These are memorable twists and dramatic changes in the lives of world- famous figures, helping readers draw lessons for themselves, immerse themselves in the emotions of each character's fate, in the historical context of mainly the years of the 20th century.
James Dean in a scene from East of Eden (1955)
Documents by author Le Nguyen
Thanh Nien would like to introduce a summary of some typical stories mentioned in the book.
In the history of world cinema from ancient times to the present, no one has ever acted in only 3 films (and only released the first film to the public) and become an idol to young people around the world like James Dean.
James Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, a small town in Indiana, USA. His mother, Mildred, became pregnant before the marriage officially began. Shortly after, his father, Winton Dean, moved the family to live in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
When James was nine, Mildred Dean died of cancer at the age of 39. His father sent him back to Indiana, along with his grandmother and his late mother's casket, which his aunt took care of, on a farm in Fairmount.
The trauma of his childhood had a profound effect on the young James Dean. James often recounted visiting his mother's grave and shouting meaningless questions at the deceased. He also could not shake off the heavy obsession with the father-son relationship filled with sad memories.
At the age of 14-15, the young James began to have a close relationship with the pastor Deweerd, a priest who liked to be close to children. In his work James Dean, the boulevard of broken dreams , biographer Paul Alexander recounts that the relationship between James and the pastor was suspicious, and it is said that this lonely teenager had his virginity taken by the gay pastor, while watching a bullfight movie together one night.
Poster for the movie East of Eden starring James Dean
James Dean came to cinema by chance. In order to make a living, he dreamed of becoming an actor, so he studied drama with James Whitmore in California. In 1954, while preparing to make the film East of Eden , adapted from a novel by writer John Steinbeck, director Elia Kazan happened to meet James and was stunned by the special appearance of the young man. He was too young, had no experience in cinema, but Kazan tried to convince Warner Bros. to sign a contract with him, and not long after, he praised the young actor. It is said that when they were about to say goodbye after the last filming of East of Eden , James Dean stood there, his eyes red, about to cry.
After the first movie, James Dean was invited to act in two more movies, Giant and Rebel without a cause . That was all his entire film career was!
On September 30, 1955, James Dean was driving on a California highway at 100 mph, 43 mph over the speed limit. When he reached an intersection, he crashed into another car. His Porsche convertible turned into a pile of scrap metal, and he broke his neck and died on the spot.
Millions of people around the world were shocked by the tragedy of James Dean, when his halo had just begun to shine. Researchers have stated that in the history of world cinema, except for Rudolph Valentino, no movie star, including Marilyn Monroe - has received such passionate public affection after his death as James Dean.
His funeral took place in Fairmount (Kentucky) with 3,000 people attending. Pastor Deweerd himself stood up to read the eulogy: "Fame, wealth, pleasure are vain goals, James is in the arms of a just and generous God and we are satisfied to see him there...".
In the years that followed, about 50 James Dean fan clubs sprung up around the world. Around his tombstone were always full of fresh flowers and covered with lipstick marks of romantic souls who wanted to express their love for a legend that would live forever in their hearts. A doctor - doctor named William F. Eschrich bought his battered car for $1,000 and then put it into business by displaying it to the public and charging 50 cents per person for admission. Later, the car was stolen, this time the thief was even more skillful than the doctor. He cut the car into tens of thousands of "holy relics" and sold them all.
Although he lived for only 24 years and acted in films for only 1 year, James Dean naturally became one of the legends of world cinema. (to be continued)
(Excerpt from Daily Lives of Famous People in the World published by Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House, 2023)
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