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Tag Archives: James Dean
“Only the bad directors tell you how to read a line, how to define your character. The good ones let you do your job.” — Carroll Baker
It’s her birthday today. When you look back on your life – especially once you’re, how you say, OLD – it’s sometimes interesting to try to untangle some of the strands, the things that happened that made you who you … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Baby Doll, Carroll Baker, Elia Kazan, James Dean, Lee Strasberg, Something Wild
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An Acting Lesson: John Wayne and the “Reality of the Doing”
In one lengthy scene in Hondo, filmed in one almost unbroken take, Wayne makes horseshoes in the little outdoor smith in the yard. Geraldine Page hovers nearby. He talks to her about the Apaches, and what they are up to. … Continue reading
Substack: “You can wake up now, the universe has ended.”
For James Dean’s birthday: posted to my Substack the piece I wrote in 2013 about Rebel Without a Cause. No paywall. Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged James Dean, Nicholas Ray, Rebel Without a Cause, Sal Mineo, Substack
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The First Glimpse of The Guy Who Started It All
For James Dean’s birthday Age 13. Babysitting. Up later than I normally would be. East of Eden was on late-night television. I had never seen it. I don’t even know that I was aware of who James Dean was. And … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, Personal
Tagged Actors Studio, East of Eden, Elia Kazan, James Dean, Lee Strasberg
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For James Dean’s Birthday
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. I interviewed Dan Callahan about his book The Art of American Screen Acting, … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged East of Eden, James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause
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“Acting is like letting your pants down; you’re exposed.” — Paul Newman
It’s his birthday today. I am so glad I grew up in a time when Paul Newman was still a leading man (and he was a leading man up until the end). So I got to experience the pleasure of … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Elvis Presley, James Dean, Joanne Woodward, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Sidney Lumet
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“It’s a situation I’ve never been able to fathom. One minute, it seemed I had more movie offers than I could handle, the next — no one wanted me.” — Sal Mineo
It’s his birthday today. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be a gay kid in the 1950s and see Rebel Without a Cause, particularly Sal Mineo’s performance as “Plato,” the lonely teenage boy, with a picture … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Alan Ladd, James Dean, James Ellroy, Rebel Without a Cause, Sal Mineo
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Happy 92nd Birthday, Lois Smith
Lois Smith made her film debut in 1955, playing the young prostitute at the bar in East of Eden. She has a small scene with James Dean, and then exits the film. But she makes a huge impression. The memory … Continue reading
I approve of this bathroom decor
From Jean-Luc Godard’s 1957 short film All the Boys are Called Patrick.
For John Wayne’s Birthday: Hondo (1953) at MoMA: John Wayne in 3D
In real life John Wayne was huge, 6’3″, with broad shoulders, a lean waist, and long ambling legs. He towered over everybody. And yet, he was always graceful. His athleticism is extraordinary, his physicality smooth and controlled. So he was … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Dennis Hopper, Gary Cooper, Gena Rowlands, Geraldine Page, James Dean, John Wayne, Sanford Meisner, Supernatural, Western
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