James Dean - Part Two

Alrighty, second part of the James Dean section focuses on his second film, Rebel Without a Cause, and his working relationship with Director Nicholas Ray. Ray also wrote the inital story for the film, which was then adapted into a screenplay.









Dean and Ray on the set of Rebel...












Dean and Ray had a good relationship on set. There seemed to be some sort of mutual udnerstanding between them. Ray stated that he saw a lot of himself in Dean. Ray's burgeoning problems with alcohol were somewhat reflected in Dean's tumultuous personal life. Ray was happy to let him improvise or offer ideas on the script or setup. A few sources claim that Dean almost co-directed the picture, with Ray happy to be seen as the creator whilst giving space to his young actors. Actors such as Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood. Ray actively encouraged the three to get together when off set and he saw that Mineo looked up to Dean, and this was harnessed to create a close relationship on screen.