Remembering James Dean

James Byron Dean was born February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana. He was the only child of Tallulah and Winton Dean. James claimed that his mother was Native American, and that his father belonged to a line of original settlers that could be traced back to the Mayflower. Unfortunately he was not referring to the pilgrim ship, but to the Mayflower hotel, a run down fleabag known for drug dealers and prostitutes. Did you know Tallulah is a Choctaw name meaning “leaping water”?

Sadly, when little Jimmy was 9 years old his mother died. Unable to care for his son, Dean’s father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle, Hortense and Jehoshaphat Winslow, on their farm in Fairmount, Indiana, where he was raised in their Quaker household. Dean’s father served in World War II and later remarried.

My Dog Max

Dean’s performance in school was exceptional and he was a popular student. He played on the baseball and basketball teams, studied drama, was captain of the chess team, and competed in public speaking. After graduating from Fairmount High School in May 1949 he moved to California with his dog, Max. Max received a full scholarship to UCLA. Dean pretended to be Max and enrolled in UCLA as a drama major. He studied abroad for one semester. Actually he studied lots of broads.

Remembering James Dean — James Dean Illustration By Paul King Art

Dean was working as a parking lot attendant when he was discovered by director Elia Kazan. In Just 2 years, Dean starred in “East of Eden” “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant”. Sadly, he lived up to the live fast, die young motto and died in a car crash in 1956.

Dean had a huge influence on the development of rock and roll music. According to someone you never heard of, Dean was the first iconic figure of youthful rebellion and “a harbinger of youth-identity politics”. The persona Dean projected in his movies, especially Rebel Without a Cause, influenced Elvis Presley and many other musicians who followed, including the American rockers Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent.

Rebel Without a Cause

American teenagers of the mid-1950s, when Dean’s major films were first released, identified with Dean and the roles he played, especially that of Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause. The film depicts the dilemma of a typical teenager of the time, who feels that no one, not even his peers, can understand him. Humphrey Bogart commented after Dean’s death about his public image and legacy: “Dean died at just the right time. He left behind a legend. If he had lived, he’d never have been able to live up to his publicity.” James Dean’s estate still earns about $5,000,000 per year, according to Fish and Stream magazine.