IMDb > Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Rebel Without a Cause
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Rebel Without a Cause (1955) More at IMDbPro »

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Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   24,979 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Nicholas Ray
Writers:
Stewart Stern (screenplay)
Irving Shulman (adaptation)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Rebel Without a Cause on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 October 1955 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
Teenage terror torn from today's headlines more
Plot:
A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(30 articles)
Blu-Ray Review: ‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’ Inspires Nothing But Hate
 (From HollywoodChicago.com. 16 November 2009, 8:08 AM, PST)
The Reelist: David Brind on Teen Angst
 (From Tribeca Film. 10 November 2009, 7:30 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Powerful more (210 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

James Dean ... Jim Stark

Natalie Wood ... Judy

Sal Mineo ... John 'Plato' Crawford
Jim Backus ... Frank Stark
Ann Doran ... Mrs. Carol Stark

Corey Allen ... Buzz Gunderson
William Hopper ... Judy's Father
Rochelle Hudson ... Judy's Mother

Dennis Hopper ... Goon

Edward Platt ... Ray Fremick
Steffi Sidney ... Mil
Marietta Canty ... Crawford Family Maid
Virginia Brissac ... Mrs. Stark - Jim's Grandmother
Beverly Long ... Helen
Ian Wolfe ... Dr. Minton - Lecturer at Planetarium
Frank Mazzola ... Crunch
Robert Foulk ... Gene
Jack Simmons ... Cookie
Tom Bernard ... Harry
Nick Adams ... Chick

Jack Grinnage ... Moose
Clifford Morris ... Cliff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott ... Nurse (uncredited)
Dave Alpert ... Police Officer (uncredited)
Jimmy Baird ... Beau - Judy's Little Brother (uncredited)
Paul Birch ... Police Chief (uncredited)
Harold Bostwick ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Paul Bryar ... Desk Sergeant #2 (uncredited)
John Close ... Police Officer (uncredited)

Chuck Hicks ... Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
Skipper Huerta ... Little Boy (uncredited)
Louise Lane ... Policewoman (uncredited)

Nelson Leigh ... Desk Sergeant #1 (uncredited)

David McMahon ... Crunch's Father (uncredited)
Edward McNally ... Approaching Officer (uncredited)
Peter Miller ... Hoodlum (uncredited)
Bruce Noonan ... Monitor Admonishing Plato (uncredited)
House Peters Jr. ... Officer at Police Station (uncredited)
Stephanie Pond-Smith ... Girl (uncredited)
Charles Postal ... Teacher (uncredited)
Nicholas Ray ... Man in Last Shot (uncredited)
Gus Schilling ... Attendant (uncredited)
Almira Sessions ... Old Lady Teacher (uncredited)
Dick Wessel ... Planetarium Guide (uncredited)
Robert Williams ... Ed - Moose's Father (uncredited)
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Directed by
Nicholas Ray 
 
Writing credits
Stewart Stern (screenplay)

Irving Shulman (adaptation)

Nicholas Ray (from a story by)

Produced by
David Weisbart .... produced by
 
Original Music by
Leonard Rosenman (music by)
 
Cinematography by
Ernest Haller (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler  (as William Ziegler)
James Moore (uncredited)
 
Production Design by
Malcolm C. Bert (uncredited)
 
Art Direction by
Malcolm C. Bert  (as Malcolm Bert)
 
Set Decoration by
William Wallace 
 
Costume Design by
Moss Mabry 
 
Makeup Department
Gordon Bau .... makeup supervisor
Tillie Starriett .... hairdresser (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Alvarado .... assistant director (as Don Page)
Robert Farfan .... assistant director
Gary Nelson .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Stanley Jones .... sound
Carl Mahakian .... sound editor (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Rodney Amateau .... stunt double (uncredited)
Ron Burke .... stunts (uncredited)
Mushy Callahan .... stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman .... stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Floyd McCarty .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marguerite Royce .... wardrobe: women's (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Dennis Stock .... dialogue supervisor
Florence Granroth .... researcher: lecturer's speech (uncredited)
Dr. Douglas M. Kelly .... technical advisor (uncredited)
Frank Mazzola .... technical advisor (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements. (2005 re-issue)
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Warnercolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints) | Dolby Digital (DVD version)
Certification:
Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated (video rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1956) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1981) | Spain:T | Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:Approved (No. 17504) (original rating) | France:-16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:18 | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (re-rating) (1976) | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG-13 (new rating) (2005) | West Germany:16
Filming Locations:
7529 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA more
Company:
Warner Bros. Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Frank Mazzola, who plays "Crunch" in the film, was an actual street gang member when he was a student at Hollywood High School. He was a member of a gang called "The Athenians." As such, he served as a technical advisor to Director Nicholas Ray and coached other actors in regard to street gang attitudes and mannerisms. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: In the scene in which Jim takes the ammunition out of Plato's pistol, he fails to remove the round that would have already been housed in the chamber. While this movie was filmed way before the emergence of realistic gun violence in movies, this is something the nitpicks find annoying. more
Quotes:
Plato: What does he know about man alone? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Tweek City (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Five O'Clock Whistle more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
If Jim's car goes off the cliff, how can he be seen driving his car home from the 'chickie run'?
Is "Rebel Without a Cause" based on a novel?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
25 out of 32 people found the following comment useful.
Powerful, 17 April 1999
Author: (pedro_miguel@juno.com) from Fresno, California

I agree with most of the reviewers. This movie is just as powerful as it was 44 years ago. Inside the cheesy braggadocio of an angry gangster is a confused kid. I can't think of a single person that did not feel alienated as a teenager. James Dean represents what every teenager would want to be. Individualistic: has a set of values and sticks to them Brave: engages in activities most of us would never consider (esp. chicky run) Kind: caring to Plato and Judy

James Dean is perfect in his role as Jim Stark. More is said in this movie through gestures than words. One lift of his eyebrow, one syllable can say so much. When he does speak, you know that he believes what he is saying. The shot of Jim rolling out of the speeding car is amazing. I can think of few modern action films that have had me riveted to the seat as I was during the switchblade fight.

Natalie Wood is superb in her role as well. Judy is looking for attention that isn't there. This is perfectly summed up when she says "I love somebody, all this time I was looking for someone to love me, but now I love somebody." She desperately looks for acceptance and acknowledgment in the wrong places because her father does not want to see her as a young woman.

Even though Dennis Hopper's role is rather small, you can see that he knows what he is doing. He portrays in my mind, someone easily pushed around when he tries to fit in. He seems different than the rest of Buzz' gang and even looks more boyish. He timidly tries to interject a comment in front of Buzz and is just brushed off.

I don't think that this movie is strictly an us versus them type of scenario. Trying to take care of Plato and to protect him, Jim realizes that being a parent is not as straightforward as he thought. His parents are more than just caricatures of the nagging wife and emasculated husband. Everyone in the film is confused about how they fit in to the big picture. The movie is simply told in the self centered manner any teenager would view it as. This can account for the sequences which many would see as over the top. I think the central theme of the cosmos presented in the planetarium show demonstrates how teenagers view themselves as the center of the universe. Thus all the scenes concerning each of the three teens conflicts are equally dramatic.

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