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1950's
The Exploding Supernova
The '50's. Period of affluence, fear, isolation, growth
and death. While America rebounded from World War II and explored
the relaxing world the new-found leisure the Atomic Age ushered
in, James Dean sweated and suffered through periods of unemployment,
developing his craft on the stage and television, studying at the
famed Actor's Studio in New York, and finding success in Hollywood
on the silver screen.
James Dean the actor was still a relative unknown
to the general public. His fame came with his first starring role
in a feature film, East of Eden. His next
two, and final films, both released after his untimely death, solidified
his fame and imprinted upon the world the beautiful artist we know
as James Dean.
| 1950 |
| Early 1950
- Becomes an announcer at the Santa
Monica City College's FM radio station. |
| Early 1950
- Plays substitute guard on school's basketball
team, coached by Samuel Crumbpacker. |
| Summer,
1950 - In order to make money so that
he could attend UCLA
in the Fall (against his father's wishes), Jimmy works as a
movie house usher and as an athletic instructer at a boys summer
camp in Glendora, California, US. |
| September
9, 1950 - Moves out of the Dean home
and transfers to UCLA,
majoring in theatre arts and pre-law. |
| Fall,
1950 - Pledges to the Epsilon Pi chapter of Sigma
Nu fraternity. His anti-social behavior and interest in
theatre earns the scorn of his brothers, who gave him a "special"
initiation rite. |
| October
10, 1950 - Auditions for and wins role in Macbeth
as Malcolm, directed by Dr. Walden Boyle. |
| October,
1950 - During Macbeth's last
dress rehearsal, meets fellow student William
"Bill" Bast, who thinks little of Jimmy's acting
ability. |
| November
29, 1950 - Jimmy appears in Macbeth.
"The Spotlight," a school theatre arts newsletter,
reviews Macbeth, and of Jimmy says
that he "failed to show any growth and would have made
a hollow king." |
| December,
1950 - Friend Jim Bellah, son of novelist James Warner
Bellah, refers Jimmy to agent Isabelle Draesmer, who, as a favor
to Bellah, signs Jimmy and becomes his first agent. |
| December
13, 1950 - Draesmer gets Jimmy his first professional
acting gig - a Pepsi
commercial, handing out Pepsi's in Griffith Park (later worked
there for Rebel planetarium
scenes). He is paid $30 US for his work. |
| 1951 |
| Early 1951
-A fight with one of his frat brothers (allegedly
over a homosexual slur regarding Jimmy's interest in theatre)
results in Jimmy's expulsion from the frat. He left owing them
$45 US in unpaid housing bills. |
| Early 1951
- Shortly after being thrown out of the frat
house, Dean reunites with Bill
Bast after telling Bill that they would make a great team.
They search for an apartment together and move into a small
penthouse. Monthly rent is $300 US per month. Later biographers
state the Jimmy and Bill began a homosexual affair during this
period. |
| January,
1951 - Drops out of college to pursue
his acting career full-time. |
| March, 1951
- At Bill's suggestion, Jimmy studies the
Stanislavski Method with James
Whitmore, a member of New York's Actors Studio. Whitmore
influences Dean's decision to study and work in NY. Jimmy later
credits Whitmore as being a major influence in his work. |
| April 1,
1951 (Easter Sunday) - Jerry
Fairbanks, producer of the Pepsi
commercial, likes Jimmy's performance and hires him for Jimmy's
first television episode - "Hill
Number One" for Father Peyton's
TV Theatre as John the Apostle, earning
him $150 US. "Hill Number One" leads to his fist fan
club, The Immaculate Heart James Dean Appreciation Society.
