#jamesdean

Here for the first time in paperback are more than 200 dramatic photos of James Dean on the sets of East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, plus rare text revealing the many ways in which Dean's off-screen personality was both disturbingly and charmingly similar to the one he portrayed on screen.

JAMES DEAN

1931-1955

            James Dean was an American actor who is best known for playing Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) as well as starring in East of Eden (1955) and Giant (1956).

            Dean was born in Marion, Indiana, America and moved with his family to Santa Monica, California. He was aged 9, when his mother died of uterine cancer, his father sent him to live with his aunty and uncle on their farm in Fairmount, Indiana. His father served in World War II and later remarried. Dean became close to his local Methodist pastor whom allegedly sexually abused him. Dean did well at school, was involved in sport and drama and was a popular student.

            After school he moved to California with his dog, Max, and moved in with his father and stepmother. He studied law and then studied drama which resulted in him becoming estranged from his father. He started appearing in plays and his first onscreen appearance was in a Pepsi commercial.

            Dean had numerous relationships with women, including with many actresses. He dated actress Barbara Glenn for two years, their love letters were sold for thousands of dollars at an auction and also with Italian actress Pier Angeli, who gave each other gifts of jewellery. Dean’s co-star, Richard Davalos said that Dean wanted to marry Angeli, however it was her mother that disapproved of Dean, the way he dressed, his drinking and the fact he wasn’t Catholic and so she married someone else and at the end of her life she said that Dean was the love of her life (she died of an overdose of barbiturates in 1971, aged 39). He was involved with Swiss actress Ursula Andress at the end of his life.

There have been rumours that Dean was bisexual and had experimented with men, his roommate William Bast said in his book that he and Dean spent a night together at a hotel. A good friend of Dean’s, Martin Landau stated that a lot of gay men ‘make him out to be gay’ but he said it’s not true and stated that Dean was only interested in women. Elizabeth Taylor had once referred Dean to being gay, when questioned she stated ‘he hadn’t made up his mind’ but ‘he was certainly fascinated by women. He flirted around.’

            Dean died in a car crash on 30 September 1955, aged 24.