James Dean Days

James Dean Days
Published August 17, 2018 11:57am EDT

By
Stephanie Nolasco , | Fox News
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten,
or redistributed. ©2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .

A new book is revealing James Dean’s final days on a volatile set of the 1956 film “Giant” that also starred Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.
When George Stevens convinced three of Hollywood’s hottest stars to head over to West Texas to create a movie, he couldn’t have predicted it would result in an epic drama that ended in tragedy.
Don Graham, an English professor at the University of Texas, recently published a book titled “Giant: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film.” It dives into the making of the 1956 film “Giant,” which explores the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family.
Graham was given access to all of Stevens’ materials related to “Giant,” and he discovered surprising tales about the film’s origins from the celebrated director.
Those possessions are currently archived at the Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, which serves as the official library for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Graham told Fox News Stevens was eager to ditch Hollywood and instead, shoot in small-town Marfa, Texas, to bring his Western story to life.
“He wanted to be as far away from studio control as possible,” explained Graham. “Marfa, Texas was about that far. It was a long way from Hollywood… Stevens went out to win Texans over because he felt he had to do that, considering it was a Texas film… He could have filmed it in Hollywood, but Hollywood would never look like Texas.”
But Stevens didn’t need to look far to encounter his own tale of jealousy and rivalry. Graham claimed Hudson, then 29, and Dean, 24, clashed on set.
“ Rock Hudson absolutely hated James Dean and vice versa,” he claimed. “They fought all the way through the film. Elizabeth Taylor had to mediate between the two. She became very good lifelong friends with Rock. And she was very good friends with James Dean as well. In a way, the two of them were competing for her affections, just as in the film.”

Elizabeth Taylor ropes George Stevens while Mercedes McCambridge, Rock Hudson, and James Dean look on approvingly.
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Rumors have long persisted that Hudson, who was gay, hit on Dean who rejected his advances. However, Graham said it was Dean’s unconventional style of acting that irritated everyone on set — including Taylor, 23.
“Both Rock and Elizabeth hated James’ methods or antics really,” said Graham. “He wouldn’t really hit the mark where he was supposed to be… He would mumble or do tricks with this little rope that he would carry or pull his hat down.
“He was always busy doing something to capture the reality of his character. But these two were more formally trained to stand, read their lines, hit the mark and take direction.
"James just blew that all off. And that made them really mad. And Stevens really had trouble with James… He would argue with him and James would be late. George said at one point that he would never work with James Dean again. It turned out to be true.”

James Dean
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
And it wasn’t just Dean’s attitude that got on Hudson’s nerves. Graham claimed Hudson might have been worried that the actor would steal his leading lady away.
“Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor spent many nights drinking vodka and eating chocolate,” chuckled Graham. “They stayed up until 3 a.m. only to be at work by 6 a.m. Rock really valued her friendship.
"And then James Dean started intervening on that. He would also competitively steal Elizabeth’s affections away from Rock… Rock would then fear that James was stealing Elizabeth Taylor and the film away from him.”
Graham revealed Taylor also developed a close bond with Dean, who confided in her.

Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean.
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
In 2011, Daily Beast writer Kevin Sessums released several off-the-record statements made by Taylor from a 1997 interview. She claimed Dean confessed he was molested by his minister at age 11, which haunted him for the rest of his life.
Graham said he wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.
“There are other biographers who felt that could have happened,” he said. “However, there’s no real evidence out there to support that… But I also don’t think Elizabeth Taylor would have made that up.”
Still, he said there was no denying Dean opened up to Taylor when cameras stopped rolling.
“She always listened to his stories,” said Graham. “Dean always sought that mother figure because he lost his own mother at age 9. And Dean’s father was really an aloof, cold, unfeeling person by all accounts, including his son’s. So Dean always sought that motherly figure… He did that to every woman who was friendly with him.”
However, Dean’s life came to a screeching halt when he was killed in a 1955 car crash. He was just 24.

George Stevens (left) with James Dean.
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
“He died on a Friday and then on Saturday, they kept shooting,” said Graham. “But Elizabeth Taylor was distraught. She eventually got sick and was hospitalized. It cost them more days. She took it the hardest out of everybody… Rock Hudson broke down in tears… But Elizabeth Taylor was the most devastated of all.”
When Taylor asked Stevens if he could believe such a tragic accident could occur, his response was reportedly, “Yes I can. He had it coming.”
Dean, who loved racing cars, was driving his brand-new Porsche Spyder convertible to a California race. He had completed filming his role for “Giant” and just needed to re-read lines for the scene where he mumbled.
Stevens, who was worried about Dean’s need for speed, had reportedly suspected an accident could have occurred during filming.

