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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

See Dean as a ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ on Sunday

Dan Webster

James Dean was one of the great sensations of his era.

Just 24 when he died in a car accident on Sept. 30, 1955, Dean had done some television and stage work and appeared in a single film: Elia Kazan's 1955 version of "East of Eden."

His fame would come mostly after his death, following starring roles in iconic films in such films as "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) and "Giant" (1956, for which he won a posthumous Oscar nomination).

If you've never had the opportunity to see Dean on the big screen, now is your chance. "Rebel Without a Cause," in which Dean plays a troubled teenager, will screen locally as part of the TCM Big Screen Classic series.

The film will show at 2 and 7 p.m. on Sunday and on Wednesday at the Regal Cinemas theaters at Northtown Mall and Coeur d'Alene's Riverstone Stadium.

As reviewer Dan Callahan wrote for Slantmagazine.com, "Profoundly romantic and lacerating in its despair, Nicholas Ray’s 'Rebel Without a Cause,' a self-contained portrait of three isolated teenagers, is James Dean’s best film and best performance."

Look hard at the cast. You'll see Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and the likes of Dennis Hopper and Nick Adams in smaller roles. But it is Dean on whom the camera dotes. Sensationally.