James Dean was one of the icons of his time, a group
that included Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Buddy Holly, all
whose lives were tragically and cruelly cut short. James
Dean was the archetypal screen icon who lived fast and
died young. This official account is a detailed,
chronological biography of Dean, fully illustrated with
colour and black and white images from classic movies,
family archives and private collections. Scattered
throughout the book are special, self-contained feature
pages that explore aspects of his life and times: his
passion for cars, his films, America in the 1950's, and
the famous, black and white Dennis Stock photographs.
The book contains rare photographs and memorabilia, with
a narrative text giving the full account of his life and
uncovering new details, all supported by a selection of
both family and famous photographs and letters.
Following Dean from the poor Quaker community of
Fairmount, Indiana, via short-lived happiness with his
parents in California, to the trauma of his mother's
death, we see Dean enter the world of acting from drama
school to the turning point in his career: the audition
for his starring role in East of Eden.We go behind the
scenes to see Dean the Hollywood Rebel and a new
style-icon. The final chapter looks at his death and the
aftermath - the legend of James Dean, who transformed
our idea of what movie stardom could be. |
|