FAQ for
Giant (1956) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

Yes. Giant is a 1952 novel by American author Edna Ferber [1885-1968]. The novel was adapted for the movie by screenwriters Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat.

At that time, Texas Tech was an agricultural school mainly attended by boys. Leslie Benedict (Elizabeth Taylor), a well-educated and well-read lady, would naturally want her daughter(s) to have all the advantages she did. Like many wealthy ladies of the time, however, she had specific ideas on how that would be achieved, namely that her daughter would attend a 'finishing' school. There is nothing that says a woman can't be gracious, attractive, and able to discuss politics with an educated mind and that, apparently, was Leslie's view on it.

It was no secret that Jett Rink (James Dean) was in love with Leslie, and Leslie's husband Jordan (Rock Hudson) knew it. In fact, Jett openly admits his love for Leslie during the banquet scene. Jett's love for Leslie is an important part in the plot and the main reason for him pursuing her daughter Luz (Carroll Baker).

According to the James Dean website, Dean's last day of filming was 22 September, 1955, when he finished filming the banquet scene, which has become known as the "last supper" among his fans. Dean was killed in a car accident eight days later on 30 September.

Dean's good friend Nick Adams dubs Dean's voice in the scenes where Jett is drunk and slurring his words. When the filmmakers decided that Jett's words needed to be understood, Dean was dead, so they had Adams dub in his voice.

The Midwest Premiere of the hit Warner Bros. film, Giant, took place in Chicago on Thursday, October 26, 1956, at the Chicago Theatre; an ad in the Chicago Tribune, states: Today---9:30 am---Midwest Premiere; The Time Has Come For---Giant; George Stevens' Production; from the novel by Edna Ferber; Warnercolor; Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean; also starring Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCanbridge, Sal Mineo; Last "Giant" starts at 9:30 pm.

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This was sent out to select neighborhood theatres in Chicago on Friday, February 15, 1957.