Attends a IHJDAS function with Bill
Bast. |
| Spring,
1951 - Jimmy works with Bill at CBS
(then a radio production studio) as a part-time usher but is
soon fired because he refused to conform to the dress code or
take orders. Gets new job as a car parker on the CBS
lot. |
| Spring,
1951 - Begins making the Hollywood
casting rounds (later biographers detail Dean's alleged rounds
on the casting couch). |
| Spring,
1951 - Moves out of apartment he shared
with Bill after revealing that he was having an affair with
Bill's girlfriend, Beverly
Wills, daughter of commediane Joan
Davis. |
| Spring,
1951 - Takes Beverly to her High School
Prom. |
| Spring,
1951 - Temporarily moves in with fellow
usher Ted Avery. |
| Summer,
1951 - Ends relationship with Beverly.
|
| Summer,
1951 - While parking cars at the CBS
lot, meets Rogers Brackett, a 35 year old advertising executive
and producer of radio programs. Jim moves in with him. Later
biographers state that Jim and Rogers had an on-again, off-again
homosexual affair in both California and New York. |
| Summer,
1951 - Rogers gets Jimmy work in the
radio programs "Alias Jane Doe" and "Stars Over
Hollywood," as well a bit role in the movie Fixed
Bayonets. |
| July 22,
1951 - Jimmy works on the film Fixed
Bayonets. His one line, "it's a rear guard coming back,"
was cut from the film, but the scene was not. |
| Summer,
1951 - Draesmer gets Jimmy a bit role
in the Martin-Lewis film Sailor
Beware. He can be seen briefly during a boxing scene. |
| Summer,
1951 - Rogers gets Jimmy and extra
role on the film Trouble Along
the Way with John
Wayne and a brief role in Has Anybody
Seen My Gal? with Rock
Hudson and Charles
Coburn. Jimmy plays an annoying teenager trying to get the
soda jerk to make him the perfect chocholate malt. |
| October,
1951 - Jimmy, on the advice of Whitmore,
leaves for New York and visits Fairmount and Chicago (staying
with Rogers) on his way to NY. |
| October,
1951 - Arrives in NY and stays at
the Iroquois Hotel and the YMCA. |
| November,
1951 - Gets a job with the popular
television game show "Beat
the Clock" as a stunt tester. |
| No Date
- Meets dancer Elizabeth
"Dizzy" Sheridan at the Rehearsal Club and they
eventually live together for a short period of time. |
| 1952 |
| February
20, 1952 - Appears in the television
episode "Sleeping Dogs." |
| March, 1952
- Jimmy moves in with Rogers Brackett. |
| March 3,
1952 - Appears in the television episode
"Ten Thousand Horses Singing." |
| March 17,
1952 - Appears in the television episode
"The Foggy, Foggy Dew." |
| May, 1952
- Bill
Bast follows Jim to NY and they room
together at the Iroqouis Hotel -- room 802. |
| No Date
- Signs with agent Jane Deacy. |
| May 11,
1952 - Appears in the television episode
"Prologue to Glory." |
| May 26,
1952 - Appears in the television episode
"Abraham Lincoln." |
| June 2,
1952 - Appears in the television episode
"Forgotten Children." |
| July, 1952
- Meets actress Christine
White, with whom he auditions for the Actors Studio. They
perform a scene they wrote called "Ripping Off Layers to
Find Roots." |
| August,
1952 - Performs in a dramatic reading
of Franz Kafka's short novel The
Metamorphosis. |
| August,
1952 - Dean becomes the youngest member
of the Actors Studio. |
| August,
1952 - Dean "cons" his way
onto broadway producer Lem Ayers' yacht, saying that he's an
experienced shipmate. This eventually leads to Ayers' hiring
of Dean in the N. Odgen Nash play See
the Jaguar. |
| September,
1952 - Jimmy moves to 46th Street,
then 13 West 89th Street, NYC. |
| November
13-15, 1952 - Jimmy performs in out-of-town
tryouts with the play See the
Jaguar. |
| November
30, 1952 - Jimmy hitchhikes with Dizzy
and Bill to Indiana and spends Thanksgiving with his family
in Fairmount. |
| December
3, 1952 - Wally Wilkins, his first
broadway role in N. Odgen Nash's See
