Your little monster, Jim

On 8 April 1954, a day after signing his contract with Warner Brothers, James Dean left New York and headed for California to prepare for his first leading role in Elia Kazan's East of Eden (1955). Production of the film was to start at the end of May, and until then Dean would be rehearsing and doing wardrobe and make-up tests. With no place to live in Los Angeles, Dean was initially forced to stay at the house of his father and stepmother, a living arrangement he was not at all happy with. Later Kazan arranged for Dean to rent a cheap, tiny apartment close to the Warner Bros. studio, which he would share with his Eden co-star Richard Davalos. Dean hated LA and missed his beloved New York (read more about it in this previous post). Shooting on Eden ended early August 1954, but the actor wouldn't return to New York until late December that same year.

Above: James Dean photographed by Roy Schatt in 1954. Below: Dean doing wardrobe tests for his role as Cal Trask in East of Eden, his performance eventually garnering him a (posthumous) Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Jane Deacy was Dean's agent in New York City and had signed him as a client around May 1952. As Dean's own mother had died when he was nine years old and he couldn't get along with his stepmother, Deacy was regarded by Dean as a second mother. A woman with a warm personality, she looked out for her client, arranged jobs for him and also handled his personal finances. Deacy had asked the Famous Artists Corporation Agency to represent Dean while he was in LA, not having an office on the US West Coast herself. The Famous Artists Corporation (founded by Charles Feldman) had assigned Dick Clayton, one of the younger agents and a former actor, to handle Dean's affairs. Dean was very happy with the agency, and in particular with Clayton, as he wrote in a letter to Deacy in (circa) mid-April 1954. In the letter, the actor also mentioned the fact that he was "very brown and healthy looking", much to Elia Kazan's satisfaction. During Dean's first week in LA, Kazan thought he looked too pale and tired and subsequently sent him to the desert to get a tan.

Transcript:

Dear Mom, 

Like always I can trust your judgement. I am very happy with the office you chose for me. Dick Clayton is a prince of a guy. Old man [Charles] Feldman is in equal rights a prince. The rest of them are patronizing and nice (think I'm a weird one of course, as always, they will catch on.) If I would louse up the picture Dick would still talk to me.

I haven't quite settled down yet but will soon. Rented a car. Very brown and healthy looking, Kazan is pleased. I love you.

Send Mr. Feldman a copy of my contract so he can see whats up. Please as soon as you can. 

Love 

Your little monster 

Jim

_____

In (circa) late April 1954, Dean sent another letter to Deacy, keeping her informed on several aspects of his life. Strapped for cash, Dean told his agent that he was still waiting for the checks to arrive from Danger, one of several TV shows he had played in. Furthermore, Dean talked about his health, both physical and mental. Regarding the latter, the actor mentioned he was going to look for a therapist after returning to New York. (Since he wouldn't go back to NY until December later that year, Dean reportedly found a psychoanalyst in Los Angeles in late summer/early autumn.)

Transcript:

Dear Jane 

I had a wire sent to my bank (Chase) and their reply to my frantic question was $121.00. Sure went fast. I had to give up the rented car idea. It cost me $138.00 the two weeks that I had it. I hope that I still have the checks from Danger coming. I can't live with my stepmother another minute and I'll have to find a mode of transportation. As you know without a car your [sic] good as dead in Calif. I hate this place anyway. Please tell me that I still have the Danger checks because I love you.

Have found a good dentist after a long and discreet search. Cliffton [sic] Webbs dentist (oh well). Have been going to a throat specialist because of a pigmented tongue [self-portrait drawing]. Too much smoking. Has [sic] stopped completely, also stopped drinking. Taking vitamins also. I was really run-down. I'm fatter now and feel much better. Tear myself up in New York. Build myself up in Calif. (health and maybe career huh?) 

