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| Mythologizing the recently passed away young actor, this poster for Robert Altman's The James Dean Story eagerly attempts to cash in further on his short life |
James Dean's life is retold, starting from his birth in 1931, his mother's early death, his upbringing in Fairmount, Indiana, his time in New York as a young actor; achieving success in Hollywood, and his tragic 1955 early end in a speeding accident.
The James Dean Story is written by Stewart Stern (The Outsider (1961)) and produced, directed and edited by debuting Missourian master filmmaker Robert Altman (Hawaiian Eye (1959, TV-series)) and George W. George (Bonanza (1962-63, writer)).
The movie's strength lie in the wonderful Americans who were someone in Dean's life, and who let themselves be interviewed for the film. The narrator's explanations about the ruminations of its super star subject are pretty subjective but also almost poetic. It is easy to identify with Dean and feel a sense of terrible upset at his early passing on, even today, watching this film.
Related posts:
Robert Altman: The Company (2003) - Campbell, Turner and Altman's fine ballet picture
Gosford Park (2001) - Smith triumphs in Altman & Fellowes' exquisite whodunit
Ready to Wear/Prêt-à-Porter (1994) - Paris fashion week through the Altman lens
The Player (1992) - Altman's overrated Hollywood satire
James Dean: Giant (1956) - Stevens' great-looking Texas epic
In lieu of a trailer for the documentary, unavailable at Youtube, here is a fan-made tribute to the film
Cost: Reportedly 35k $
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain
[The James Dean Story was released 14 January (Japan) and runs 81 minutes. At first envisioned as a biopic, Elvis Presley lobbied to play Dean before the plan was scrapped in favor of a documentary. Shooting took place in Indiana, New York and Los Angeles, California. One site reports that the film 'fared poorly' at the box office, but it was released in at least 6 international markets as well. The gross regrettably is not known, but with the small cost, it seems unlikely that the film did not yield a healthy profit. Altman returned with The Delinquents (1957); George left directing alone but remained active as a writer and producer. 1k+ users have given The James Dean Story a 3.4/5 average rating at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of The James Dean Story?
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