the Jaguar, graces the boards but closes on December 6th
after only a few performaces after the play (not Dean) received
negative reviews. |
| December
6, 1952 - See
the Jaguar closes. |
| 1953 |
| January
15, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "Hounds of Heaven." |
| January
29, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "The Case of the Watchful
Dog." |
| February
8, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "The Capture of
Jesse James." |
| March 14,
1953 - Appears in the television episode
"No Room." |
| June 16,
1953 - Appears in the television episode
"The Case of the Sawed-Off
Shotgun." |
| May 1, 1953
- Appears in the television episode "The
Evil Within." |
| Spring,
1953 - Moves to 19 West 68th Street,
NYC. |
| May 6, 1953
- Appears in the play End
as a Man at the Actors Studio. |
| June 16,
1953 - Jimmy appears in The
Scarecrow at the Theatre DeLys. |
| June 21,
1953 - The
Scarecrow closes its doors. |
| July 17,
1953 - Appears in the television episode
"Something for an Empty
Briefcase." |
| August 17,
1953 - Appears in the television episode
"Sentence of Death." |
| August 25,
1953 - Appears in the television episode
"Death is my Neighbor." |
| September
11, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "Rex Neuman, Reporter
for the Globe." |
| October
4, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "Glory In Flower." |
| October
14, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "Keep Our Honor
Bright." |
| October
16, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "Life Sentence." |
| November
11, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "A Long Time Til
Dawn." |
| November
17, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "The Bells of
Cockaigne." |
| November
23, 1953 - Appears in the television
episode "Harvest." |
| December
18, 1953 - Jimmy begins rehearsals
for The Immoralist. |
| December,
1953 - Rides his motorbike to Fairmount
to spend Christmas with his family. |
| December
31, 1953 - Rehearsals for The
Immoralist resume. |
| 1954 |
| January
9, 1954 - The
Immoralist begins its out-of-town try-outs in Philadelphia,
PA, US. |
| February
1, 1954 - The
Immoralist begins previews on Broadway. |
| February
8, 1954 - Opening night on Broadway
for The Immoralist.
Dean in his two week notice to begin work on East
of Eden. |
| February
12, 1954 - With Eli
Wallach and Julie
Harris, rehearses and appears in Ezra Pound's translation
of Socrates' Women
of Trachis. |
| February
16, 1954 - Dean tests for East
of Eden. |
| February
22, 1954 - Elia
Kazan screens Dean for East
of Eden. |
| February
23, 1954 - Jimmy gives his last performance
in The Immoralist. |
| March 5,
1954 - Warner
Bros. announces that the "unknown" Dean has been
cast in East of Eden. |
| March 6,
1954 - The
New York Times announces that Elia
Kazan has signed Jimmy for East
of Eden. |
| March 8,
1954 - Jimmy takes his first airplane
flight ever to California with Kazan to begin work in East
of Eden. He packs his belongings in a brown paper bag. |
| March 30,
1954 - Appears in the television episode
"The Little Woman"
in NYC. |
| April, 1954
- Temporarily moves in with his father back in Los Angeles. |
| April 7,
1954 - Signs his contract with Warner
Bros. for the role of Cal Trask in East
of Eden and is given a salary advance of $700 US. |
| May, 1954
- Dean moves into an apartment across the
street from the Warner
Bros. lot and begins screen and photo tests for East
of Eden. |
| May, 1954
- Jimmy buys his first sports car, a used MG TA. |
| May 20,
1954 - Wardrobe tests for East
of Eden are performed. |
| May 27-
June 2, 1954 - Shooting begins for
East of Eden in Mendocino,
California US. |
| June 4-June
11, 1954 - East
of Eden moves to Salinas for filming, later moving to the
Warner
Bros. lot to finish the film and shoot interior scenes.
