Some links:
For Library of America: I wrote about East of Eden … an essay I had been waiting to write for almost my whole entire life.
For my Substack, a re-post of the piece I wrote in 2013 on Rebel Without a Cause.
I interviewed Dan Callahan about his book The Art of American Screen Acting, and, of course, we discussed James Dean at length.
Here’s an essay I wrote on the 60th anniversary screening of Giant at the Film Forum, special guest Carroll Baker.
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
Sheila
Well I know what I’ll be doing all day. Reading this! Great!
Also staring at me on the shelf is East of Eden. I think it’s the time to reread this too!
Regina – it was fun re-reading it in preparation for writing the piece. There’s so much more in it – I mean, the movie is basically the last 250 pages – when the book is … 600 pages? I don’t know. Steinbeck really put everything he knew into it.
Thank you for showing Jimmy love, all these years later. I too am deeply affected by his performance in East of Eden. It’s a tragedy he died so young and only starred in 3 movies.
Yes – I wasn’t even alive then and I feel the loss.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
No problem. If you ever plan to write about Dean again in the future, I’d love to see your take on his Giant performance! I recently watched it and he blew me away.
I’ve written quite a lot about him if you follow the “James Dean” tag at the bottom. Not about Giant, though – which I have always meant to rectify. He’s wonderful in it.
Hi Sheila, sorry for the late response. I’m going through your tag now. I also wanted to ask if you have watched Dean’s television work? Many of his TV appearances are available on YouTube and his acting is great in them. Definitely check them out if you haven’t already.
Kay – yes!! I have seen his television work – and am SO grateful to the kind soul who uploaded it all. For someone who’s been a fan since I was a teenager – who READ about these things, but had no way to see any of them – it was a total revelation.
Something for an Empty Briefcase is amazing.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
No problem! He blew me away in Something for An Empty Briefcase. I recently watched The Dark, Dark Hours and was shook watching him go head to head with Ronald Reagan of all people in that special. He’s incredible to watch. I lastly wanted to say I appreciate your writings about him, especially since I feel like people tend to dismiss his talent because he’s such a pop culture icon. It also seems like most people nowadays would rather talk about the juicy gossip surrounding his sexuality/sex life instead of his actual work, which can be frustrating. I don’t think there’s another actor I find as electrifying and captivating to watch onscreen as James Dean and I’ll forever be upset he didn’t get to have a long career. The only bright side is his legacy will forever live on in the generation of actors that came after him.
Oh yeah, The dark Dark Hours!! Ronald Reagan! Wild!
It’s just so OBVIOUS how “different” he is. He’s just different. It’s not just charisma – although he does have that. For me, it has to do with his body – and how he’s alive down to his fingertips – every single molecule in him is alive – I mean, that’s true for everyone – but it’s rare in an actor. I am continuously amazed with how he FLINGS his body around – really fearless.
// I’ll forever be upset he didn’t get to have a long career. //
I know. It’s one of the big and tragic What Ifs.
Hi Sheila, sorry for the late reply. I so agree about Dean’s physicality. It’s what made him stand out from other actors. He was truly one of a kind. I’ve spent the last few months checking out more of Dean’s television work, and I came to the conclusion they feature some of his best acting. These are some of my favorites:
A Long Time Till Dawn (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT8yvzm6jrU
Harvest (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S855PhIu_wQ
Death Is My Neighbor (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuIILK3EdyQ
I’m a Fool (1954)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re1eY2qGfbw
Padlocks (1954)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apA8O7nJavA
Something for an Empty Briefcase (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih5ty6s1Hdg
The Dark, Dark Hours (1954)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzVdx-HTPDI
The Unlighted Road (1955)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMqruO1teEM
It got me thinking, I would love to read an article that discusses his television performances more in depth on a website like Vulture. A Vulture article would help introduce more people to Dean’s television work, a lot of people are unaware of his television work. I asked @BilgeEbiri and @christinalefou, both of whom you may know, if they were interested since they’re both fans of Dean and write for Vulture. I’m not sure if they saw my tweets, and if they did, neither responded. I understand people have lives and are busy, and I’m definitely not expecting this article ASAP. It could be anytime in the future. I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing an article like this one day? I understand if you can’t, but if you could I’d really appreciate it! Have a good day.
