Rebel Without a Cause Introduction (The Bay Cinema Society)
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When our programming team did our weekly Youtube shows during covid, it became clear to us that what made good films great during the classic studio era, was the coalescing of talented people at all levels of production. It wasn’t just the director, writer or stars, but the combination of the hundreds of people who worked on the film. What was difficult to quantify, however, was what made great films classics during the same period? For me, the answer always came down to determination, chance and luck. Today’s film, Rebel Without a Cause is one of those pictures that had talented people at every level of the production, but there was something extra that was at work, including luck and chance that elevated the film to iconic status.
The film’s title came from a 1946 book that Warner Bros owned the rights to called Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath. Writers as diverse as Leon Uris, playwright Clifford Odets & Dr. Suess ,Theodore Guisel, tried their hand at adapting the book, but ultimately failed. Eventually, the only thing that remained from the book was the title. Beyond the title, however, 3 key people, director Nicholas Ray & stars James Dean & Natalie Wood, utilized their own life experiences and a single focused need for self-expression, to take that repurposed title and create a film that not only explores early 50’s youth culture, but creates a new image of a nuclear family in the ever-evolving post-war suburban landscape. |
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Director Nicholas Ray, an Elia Kazan disciple, made his directorial debut in 1948 with They Live By Night, a film about young lovers, criminals, on the run. Aside from being one of the greatest directorial debuts in movie history, the film also established Ray as a filmmaker who focused on marginalized outsiders at odds with their surroundings, often in a hostile environment. Perfect for Rebels story. Within 2 years, Ray would be directing Humphrey Bogart in what has been called the best Film Noir ever made & what I consider Bogart’s best performance in In a Lonely Place. Rebel Without a Cause would be his career defining calling card, but it wouldn’t necessarily be his best film.
Ray learned about the film’s star from Elia Kazan, who cast the little-known TV actor James Dean in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Dean’s performance in the film had been garnering significant buzz during production and his profile was rising swiftly. The film would open just as Rebel would go into production, launching Dean towards superstar status and his emotional & intimate performance would help shape ideas and performances about masculinity for a generation.
Natalie Wood, on the other hand, was a child actress, who at age 16, was aging out of children’s parts and was looking for a more mature role. Against the studios wishes, Ray pushed for Wood to get the part of Judy, but up until 3 weeks before production began big wigs were pushing Debbie Reynolds for the part. Wood was rebelling against her domineering mother, who forced her to begin acting at age 5, and confessed to friends that she would do anything to get the part of Judy.
That these 3 people could bring their individual lifetimes of hurt, neglect, and pain together to depict the world of Rebel, would represent the first part of determination to elevate the film, but join us for our discussion afterwards so we can discuss how chance and luck played a part in its greatness! Also starring Sal Mineo, Dennis Hopper, Jim Backus & Corey Allen, I hope you enjoy rebel Without a Cause!
Ray learned about the film’s star from Elia Kazan, who cast the little-known TV actor James Dean in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Dean’s performance in the film had been garnering significant buzz during production and his profile was rising swiftly. The film would open just as Rebel would go into production, launching Dean towards superstar status and his emotional & intimate performance would help shape ideas and performances about masculinity for a generation.
Natalie Wood, on the other hand, was a child actress, who at age 16, was aging out of children’s parts and was looking for a more mature role. Against the studios wishes, Ray pushed for Wood to get the part of Judy, but up until 3 weeks before production began big wigs were pushing Debbie Reynolds for the part. Wood was rebelling against her domineering mother, who forced her to begin acting at age 5, and confessed to friends that she would do anything to get the part of Judy.
That these 3 people could bring their individual lifetimes of hurt, neglect, and pain together to depict the world of Rebel, would represent the first part of determination to elevate the film, but join us for our discussion afterwards so we can discuss how chance and luck played a part in its greatness! Also starring Sal Mineo, Dennis Hopper, Jim Backus & Corey Allen, I hope you enjoy rebel Without a Cause!
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