VHS : The James Dean Story
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Shortly after James Dean died in a car crash, Robert Altman and George W. George (son of Rube Goldberg) set out to document the young star's brief life. The results are mixed. The narration (written by Stewart Stern, who wrote Rebel Without a Cause and befriended Dean) tries to get beyond the public image of Dean as the cool rebel to show the lonely young man underneath. It's a bit overwrought, but that's understandable, given the strong emotions Dean elicited from those who knew and loved him. But Martin Gabel is all wrong as narrator; his stentorian delivery turns the hot-blooded musings of youth into ponderous, pompous pronouncements totally lacking in humor. The most interesting element is the people of Fairmont, Indiana, where Dean grew up--straightforward, direct, and proud of Dean not for the fame he attracted but for who he was.
The Bells of Cockaigne is an early appearance from Dean's days in television in New York. He plays the father of a sick child who gambles his week's pay to try to earn enough to take his son 'somewhere warm and dry.' Gene Lockhart is the stubborn old Irishman who ultimately gives up his own dreams to help Dean. This half-hour program (complete with ads) was live TV; the kinescope is of questionable quality, but already Dean shows some of the talent and charisma of his later work.--Geof Miller
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Robert Altman's Masterpiece
THE JAMES DEAN STORY is a powerful movie. It is an intimate story of Dean told in the simplest of images and wonderful narration. A simple homage to an American icon who's effects of his brief time here still linger.
Rating: - Lonely Bird
The depictions here are the only accurate substantial accounts of Jimmy Dean's life. There are no bios that can even scratch the surface about him. All of them (authors) put their ideologies above the truth of who Jimmy was. It's too bad that the only truth about this man can never be fully told even by "some" who "claim" they knew him. Christy White is the only one and maybe Bill Bast who appear to be faithfull to his past. The other closest is "maybe" the movie made by TNT in 2003.
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Rating: - Vintage Film
This film is a must-see for anyone wanting to know more about James Dean. It was released in 1957, over a year after Dean died, and we get to see and listen to family members who are no longer living. We hear from other citizens of Fairmount, Indiana, who knew "Jimmy." We also see and hear show business friends and acquaintances. It also includes alot of great still photographs.
Please remember this film was made in the late 50s, and its dated. It sort of depressed me watching it because ... Read More
Rating:  - invaluable to anyone who wants to know more about James Dean
the information from this documentary is invaluable and the insight from his family and the people who saw him on a regular basis gives a glimpse of Jimmy that not many people saw. it is one more facet of a brilliant diamond that shone for too brief a time.one word of caution to anyone with asthma,high blood pressure,heart disese,or tramatic stress disorder,the reenactment of his fatal car crash combined with pictures from the actual crash site are a little too graphic for some.watch at your own risk.
Rating: - For all of us who love Jimmy
Everything the other reviewers have written is true: this documentary of Dean's life is slow-paced, dry, old-fashioned and dated. If you're one of those people who prefer the colorized versions of classic Black and White films, then this film will probably not be to your liking. But I look at it another way: where else can you view interviews with people who actually knew Jim and knew him well? Most of these were filmed shortly in the aftermath of Dean's death, and therefore, their recolections were contemporary. ... Read More
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