He Lived Fast And Died Young: James Dean [1931-1955]
Image: Wikimedia Commons
James Dean was the icon of rebellious youth after starring in three blockbuster hits, Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant, before he died on September 30, 1955. A car racing enthusiast, Dean was driving a Porsche 550 Spyder when he collided with a Ford in an intersection, resulting in the car being forced off the road. Dean was trapped in the car and sustained a broken neck. It was later determined that Dean had been speeding at the time of the accident.
Dean’s legacy lives on in books, plays, and movies, including the film September 30, 1955 (1977) and Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Film scholars still write about Dean and Marlon Brando as rebel archetypes, an enduring part of popular culture.