EAST OF EDEN (1955)---a film that consistently draws the ire of those who refuse to reconcile their displeasure with director Elia Kazan and his unfortunate decision to cooperate with the HUAC investigations in the 1950s and those who simply cannot and will not come to terms with the emotional overflow of its briefly burning bright star James Dean---returns to TCM on Monday, January 11. For those who have never experienced this remarkable film (and I suppose there are a number of you out there) I urge you to oil up those recorders and set the timer button, for this is a film of tremendous power and rare cinematic bravura.
Based on only one section of John Steinbeck's sprawling 1952 novel, EAST OF EDEN tells the story of the conflicted Trask family, led by patriarch Adam (Raymond Massey) and his diametrically opposed sons, the pensive and serious Aron (Richard Davalos) and the tempestuous and troubled Cal (James Dean). It is also the story of how these two boys come to terms with the realization that their mother (Jo Van Fleet), shunned and driven away years earlier by their bible-thumping father, is now the madam in Monterey's leading whorehouse. Told in broad, sweeping strokes, EDEN is a bountiful treasure of simmering images and smoldering emotions, perfectly accented by Leonard Rosenman's richly textured score.
At the center of everything, of course, is James Dean's galvanizing performance as the deeply soulful Cal who wants nothing more than to earn the love and respect of his unyielding father. His inability to do so forms the dramatic nucleus of the film, giving way to a shattering climax, a pitch-perfect moment, hammered home with unbridled emotional honesty.
Joining the above-mentioned in the cast are Julie Harris (top-billed, in fact) as Abra, the pure young girl who is engaged to Aron but in love with Cal; Burl Ives as the sympathetic town sheriff; Albert Dekker as a local businessman who helps Cal in a misguided attempt to help him buy his father's love and, in an uncredited cameo, Timothy Carey as a whorehouse bouncer.
Six months after the release of EAST OF EDEN (and only weeks prior to the release of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE) James Dean died in that fateful crash on a lonely stretch of California highway, forever cementing his status as a cinema icon. GIANT, his final film, was released late the following year.
For reasons I've never fully understood, James Dean and his films have generated relatively little discussion here at the Oasis. I would be interested in hearing the opinions of those who have seen his films, particularly those who have been affected in a profoundly moving way by them.
The original theatrical trailer for EAST OF EDEN:
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The incredible "ferris wheel scene"
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Original screen test with young Paul Newman auditioning for the
part of Aron, Cal's brother. The part eventually went to Richard Davalos.
[youtube][/youtube]
EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: EAST OF EDEN on TCM January 11
I don't think we've ever discussed James Dean, I'll hold my hand up and say that I really like East of Eden but haven't seen it for many years and perhaps need to view it through older eyes. What I remember mostly is the internal torture that Cal goes through trying to please his father who favours Aron, his attempts only seem to widen the breech and he just can't reach Adam. The are moments in East of Eden that are so powerful and that is mostly down to James Dean's portrayal of Cal. I read the book many years after seeing the film, I wanted to know the back story to Adam and his estranged wife, I was curious, but it's not necessary to have read the book to appreciate the film.
As for James Dean himself, he was my first introduction to the 'new' actors who came to Hollywood via the Actor's Studio. I think East of Eden is his best film, Rebel Without a Cause didn't really speak to me but I can see it is an iconic movie and Giant I just don't like, it's overlong, I'm not keen on Rock Hudson in this film and it's James Dean's weakest performance of his three films but he was just starting out and making a name for himself. Comparing seeing James Dean on screen for the first time at age 18 to watching On The Waterfront and Marlon Brando for the first time at 23, there is no comparison, Brando came through for me far more strongly. Having said that I can see that James Dean had plenty of talent and would only have gone on to make better films.
