James Dean

James Dean

Born: February 8, 1931
Died: September 30, 1955
in Marion, Indiana, USA
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were loner Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in Giant (1956).

After his death in a car crash on September 30, 1955, Dean became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in East of Eden. Upon receiving a second nomination for his role in Giant the following year, Dean became the only actor to have had two posthumous acting nominations. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him the 18th best male movie star of Golden Age Hollywood in AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars list.

Movies for James Dean...

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
Title: Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: June 20, 2023
Type: Movie
This timely exploration of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity examines the life of legendary actor Rock Hudson, from his public "ladies' man" persona to his private life as a gay man.
bee
Children of 'Giant'
Title: Children of 'Giant'
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: April 17, 2015
Type: Movie
"Children of 'Giant'" is a documentary film that unearths deeply wrought emotions in the small West Texas town of Marfa, before, during and after the month-long production of George Stevens' 1956 feature film, "Giant." Based on the controversial Edna Ferber novel of the same name, the film, "Giant" did not shy from strong social-issue themes experienced throughout post-WWII America. George Stevens, its producer and director, purposely gravitated to the drought-ridden community of Marfa for most all of the exterior scenes.
bee
Tab Hunter Confidential
Title: Tab Hunter Confidential
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 15, 2015
Type: Movie
In the 1950s, Tab Hunter is number one at the box office and number one on the music charts. He is Hollywood’s most sought-after star and America’s boy next door. Natalie Wood, Debbie Reynolds and Sophia Loren are just a few of the actresses he is romantically linked to. Nothing, it seems, can damage Tab Hunter’s career. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. Now, Tab Hunter’s secret is out. We will meet, for the first time, the real Tab Hunter as he shares with us the whole story of a happy, healthy survivor of Hollywood’s roller coaster.
bee
The Real James Dean
Title: The Real James Dean
Character: Archival Footage
Released: August 1, 2006
Type: Movie
Although he'd starred in just three films before his untimely death at age 24, James Dean cast a long shadow that came to define cool. Using excerpts from Dean's personal diaries, found footage from screen and wardrobe tests and interviews with those who knew him best (including Dennis Hopper, Dick Van Patten, Graham Nash and Rod Steiger), this fascinating documentary explores the screen icon's lingering mystique.
bee
James Dean: Little Prince, Little Bastard
Title: James Dean: Little Prince, Little Bastard
Released: September 25, 2005
Type: Movie
The collar of his coat turned up in New York: Images which have collaborated on building a myth – the image of eternal and misunderstood youth. Unlike Marlon Brando, the proletarian rebel with identifiable goals, James Dean was the timeless and androgynous youthful rebel. His death on the Interstate 46 leads us back to 1950s America, a time when youth was re-interpreted all anew.
bee
East of Eden: Art in Search of Life
Title: East of Eden: Art in Search of Life
Character: Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: May 31, 2005
Type: Movie
bee
James Dean: Forever Young
Title: James Dean: Forever Young
Released: May 20, 2005
Type: Movie
A brief career. A timeless stardom. In just three major movie roles, James Dean became an icon for the ages. Now his legacy shines even brighter thanks to this fascinating film that, filled with an astonishing treasure trove of newfound or rare glimpses of Dean's TV performances, is like a road map to his meteoric success. Michael J. Sheridan directs and Martin Sheen narrates this revealing documentary showcased at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Movie clips, romances, photos that are part of our national DNA (and the stories behind them), and the small-screen work that paved the way to the big screen are all part of the James Dean you couldn't see until now. Forever young. Endlessly fascinating.
bee
James Dean: Sense Memories
Title: James Dean: Sense Memories
Character: Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: May 11, 2005
Type: Movie
Documentary exploring the last 18 months of James Dean's acting career.
bee
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents
Title: Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents
Character: Himself (uncredited)
Released: January 1, 2005
Type: Movie
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents is a documentary chronicling the production of the film.
bee
James Dean: Born Cool
Title: James Dean: Born Cool
Released: March 15, 2001
Type: Movie
James Dean: Born Cool tells the story of James Dean's rise from small town boy to immortal icon as told by Jimmy's closest family and friends from the perspective of his hometown of Fairmount, Indiana. Made with the full cooperation of the Dean Estate, Born Cool includes unprecedented access to hundreds of rare and never before seen photos and home movies, plus exclusive interviews with those who knew Jimmy best.
bee
Return to 'Giant'
Title: Return to 'Giant'
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 21, 1996
Type: Movie
In the summer of 1955, an army of cameramen, lighting techs and movie stars descended on the small, west Texas town of Marfa to film what has become, "the national movie of Texas."