The address at my fathers place is 1667 So. Bundy Drive, L.A. 19, Calif. or write to Dick Claytons office address and tell me that I have still the Danger checks. Returning home after picture to find analyst. (Is that spelled right, doesn't look right). Miss you 

Love 

Jim

August 1953, Walter Hampden, James Dean and Betsy Palmer in the anthology series Danger; the episode was called Death Is My Neighbor.

James Dean photographed in Jane Deacy's office in January 1955; unfortunately I couldn't find a photo of Deacy herself.

On 30 April 1954, Deacy replied to Dean's letter, being mainly concerned with his financial situation. As Dean had spent a lot of cash in a short time —the $700 advance he had received on 7 April, when signing his contract with Warners, was nearly gone— Deacy suggested that he earn some money by doing a television or a radio show while waiting for filming on Eden to start. Dean had already thought of a different way to obtain money, though, having asked Warners for a second advance on his salary. On the same day that Deacy wrote her letter to Dean, the studio agreed to give him another $700 ("... in order that you make take care of certain personal matters"). With part of the money Dean subsequently bought a used MG TD sports car. 

While Deacy was very hopeful about Dean's future, tragedy would strike a year later. On 30 September 1955, Dean was killed in a car crash, driving his newly purchased Porsche 550. He was only 24 years old.

Incidentally, "Lenny", as mentioned in the letter, is probably Leonard Rosenman, Dean's best friend in New York, and composer of the scores for Eden and Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

Source of all letters: Nate D. Sanders Auctions (here, here, and here) (I may share more of Deacy's letters to Dean in a future post.)

James Dean is not an imitation of anybody

Bosley Crowther, famed film critic of The New York Times, was quite critical of James Dean after seeing him in his first big role in Elia Kazan's East of Eden (1955). In his review, published on 10 March 1955, Crowther wrote: "This young actor, who is here doing his first big screen stint, is a mass of histrionic gingerbread. He scuffs his feet, he whirls, he pouts, he sputters, he leans against walls, he rolls his eyes, he swallows his words, he ambles slack-kneed — all like Marlon Brando used to do. Never have we seen a performer so clearly follow another's style. Mr. Kazan should be spanked for permitting him to do such a sophomoric thing. Whatever there might be of reasonable torment in this youngster is buried beneath the clumsy display".

Crowther was not the only one to criticise Dean's acting and Kazan's direction. There were others, among them Lee Rogow of the Saturday Review, who wrote on 19 March 1955 that "Kazan [had] apparently attempted to graft a Brando-type personality and set of mannerisms upon Dean, and the result [was] less than successful". Dean, who idolised Brando, responded to the criticism in Newsweek: "I am not disturbed by the comparison, nor am I flattered. I have my own personal rebellion and don't have to rely upon Brando." 

Elia Kazan seemed more hurt by the criticism. Kazan greatly admired Brando — they had worked together on three films, i.e. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952) and On the Waterfront (1954) — but being accused of encouraging Dean to act like Brando was "really too ridiculous", he thought. In the following letter to Helen Bower of the Detroit Free Press (one of several critics who had written quite favourably about Dean and the film), Kazan defends Dean and with it his own direction. 

[New York]

March 22, 1955

Dear Miss Bower:

Thank you for your letter. The allegation about Dean was not concerted but was made in some rather disturbing places by people whom I felt know better.

Dean actually has a talent all his own and a sizeable one. He doesn't need to imitate anyone and was not imitating anyone. He admires Brando, as do practically all young actors today. In this respect I would say that he had excellent taste. Brando has no doubt influenced Dean to some extent but he has also influenced 100 others, just as Barrymore did 30 years ago, just as Cagney and Spence Tracy did 20 years ago. The thing about my grafting a Brando-like personality and set of mannerisms on Dean is really too ridiculous to answer. I supposed it was a way of speaking rather than a remark meant literally. I actually don't think he's much like Brando. He's considerably more introverted, more drawn, more naked. Whatever he is, though, he's not an imitation of anybody. He's too proud to try to imitate anyone. He has too much difficulty —as does any decent worker in our craft— thinking about anything except playing the part as written. Critics who say he's imitating Brando just reveal a naivete about acting, direction, and production.

