(Stern 46). Jim lacks the experience necessary to deal with the problems facing him. The film, however, does not make any references to Lindner's book in any way. In 1954 Ray brought his idea, in the form of a treatment called The Blind Run, to Warner Bros., who bought the idea and ultimately asked Ray to merge it with their existing ownership of the Rebel Without a Cause book. . In this film's case, it was the Interbellum Generation vs the Silent Generation. (Stern 117). There is a warmth emanating from the tight little group. Buzz's gang find and wake up Plato, who, frightened and distraught, shoots and wounds one of the gang. Another example is when Jim asks if he is going to stop him from heading into trouble. Of course, this version of Rebel never entered production, so Brando would have to wait for his big film break. . Synopsis. After Judy and her fathers emotionally charged confrontation, Judys parents discuss the changes in their daughter, as she transforms from a teen into a woman: . Crunch, Goon, and Moose find the mansion. Pringle: The rebel and the cause. Jim is a sensitive, vulnerable, and rebellious youth. Would you do it? Dont ever, ever say cut to me. The pursuit of realism continued to the supporting cast, which was chosen from somewhere between 300 and 500 young actors who came to the Warner Bros. backlot with their own cars in an attempt to earn a spot in the film. He has been in trouble elsewhere; that's why his family has had to move before. As the film plays out, we see Wood has problems with her parents too - her dad, apparently uncomfortable with her budding sexuality, slaps her across the face for giving him a kiss as she would have when smaller. Helen Armitage is a freelance writer based in the UK who has been writing online since late 2013. Drama, Original Language: Hes mine! Jim Stark is a lonely kid who supposedly hasnt a friend in the world when we first see him lying drunk in an L.A. gutter, but his personality is such that within a twenty-four-hour period he makes friends with Plato, Buzz, and Judy, three teen-agers completely different from each other and himself. Jim beats Buzz in the knife fight, knocking the switchblade out of his hand and pressing the blade of his own knife against Buzz's neck, and then throws it away. When Jack L. Warner realized James Dean was a rising star and a hot property, filming was switched to color stock, and many scenes had to be reshot in color. I want him to teach me how and I bet he wont get mad if I goof. Seemingly unimpressed by Jim at first, she declines and is instead picked up by her "friends", a gang of delinquents led by Buzz Gunderson. Buzzs friends, thinking Jim has squealed to the police about what had happened up on the cliffs, set out to avenge their dead friend. Little jeep, jeep!" a question of honor. Speaking to Boze Hadleigh, he said, "[It m]akes sense [that Plato was killed off]: he was, in a way, the first gay teenager in films. Jim: You better give me something, Dad. Patent #5,734,916; #6,105,046. Judy appears as a dirty tramp (Stern 5) to her father because of her red lipstick, when she is just trying to act like a grown woman, using a womans props; Jim imitates a siren. Jim: You better give me something, Dad. On February 12, 1976, Sal Mineo was murdered outside his Los Angeles apartment at the age of 37, and Natalie Wood famously and mysteriously drowned in the waters off Santa Catalina Island on November 29, 1981, at the age of 43. Is "Rebel Without a Cause" based on a book? . So, from real fights among cast members to switchblades that really cut, here are 13 facts about the making of this landmark film. The film was partially shot in black and white, but the studio then stopped production and reshot in colour. You must have had a reason. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. that jacket . Copyright 1994-2023 Write Brothers, Inc. All Rights Reserved. From Oscar-winning films like Call Me By Your NameorMoonlight to critically acclaimed TV shows like Love, Victor and Euphoria, theres an abundance of productions that feature young LGBTQ characters discovering and accepting their sexuality. (Stern 71), Jim explains the current situation to his parentsBuzzs death, the part he has played in it, and all of its ramifications: But I am involved! It was shot in the widescreen CinemaScope format, which had been introduced two years previously. Exterior scenes at the abandoned mansion to which the characters retreat were filmed at the William O. Jenkins House, previously used in the film Sunset Boulevard (1950). He called me a goddamn juvenile delinquent! . They make mush out of him. [13], Rebel Without a Cause holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 8.20/10. He pushes the officers aside shouting: Let him alone! It's not a sort of seminal, staggeringly entertaining and artistically satisfying work about being an outsider in the 50s like On the Waterfront or even one most people wouldn't think of like Ikiru. We search near and far for original movie trailer from all decades. This absence of integrity results in a lack of respect from Jim. Mother: Shell outgrow it, dear. His parents are often fighting. He was best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at age 17, making him the fifth-youngest nominee in the category. Plato's father abandoned his family when he was a toddler, and his mother is often away from home, leaving Plato in the care of his housekeeper. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Some things in the movie may not have aged that well, but it still pulses with youthful energy and impresses with the psychological complexity of its characters - and it should always be remembered for James Dean's iconic looks and performance that spoke to a generation. Irving Shulman, Now I want to do one thing right and Im not letting you run away. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Warner Bros. Production Co: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Some Violence), Genre: Frank Stark is too ineffectual a man to be of use to his son, leaving Jim feeling alone and disassociated from his family. This is the ostensible reason why his family must move from place to place. From the opener of live-wire actor James Dean drunk in the gutter, there's a sense that this film means business. Released on October 27, 1955, nearly a month after Dean's fatal car accident on September 30, Rebel Without a Cause was a groundbreaking film that portrayed the disillusionment of the post-war American teenager while attempting to shine a light on the less-than-stellar parenting of the era. However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz (Corey Allen). In the aftermath of Allen's character dying, the film spirals in ways which seem a bit exaggerated. suddenly Jim screams) Dad? The critical consensus reads, "Rebel Without a Cause is a searing melodrama featuring keen insight into '50s juvenile attitude and James Dean's cool, iconic performance. Ill say cut if somethings wrong. Nicholas Ray, Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American