|
| June, 1954
- Begins dating actress Pier
Angeli while he was filming East of
Eden and she was filming The
Silver Chalice, a movie in which he was up for a role (it
went to actor Paul
Newman, who also tested for Eden
with Dean). |
| July , 1954
- Jimmy moves into his Warner
Bros. dressing room. |
| July 6,
1954 - Jimmy gets a California drivers
license. |
| August 9,
1954 - Filming for East
of Eden ends. |
| August,
1954 - Jimmy moves back to his apartment
on West 68th Street in NYC. |
| September
5, 1954 - Appears in the television
episode "Run Like a Thief." |
| October
7, 1954 - Jimmy's contract with Warner
Bros. expires. Warner Bros. extends Jimmy's contract. |
| November
9, 1954 - Appears in the television
episode "Padlocks." |
| November,
1954 - Jimmy moves back to Hollywood. |
| November
14, 1954 - Appears in the television
show "I am a Fool,"
filmed in Hollywood. |
| November
24, 1954 - Ex-girlfriend Pier
Angeli marries Vic
Damone at the Westwood Church. Jimmy reportedly waited outside
of the church during the ceremony and reved his motorcycle's
engine while the vows were being said. |
| December
6, 1954 - East
of Eden is screened at the Huntington Park Theatre. |
| December
12, 1954 - Appears in the television
episode "The Dark, Dark Hours"
with Ronald
Reagan, who was also the host. Filmed in Hollywood. |
| December
18, 1954 - Jimmy returns to NYC. |
| December
29, 1954 - Photographer Roy Schatt
shoots the famous torn
sweater photos of Jimmy. |
| 1955 |
| January
4, 1955 - Warner
Bros. announces that Jimmy will star in the feature film
Rebel Without A Cause.
Performs in the television episode "The
Thief." |
| January
18, 1955 - Jimmy returns to Hollywood
and moves into a Sunset Plaza Drive apartment. |
| January,
1955 - Production meetings with Rebel
director Nicholas
Ray and Ray's apartment at the Chateau Marmont. |
| February,
1955 - Returns to Fairmount for the
last time with photographer Dennis Stock, who records Jimmy's
roots for a Life
magazine spread. |
| February
15, 1955 - Attends the Fairmount High
Sweethearts Ball, where he signs autographs and plays bongos
with the band. |
| February,
1955 - Returns to New York with Dennis
Stock. |
| March 6,
1955 - Jimmy returns to Hollywood. |
| March 1,
1955 - Jimmy buys a 1500cc Porche
Super Speedster. |
| March 7,
1955 - "Moody New Star"
James Dean appears in Life.
Photos by Dennis Stock. |
| March 9,
1955 - Warner
Bros. holds a celebrity premiere for East
of Eden with Marilyn
Monroe playing usherette. Jimmy does not attend the bash.
|
| March 10,
1955 - East
of Eden has a limited opening to rave reviews. Appears in
the televised interview preceding the television episode "The
Life of Emile Zola" promoting East
of Eden. |
| March 13,
1955 - An interview with Dean entitled
"Another Dean Hits the Big League" is published in
The New York Times.
|
| March 16,
1955 - East
of Eden officially opens in Los Angeles. |
| March 23,
1955 - Appears in a Rebel
Without A Cause wardrobe test. |
| March 26,
1955 - Enters the Palm
Springs car race. |
| March 28,
1955 - Rebel
Without A Cause begins shooting. |
| April 2,
1955 - Warner
Bros. again extends Jimmy's contract and announces that
Jimmy will play the role of Jett Rink in Giant.
|
| April 9,
1955 - East
of Eden opens nationwide. Jimmy becomes a star. |
| April 14,
1955 - Warner
Bros. announces that Jimmy will play boxer Rocky Grazziano
in MGM's
feature film Somebody
Up There Likes Me. He would die before shooting begins.