This is SUCH a late reply to your wonderful essays, but I’ve only recently truly dived into James Dean’s acting and when I read your essays–especially ‘Unforgettable Lonely Boy James Dean carries East of Eden on his narrow shoulders’ I KNEW I wanted to respond.
I’m so appreciative of how both you and Dan engage with his work in a way that’s empathic and honest. (If there’s a tendency on one end the idolize Dean, there’s also as Kay said and I’m in agreement, a tendency to completely dismiss what he brought to the table, and to judge him at 24 in 1955 against actors who’ve had decades to expand and develop their craft.)
There’s so much I want to comment on-but you’ve said it so much better than I ever could. The way he uses his body in East of Eden to make Cal’s emotional pain visceral is astonishing. In addition the birthday scene, I also think of the beginning with him on top of the train, his sweater pulled like a straitjacket, his body withering, misshaped and at convoluted angles.
I know there’s a lot of talk about where he might have gone career wise had he lived longer–and I think about that question too!-but Dean’s physicality and ability to convey emotions through his body and his talent for impersonations makes me wonder what he could have brought to the silent film era.
The scene where he introduces Aron to their ‘dead’ mother–the way he says ‘Say hello to your mother’ it immediately evoked in me the feeling of 1970s horror/slasher films and imagining what Dean could have done in that genre had he lived.
For me, East of Eden contains his most emotional, vulnerable performance, right now I think RWAC as his best performance–the milk bottle! the swimming pool/mansion scene is sublime-and IMO the best scene of the movie-his gift for ad-lib and improv is both brilliant and so natural and effortless in this scene.
I’d love to know what you think of Giant. I know Giant is his most polarizing performance and for some it hasn’t stood the test of time. But for me just on a personal note, it contains moments of raw brilliance: the land walk, the sublime tea scene with Elizabeth Taylor, the scene where he decides not to sell the land, the oil scene and him confronting Bick with his new wealth, him and Luz II –I loved watching james Dean and Carroll Baker play off one another. While the end scene was something even he admitted that he struggled with and still didn’t like his performance of when they were watching the rushes (per Carroll Baker’s autobiography). I think Giant contains both some of his greatest potential as a truly great actor but also his most obvious weaknesses and limitations at the time of his death. I think that no matter what argument someone wants to make about his acting they can find support in Giant. But both the strengths and weaknesses make me ache for the potential of what might have possibly been. The potential of all that was lost.
That being said, I wonder if they hadn’t included the final drunk speech and put him in Supporting (instead of lead) contention at the Oscars if he would have possibly have had a chance of being the first posthumous winner.
T.V. wise I think as of now Padlocks is my favorite performance-he has great give-take chemistry with the female lead. But out of all his performances the one I so wish that we had on tape was ‘The Little Woman’ where he was praised by his director for his rapport and egoless giving and generosity to his eight-year-old co-star, I think that would have given us viewers another dimension of his talent and what was lost in September 1955.
Thank you once again for your writing and for giving me a chance to –messily–share some of my thoughts.
Ladybug – no, thank YOU for such a detailed comment. So much to think about!!
// his sweater pulled like a straitjacket, his body withering, misshaped and at convoluted angles. //
Yes, he’s almost painful to look at, which is startling because of his unusual beauty. You want him to RELAX. He’s much more relaxed in Rebel – his body language – as well as in Giant – a swagger, and … it’s really good to see. It would have been so interesting to see how he developed. :(
// ‘Say hello to your mother’ it immediately evoked in me the feeling of 1970s horror/slasher films and imagining what Dean could have done in that genre had he lived. //
Love it!!
// his gift for ad-lib and improv is both brilliant and so natural and effortless in this scene. //
I so agree. I’m sure you’ve seen footage of screen tests – as well as the tests done with Dean, Wood and Mineo just hanging out, behaving, in front of the camera. He is riveting – his arms slung around both of them – and he is clearly the center: both Wood and Mineo are focused on him, and he’s nuzzling them, murmuring comments, making them laugh. He really understood that role – the sexy patriarch. A valid “partner” for the two other characters. And the heaven they find is a platonic threesome. Nicholas Ray was so always so deep with this sexuality stuff.