I would love to see your review of the picture. I gather you liked it. It meant a lot to me and I was rather upset by Crowther's reaction in New York. The other critics here, however, liked it very much indeed and the picture is doing well.

Sincerely

 

Source: The Selected Letters of Elia Kazan (2014), edited by Albert J. Devlin  

Note: 
East of Eden was a big commercial success. Both Kazan and Dean were nominated for an Oscar (Dean posthumously) but didn't win. Of the four Oscar nominations the film received only Jo van Fleet won. East of Eden also earned the award for Best Motion Picture–Drama at the Golden Globes and Best Dramatic Film at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Elia Kazan and James Dean behind the scenes of East of Eden, below pictured with Julie Harris and Marlon Brando during Brando's visit to the set.

I know it's a hell of a gamble

After reading John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden (1952), director Elia Kazan immediately wanted to turn it into a film. Admittedly, Kazan didn't like the first part of the book and was only interested in filming the latter section which deals with the conflict between Cal, his father Adam and brother Aron. To write the screenplay, Kazan didn't choose Steinbeck --Steinbeck did write the screenplay for Kazan's Viva Zapata! (1952)-- but he chose screenwriter Paul Osborn instead. Kazan felt that East of Eden was the toughest dramatisation job he had ever seen and wanted a professional screenwriter to handle it. While Steinbeck (a good friend of Kazan) was not happy with Kazan's decision, he was busy writing a Broadway musical* so he agreed to Osborn doing the screenplay.

For the principal role of Cal Trask, Kazan briefly considered Marlon Brando with whom he had worked on A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and On the Waterfront (1954). Brando, however, was 30 at the time and Kazan thought him too old for the role. Paul Osborn then suggested 23-year-old James Dean for the part. (Osborn had seen Dean on Broadway doing a bit part in the play The Immoralist.) While Kazan didn't think much of Dean personally, he felt Dean did have that special quality which made him Cal. Later Dean was introduced to Steinbeck and, despite finding Dean a "snotty kid", Steinbeck also thought Dean wás Cal. 

When it came to the casting of Abra (Aron's girlfriend who later falls for Cal), Kazan chose experienced stage actress Julie Harris, 28 years old at the time. Jack Warner, studio head at Warner Bros, wanted someone younger and prettier than Harris but Kazan insisted on her being cast. Kazan never regretted his decision and later said that on the set Harris had been more important to Dean than he, the director, had been: "I doubt that Jimmy would ever have got through East of Eden except for an angel on our set. Her name was Julie Harris and she was goodness itself with Dean, kind and patient and everlastingly sympathetic. She helped Jimmy more than I did with any direction I gave him."

Other important roles went to Raymond Massey (Adam Trask), unknown actor Richard Davolos (Aron) and Jo Van Fleet (Kate, mother of Cal and Aron).

Pictured above: Marlon Brando visiting Elia Kazan, Julie Harris and James Dean on the set of East of Eden (1955); below: Dean and Kazan talking to some children on the set.

And now to the letter!

In March 1954, Elia Kazan wrote to his friend John Steinbeck, talking about the progress he and Osborn had just made with the script and about his wish to cast Jimmy Dean and Julie Harris in the roles of Cal and Abra. Kazan admits to it being "a hell of a gamble", seeing that Jack Warner was hoping for stars, but he was willing to take the risk. Well, as we know, Kazan's gamble paid off eventually. East of Eden was not only the start of what would later become a James Dean cult, but at the time it was also a huge success. The film received four Oscar nominations, i.e. for Kazan (Best Director), Dean (Best Actor), Osborn (Best Adapted Screenplay) and Van Fleet (Best Supporting Actress), with Van Fleet being the only one who took home the Oscar.