(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
“George Stevens was so worried that he put in the contract that James could not do any racing when he started working on the film,” claimed Graham. “…Out there in Marfa, celebrities were given cars to use while they were in town. But James had his taken away because he would drive too fast for the roads out there.
"When James got that new car, they told him, ‘You can’t drive around in that thing because you’re going to kill somebody.’ But he never paid attention when someone told him that.”
“Giant” was released shortly after Dean’s death — and it became a box office sensation. It also forever changed the lives of Hudson and Taylor, who would go on to reign as leading Hollywood stars.
Stevens, recognized as one of the most important directors in cinematic history, died in 1975 at age 70 from a heart attack. Hudson died in 1985 at age 59 from AIDS-related complications. Taylor followed in 2011 at age 79 from congestive heart failure.

(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
“This film really made them,” said Graham. “It certainly made Rock Hudson. It confirmed Elizabeth Taylor’s status as a serious actress. And of course, James Dean already had a huge reputation based on his two previous films and then he was dead about two and a half weeks before ‘Giant’ was over.
"Then he became a legend. But they were all very young. And there was a sense of excitement going on. Everyone felt this film was going to be a really huge deal.”
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox.
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .

Published August 17, 2018 11:57am EDT

By
Stephanie Nolasco , | Fox News
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten,
or redistributed. ©2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .

A new book is revealing James Dean’s final days on a volatile set of the 1956 film “Giant” that also starred Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.
When George Stevens convinced three of Hollywood’s hottest stars to head over to West Texas to create a movie, he couldn’t have predicted it would result in an epic drama that ended in tragedy.
Don Graham, an English professor at the University of Texas, recently published a book titled “Giant: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film.” It dives into the making of the 1956 film “Giant,” which explores the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family.
Graham was given access to all of Stevens’ materials related to “Giant,” and he discovered surprising tales about the film’s origins from the celebrated director.
Those possessions are currently archived at the Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, which serves as the official library for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Graham told Fox News Stevens was eager to ditch Hollywood and instead, shoot in small-town Marfa, Texas, to bring his Western story to life.
“He wanted to be as far away from studio control as possible,” explained Graham. “Marfa, Texas was about that far. It was a long way from Hollywood… Stevens went out to win Texans over because he felt he had to do that, considering it was a Texas film… He could have filmed it in Hollywood, but Hollywood would never look like Texas.”
But Stevens didn’t need to look far to encounter his own tale of jealousy and rivalry. Graham claimed Hudson, then 29, and Dean, 24, clashed on set.
“ Rock Hudson absolutely hated James Dean and vice versa,” he claimed. “They fought all the way through the film. Elizabeth Taylor had to mediate between the two. She became very good lifelong friends with Rock. And she was very good friends with James Dean as well. In a way, the two of them were competing for her affections, just as in the film.”

Elizabeth Taylor ropes George Stevens while Mercedes McCambridge, Rock Hudson, and James Dean look on approvingly.
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Rumors have long persisted that Hudson, who was gay, hit on Dean who rejected his advances. However, Graham said it was Dean’s unconventional style of acting that irritated everyone on set — including Taylor, 23.
“Both Rock and Elizabeth hated James’ methods or antics really,” said Graham. “He wouldn’t really hit the mark where he was supposed to be… He would mumble or do tricks with this little rope that he would carry or pull his hat down.
“He was always busy doing something to capture the reality of his character. But these two were more formally trained to stand, read their lines, hit the mark and take direction.
"James just blew that all off. And that made them really mad. And Stevens really had trouble with James… He would argue with him and James would be late. George said at one point that he would never work with James Dean again. It turned out to be true.”

James Dean
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
And it wasn’t just Dean’s attitude that got on Hudson’s nerves. Graham claimed Hudson might have been worried that the actor would steal his leading lady away.
“Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor spent many nights drinking vodka and eating chocolate,” chuckled Graham. “They stayed up until 3 a.m. only to be at work by 6 a.m. Rock really valued her friendship.
"And then James Dean started intervening on that. He would also competitively steal Elizabeth’s affections away from Rock… Rock would then fear that James was stealing Elizabeth Taylor and the film away from him.”
Graham revealed Taylor also developed a close bond with Dean, who confided in her.

Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean.
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
In 2011, Daily Beast writer Kevin Sessums released several off-the-record statements made by Taylor from a 1997 interview. She claimed Dean confessed he was molested by his minister at age 11, which haunted him for the rest of his life.
Graham said he wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.
“There are other biographers who felt that could have happened,” he said. “However, there’s no real evidence out there to support that… But I also don’t think Elizabeth Taylor would have made that up.”
Still, he said there was no denying Dean opened up to Taylor when cameras stopped rolling.
“She always listened to his stories,” said Graham. “Dean always sought that mother figure because he lost his own mother at age 9. And Dean’s father was really an aloof, cold, unfeeling person by all accounts, including his son’s. So Dean always sought that motherly figure… He did that to every woman who was friendly with him.”
However, Dean’s life came to a screeching halt when he was killed in a 1955 car crash. He was just 24.

