East of Eden (1955)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

John Steinbeck (novel)
Paul Osborn (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 April 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The searing classic of paradise lost.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Brother Brother Relationship | Father Son Relationship | Brothel | Birthday Party | Bar

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Julie Harris	...	Abra
James Dean	...	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	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Lonny Chapman	...	Roy (uncredited)
Edward Clark	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Bouncer at Gym (uncredited)
Roger Creed	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Ray Dawe	...	Workman (uncredited)
Anna Dewey	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Darren Dublin	...	Student (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Cliff Fields	...	Student (uncredited)
Richard Garrick	...	Dr. Edwards (uncredited)
John George	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Leonard George	...	Carnival Townsman (uncredited)
John Halloran	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Jonathan Haze	...	Piscora's Son (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Shooting Gallery Attendant (uncredited)
Charles Anthony Hughes	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Carolyn Jones	...	(uncredited)
Effie Laird	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Frank Mazzola	...	Student (uncredited)
Edward McNally	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Ken Miller	...	Student (uncredited)
Tex Mooney	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Paul Nichols	...	Carnival Townsman (uncredited)
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Coalman at Lettuce Fields (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Carnival person (uncredited)
Pat Priest	...	Student (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Mickey Roth	...	Student (uncredited)
Loretta Rush	...	Card Dealer (uncredited)
Mario Siletti	...	Mr. Piscora (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Bette Treadville	...	Madame (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Workman (uncredited)
Lillian West	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Chalky Williams	...	Carnival Townsman (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

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:

Sweden:15 | Germany:16 | Peru:14 | USA:Approved (PCA #17086) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Iceland:L | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:AA (1976) (cut) | 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:

Elia Kazan, in his autobiography "A Life" (1988), said that Raymond Massey came to despise James Dean. Kazan did nothing to dispel the tension between the two, as it was so right for their characters in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Cal is talking to Abra on the roof, in the close-ups, the light in her bedroom is seemingly on, whereas in the wide shot, her room is pitch black.

Quotes:

Adam Trask: [Adam gives Cal the bible to read] Start at the fifth verse. Verse 5.
Cal Trask: [Cal begins to read...] "I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah."
Adam Trask: Go on.
Cal Trask: [he continues] Six..
Adam Trask: And I suggest a little slower, Cal. And you don't have to read the verse numbers.
Cal Trask: [Cal continues on] "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee. And surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Selah." Seven..
Adam Trask: Not the numbers, Cal...
Cal Trask: [Cal abruptly furthers reading] "Thou art my hiding place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble, thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah."
[pause]
Cal Trask: *Eight*...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

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.