East of Eden (1955)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

John Steinbeck (novel)
Paul Osborn (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 April 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Of what a girl did . . . what a boy did ... of ecstasy and revenge!

Plot:

In the Salinas Valley, in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming...

Plot Keywords:

Madam | Railway Station | Carnival | Presumed Dead | Driving Lesson

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Julie Harris	...	Abra
James Dean	...	Caleb 'Cal' Trask
Raymond Massey	...	Adam Trask
Burl Ives	...	Sam the Sheriff
Richard Davalos	...	Aron Trask
Jo Van Fleet	...	Kate
Albert Dekker	...	Will Hamilton
Lois Smith	...	Anne
Harold Gordon	...	Gustav Albrecht
Nick Dennis	...	Rantani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abdullah Abbas	...	Carnival Townsman (uncredited)
Rose Allen	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
José Arias	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Barbara Baxley	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Joe Brooks	...	Carnival Townsman (uncredited)
Timothy Carey	...	Joe (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Charlie - Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Lonny Chapman	...	Roy (uncredited)
Edward Clark	...	Draft Board Member (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Roger Creed	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Ray Dawe	...	Workman (uncredited)
Anna Dewey	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Darren Dublin	...	Student (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Cliff Fields	...	Student (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Man at Boxcar (uncredited)
Richard Garrick	...	Dr. Edwards (uncredited)
Chief Leonard George	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
John George	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Official at Parade (uncredited)
Jonathan Haze	...	Piscora's Son (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Effie Laird	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Edward McNally	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tex Mooney	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Paul Nichols	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Coalman at Lettuce Fields (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Rose - Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Mickey Roth	...	Student (uncredited)
Loretta Rush	...	Card Dealer (uncredited)
Mario Siletti	...	Mr. Piscora (uncredited)
Bette Treadville	...	Madame (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent	...	Townsman in Parade (uncredited)
Lillian West	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Chalky Williams	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits
John Steinbeck		(novel "East of Eden")
Paul Osborn		(screenplay)

Produced by
Elia Kazan	....	producer

Original Music by
Leonard Rosenman

Cinematography by
Ted D. McCord		(as Ted McCord)

Film Editing by
Owen Marks

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Malcolm C. Bert		(as Malcolm Bert)

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Alvarado	....	assistant director (as Don Page)
Horace Hough	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Stanley Jones	....	sound

Stunts
Mushy Callahan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Conrad L. Hall	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Hill Johnstone	....	wardrobe designer

Editorial Department
John Hambleton	....	color consultant

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Guy Thomajan	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

John Steinbeck's East of Eden (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and some violent content. (2005 re-issue)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:16 | Iceland:L | Spain:13 | UK:AA (1976) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #17086) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | USA:PG (2005 re-issue)

Filming Locations:

Cape Mendocino, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 10 seconds

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Early in the movie after Cal rides the train to Salina, you can see a modern day automobile in the upper right of the scene showing the view of a field.

Quotes:

[Abra pleads with Adam to reconcile with his son]
Abra: Mr. Trask, it's awful not to be loved. It's the worst thing in the world. Don't ask me - even if you could - how I know that. I just know it. It makes you mean, and violent, and cruel. And that's the way Cal has always felt, Mr. Trask. All his life! Maybe you didn't mean it that way - but it's true. You never gave him your love. You never asked for his. You never asked him for one thing.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Forever James Dean (1988)

Soundtrack:

It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary

Excellent Story With Characters Who Aren't Always Who They Seem

Wow, what an impressive screen debut for a 24-year-old. That was the famous James Dean, here in his first of three starring roles before death took him at a tragically young age. Just as impressive, however, is the overall performance of the rest of the cast, including lesser-known Richard Davalos, who also was making his movie debut.

The most impressive person connected to this movie, however, was director Elia Kazan who not only excelled directing this film but - in the same year - directed "On The Waterfront." Now, that's not a bad year of work!

"East Of Eden" is billed as a modern-day story of "Cain and Abel," between good and bad brothers with one of them feeling rejected by his father. The small Biblical account of the two brothers only mentions an offering they both gave God and then saying the brother whose offering wasn't accepted went out in a fit of jealousy and killed the other.

True, the "offering" by "Cal" (Dean) and its rejection by his dad "Adam" (Raymond Massey) leads to a climactic scene near the end of the film, but - this is just an assumption - most people viewed this simply as a story between "good" and "evil" pertaining to Dean and Davalos' characters.

I didn't see either of those guys as either the "good" or "bad" brothers. In fact, this film story is unusual in that every main character's personality begins in one direction and, as the film progresses, ends in almost the opposite. Nobody is as they first seem.

"Cale Trask" is shown early on to be a totally rebellious and immature loser who commits a few stupid acts of vandalism and has a desire to be a loner. As the film goes on, we see a softhearted guy who needs and desires love and companionship like everyone else. The fact he only had one parent, and that one didn't seem to love him, has messed his mind up a great deal.

Meanwhile, his older brother "Aron" (Davalos) is pictured as the kind, dependable, levelheaded guy who has a nice sweetheart who he plans to marry very soon. "Aron" has always made his dad proud which makes Cale jealous and bitter (hence, the Cain/Abel analogy.) In the last third of the film, however, Aron's personality reveals some dark, selfish traits and he isn't so "good" anymore.

Julie Harris plays "Abra," who begins as a sweet, likable and trustworthy person but in the end proves insincere in her "ready to marry" and "I'm in love with Aron" remarks as her feelings develop for the younger brother. She does a nice job at the end, however, helping Cale reconcile with his ailing dad.

The fourth major player, the father of the two boys, is portrayed - at least by Cale - as man who has played favorites with his sons and is more of a businessman than a loving father. However, we see later that he is not a bad guy at all. He is happy to praise his younger son when merited, is quick to forgive but, like a lot of fathers in "the old days," I believe, had a hard time outwardly expressing love for his children despite, in his heart wanting the best for them.

The fifth major character in the film, "Kate," has the least amount of lines but is the most powerful figure in the movie. She's the mother who abandoned her kids when they were babies and left her husband because she "didn't want to be tied down to a ranch." Wow, Thank God our mothers didn't have that selfish attitude! She's pictured as a very hard, bitter woman who has made a success of herself and to hell with everyone else. However, once again, as the story unfolds, we see an opposite side. Cale, checking rumors she was in the area, sought her out and discovered she, indeed, was his mom. (Nobody in the Trask family knew she lived nearby, with the dad telling the kids she was dead rather than risk hurting their feelings.). Anyway, later she surprises us by softening up and loaning Cal $5,000 for a business venture to help him and help bail out his dad. That amount of money is equal to at least $100,000 today, so it's a generous, kind person who would say "okay" to that monetary request. The more she speaks, the softer she sounds, even if she wouldn't want to admit it.

The only character I wish had a bigger role was "Anne," played by Lois Smith, who was beautiful and had an intriguing role that I thought would amount to more. I'm glad to see that she is still acting on a regular basis today.

Overall, it's a solid drama with complex characters who make you reflect about them long after you view this. I don't know why it took so long for me to finally see this movie, but I was impressed. (May I recommend the two-disc, special-edition DVD?). This movie is wonderfully directed, acted and photographed. I've only seen it once (last night) and I am not in love with the film (yet), but I am surprised it only garnered one Academy Award. I think it deserved more.