Too Fast To Live,
 Too Young To Die

By Jeff Little

You were too fast to live, too young to die, bye-bye

- The Eagles

Sad, but true. Screen legend James Dean did die very young. But before he did, he definitely made his mark.

James Byron Dean was born to Winton and Mildred Wilson Dean in Marion, Indiana on February 8, 1931 and moved with them to Santa Monica, California at age six. Three years later, the young James Dean moved back to Indiana following the death of his mother who had fallen victim to cancer.

Dean's formative years were spent in Fairmount, Indiana where he lived with his Aunt Ortense and Uncle Marcus Winslow. He participated in basketball, drama and forensics at the local high school, but was apparently dissatisfied with his surroundings. Following his graduation, Dean moved back to California to live with his father and stepmother in 1949.

With pre-law as his major, Dean enrolled at Santa Monica College but later transferred to UCLA and switched his major to drama. Not seeing eye-to-eye with his son's choice of studies, Dean's father threw him out of the house.

Eventually landing on his feet, Dean began his acting career with a TV commercial for Pepsi-Cola followed by appearances on the television game show Beat the Clock. Dropping out of college to pursue acting, he supported himself by working as a parking lot attendant at CBS studios. Eventually, at the urging of his friends, he shifted gears by moving to New York to pursue acting on stage.

Dean studied under Lee Strasburg at the legendary Actors Studio in New York, and soon began to get steady work. Appearing in television shows such as Studio One, Lux Video Theatre, Kraft Television Theater, Robert Montgomery Presents and General Electric Theater, he sharpened his skills and eventually made his way to the Broadway stage.

After compiling a resume that included not only television but also bit parts in forgettable films such as Sailor Beware and Fixed Bayonets, Dean received noteworthy reviews for his performance on stage in The Immoralist and drew enough attention to finally be offered more substantial roles in Hollywood.

James Dean's first leading role on film came in 1955 with his turn as Cal Trask in East of Eden. Raising eyebrows with the intensity of his performance, Dean was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (the first posthumous nomination in Academy Awards history).

Also released in 1955 was a film that not only affected the youth culture of the era in a tremendous way, but also featured the role that would most often be associated with James Dean. Rebel Without a Cause was controversial, successful and solidified Dean as a major screen star.

Dean's swan song came in the form of his third and final starring role in Giant. Released in 1956, shortly after his death, Giant featured Dean in a performance that would secure his second posthumous Academy Award nomination.

Dying in a 1955 automobile accident, Dean's life was cut short after only three major film appearances. But three was enough to illustrate his amazing talent, and three was enough to make James Dean a legend.

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