As for James Dean himself, he was my first introduction to the 'new' actors who came to Hollywood via the Actor's Studio. I think East of Eden is his best film, Rebel Without a Cause didn't really speak to me but I can see it is an iconic movie and Giant I just don't like, it's overlong, I'm not keen on Rock Hudson in this film and it's James Dean's weakest performance of his three films but he was just starting out and making a name for himself. Comparing seeing James Dean on screen for the first time at age 18 to watching On The Waterfront and Marlon Brando for the first time at 23, there is no comparison, Brando came through for me far more strongly. Having said that I can see that James Dean had plenty of talent and would only have gone on to make better films.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
This is also a film that benefited greatly from the advent of letterboxing. It seemed as though WHV took forever to finally put forth a DVD (before it was available only in a pitiful pan-and-scan, washed out VHS edition), but I bought it almost as soon as it became available. And even if you only own a small television set, the beauty of the widescreen photography won't be lost on you.
I agree with kingrat - there's a part of me as well that gets annoyed every time I hear people exalt Dean, Brando, etc. as though they could do no wrong (but then I feel that way about virtually any actor, come to think of it). The sad truth is that we will never know what Dean could've been, though I think it's interesting to imagine how he'd have fared with certain coveted roles available during the 1950s and 60s. For instance, I think he might've been a good fit for Long Day's Journey Into Night.
-Stephen
I agree with kingrat - there's a part of me as well that gets annoyed every time I hear people exalt Dean, Brando, etc. as though they could do no wrong (but then I feel that way about virtually any actor, come to think of it). The sad truth is that we will never know what Dean could've been, though I think it's interesting to imagine how he'd have fared with certain coveted roles available during the 1950s and 60s. For instance, I think he might've been a good fit for Long Day's Journey Into Night.
-Stephen
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
ccf said: I think East of Eden is his best film, Rebel Without a Cause didn't really speak to me but I can see it is an iconic movie and Giant I just don't like, it's overlong, I'm not keen on Rock Hudson in this film and it's James Dean's weakest performance of his three films but he was just starting out and making a name for himself.
I'm inclined to agree somewhat; I like his performance in EDEN the best, but I prefer REBEL overall as a film. I think the working (and personal) relationship he enjoyed with Nicholas Ray was better suited to his temperment--they genuinely seem like kindred spirits. Kazan was probably the perfect director to guide Dean through his first film, given his earlier successes with Brando, who most people insist on comparing Dean to. As for GIANT, the less said the better. I find it to be almost unwatchable. And while Dean is probably the best thing about the film, it's still pretty painful to sit through. Having an old-school Hollywood director like George Stevens in charge might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it probably contributed greatly to the general awfulness of the film. From everything I've read, Dean and Stevens had a most adversarial relationship on that film.
kr sez: The contrast of acting styles crackles, with Raymond Massey a perfect foil to James Dean's Method acting. Julie Harris as Abra offers a more lyrical approach; Kazan helps her bring a delicate touch of sexuality to the role, which she usually can't or doesn't do.
Paul Newman was a contender for the role of Aron, but Kazan was probably right to reject him, because Newman might have brought some sympathy to Aron, and Kazan wants it all to go to Dean as Cal.
Right on all counts. Dean drove Massey crazy on the set of EDEN and Kazan encouraged the young star to go at it. It served both actors well, as this relationship needed a heavy dose of authenticity in order to convey the powerful emotional impact required of it. The scene at the dinner table with Dean reciting from the bible with an ever increasingly furious Massey across from him makes me incredibly uncomfortable every time I see it. And yes, having Newman as Aron would have been a disaster. He was probably the one young actor in Hollywood at that time who was as hungry as Dean for fame.
stephen sez: The sad truth is that we will never know what Dean could've been, though I think it's interesting to imagine how he'd have fared with certain coveted roles available during the 1950s and 60s. For instance, I think he might've been a good fit for Long Day's Journey Into Night.
That has been the subject of so much speculation over the years. At the time of Dean's death, he was negotiating with Nick Ray to form their own production company. God only knows what incredible films they might have made together (think KING OF KINGS for one). Dean was scheduled to star in SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME as his next film, a role that went to Paul Newman who seemed to become the surrogate Dean. I think it's safe to say that Dean could have eventually starred in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, THE HUSTLER, HUD and COOL HAND LUKE. Had Dean not died there might never have been a Paul Newman. At least on the big screen.