I think he’s quite brilliant in Giant – and shows how interested he was – and able to – experiment and take risks – not an easy thing for him. I can’t even imagine the pressure he was under. And the omnipresent example of Marlon Brando walking around – the constant comparisons – Dean was so young and quite fragile – a true rebel too – with very complicated sexuality which he was willing to show us – or, maybe he was just unable to hide it – also part of his brilliance.
it was so great in Giant to see him opposite two actors of the old-school – Taylor and Hudson (who are both also fantastic) – and then the scenes with his Actors Studio contempoary – Carroll Baker – he is so destabilizing to ALL of them.
// I think Giant contains both some of his greatest potential as a truly great actor but also his most obvious weaknesses and limitations at the time of his death. //
I agree. and he was very hard on himself. But the fact that he was willing to TRY stuff, even if he was insecure (playing an old man, etc.) speaks so well of his talent. He would not rest on his laurels. He was already trying to move out of the East of Eden vibe of tortured teenager.
// I think that would have given us viewers another dimension of his talent and what was lost in September 1955. //
Beautiful. I didn’t touch on it much in his writing – although Dan did in his (I highly recommend his book!) – but Dean’s television work is a gold mine and I am grateful to those who uploaded them to YouTube. It’s amazing to watch him in “the moment before” all hell broke loose in his career.
He certainly had that THING, whatever it is. You cannot take your eyes off of him.
Thanks again for your comment. Loved it!
Oh my gosh thank you for your beautiful response. I am so deeply enamored by James Dean’s acting and performances, while also trying to take it in from objective POVs of people (like yourself) who know so much more about acting and cinema than I do that I so appreciate talking about it on a deeper level, thank you.
I have seen that screen test! It’s absolutely and truly lovely, and as much as I understand the film being in color–and of course Ray’s mastery of color symbolism is just impeccable, the b&w screen tests give it such a level of intimacy and it’s the chemistry of all of them together, but also the way Dean was able to be very giving in those screen tests, very responsive. On another note–clip is the RWAC wardrobe test. That clip is so fun and interesting.
think he’s quite brilliant in Giant – and shows how interested he was – and able to – experiment and take risks – not an easy thing for him. I can’t even imagine the pressure he was under. And the omnipresent example of Marlon Brando walking around – the constant comparisons – Dean was so young and quite fragile – a true rebel too – with very complicated sexuality which he was willing to show us – or, maybe he was just unable to hide it – also part of his brilliance.
ME TOO!
THIS. Perfectly said. And I am so pulled into his performance, the scene where he finds out Luz is dead, yes he’s physically gorgeous but his ability to express and convey so much emotional language and depth through his facial expressions and eyes–it’s transcendent. And I think you are so right. I think it was courageous to step outside his comfort zone and try these risks. And he absolutely should get credit for taking these risks and he was very very hard on himself. Which makes me feel so sad because I do think he was a truly great actor with so many gifts and he was so young and fragile and insecure, but oh so brilliant and with so much potential.
I think one thing that doesn’t get appreciated as much is that he really took his craft seriously. He took acting seriously, he was extremely hard on himself and was constantly trying to find ways to work on his craft. When he had difficulty in the final scene he asked George Stevens–whom as I’m sure you know they had a complicated relationship to work with him for 2 days on the scene. And when he wasn’t satisfied with his own performance he told Stevens to just focus on Baker’s face because she conveyed everything.
And for me–he steals the movie–and I know that for some people ‘scene stealer’ has a negative connotation–but for me there’s something about is performance that’s so alive and in the moment. It’s real. The whole scene where he finds out he’s getting the inheritance from Luz, you can SEE him listening to the other characters as if this is the first time he’s hearing the news for the first time. I read one quote that said acting is re-acting and Dean was brilliant at reacting and listening to the other characters.
AND to think that he became Jett Rink just a year after being Cal Trask. I read some things that Cal was similar in someways to Dean, yet Jett doesn’t feel like Dean at all–he just fully vanishes and allows Jett to take over. I so wish we could have seen him in the Left Handed Gun–I think he could have done an iconic and destabilizing (in the best ways) unnerving and gifted Billy the Kid. And speaking of Paul Newman –I so would have loved to have seen James Dean in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
// And for me–he steals the movie–and I know that for some people ‘scene stealer’ has a negative connotation //
hahaha I was just going to say something about this. The scene stealing!! The lasso scene! lol Like, a scene is happening in the foreground, Jimmy, please don’t pull focus. Of course he “pulled focus” just by standing there – and there’s nothing you can do about THAT.
