Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 film which tells the story of a rebellious teenager who comes to a new town, meets a girl, defies his parents, and faces the local gang. The title is a reference to psychiatrist Robert Lindner's 1944 book, Rebel Without A Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath.

Rebel Without a Cause became a movie which spoke to a generation: the teenagers of the early 1950s. Although James Dean had already become a star with the release of East of Eden earlier in the year, this movie solidified his role as the voice of the generation. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

The Griffith Observatory is featured prominently in the film, and is the site of the movie's climactic scene.

Primary cast:

• James Dean  : Jim Stark
• Natalie Wood  : Judy
• Sal Mineo  : John 'Plato' Crawford
• Jim Backus  : Frank Stark
• Ann Doran  : Mrs. Stark
• Corey Allen  : Buzz Gunderson
• William Hopper  : Judy's Father
• Rochelle Hudson  : Judy's Mother
• Edward Platt  : Ray Fremick

Up-and-coming cast member:

• Dennis Hopper  : Goon

Award nominations:

• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Sal Mineo)
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Natalie Wood)
• Best Writing, Motion Picture Story (Nicholas Ray)
• BAFTA Award for Best Picture
• BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor (James Dean)

Famous quotes:

Nobody talks to children.

No, they just tell them.

References

• Frascella, Lawrence and Weisel, Al : Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause. Touchstone, 2005. ISBN 0743260821

See also

• Rebel Without a Cause curse