*Incidentally, the last paragraph of the letter concerns the Broadway musical which Steinbeck was working on with Rogers and Hammerstein ("R&H"); read more here. And at the bottom of the post I've also included a note from James Dean to a fan regarding East of Eden. 

Elia Kazan (pictured right) and John Steinbeck (left) were very close friends. In 1952 after Kazan had given his HUAC testimony, Steinbeck was one of the few people who stood by him. Steinbeck trusted Kazan implicitly and in the end was very happy with the way Kazan's East of Eden (1955) had turned out.

[Sandy Hook, Connecticut] 

[March 1954]

Dear John: 

Give our love to Elaine first of all. We had a hell of a time down there. A lot of new stuff like goggle swimming and all kinds of fishing esp. bone fishing. And esp real hot weather. I liked that. That was very welcome.

Now I'm back, feeling very different. I'm up in the country and Paul and I worked all day yesterday and today on the second draft. Yesterday was bewildering, but today was the day. Today we got somewhere.

We're reconstructing the first forty five odd pages pretty thoroughly. We feel it goes pretty well after that, but the first forty five were very bad. We're finally on a line for Aron. I hope you don't mind: we made him a Wilson (Woodrow, that is) enthusiast. We took out the two historical montages. We had Europe in the war at the beginning. And Aron convinced that we'd never get in, that Wilson would keep us out. Then, the night of the birthday party, Wilson lets him down. And a lot more. The script we had, it turns out, was simply what it was, a first draft. I kept saying that, but it was nevertheless a bit of a shock when it turned out to be what I had been saying: a first draft. We'll be working all this week up here, and then a couple of days in New York. Then I'll go to Salinas and look at your back streets (The ones you told me about). Then I'll go down to Burbank FUCK IT and make the film. I hate to leave N.Y.C. And maybe this will be the last picture I make in Cal. But this one belongs out there, so.  

I looked thru a lot of kids before settling on this Jimmy Dean. He hasn't Brando's stature, but he's a good deal younger and is very interesting, has balls and eccentricity and a "real problem" somewhere in his guts, I don't know what or where. He's a little bit of a bum, but he's a real good actor and I think he's the best of a poor field. Most kids who become actors at nineteen or twenty or twenty-one are very callow and strictly from N.Y. Professional school. Dean has got a real mean streak and a real sweet streak. 

I had an awful time with the girl. Terrible. The young girls are worse than the young boys. My god, they are nothing. Nothing has happened to them or else they're bums. Abra is a great part. I hope you don't die now. I want to use Julie Harris. Do you think I'm nuts? The screen play depends so on her last scene with Adam and on her strength, that I have to have a real, real actress. I couldn't find one aged twenty. They're nothing. Proms, dresses, beaus and all that, but nothing for my last scene. Finally I made a photographic test of Julie and she looks twenty when her face is in movement, I think. I'll just have to keep her face in movement. She's a marvelous actress. She is not Abra the way we saw her, but jeezuz I was stuck. 

One pro thing. She and Jimmy Dean look fine together. They look like People, not actors. I'm real pleased with that part of it. Two people. Dean has the advantage of never having been seen on the screen. Harris, practically.

Meantime WB? Jack esp. are dying. They hoped for stars. But they didn't come up with any names. And I haven't. I know you must be a little shocked with this casting. And I know its a hell of a gamble and all on my shoulders. But I'm delighted to take it. Its the kind of gamble I like. Write me. c/o Warner Bros. Burbank Cal.

I think R&H did fair on the lead casting. And I think Clurman is one of the three or four best directors in the world today. R&H will do the musical part of it. Lots of love to you and Elaine. Have a BALL!

Source: The Selected Letters of Elia Kazan (2014), edited by Albert J. Devlin.

Below: James Dean's letter to a fan, saying he found playing Cal "gratifying". Image of the letter courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

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