bee
Rediscovering a Rebel
Title: Rediscovering a Rebel
Character: Self - 'Jim Stark' (archive footage)
Released: January 1, 1996
Type: Movie
A documentary short on the making of Rebel Without a Cause.
bee
James Dean and Me
Title: James Dean and Me
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 1, 1995
Type: Movie
A documentary about James Dean. People who knew him or had worked with him reminisce.
bee
Death Scenes 2
Title: Death Scenes 2
Character: Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: January 1, 1992
Type: Movie
DEATH SCENES II continues the exploration into the dark recesses of violence and rage that ended in such heinous crimes as the Manson Family's assault on society. You'll see the gruesome aftermath of mob reprisals, public executions and international terrorism. DEATH SCENES II uniquely ushers the brave and curious into a spellbinding trip through the reality that is our world today.
bee
Title: Star Life
Character: Self
Released: August 4, 1990
Type: TV
bee
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths
Title: Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths
Character: (archive footage)
Released: January 1, 1990
Type: Movie
Welcome behind the closed doors of a Hollywood that only a select few will ever get to see -- a Hollywood of tragic lives and tragic deaths. Some of the worlds brightest stars are hiding deep, dark secrets that - once revealed show a life of unhappiness, heartbreak and torment that has been so carefully hidden behind the glamour and glitter of the big screen. See the true lives behind some of Hollywoods most iconic stars and learn why, for some, it was as if the act of dying itself was a final performance.
bee
Hello Actors Studio
Title: Hello Actors Studio
Character: Self (Archival Footage)
Released: November 9, 1988
Type: Movie
After Lee Strasberg’s death in 1982, the most prestigious talents from the Actors Studio assumed the leadership of this exceptional organization. For the first time ever, filmmakers have been allowed to film their work.
bee
Forever James Dean
Title: Forever James Dean
Character: Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: January 1, 1988
Type: Movie
The life and times of one of Hollywood's brightest stars.
bee
Hollywood's Hidden Secrets
Title: Hollywood's Hidden Secrets
Character: (Archival Footage)
Released: January 1, 1987
Type: Movie
Documentary on the various mysteries in Hollywood.
bee
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
Title: George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 3, 1985
Type: Movie
Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.
bee
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Title: Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Character: Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: February 25, 1983
Type: Movie
Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas, wardrobe tests, documentary material, and archival footage make up this star-studded voyeuristic look at the Golden age of Hollywood during the 30s, 40, and 50.
bee
Title: Arena
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 1, 1975
Type: TV
Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. Voted by leading TV executives in Broadcast as one of the top 50 most influential programmes of all time, it has run since 1 October 1975 with over five hundred episodes made, directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Alan Yentob, Roly Keating, Frederick Baker, Volker Schlondorff and Vikram Jayanti. Arena's subjects are a roll-call of the world's best known cultural figures from the 20th and 21st centuries, from singers Bob Dylan and Amy Winehouse to academics Edward Said and Eric Hobsbawm, from writers Jean Genet and V S Naipaul to artists Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois. The current series editor is Anthony Wall.
bee
James Dean: The First American Teenager
Title: James Dean: The First American Teenager
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 30, 1975
Type: Movie
Stacy Keach narrates this documentary that chronicles the abbreviated life and career of iconic brooding bad boy James Dean, from his obscure early days working in television to his rise to stardom in films such as Rebel Without a Cause. Clips from Dean's movies are intermingled with candid interviews with the star's friends and Hollywood colleagues, including Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dennis Hopper.
bee
James Dean Remembered
Title: James Dean Remembered
Character: Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: January 1, 1974
Type: Movie
Peter Lawford hosts this documentary taking a look at the life and films of James Dean.
bee
The James Dean Story
Title: The James Dean Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: August 13, 1957
Type: Movie
Released two years after James Dean's death, this documentary chronicles his short life and career via black-and-white still photographs, interviews with the aunt and uncle who raised him, his paternal grandparents, a New York City cabdriver friend, the owner of his favorite Los Angeles restaurant, outtakes from East of Eden, footage of the opening night of Giant, and Dean's ironic PSA for safe driving.
bee
Giant
Title: Giant
Character: Jett Rink
Released: November 8, 1956
Type: Movie
Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict's disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
bee
Rebel Without a Cause
Title: Rebel Without a Cause
Character: Jim Stark
Released: October 27, 1955
Type: Movie
After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz. When Buzz violently confronts Jim and challenges him to a drag race, the new kid's real troubles begin.