I'm inclined to agree somewhat; I like his performance in EDEN the best, but I prefer REBEL overall as a film. I think the working (and personal) relationship he enjoyed with Nicholas Ray was better suited to his temperment--they genuinely seem like kindred spirits. Kazan was probably the perfect director to guide Dean through his first film, given his earlier successes with Brando, who most people insist on comparing Dean to. As for GIANT, the less said the better. I find it to be almost unwatchable. And while Dean is probably the best thing about the film, it's still pretty painful to sit through. Having an old-school Hollywood director like George Stevens in charge might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it probably contributed greatly to the general awfulness of the film. From everything I've read, Dean and Stevens had a most adversarial relationship on that film.
kr sez: The contrast of acting styles crackles, with Raymond Massey a perfect foil to James Dean's Method acting. Julie Harris as Abra offers a more lyrical approach; Kazan helps her bring a delicate touch of sexuality to the role, which she usually can't or doesn't do.
Paul Newman was a contender for the role of Aron, but Kazan was probably right to reject him, because Newman might have brought some sympathy to Aron, and Kazan wants it all to go to Dean as Cal.
Right on all counts. Dean drove Massey crazy on the set of EDEN and Kazan encouraged the young star to go at it. It served both actors well, as this relationship needed a heavy dose of authenticity in order to convey the powerful emotional impact required of it. The scene at the dinner table with Dean reciting from the bible with an ever increasingly furious Massey across from him makes me incredibly uncomfortable every time I see it. And yes, having Newman as Aron would have been a disaster. He was probably the one young actor in Hollywood at that time who was as hungry as Dean for fame.
stephen sez: The sad truth is that we will never know what Dean could've been, though I think it's interesting to imagine how he'd have fared with certain coveted roles available during the 1950s and 60s. For instance, I think he might've been a good fit for Long Day's Journey Into Night.
That has been the subject of so much speculation over the years. At the time of Dean's death, he was negotiating with Nick Ray to form their own production company. God only knows what incredible films they might have made together (think KING OF KINGS for one). Dean was scheduled to star in SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME as his next film, a role that went to Paul Newman who seemed to become the surrogate Dean. I think it's safe to say that Dean could have eventually starred in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, THE HUSTLER, HUD and COOL HAND LUKE. Had Dean not died there might never have been a Paul Newman. At least on the big screen.
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
I almost included a remark in my last post speculating how Dean's career might've fared, but I guess I wimped out. I mentioned that he might've had a career similar to Newman's, which seemed fairly steady in terms of quality of roles and performances, as opposed to Brando's whose career was largely made up of extreme ups and downs. But your mentioning that about Newman gives me mixed feelings about Dean. Personally, I think Newman gave us some of the best performances on screen, and became one of Hollywood's most benevolent stars besides, so I'd have hated to see him lapse into lesser roles.
I've heard quite a few people trash Giant as of late, and that makes me want to revisit the film because I don't remember the film being that bad (though I've never counted it a favorite, nor have I ever considered Dean's performance as among his best). I still like East of Eden better because I identify more with his character's predicament - perhaps that reasoning betrays my amateur status as a film critic, but that's about the only difference I can see between that performance and Rebel Without a Cause. And yet the last time I saw Rebel (just this past year), the message of that film really touched me as well, especially given what I'd witnessed among the young people I'd been subjected to (as Natalie Wood's character says, "Nobody's genuine.")
-Stephen
I've heard quite a few people trash Giant as of late, and that makes me want to revisit the film because I don't remember the film being that bad (though I've never counted it a favorite, nor have I ever considered Dean's performance as among his best). I still like East of Eden better because I identify more with his character's predicament - perhaps that reasoning betrays my amateur status as a film critic, but that's about the only difference I can see between that performance and Rebel Without a Cause. And yet the last time I saw Rebel (just this past year), the message of that film really touched me as well, especially given what I'd witnessed among the young people I'd been subjected to (as Natalie Wood's character says, "Nobody's genuine.")
