ACTOR

The Look.

Few personalities are more tied to the 1950s than James Dean. His look—piercing eyes, thick shock of combed-back hair, jeans, and jacket worn open over a T-shirt—is still popular in the 1990s. What makes his influence even more remarkable is that he starred in only three movies: East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). He had small parts in three others: Sailor Beware (1951), Fixed Bayonets (1951), and Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952).

Background.

Dean was born on 8 February 1931 in Marion, Indiana. His mother died when he was nine years old, and he was raised by an aunt and uncle. He won the Indiana State Dramatic Contest while in high school and then attended the University of California, Los Angeles. He worked with a group of actors instructed by James Whitmore, and that association led to the brief appearances in...