What if James Dean had lived?
Sixty years ago Sept. 30, near Salinas, Calif., Hollywood star James Dean died — spectacularly.
Car accident. A guy pulled out in front of him in a large Ford. Dean, 24, drove a small Porsche. The collision was major.
And so a moody young Hoosier who had made three movies was dead, and a cultural icon of teen angst and pained facial expressions was born.
But what if, at the last second, Dean had swerved and somehow managed to avoid colliding with the other vehicle? What if Dean had survived the accident?
What if James Dean hadn't died?
I put this question to eight people with varied backgrounds and interests. Here's what they said:
He might have been the one to say: "We're gonna run the picket fence at 'em."
"James Dean's legend grew faster after he died. The original trailers for 'Giant' don't even mention Dean until almost the end. He was a rising star, but his reputation exploded in the late '50s and '60s when it became cool to be an outsider. Had he lived he would probably have ended up with a career similar to his close friends Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper or Martin Landau. It would not be impossible to imagine James Dean in 'Hoosiers,' for example, instead of Dennis Hopper."
— Eric Grayson, film historian and preservationist
His inner gearhead might have trumped his inner thespian
"Given the trajectory of Dean's short career in Hollywood I really think he was destined to burn bright for a short time then retreat into those things that were his passions outside of acting. I could have seen him become tightly connected with car racing. I would think he and Paul Newman would have shared the progressions their careers took. There would have always been a love and return to Hollywood for film projects, but his passion would have been on the track."
— Craig Mince, executive director, Indy Film Fest
He might have come out of the closet
"James Dean would be as astute a businessman as an actor. His 'Rebel' clothing brand would rival Versace and Gucci and he would start the 'grunge' movement in '70s to boost sales. His signature leather jacket and white T-shirt remain a timeless wardrobe staple. He would be the gentlemen driver in a Porsche and win both the 24 hours of Daytona and Le Mans. His famous car collection would be opened for charities for 'bored, lost, emotionally neglected teenagers.' He never made another film and lived a secluded life. Taking the lead from his friend, Jim Nabors, he announced on his 80th birthday he was gay and happily shared his life with his best friend."
— Pauline Moffat, executive director, IndyFringe Festival
His movies might have been merely a springboard. Here, a faux obit (a faux-bit?)
"With the passing of James Dean last week at 84 the world lost one of its great actors, activists and passionate automobile racing drivers. A lifetime consisting of five Indy 500 championships, 15 Oscar nominations (only one win for 'The Godfather' in 1972) and his now legendary support of the Gay Rights Bill of 1966 came to an end at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center last Wednesday. It is hard to imagine a world without this great figure of American life and even harder to imagine it all started with a few now nearly forgotten films like 'Rebel Without a Cause' and 'Giant.' Rest in peace, Mr. Dean, and thanks for all you left behind."
— Vess Ruhtenberg, musician
He might have faded into obscurity
"What comes to mind is what Maxine Kumin said at a 25th anniversary gathering of poets on the death of Sylvia Plath at the Young Men's Hebrew Association in New York: 'I hope we all realize that if Sylvia had died of pneumonia, we wouldn't be here.'"
— Dan Wakefield, author
He might have been Cary Grant
"I think he would still be a movie actor because that was his main goal always. He memorized poems and this sort of thing even as a young boy in school. He was always acting. I think he'd have been in the category of Cary Grant. I think he'd have kept his ground and been a noted movie star even now."
— Wilma Jean Brown, fellow member Fairmount High Class of '49
He might have gone on the other side of the camera, like Ron Howard and Clint Eastwood did
"I think he'd have stayed in show business. Most of the people who knew him well and lived in California said they feel like he'd have gone into directing. There's a lot of pictures of him behind the camera, seeing through the camera, and so forth. Maybe eventually he'd have had his own movie company.
— Marcus Winslow, Dean's first cousin
He might have beaten Ronald Reagan
"Had James Dean walked away from the wreck of his prized Porsche 550 Spyder, he most certainly would have continued a successful movie career. His screen presence, star quality and undeniable talent would have earned Dean several Oscar nominations. However, a rebellious attitude and disdain for Hollywood politics would have prevented him from winning Best Actor or even showing up to accept a lifetime achievement award from the Academy. Ironically, those same qualities would lead Dean to a successful career in national politics where he would narrowly defeat fellow actor Ronald Reagan for the presidency.
— Ben Clement, executive director, Office of Film & Television, Gary
Contact Star reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043. Follow him on Twitter @WillRHiggins.