There are very funny stories of Steve McQueen stealing scenes in Magnificent Seven – one of his big breaks – and the star – Yul Brynner – was so irritated. McQueen was so charismatic he stole a scene just by standing there, or scratching his head. Brynner complained to the director about it – and John Sturges just laughed. It’s like “it’s not my fault – work harder? i don’t know what to tell you.” lol
// AND to think that he became Jett Rink just a year after being Cal Trask. //
100%.
all of his roles are lumped in under “teenage rebellion” or “anti-authoritarian” etc. but … they are three separate characters. One of the reasons why his death was such a loss. There’s no telling how many people he had inside of him, how many other characters he could have played.
Giant shows he had no interest in being pigeon-holed just as the boy in the red jacket in Rebel. I think the example of Brando pushed him too – this was true of almost every actor in Brando’s generation – Paul Newman, Montgomery Clift – all terrific gifted actors – but as long as Brando was there they knew they had to really PUSH and challenge themselves. Competition is a good thing!
And to add, I greatly respect Paul Newman’s work! I just ache that we didn’t get a chance to see what James Dean would have bought to those roles. Dean oozed a complexity and vulnerability and rawness that was uniquely his own.
// Dean oozed a complexity and vulnerability and rawness that was uniquely his own.
//
yes, and I think unconventional sexuality was part of it – which was expressed explicitly in Rebel through Sal Mineo’s character. It’s very modern. Or … that’s not true. Alan Ladd had it too (there’s a reason he’s the picture hanging in Plato’s locker!!) Rudolph Valentino. Hell, Elvis. These people have disturbing and powerful energies that affect men and women, equally – gay or not.
I think Dean was more tormented about it than, say, Elvis – but that torment is ALSO part of what made him him.
thanks so much for this exchange!
YES! that was the exact scene I was thinking of too! The Lariat scene in Bick’s office. And that’s a FANTASTIC anecdote about Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner.
I keep on watching that scene–and there’s always something new that stands out to me with each re-viewing, beyond how naturally magnetic he was, is all the nuances in that performance: the little snort after the mention of how much Bick has ‘sentimental feelings’ for Jett too, the nervous laughter at the beginning, the way he LISTENS and interacts and reacts with the other characters in the scene. The little nodding at characters who speak but who are off camera. The way he adds ‘amen’ after one of them says ‘amen’ first (I wonder if that was ad-libbed by Dean). There’s something very ‘in the moment’ about it, organic. I’ve heard Dean be described as an ‘intuitive’ actor (as opposed to a technically gifted actors like Brando or Montgomery) but to me, that intuitive quality it gives his performances, especially in this scene, such a ring of authenticity. Maybe it’s because of his tendency to give slightly different performances each take (there’s a great video of two different takes of the scene where they are getting ready for Adam’s birthday and it’s so plain FUN to see how he emphasizes different words, phrasing in each take and how it can altar the scene. Of course I’m SURE that was trying for his more classically trained co-workers to deal with! But to me the result is it gives a feeling of everything happening in the moment. Jett doesn’t know what he’s going to do next or what’s going to happen next anymore than we do.
He ‘steals’ the scene but in a way that’s so natural and in keeping with Jett’s character. The whole scene is just a masterclass–Stevens ran the scene uninterrupted. The way he stumbles on the word ‘generosity’ reminds me of course of the ‘Speaking Proper English’ book Jett has in his house when Leslie comes over.
And I should add that Hudson does a great job in this scene too, the barely contained disgust/dislike of Jett (I’m sure neither Hudson nor Dean had to dig particularly deep to find those emotions for their characters ;)) . Any scene with James Dean–Dean is going to steal the scene from the other actors regardless of how talented/trained/and or how long in the movie business–the one exception *I* found was Jo Van Fleet, but Rock Hudson does EXACTLY what he needs to do.
Which gives two related thoughts: his physicality as an actor is uncanny good BUT also how good he is with eye language. The birthday scene-the way he blinks uncomfortably on the words ‘beans’ when he tells his father how he got the money. Then in the improvised hug moment, it’s not just the way he flings his body in desperation towards his father–it’s the pure anguish and desperation in his eyes. Whatever private anguish he had to draw on to convey Cal’s torment: It’s believable and excruciating.