-Stephen
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
Stephen remarked: Personally, I think Newman gave us some of the best performances on screen, and became one of Hollywood's most benevolent stars besides, so I'd have hated to see him lapse into lesser roles.
I share that view to a large extent. But I think (and this is pure speculation, obviously) that Dean would have rocketed to tremendous stardom had he not died. Given his incredible talent (eclipsed only by his manic ambition) he would have made it difficult for Newman to carve out the career that he ultimately did. Apart from SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME, Dean was also being groomed for the starring role in THE LEFT-HANDED GUN, Arthur Penn's psychological western which became an early Paul Newman vehicle in 1957.
I share that view to a large extent. But I think (and this is pure speculation, obviously) that Dean would have rocketed to tremendous stardom had he not died. Given his incredible talent (eclipsed only by his manic ambition) he would have made it difficult for Newman to carve out the career that he ultimately did. Apart from SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME, Dean was also being groomed for the starring role in THE LEFT-HANDED GUN, Arthur Penn's psychological western which became an early Paul Newman vehicle in 1957.
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jdb1
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
Oh my, oh my. Who is this Julie Harris you all seem to be seeing in East of Eden? It's not the same one I wince at. Words like "lyrical" and especially "sexuality" are words I could never, never, ever apply to this actress, who always strikes me as completely self-regarding in technique, phony, and matronly. I can't bear that overly ladylike acting school accent she uses in every single part she plays, appropriate or not. Yipes!! Seeing her and Dean together is like watching a hot guy make out with his mother. I have the exact same reaction to her and Anthony Quinn in Requiem for a Heavyweight. She is the least sexual actress ever. Can't help it -- she makes my skin crawl.
I'd like East of Eden a whole lot better if some other actress had played Abra.
As for Dean -- I think he was a young man with true star quality, and he dominates,sometimes on purpose, sometimes not, every scene in which he appears. He had that innate ability to inhabit the character that is so prized among the Methods, and I think his performances are always well thought-out and affecting.
I don't agree about Giant -- I've always liked this sprawling movie, which breathes real life into Edna Ferber's rather detached prose. I don't think it's the greatest saga ever made, but I find it entertaining and involving (not so much the latter part). And I do like Dean in this one, although the character of Jett is not really so fully drawn as it might be, through no fault of Dean's. His scene with Taylor, when she comes to visit him at his cabin, is really beautiful; a scene of shy, unspoken emotional and physical attraction boiling just below the surface. And I love Dean's excitement and glee when he strikes oil. I find Dean just as believable a laconic cowboy as someone like Scott Glen, Chris Cooper or Sam Shepherd has played in the present.
I'd like East of Eden a whole lot better if some other actress had played Abra.
As for Dean -- I think he was a young man with true star quality, and he dominates,sometimes on purpose, sometimes not, every scene in which he appears. He had that innate ability to inhabit the character that is so prized among the Methods, and I think his performances are always well thought-out and affecting.
I don't agree about Giant -- I've always liked this sprawling movie, which breathes real life into Edna Ferber's rather detached prose. I don't think it's the greatest saga ever made, but I find it entertaining and involving (not so much the latter part). And I do like Dean in this one, although the character of Jett is not really so fully drawn as it might be, through no fault of Dean's. His scene with Taylor, when she comes to visit him at his cabin, is really beautiful; a scene of shy, unspoken emotional and physical attraction boiling just below the surface. And I love Dean's excitement and glee when he strikes oil. I find Dean just as believable a laconic cowboy as someone like Scott Glen, Chris Cooper or Sam Shepherd has played in the present.
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charliechaplinfan
- Posts: 9040
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Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
kingrat said, Dewey, I probably prefer EAST OF EDEN to REBEL because the parents in REBEL are such caricatures. Massey is formidable.
I think you've hit on the reason I prefer East of Eden too.
Stephen remarked: Personally, I think Newman gave us some of the best performances on screen, and became one of Hollywood's most benevolent stars besides, so I'd have hated to see him lapse into lesser roles.