|
| April 25,
1955 - East
of Eden is entered into the Cannes
Film Festival. |
| May 1, 1955
- Dean enters the Bakersfield
car race. |
| May 6, 1955
- Appears in the television show "The
Unlighted Road." |
| May 18,
1955 - A pre-production party for
Giant is thrown. Jimmy
attends. |
| May 23,
1955 - Shooting begins of the film
Giant without Jimmy (his
scenes weren't scheduled for filming until later). Jimmy is
ordered to not race while working on the film. |
| May 26,
1955 - Shooting on Rebel
Without A Cause ends. |
| May 28-29
- Jimmy races his car in Santa
Barbara, California US. |
| June 3,
1955 - Jimmy joins the rest of the
cast of Giant to work
on the film. |
| June 8,
1955 - The cast of Giant
leave for Marfa, Texas US to work of the film. |
| July 10,
1955 - The cast of Giant
return to Hollywood to continue filming. |
| July, 1955
- Jimmy begins dating Swiss acting beauty
Ursula
Andress, who was called the "Female Marlon
Brando." |
| July 7,
1955 - East
of Eden is released in West Germany. |
| July 23,
1955 - Jimmy moves into a home in
Sherman Oaks. |
| August 16,
1955 - Jimmy attends a Villa Capri
restaurant party for actor Frank
Sinatra. |
| September
17, 1955 - Jimmy makes a 30 second
commercial for the National Highway Committee to promote driving
safely. His last lines in the commercial (which he adlibbed)
are "And remember ... drive safely .. because the life
you save may be mine." |
| September
19, 1955 - Jimmy tests drives the
Porche Spyder that he eventually bought and died in at Competition
Motors. |
| September
21, 1955 - Trades his Porche Speedster
for a Porsche Spyder 550. |
| September
22, 1955 - Giant
finishes filming. |
| September
25, 1955 - Jimmy attends a party at
the Chateau Marmont (the home of Rebel
director Nicholas
Ray), thrown in his honor. |
| September
27, 1955 - Jimmy attends a preview
of the film Rebel Without
A Cause. |
| September
29, 1955 - Jimmy attends another party
at the Villa Capri. |
| September
30, 1955 - At 5:45p, Jimmy's Porsche
collides with another car at an intersection of routes 466 and
41 near Chalame, California US, and is killed upon impact. The
passanger in Jimmy's car, mechanic Rolf Wutherich, is flown
from the car and suffers only minor injuries. The driver of
the other car, Donald Turnupseed, survives barely injured. Jimmy
was to race in Salinas. |
| October
4, 1955 - Jimmy's body is returned
to Fairmount, Indiana. |
| October
8, 1955 - The funeral for James Dean
is held at Back Creak Friends Church in Fairmount, the same
church he attended as a child. |
| October
10, 1955 - East
of Eden is released in Sweden. |
| October
11, 1955 - A coroner's inquest into
the death of Dean begins in San Luis Obispo. |
| October
26, 1955 - Rebel
Without A Cause premieres in New York.
|
| October
29, 1955 - Rebel
Without A Cause premieres in Los Angeles. |
| November
11, 1955 - East
of Eden premiers in Finland. |
| December
12, 1955 - Jimmy receives a posthumous
award for "Best Actor" from the Audience Award Election. |
| 1956 |
| February
18, 1956 - Jimmy receives a posthumous
"Best Actor" Oscar
nomination for his work in East
of Eden. |
| March 19,
1956 - Rebel
Without A Cause is released in Sweden. |
| March 21,
1956 - The Academy
Awards are held. Jimmy does not win the "Best Actor"
award. |
| October
26, 1956 - Rebel
Without A Cause is released in Finland. |
| November
10, 1956 - Giant
opens in New York. |
| November
17, 1956 - Giant
opens in Los Angeles. |
| November
24, 1956 - Giant
opens nationally. |
| 1957 |
| February
13, 1957 - Giant
is released in Sweden. |
| February
18, 1957 - Jimmy is posthumously nominated
again for the "Best Actor" Oscar. |
| March 27,
1957 - Jimmy does not win the "Best
Actor" award. |
| March 29,
1957 - Giant
is released in Finland. |
| October
29, 1957 - East
of Eden is released in Denmark. |
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Latest Poll (ends
2/19/01)
There are some biographers who
question the relationship between James Dean and actress Pier
Angeli. How would you characterize their relationship?
- I think it was important.
- I think it was just a fling.
- I don't think they had a relationship.
- Don't know.
VOTE!
(note: this poll is currently available
to members of the James
Dean mailing list.)
February 12, 2001
What will you be doing to celebrate
James Dean's birthday this year?
- I'm heading to Fairmount!!! (0.00%)
- I'll be having a James Dean-athon
at home (55.56%)
- Is it his birthday already??? (0.00%)
- Nothing. (44.44%)
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Don't miss James Dean on television...
Great Romances of the 20th Century, James Dean
and Pier Angeli
- Wed, Feb 21 @ 8:30p EST on Romance Classics
- Thurs, Feb 22 @ 1:30a EST on Romance Classics
Rebel Without a Cause
- Wed, Feb 21 @ 1:55p EST on Showtime 2
- Tues, Feb 27 @ 6:05a EST on Cinemax
Information culled from TV-Now.Com.
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