photo by Styrous®
James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931. He died in a car crash on September 30, 1955. He was only 24 years old.
photographer unknown
On September 30, 1955, Dean was scheduled to compete at a racing event in Salinas, California. Accompanying the actor to the occasion was stunt coordinator Bill Hickman, Collier's photographer Sanford Roth, and Rolf Wütherich, the German mechanic from the Porsche factory who maintained Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder "Little Bastard" car.
Wütherich, who had encouraged Dean to drive the car from Los Angeles to
Salinas to break it in, accompanied Dean in the Porsche. At 3:30 p.m.
Dean was ticketed for speeding, as was Hickman who was following behind
in another car.
As the group traveled to the event via U.S. Route 466, at approximately 5:15 p.m. a 1950 Ford Tudor was passing through an intersection while turning, ahead of the Porsche.
Dean, unable to stop in time, slammed into the driver's side of the
Ford resulting in Dean's car bouncing across the pavement onto the side
of the highway. Dean's passenger, Wütherich, was thrown from the
Porsche, while Dean was trapped in the car and sustained numerous fatal
injuries, including a broken neck.
The driver of the Ford, Donald Turnupseed, exited his damaged vehicle
with minor injuries. The accident was witnessed by a number of passersby
who stopped to help. A woman with nursing experience attended to Dean
and detected a weak pulse, but "death appeared to have been
instantaneous". Dean was pronounced dead on arrival shortly after he arrived by ambulance at the Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital at 6:20 p.m.
James Dean and Porsche Speedster 23F
Palm Springs Races March, 1955
photographer unknown
On February 15, 2009, all three of the California Highway Patrol (CHP)
officers who dealt with James Dean on the day of his death—Officer Otie
Hunter, who ticketed Dean for speeding, and Officers Ernie Tripke and
Ronald Nelson, who investigated the fatal crash—participated and shared
their memories of that fateful day in an SCVTV documentary titled The Stuff of Legend: James Dean's Final Ride, co-produced by the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society (see link below).
James Dean Gravestone
Park Cemetery, Fairmount, Indiana
photographer unknown
Ironically, just days before he died, in September, 1955, Dean was interviewed by actor Gig Young for a "safe driving for teenagers" public service short film which is on YouTube (link below).
James Dean made only three films, Rebel Without a Cause
(1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark, as Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in Giant (1956). Dean's enduring fame and popularity rest on his performances in only these three films.
Released two years after Dean's death, this Warner Bros. Pictures release chronicles his short life and career via black-and-white still photographs, interviews with the aunt and uncle who raised him, his paternal grandparents and outtakes from East of Eden, footage of the opening night of Giant, and Dean's PSA for safe driving from Warner Bros. Presents.
The narration by Martin Gabel was written by Stewart Stern, who scripted Dean's Rebel Without a Cause, and a directing credit was shared by Robert Altman and George W. George.
The score for The James Dean Story was written by Leith Stevens. Stevens also wrote The Wild One (1953), When Worlds Collide (1951), Destination Moon (1950), The War of the Worlds (1953) and many other films (see links below).
The James Dean Story soundtrack
movie poster
Released two years after Dean's death, this Warner Bros. Pictures release chronicles his short life and career via black-and-white still photographs, interviews with the aunt and uncle who raised him, his paternal grandparents and outtakes from East of Eden, footage of the opening night of Giant, and Dean's PSA for safe driving from Warner Bros. Presents.
The narration by Martin Gabel was written by Stewart Stern, who scripted Dean's Rebel Without a Cause, and a directing credit was shared by Robert Altman and George W. George.
The score for The James Dean Story was written by Leith Stevens. Stevens also wrote The Wild One (1953), When Worlds Collide (1951), Destination Moon (1950), The War of the Worlds (1953) and many other films (see links below).
movie poster
Eagle-Lion Classics Inc.,
Tommy Sands sang the song, Let Me Be Loved, featured in the film (YouTube link below). He was born Thomas Adrian "Tommy" Sands on August 27, 1937. He is an American pop music singer and actor. He started as early as 1949 and became an overnight sensation and instant teen idol when he appeared on Kraft Television Theater in January 1957 as "The Singin' Idol." The song from the show, Teen Age Crush, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Cashbox.
Publicity photo
circa 1957
photographer unknown
The James Dean Story soundtrack
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 Prelude
A2 Boyhood
A3 Who Am I?
A4 Thinking Of Home
A5 Rebel At Work
A6 Finding His Power
A2 Boyhood
A3 Who Am I?
A4 Thinking Of Home
A5 Rebel At Work
A6 Finding His Power
Side 2:
B1 Hollywood
B2 The Movie Star
B3 Lost Love
B4 Success And Then What?
B5 Testing The Limits Of Life
B6 Return Home
B7 End Title (Theme) "Let Me Be Loved" - Vocal – Tommy Sands written by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
B2 The Movie Star
B3 Lost Love
B4 Success And Then What?
B5 Testing The Limits Of Life
B6 Return Home
B7 End Title (Theme) "Let Me Be Loved" - Vocal – Tommy Sands written by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
- Artwork – David Stone Martin
- Composed by – Leith Stevens
- Conductor – Leith Stevens
- Narrator – Martin Gabel
- Written by – Stewart Stern
Label: Capitol Records – W-881
Format: Vinyl LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1957
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack
Dean has become a legend larger than life.
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I started the Vinyl LP series because I have a collection of over 20,000 vinyl record albums I am selling; each blog entry is about an album from my collection. Inquire for information here.
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