It has long been a frustration for James Dean fans that this brilliant talent and cultural icon had major roles in only three movies: East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). Now, five days before the 60th anniversary of Dean's tragic death at age 24, TCM presents a selection of dynamic Dean performances for live television that are rarely seen--especially when grouped together in this manner. All the programs are TCM premieres.
Born in Indiana, Dean moved to New York City in 1951 to study at the Actors Studio and perform in stage and TV dramas. His roles here include those of a thief who finds redemption in Something for an Empty Briefcase (1953) for NBC's "Campbell Soundstage"; an accused murderer in Sentence of Death (1953) for CBS's "Studio One"; an ex-convict struggling for a new life in the Rod Serling teleplay, A Long Time Till Dawn (1953) for NBC's "Kraft Theatre"; the restless son of a farm couple (Dorothy Gish and Ed Begley) in Harvest (1953) for NBC's "Robert Montgomery Presents"; a waiter suspected of stealing in Run Like a Thief (1954) for NBC's "The Philco-Goodyear Playhouse"; a lovestruck stable boy in Sherwood Anderson's I'm a Fool (1954), with Natalie Wood, for CBS's "General Electric Theater"; a "hepcat" killer in The Dark, Dark Hours (1954), with Ronald Reagan, for the "General Electric Theater"; and a wealthy man accused of robbing his family in The Thief (1955), with Diana Lynn and Mary Astor, for the ABC "United States Steel Hour."