had moved up to fourth place when
his speedster blew a piston
and he had to withdraw
on george stevens personal order there
would be no more racing
until giant was finished
meanwhile the giant production company
moved on to marfa texas
where dean would join them on june 3rd
he had brought along his 16 millimeter
bolex camera
and as filming began he started this
behind the scenes coverage
[Music]
bob hinkle the film's dialogue coach
worked to make jimmy's portrayal of
cowboy turned oil tycoon
jet rink authentic bob would teach him a
lot of the western ways
but most important he taught jimmy some
scene-stealing rope tricks
you know something big
i don't know but what just might not be
a
pretty good idea to gamble along with
old madame
how do you mean this gamble on
just keep what she give me
i'm sentimental too wait
well i just think it it's good to gamble
along with her
i know that land ain't worth much but
then uh
someday i just met up and
put my own friends around her
call her little rihanna
when jimmy wasn't spending time with
hinkle much of his time was spent in the
company of co-star
elizabeth taylor
[Music]
what is it you make a very
excellent cup of tea
yeah well i do a lot of things in the
pants
[Music]
would you like one lump or do you like
two
well i think i'll take mine straight
that's good enough for me
[Music]
oh boy
it's not too good is it jimmy and liz
formed a strong and deep friendship
while on location in marfa texas
sometimes after the day's work jimmy and
liz
headed down to the river to cool off or
they could be found
hanging out in the motel lounge after
dinner
or having a sing-along with an old
player piano
after 43 days and the shooting completed
in marfa on july 10th
the production company moved back to
burbank
jimmy stayed on an extra two days to
shoot pickup shots
including some for the oil derrick
sequence
[Music]
back in hollywood the gossip columns
were soon full of stories about dean and
his new love interest
ursula andres they were often seen
together at one of jimmy's favorite
restaurants in hollywood
the villa capri the staff of this
hollywood night spot
served as another surrogate family the
maitre d
nico ramonos even helped him locate a
new home
a secluded spot in sherman oaks
once again jimmy was rubbing shoulders
with a glamorous and older hollywood
jimmy and ursula attended this party at
the villa capri
thrown by frank sinatra for owner patsy
de moray
other guests included sammy davis jr and
milton berle
jimmy continued to date ursula they were
constantly seen around town
on august 29 1955 they attended the very
first
salient ball but he couldn't keep away
from the races
although he was still making giant and
the ban on his racing continued
he nevertheless attended the september
5th labor day meet in santa barbara
and had his friend lou bracker drive his
356 speedster
[Music]
on the morning of september 17th jimmy
completed his role in giant
[Music]
good
[Music]
after lunch he joined gig young to film
a special safe driving public service
message for the california highway
patrol
ladies and gentlemen james dean
hi jimmy hi a gig we asked jimmy over
today because he's a racing man himself
a real one not a crazy one incidentally
i think i should explain that jimmy just
stepped over from the set of giants
and need to add he plays a texan
speaking of racing
have you ever been in a drag race
are you kidding me i just thought i'd
ask no gym race in the tradition you
might
say real racing cars real tracks how
fast will your car go
oh and honest miles an hour
clocked it'll run about 106.7
you've won a few races haven't you oh
one or two
where well i showed pretty good at
palm springs i ran a bakersfield
jimmy we probably have a great many
young people watching our show tonight
and for their benefit
i'd like your opinion about fast driving
on the highway
do you think it's a good idea a good
point i
uh i used to fly around quite a bit you
know
i took a lot of unnecessary chances on
the highways
and i started racing and
now i drive on the highways and i'm uh
extra cautious because no one knows what
they're doing half the time you don't
know what this guy is going to do with
that one
on a track there are a lot of men who
spend a lot of time
developing rules and ways of safety
and i find myself being very cautious on
the highway i don't have the urge to
to speed on the highway people say
racing is dangerous
but i'll take my chances on the track
any day than on a highway
well gig i think i better take off oh
wait a minute jimmy um
one more question do you have any
special advice for the young people who
drive
take it easy driving the life you might
say might be mine
four days later jimmy went to
competition motors
and traded in his 356 speedster for a
brand new machine
his dream car the powerful porsche 550
spider
jimmy had been impressed with the
spider's performance after first seeing
it at bakersfield back in may
on the evening of september 25th his
agents
threw a party for him at the chateau
marmont to celebrate his new contract
with warner brothers
he would be paid 100 000 per picture
for a 10 picture deal it was the first
million dollar contract in hollywood's
history
the next night rebel without a cause had
its first preview screening
the audience in the words of a witness
went berserk
dean celebrated with nick ray and the
cast at his old hangout
googies by september 29th
jimmy had entered his new porsche in the
upcoming road race
to be held at salinas in california's
central valley
on the morning of september 30th 1955
he hitched the spider to his station
wagon and towed it to competition motors
for refined tuning
there he was joined by photographer
sanford roth
and an actor friend bill hickman both of
whom would accompany him
on the trip to salinas roth wertherich
jimmy's mechanic spent some three hours
fine-tuning the high-performance engine
and installing a seat belt on the
driver's side
jimmy's father wynton and his uncle
charlie stopped by to wish him luck
they all went across the street to the
hollywood ranch market for coffee and
donuts
while roth went home to change clothes
leaving hollywood jimmy stopped off six
blocks from his house to gas up the
spider
at the last minute 24 year old james
byron dean
had decided to drive the spider himself
all the way up the coast
to put some miles on the car's engine it
was 2 30 in the afternoon
they were now off to salinas
[Music]
and i carry it with me like my daddy did
but i'm living the dream that he kept
here
[Music]
fed me down the highway
[Music]
bless me bye
september 30th 1955 still evokes great
mystery
and the 50 years since his death have
not diminished his image
as a cultural icon they have only
enhanced it
james dean is instantly and universally
recognized
as a special genius and there has hardly
been an actor since
who has not been influenced and inspired
by his work
his three feature films are still shown
around the world
and his talent is lauded and
rediscovered by each new generation
the lonely young man from rural indiana
could not have imagined such a legacy
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
is
[Music]
carry me back to
the days
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
of
[Music]
is
[Music]
smiles in the sunshine
and tears in the rain
still take me back where
my memories
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
ideas is
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
is
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
so
[Music]
see