coming-of-age drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers.Filmed in the then recently introduced CinemaScope format and directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments. Ray ultimately took plenty of liberties with the story, and veered away from other hit delinquent films of the time, and their stories of teen criminals who only came from lower income areas. Share the best GIFs now >>> Rebel Without a Cause Summary. Things you can do: Rebel Without A Cause (1955) Composer (s): Leonard Rosenman Released in: 1955 Country: United States Genre: Drama Other Resources: Buy poster from Other information Total number of members who have this title in their: Collection: 168 Wish list: 14 There are 3 labels for this title. Ray and Deans drive for realism led them to various places, including police and psychiatric professionals, for consulting assistance on the film, but perhaps their most valuable resources came in the form of Frank Mazzola, who played the gang member Crunch. can you answer me now? In one of the most influential performances in movie history, James Dean plays Jim, the new kid in town whose loneliness, frustration and anger mirrored those of postwar teens -- and still reverberates more than 50 years later. Buzz: (still quiet) We got to do something. That, the story goes, is why Hopper played Goon instead of Crunch (Mazzolas eventual role) in the film. He is the new kid at their school, the outsider, the misfit, whose parents don't understand him. Ray wanted to focus on disillusionment and anger among even teens from seemingly comfortable, stable homes. Jim demands immediate and straight forward answers to his problems, and his fathers theorizing gets him nowhere. These middle-class teen-agers have more complex problems. Should he face the kids down by entering into the chickie fight? Or should he stay at home, thus avoiding dangerJim asks his father: What can you do when you have to be a man? (Stern 54). Omissions? An example of how the conflict between desire and ability is explored in the objective story can be found in how the kids interact with each other and their parents. It's still well worth watching for its themes and actors, Wood, Mineo, and most of all Dean, who is like a young Brando, full of screen presence, full of promise. Jim: Suppose you knew that you had to do something very dangerouswhere you have to prove something . Plato, Jim, and Judy invent an imaginary family life, relieving their angst for a few carefree moments. Judy: Whats he like? "[23], The switchblade James Dean's character used in the fight scene at Griffith Observatory was offered at auction on September 30, 2015, by Profiles in History with an estimated value of US$12,000 to $15,000; the winning bid was US$12,000. Analysis: Rebel without a Cause was symptomatic of the fifties as a transitional era. Crowther was not impressed by James Dean's acting, and cited the various mannerisms he believed Dean copied from Marlon Brando, asserting that "Never have we seen a performer so clearly follow another's style" and calling Dean's interpretation of the Jim Stark role a "clumsy display". Im going to smash somebody-I know it (Stern 15); it is a problem for Jim that he and his family never have stayed in one place long enough for him to make friends. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles with his parents, 17-year-old Jim Stark (James Dean) enrolls at Dawson High School. Trust me. Yet, as he begins to understand that Jim is in trouble, his basic drive to protect his son takes over. Jims response to Rays warning against striking a juvenile officer is to hurl himself at the man; Jim attempts not to fall into the trap of striking back at the gangs threats; Jim doesnt perceive Plato waving a loaded gun as too much of a threat, and, even though Plato has shot at him, Jim pursues the boy anyway. He's new in town - they moved because Jim had gotten himself into some kind of trouble - and he seems to be starting off where he left off when the police pick him up for being drunk on the street. The father stares down at Jim for a moment. A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies. Dean played Jim, a troubled but sensitive teenager who, although rejecting his elders' values, desperately wants to belong and have purpose in his life. Ray, hoping for a classic, timeless tone to his story, claimed Romeo and Julietthe best play written about juvenile delinquentsas an inspiration, while Stern would later recall that he considered the film to be in some ways a new take on Peter Pan, with the crumbling mansion standing in for Neverland, Jim standing in for Peter, Judy for Wendy, and Plato for The Lost Boys. Though the studio apparently considered Tab Hunter for the role of Jim at one point, Ray was intrigued by James Dean, who had yet to make his mark on Hollywood but had already shot his role as Caleb in East of Eden, which Ray saw early screenings of. For the Stark family to be a happy, functional family, Frank must overcome his weaknesses and become a real father to Jim; to be part of a peer group family, one must first become friends with the gang; and so forth. Franks inadequacy as a man and the mistakes he continues to make causes problems for Jim: She eats him alive and he takes it. Ray, alarmed that his star had been injured, called cut, and Dean was furious. Dont you ever cut the scene, co-star Dennis Hopper later recalled, and noted that Dean wanted to preserve the realism of his injury for the camera. Moving to a new town with his family, Jim Stark must choose which clique to fit in with, and whom be believes to be the cool crowd, turns out to have much more to hide. (284). Jim: Im not hungry. Because the film is sometimes violent, that meant Dean often engaged in real physical violence for the part, and sometimes didnt make it out unscathed. With Stern on board, the films key influences emerged. This is where we see the first theme of the . Warner Bros. released the film on October 27, 1955, nearly a month after Dean's death in a car accident on September 30, 1955. Jim: No! One actress who was not a contender at first was Natalie Wood, who Ray was hesitant to consider because of her early career, and thus public reputation, as an innocent child star. Maybe next summer hes going to take me hunting with himand fishing. Ray: Do you think your father means that? [15], Robert J. Landry, managing editor of Variety magazine at the time, wrote a review published on October 26. Then there was the switchblade fight between Jim and Buzz (Corey Allen), which was done with real blades, though certain precautions were taken (Dean can be seen in production stills placing padding under his shirt). (285). Jim wants to do one thing right (Stern 73) by informing the police of his part in Buzzs accident. In the widescreen CinemaScope format, which had been injured, called cut, and Dean furious. Ray wanted to focus on disillusionment and anger among even teens from seemingly comfortable stable... 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