Me too, although I wouldn't say I enjoyed everything he made (The Left Handed Gun was lost on me) most of his work I've really enjoyed, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to star in Someone Up There Likes Me
I've puzzled about why Brando had a bigger impact on me than James Dean, allowing me to be utterly female for a moment, it's because Marlon always played a man, there was no angst ridden teenager about him, Dean even in Giant although playing a man instead of a teenager didn't have Marlon's sexuality, or Paul Newman's. The other method actor James Dean is often compared to is Montgomery Clift, Clift doesn't have Brando's or Newman's sexuality but he does have a purity about him that speaks to me.
Judith said And I do like Dean in this one, although the character of Jett is not really so fully drawn as it might be, through no fault of Dean's. His scene with Taylor, when she comes to visit him at his cabin, is really beautiful; a scene of shy, unspoken emotional and physical attraction boiling just below the surface
I agree with you about Dean's portrayal, I wince a little when I see him playing the drunken older Jett, almost like I know he can give a better portrayal than that. Dean was the only one of the main stars I liked in Giant.
I think you've hit on the reason I prefer East of Eden too.
Stephen remarked: Personally, I think Newman gave us some of the best performances on screen, and became one of Hollywood's most benevolent stars besides, so I'd have hated to see him lapse into lesser roles.
Me too, although I wouldn't say I enjoyed everything he made (The Left Handed Gun was lost on me) most of his work I've really enjoyed, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to star in Someone Up There Likes Me
I've puzzled about why Brando had a bigger impact on me than James Dean, allowing me to be utterly female for a moment, it's because Marlon always played a man, there was no angst ridden teenager about him, Dean even in Giant although playing a man instead of a teenager didn't have Marlon's sexuality, or Paul Newman's. The other method actor James Dean is often compared to is Montgomery Clift, Clift doesn't have Brando's or Newman's sexuality but he does have a purity about him that speaks to me.
Judith said And I do like Dean in this one, although the character of Jett is not really so fully drawn as it might be, through no fault of Dean's. His scene with Taylor, when she comes to visit him at his cabin, is really beautiful; a scene of shy, unspoken emotional and physical attraction boiling just below the surface
I agree with you about Dean's portrayal, I wince a little when I see him playing the drunken older Jett, almost like I know he can give a better portrayal than that. Dean was the only one of the main stars I liked in Giant.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
Judith sez: Oh my, oh my. Who is this Julie Harris you all seem to be seeing in East of Eden? It's not the same one I wince at.
Obviously not! Clearly, beauty and all its related components are entirely and absolutely subjective. When I see Julie Harris (in EAST OF EDEN) I see profound tenderness and warmth, the type not ordinarily associated with typical Hollywood beauty; in fact I wouldn't even argue the point that she's kind of homely. Homely, yet undeniably attractive and, yes, extremely sexy. As a younger guy, watching EDEN in the theater or on TV, I was always transfixed by her, drawn in to her softness and her eagerness to please. (I desperately wanted her to be my girlfriend; at least in my imaginings.) Those responses may have been the product of adolescent yearnings, but they were nevertheless achingly real. I still find myself revisiting those feelings whenever I watch this film. And I must ask you this: do you actually wince at her or was that for dramatic effect?
Obviously not! Clearly, beauty and all its related components are entirely and absolutely subjective. When I see Julie Harris (in EAST OF EDEN) I see profound tenderness and warmth, the type not ordinarily associated with typical Hollywood beauty; in fact I wouldn't even argue the point that she's kind of homely. Homely, yet undeniably attractive and, yes, extremely sexy. As a younger guy, watching EDEN in the theater or on TV, I was always transfixed by her, drawn in to her softness and her eagerness to please. (I desperately wanted her to be my girlfriend; at least in my imaginings.) Those responses may have been the product of adolescent yearnings, but they were nevertheless achingly real. I still find myself revisiting those feelings whenever I watch this film. And I must ask you this: do you actually wince at her or was that for dramatic effect?
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jdb1
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
No, Dewster, I really do wince, and sometimes I flinch and say "Eeeewwww" too. But, see, actually I don't find Harris homely. I think she's quite nice-looking, and in a few films here and there she has been made up and dressed to look quite pretty indeed.Dewey1960 wrote:Judith sez: Oh my, oh my. Who is this Julie Harris you all seem to be seeing in East of Eden? It's not the same one I wince at.