bee
Title: Crossroads
Character: Man in Crowd
Released: October 7, 1955
Type: TV
Crossroads is an American television anthology series based on the activities of clergymen from different denominations. It aired from October 1955 to June 1956 on ABC. The series' second season aired from October 1956 to June 1957 in syndication.
bee
The Unlighted Road
Title: The Unlighted Road
Character: Jeffrey Latham
Released: May 6, 1955
Type: Movie
Young Jeff Latham stops at a roadside diner and ends up working there. After meeting a nice local girl, everything seems to be going his way. Things get complicated when he unwittingly gets involved with criminals working out of the diner.
bee
East of Eden
Title: East of Eden
Character: Cal Trask
Released: April 10, 1955
Type: Movie
In the Salinas Valley in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother for the love of their father. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, how to get ahead in business and in life, and how to relate to his estranged mother.
bee
The Thief
Title: The Thief
Character: Fernand Lagarde
Released: January 4, 1955
Type: Movie
The son of a French aristocrat is accused of stealing his father's money and of stealing his step-sister's heart.
bee
Mga Ibong Pipit
Title: Mga Ibong Pipit
Character: The Man (Jack)
Released: November 9, 1954
Type: Movie
A criminal fleeing from the police stops to rob an eccentric old recluse of her treasures.
bee
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Title: A Star Is Born World Premiere
Character: Self
Released: September 28, 1954
Type: Movie
Live television broadcast of the world premiere. Described by various participants as the biggest world premiere in memory, even bigger than the Academy Awards.
bee
Run Like a Thief
Title: Run Like a Thief
Character: Robbie
Released: September 5, 1954
Type: Movie
Alexander has been a faithful employee of Madame Pollard as maitre d' at her elegant resort. Eager to introduce his protege Rob, things go wrong when his wife Della finds an expensive bracelet lost by Pollard and begs to keep. The police are called and Alexander's dreams of his future begin to crumble.
bee
The Bells of Cockaigne
Title: The Bells of Cockaigne
Character: Joey
Released: November 17, 1953
Type: Movie
An old warehouse worker dreams of saving enough money to return to his native Ireland, but it would seem unlikely. A young man who also works there is in a bad fix, he too has little money but his baby is sick and needs medicine he can't afford. He gambles with the dock workers and loses what little he had. Meanwhile, the old man discovers he has a valuable dollar with the winning serial number in a newspaper contest.
bee
A Long Time Till Dawn
Title: A Long Time Till Dawn
Character: Joe Harris
Released: November 11, 1953
Type: Movie
Just out of prison Joe Harris looks to restart his life. His wife Barbie has moved and the one man who can tell him where refuses to do so. Enraged, Joe beats the old man senseless and runs away to his father's home, where he also finds his wife. A police detective comes around about the beating (which will soon to become a murder) and Joe insists he's innocent. Joe tells his wife and father he's a changed man and he's only a suspect because of his prior conviction. Barbie and Fred struggle with their desire to believe Joe's plea versus their fear he'll never change.
bee
Title: The United States Steel Hour
Character: Fernand Lagarde
Released: October 27, 1953
Type: TV
The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation.
bee
Keep Our Honor Bright
Title: Keep Our Honor Bright
Character: Jim Cooper
Released: October 14, 1953
Type: Movie
A college student faces embarrassment and expulsion for having cheated on an exam. Her fiance is a member of the university's undergraduate honor board and could quietly make the matter "disappear." The young woman reconsiders, deciding that covering up for her bad behavior would be wrong and build a bad foundation for their marriage.
bee
Death Is My Neighbor
Title: Death Is My Neighbor
Character: J.B.
Released: August 25, 1953
Type: Movie
A New York City apartment building supervisor has his job and home threatened by a new tenant.
bee
Sentence of Death
Title: Sentence of Death
Character: Joe Palica
Released: August 17, 1953
Type: Movie
A woman witnesses a murder during a store robbery but claims the accused man is not the killer. After he is convicted and weeks away from his execution date, she sees the real killer, but the police are reluctant to reopen the case.
bee
Trouble Along the Way
Title: Trouble Along the Way
Character: Football Spectator (uncredited)
Released: April 4, 1953
Type: Movie
Struggling to retain custody of his daughter following his divorce, football coach Steve Williams finds himself embroiled in a recruiting scandal at the tiny Catholic college he is trying to bring back to football respectability.
bee
Title: General Electric Theater
Character: Bud
Released: February 1, 1953
Type: TV
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
bee
Title: You Are There
Character: Bob Ford
Released: February 1, 1953
Type: TV
You Are There is an American historical educational television and radio series broadcast over the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks.
bee
Title: General Electric Theater
Character: The Boy
Released: February 1, 1953
Type: TV
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
bee
Title: Omnibus
Character: Bronco Evans
Released: November 9, 1952
Type: TV
Omnibus is an American, commercially sponsored, educational television series.
bee
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
Title: Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
Character: Youth at Soda Fountain (uncredited)
Released: June 25, 1952
Type: Movie
When a 1920s millionaire tests the fiber of his Vermont family, a young lady and her boyfriend feel the repercussions.
bee
Abraham Lincoln
Title: Abraham Lincoln
Character: William Scott
Released: May 26, 1952
Type: Movie
A dramatization of events during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln
bee
Deadline - U.S.A.