George Stevens (left) with James Dean.
(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
“He died on a Friday and then on Saturday, they kept shooting,” said Graham. “But Elizabeth Taylor was distraught. She eventually got sick and was hospitalized. It cost them more days. She took it the hardest out of everybody… Rock Hudson broke down in tears… But Elizabeth Taylor was the most devastated of all.”
When Taylor asked Stevens if he could believe such a tragic accident could occur, his response was reportedly, “Yes I can. He had it coming.”
Dean, who loved racing cars, was driving his brand-new Porsche Spyder convertible to a California race. He had completed filming his role for “Giant” and just needed to re-read lines for the scene where he mumbled.
Stevens, who was worried about Dean’s need for speed, had reportedly suspected an accident could have occurred during filming.

(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
“George Stevens was so worried that he put in the contract that James could not do any racing when he started working on the film,” claimed Graham. “…Out there in Marfa, celebrities were given cars to use while they were in town. But James had his taken away because he would drive too fast for the roads out there.
"When James got that new car, they told him, ‘You can’t drive around in that thing because you’re going to kill somebody.’ But he never paid attention when someone told him that.”
“Giant” was released shortly after Dean’s death — and it became a box office sensation. It also forever changed the lives of Hudson and Taylor, who would go on to reign as leading Hollywood stars.
Stevens, recognized as one of the most important directors in cinematic history, died in 1975 at age 70 from a heart attack. Hudson died in 1985 at age 59 from AIDS-related complications. Taylor followed in 2011 at age 79 from congestive heart failure.

(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
“This film really made them,” said Graham. “It certainly made Rock Hudson. It confirmed Elizabeth Taylor’s status as a serious actress. And of course, James Dean already had a huge reputation based on his two previous films and then he was dead about two and a half weeks before ‘Giant’ was over.
"Then he became a legend. But they were all very young. And there was a sense of excitement going on. Everyone felt this film was going to be a really huge deal.”
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox.
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .

Jennifer Rosenberg is a historian, history fact-checker, and freelance writer who writes about 20th-century history topics.

5 Classic Movies Starring Natalie Wood
What Is a Coming-of-Age Movie? Definition and Top Films
Academy Awards Trivia and Interesting Facts
6 Great Movies Starring Frank Sinatra
The Most Important Movies of the 1950s
Patsy Cline, Legendary Country Music Singer
"Grey's Anatomy" Episode Titles Are From Popular Song Titles
30th Anniversary of 1986 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
25 Great One Hit Wonders and Where They Are Now
24 Champion Golfers Who Died Tragic, Early Deaths

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

Hulton Archive/Stringer/Archive Photos/Getty Images

In September 1955, actor James Dean was driving his brand-new Porsche 550 Spyder to an auto rally in Salinas, California, when he was involved in a head-on collision with a 1950 Ford Tudor. James Dean, only 24 years old, died in the crash. Although already famous for his role in "East of Eden," his death and the release of "Rebel Without a Cause" caused James Dean to soar to cult status. James Dean, forever frozen as the talented, misunderstood, rebellious youth remains the symbol of teenage angst.

James Dean had appeared in a number of television shows before getting his big break in 1954 when he was chosen to play Cal Trask, the leading male role in the film "East of Eden" (1955). This was the only one of Dean's films released before his death.

Quickly following "East of Eden," James Dean was signed to play Jim Stark in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), the film for which Dean is best remembered. Immediately following the filming for "Rebel Without a Cause," Dean played the lead role in "Giant" (1956). Both of these films were released after Dean's death.

As Dean's movie career began to take off, James Dean also started to race cars. In March 1955 Dean raced in the Palm Springs Road Races, and in May of that year he raced in the Minter Field Bakersfield race and the Santa Barbara Road Races.

James Dean liked to go fast. In September 1955 Dean replaced his white Porsche 356 Super Speedster with a new, silver Porsche 550 Spyder.

Dean had the car specialized by having the number "130" painted on both the front and back. Also painted on the back of the car was "Little Bastard," Dean's nickname given to him by friend Bill Hickman, who was Dean's dialogue coach for "Giant."

On September 30, 1955, James Dean was driving his new Porsche 550 Spyder to an auto rally in Salinas, California, when the fatal accident occurred. Originally planning to tow the Porsche to the rally, Dean changed his mind at the last minute and decided to drive the Porsche instead.

Dean and Rolf Wuetherich, Dean's mechanic, rode in the Porsche. Following were photographer Sanford Rot
Catsuit Strapon
Circumcised Cock
Sondra Locke Porn

James Dean Days

Report Page