Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Stewart Stern (screenplay)
Irving Shulman (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

27 October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Teenage terror torn from today's headlines

Plot:

A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.

Plot Keywords:

Cliff | Knife Fight | Mansion | Switchblade | Police

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

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)

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)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents) (A Warner Bros.-First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1956) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements. (2005 re-issue)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

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 (uncut) (1981) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1956) | 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

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

James Dean’s characters surname 'Stark' is an anagram of 'Trask' the surname of his character in East of Eden (1955).

Goofs:

Continuity: During the knife fight with Buzz, Jim gets blood on his shirt which disappears and reappears between shots.

Quotes:

Ray Fremick: Do you go by another name?
Plato: They call me Plato.
Crawford family maid: He was a Greek philosopher. They
[Plato turns away]
Crawford family maid: You talk nice to the man, John, he's going to help you.
Plato: Nobody can help me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Extreme Movie (2008)

Soundtrack:

Wiegenlied, Op.49, No.4 (Lullaby)

Just so far ahead of its time....

This film bears watching once every 5 years or so. It is astonishing on many levels, not least of which is the exploration of the underbelly of the happy suburban post-war years in middle class America.

Yes, we all rave about the beautiful and sadly short lived life of James Dean who died before this movie opened. To die also in a manner highlit in this movie - he was co-incidentally a promo for it. Fast driving and fast cars. Poor James.

What I enjoy most though in all of it is the afore-mentioned exploration of hitherto fairly underdeveloped film themes in the America of the fifties. For one, there is the underlying homosexual element to the Sal Mineo character and his obsession with James. And here James is allowed to indulge and return this love, not overtly, but it is there, the tolerance and acknowledgment of it.

The character of Judy, played by Natalie Wood is also of tremendous interest. Here there is an incestuous component in her relationship to her father. It seems to me that the father is terrified of his attraction to his gorgeous daughter and keeps pushing her away to the degree that at one point he slaps her as she tries to kiss him. She escapes from home at every chance seeking male attention from wherever she can get it.

James' parents are a little overblown and too quickly resolved at the end. But the appearance of an "emasculated" Jim Backus (he wears an apron in case we don't quite get it!) is a sight for sore eyes. A little dated in the world of today but so far ahead of its time in 1955.

9 out 10. Satisfying on many levels.