Title: Deadline - U.S.A.
Character: Press Boy (uncredited)
Released: March 14, 1952
Type: Movie
With three days before his paper folds, a crusading editor tries to expose a vicious gangster.
bee
Sailor Beware
Title: Sailor Beware
Character: Boxing Opponent's Second (uncredited)
Released: February 8, 1952
Type: Movie
Meeting in a navy recruiting line, Al Crowthers and Melvin Jones become friends. Al has tried to enlist before, but was always rejected. He keeps trying so that he can impress women. Melvin, is allergic to women's cosmetics and his doctor prescribed ocean travel, so he decided to join the navy.
bee
Title: Hallmark Hall of Fame
Character: Bradford
Released: December 24, 1951
Type: TV
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The longest-running primetime series in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning during 1951 and continuing into 2013. From 1954 onward, all of its productions have been shown in color, although color television video productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many television movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then changed to videotaped productions before finally changing to filmed ones. The series has received eighty Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes. Once a common practice in American television, it is the last remaining television program such that the title includes the name of the sponsor. Unlike other long-running TV series still on the air, it differs in that it broadcasts only occasionally and not on a weekly broadcast programming schedule.
bee
Fixed Bayonets!
Title: Fixed Bayonets!
Character: Doggie (uncredited)
Released: November 21, 1951
Type: Movie
The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one, Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsibility.
bee
Title: Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Character: Jeffrey Latham
Released: October 5, 1951
Type: TV
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to Schlitz Playhouse, beginning with the fall 1957 season.
bee
Title: Tales of Tomorrow
Released: August 3, 1951
Type: TV
Tales of Tomorrow is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. The series covered such stories as Frankenstein, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Thomas Mitchell as Captain Nemo, and many others featuring such performers as Boris Karloff, Brian Keith, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Bruce Cabot, Franchot Tone, Gene Lockhart, Walter Abel, Leslie Nielsen, and Paul Newman. The series had many similarities to the later Twilight Zone which also covered one of the same stories, "What You Need". In total it ran for eighty-five 30-minute episodes.
bee
Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration
Title: Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration
Character: John
Released: March 25, 1951
Type: Movie
The story of the Crucifixion, set within the context of the Korean War.
bee
Title: Lux Video Theatre
Character: Kyle McCallum
Released: October 2, 1950
Type: TV
Lux Video Theatre is an American anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.
bee
Title: Armstrong Circle Theatre
Character: Joey Frasier
Released: June 6, 1950
Type: TV
Armstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour.
bee
Title: Robert Montgomery Presents
Character: Paul Zalinka
Released: January 30, 1950
Type: TV
Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example, Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theater, ....The Johnson's Wax Program, and so on.
bee
Title: The Big Story
Character: Rex Newman
Released: September 16, 1949
Type: TV
Based on a popular radio series, each show tells a different reporter's Big Story, a true story selected from newspapers across the United States. Comments from the actual reporter open and close each show but the permanent narrator drives the plot line and a featured actor dramatizes the reporter's role.
bee
Title: Studio One
Character: Joe Palica
Released: November 7, 1948
Type: TV
An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.
bee
Title: Studio One
Character: Hotel Bellboy (uncredited)
Released: November 7, 1948
Type: TV
An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.
bee
Title: Studio One
Character: William Scott
Released: November 7, 1948
Type: TV
An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.
bee
Title: The Philco Television Playhouse
Character: Robbie Warren
Released: October 3, 1948
Type: TV
The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golden Age of Television, winning a 1954 Peabody Award and receiving eight Emmy nominations between 1951 and 1956.
bee
The James Dean Classic
Title: The James Dean Classic
Character: (archive footage)
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
From his early years, to his struggling actor days, to the day he went from idol to icon, watch James Dean unfold before you with this documentary of his life and career, complete with early work, photos and interviews.
bee
Title: General Electric Theater: The Dark, Dark Hours
Character: Bud
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: TV
A hood forces a doctor and his wife to remove a bullet from the hood's partner.