Obviously not! Clearly, beauty and all its related components are entirely and absolutely subjective. When I see Julie Harris (in EAST OF EDEN) I see profound tenderness and warmth, the type not ordinarily associated with typical Hollywood beauty; in fact I wouldn't even argue the point that she's kind of homely. Homely, yet undeniably attractive and, yes, extremely sexy. As a younger guy, watching EDEN in the theater or on TV, I was always transfixed by her, drawn in to her softness and her eagerness to please. (I desperately wanted her to be my girlfriend; at least in my imaginings.) Those responses may have been the product of adolescent yearnings, but they were nevertheless achingly real. I still find myself revisiting those feelings whenever I watch this film. And I must ask you this: do you actually wince at her or was that for dramatic effect?
But I think she's a one-trick pony, and plays the same person over and over, no matter what. Even as Frankie in Member of the Wedding, she was undeniably Julie Harris, only with very short hair and no bra. That may be the one role where she broke away somewhat from her restraints, but even there I didn't find her totally believable. She just couldn't lose that "drahmah" school speech and those studied gestures. In every role she plays she reminds of of a stone cold debutante "playing" at acting.
It's entirely personal. I get nothing from her - little emotion and absolutely no womanly sex. I feel no softness from her -- in fact I get quite the opposite and find it for the most part inappropriate. As a result, I don't feel any heat at all coming from the romantic scenes she plays, and I must avert my eyes.
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
Judith wincingly proclaimed: I flinch and say "Eeeewwww"
Oh well, I guess that's why they make chocolate, vanilla, and...butter pecan.
Oh well, I guess that's why they make chocolate, vanilla, and...butter pecan.
OT: Harris
I like what I've seen of Julie Harris's films. My favorite of her performances is probably Eleanor in The Haunting, a character that so many other viewers seem to find unbearably annoying, but that was by all reports quite a stressful one for Ms. Harris. I seem to remember a TCM segment in which she said she actually would cry on days when they filmed her scenes. She also mentioned that she felt it was important for the sake of the performance that she isolate herself from the other actors.
But I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Eleanor. Here's a woman who's gone her whole life isolated and led to believe she's nothing but a worthless freak. Then she goes to Hill House and (whether she's crazy or not), for once in her life, she feels as though she belongs somewhere. Finally, for the first time, she feels wanted rather than tolerated. The tortured soul finally finds her version of peace. And Harris does such a wonderful job that I had a lump in my throat by the end of the film.
I just acquired a copy of I Am a Camera (1955) and look forward to seeing what Harris does with the non-musical role of Sally Bowles.
And I need to re-evaluate Harris in East of Eden. I've seen it several times yet I still remember little about the movie that didn't involve Dean, Massey, and/or Van Fleet.
But I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Eleanor. Here's a woman who's gone her whole life isolated and led to believe she's nothing but a worthless freak. Then she goes to Hill House and (whether she's crazy or not), for once in her life, she feels as though she belongs somewhere. Finally, for the first time, she feels wanted rather than tolerated. The tortured soul finally finds her version of peace. And Harris does such a wonderful job that I had a lump in my throat by the end of the film.
I just acquired a copy of I Am a Camera (1955) and look forward to seeing what Harris does with the non-musical role of Sally Bowles.
And I need to re-evaluate Harris in East of Eden. I've seen it several times yet I still remember little about the movie that didn't involve Dean, Massey, and/or Van Fleet.
Re: EAST OF EDEN (1955) on TCM January 11
Stephen, I think she was terrific in I AM A CAMERA and also remarkable in MEMBER OF THE WEDDING (1952), almost unbearably so. And she turns in quite a performance in REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT (1962) but is generally overshadowed by the likes of Quinn, Gleason and Rooney. As for THE HAUNTING, a film I'm not fond of at all, she's nevertheless the most interesting person in it. I look forward to hearing your reactions once you've had a chance to revisit EDEN.