In Memory of James Byron Dean
born February 8, 1931 - died September 30, 1955

On September 30th was James Dean's 45th anniversary of death. On February 8th he would have been 70 years of age. Those three terrific movies, which made him "immortal", were made over a short period of one and a half year before he died at the age of 24 years. So there are countless pictures left, showing Jimmy at the same age. When I became aware of James Dean I was about fifteen. And when I became a fan, I've had a feeling to him like a good buddy or my big brother - sometimes there was this admiration for the man of my dreams as well. By the years I was getting older, naturally, but Jimmy stayed 24 and by the time he was getting younger to me, the younger brother. - Reading so many biographies, I always tried to keep my distance. Just over the last years many "new disclosures" came out (e.g. about that evil priest, who "seduced" Jimmy). Anyway, in the agreement of available biographies I get the impression of an exceptional personage. James Dean not only tried to be an authentic person, he never accepted bad compromises; where it had to be so (cause that's how life is, as we all know), he preferred to suffer and go the inconvenient way. With incomparable determination he trusted in his own talent. He made heavy demands on himself. When he was difficult with others, it was never about his personal vanities, but much more his tremendous desire for getting better in his own work. His professional aim was to be a director. If he would have stayed alive, there probably was no big picture-myth about him. Perhaps we would have some more classic movies,
by him - not with him ...