Another thought: he has some FANTASTIC line deliveries: ‘PAIN?’ –in EofE, the way his voice goes deeper on ‘I’m gonna have more money than you ever THOUGHT you did.’ Glory.
The second thought–I now think Giant is best acting. Even as an old man there is so much he does to distinguish himself from the younger Jett, physically the way he walks, the voice.
One of the reasons why his death was such a loss. There’s no telling how many people he had inside of him, how many other characters he could have played.
THIS.
I think Dean was more tormented about it than, say, Elvis – but that torment is ALSO part of what made him him.
AND THIS. His unconventional sexuality, his inner torment the way he couldn’t hide it but it became part of his performances and body language as an actor, his sensitivity, sensuality, tension and vulnerability as a performer, for all I have said about his potential and how much MORE he could have contributed potentially as an actor or director (I’m reading more about Bill Gunn’s masterpiece Ganja & Hess, and Gunn as you probably know was friends–perhaps more–with both James Dean & Montgomery Clift which makes me wonder if Dean would have done really experimental things had he lived/stayed in the business.) but also just what he contributed in 3 films is still remarkable. Whether he’s Cal Trask, Jim Stark or Jett Rink–I believe him.
And from earlier your interview with Dan completely gave me a new appreciation of ‘classic’ acting! I loved it–I haven’t read his entire book–though I want to-but I read parts of it online and it’s already a great resource for me to have a greater understanding of acting.
Thank you :)
One of the reasons why his death was such a loss. There’s no telling how many people he had inside of him, how many other characters he could have played.
THIS.
(AND to add to that,there are so many different ways for his potential future to be written–I know that’s true for any actor who dies prematurely–but it feels especially true for Dean. And just like there’s a ‘James Dean’ for whatever aspect of his personality/persona/image someone latches onto, so too is his potential future open up to so many different possibilities and potentials and pitfalls. Would he and Nick Ray continued to have a symbiotic creative partnership, gone to Europe and really been at the forefront of French New Wave? Or would their similarities which worked so well in creating ‘Rebel’ have clashed? (I’ve read about ‘Heroic Love’ the film they were going to do together–and it sounds FASCINTATING, not least because the western influences reminds me at a glance of ‘Johnny Guitar’. He was (I think) going, or trying to reach a new deeper level with his performances in Giant, would that had continued? I think he def had the potential to grow even more as an actor–would he?
It’s funny, for an embarrassingly long time I’ve always associated James Dean with the 1960s rather than the 1950s (he was born about 10 years before I had first thought! * on that note: more than any other pop culture figure of that era Dean defied time, he looks thoroughly ‘modern’) but there’s SO much of 1960s and 1970s film-making I can see him being on the forefront of (and not just in front of the cameras but behind the cameras as well); or would his probable mental health struggles and inability to get along with a lot of people have doomed his career?) There are truly so many unknowns and so much POTENTIAL for both creative genius and self-destruction, or perhaps fading into obscurity, or even Newman style longevity and solidness. We’ll never know, but the possibilities of who James Dean might have ended up being–further and beyond the ‘idol’ and ‘myth’ how we might see him if he had lived to old age like Brando and Newman or even died middle-aged like the brilliant Montgomery Clift, and that unknown is maddening in it’s own way and tragic too and in someways more interesting than the myth of James Dean.
It would have been interesting to see what, say, Warren Beatty would have made of Dean – as a director – he occupied a similar place as a young actor, playing Dean-ish roles – but grew into a much scruffier darker man – leaving behind the baby-fat and turning into an adult – in a way that “teen idols” have rarely been able to do. Or any of the other gritty directors of the New Hollywood – Polanski or Hal Ashby or Bob Rafaelson or Monte Hellman – Dean was MADE to be in a Monte Hellman film. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with Hellman’s films as is – or that there’s anything missing. They are perfect works of art as is, and Warren Oates embodies Hellman’s eerie existential sensibility – but I think an older Dean would have been captivating in something like Two-Lane Blacktop or Ride in the Whirlwind. Hell, or in Roger Corman’s biker movies. lol Dean could have had a lot of fun in those.