n
"Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without A
Cause", the authors create a day-by-day account of the concept
and production of the iconic film that celebrated its 50th
anniversary last year.
Watching it again in order to prepare for this article, it is
amazing how fresh the movie still looks(there was a recent
two-disc commemorative release, which I haven't been able - as of
yet - to get my hands on), and how current the film's message
feels. No wonder that so many of today's film makers recommend
this film to today's young actors in preparation for rebel
youngster parts.
The book, however, does much more than that. It also gives us a
background on the players, such as the director, Nicholas Ray, who
began his Hollywood career as an assistant to his mentor, Elia
Kazan and went on to direct a series of films until he came upon
the chance of directing Rebel. There is also a detailed account on
the career of James Dean (a lot culled from Elia Kazan's
autobiography), former child star Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Dennis
Hopper and others.
There is also some behind the scenes information, such as the
affair Ray and Wood kept before and during production, and the
fact that she was two-timing him with Hopper (there is a mention
of a Natalie Wood interview that the director took the future Easy
Rider star's lines when he heard that he'd been sleeping with
her), and the hard job it was casting the film - Natalie Wood
wanted the part really badly so she could break from her child
star image, and she did everything she could to get it.
Casting James Dean was no easy task, either. A virtual unknown
at the time of his signing, he became a full-fledged star when
Kazan's East of Eden came out, and kept wondering if a part on a
film about teenagers was the right vehicle for him (turns out it
was, for he was posthumously nominated for an Oscar that year),
and would often disappear from the set, causing thousands of
dollars in studio losses during the production.
There is also a follow-up on the careers of the director and
his actors. As soon as Rebel wrapped, Dean went to Texas to
make Giant alongside Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor ,
which would sadly be his last film. The actor tragically died in
the fall of 1955 while at the wheel of his Porshe Spyder. Sal
Mineo and Dennis Hopper would also appear in that film(though
Mineo didn't have more than a cameo). Mineo would be one of the
first openly gay movie stars(which didn't help his career much
back then) in history, and would tragically be murdered in 1976.
Wood became a major star, appearing in films such as Sex and The
Single Girl, Splendor in The Grass and Ted, Carol, Bob and Alice.
Unfortunately, her life would, like many of the players in the
film, end too soon. She died in 1982 in a drowning accident that
to this day has not been quite made clear.
As for Ray, he would never have the
chance of reaching grandeur in Hollywood again. He did other films
later in his life, such as the epic "King of Kings", but as
his drinking and drug use escalated, his career went downhill,
never to recover again. He died of cancer on June 16, 1979 shortly
after completing, with the assistance of Wim Wenders, his last
film, Lightning Over Water, which is essentially a
documentary about a dying man.
The book is very enjoyable and will please both film buffs and
casual readers. Fans of Rebel will have a deeper
understanding of the film itself, and will make its viewing all
the more enjoyable. For instance, knowing that the way that Dean
handled his on-screen father (Jim Backus) on the confrontation
after the chickie run was mostly improvisational gives us a better
insight on the scene. You can see that the terror in Backus eyes
is not mere acting. He was truly terrified. Also, you learn that
Mineo's mismatching socks were not on the script either - it was a
"wardrobe malfunction", as we would say now. "Live Fast, Die
Young" is a recommended read even if you are not a fan of the
classic.
Many of us Americans are obsessed with our weight. And why not?
Weight-loss ads are on TV all the time, and several publications,
such as Self and Shape, for instance, make a living over that
obsession. But now comes Jane King, a writer that says we
shouldn't do that - we should relax and follow a simple set of
rules that will at least keep or weight under control.
As a former overweight person herself, she tells us that she's
tried every diet on the book, from low-carb to low-fat to the fads
that come and go (will not list them here - I personally know a
couple of readers who have been following some of these fads,
don't want to hurt their feelings), and nothing really worked for
her. She would lose weight for a while, then gain it all back
after a few months. She chronicles her ups and downs in a funny
way, and I - who also struggled for years with my weight until I
found my own way to control my pounds - couldn't help but giggle
as she told her stories.
Trick
Yourself Thin is a book filled with common-sense rules that
make sense, such as staying away from sugar, excessive salt and
deep-fried foods (something that I've done, and it works). There
are also some funny anecdotes about people who used "bread as
Valium" and who used other kinds of food to cure depression,
rejection or other maladies of everyday life.
I found the book quite enjoyable and easy to read (all it took
was four trips on the Staten Island Ferry, which is this writer's
favorite reading spot). It is not a diet book per se, but a
humorous look at our weight obsessions and how one person found a
way to get in control without going nuts about it.
-----------------------
Jazz and other beats:
The Brooklyn Fireproof Gallery(101 Richardson Street Brooklyn,
NY) opens this Friday, Jan 06 an exhibit entitled Mai Braun: More
Object, which we previewed here last week. The opening reception
starts at 7 PM and goes on until 10. Visit them at http://www.brooklynfireproof.com
Local alt-rock band November Factory performs this Saturday,
January 7th at The Bitter End at 9:00pm(147 Bleecker Street - The
corner of Bleeker and LaGuardia). If you can't make it, log on to
http://www.gvny.com and stream the show from the comfort of your
home. For more on the band, visit http://www.novemberfactory.com
At the Blue Note from January 10-15, Gil Goldstein will be
celebrating the music of Jaco Pastorius, Gil Evans and Lennd and
McCartney, a gig that will be recorded live for Half Note Records.
The lineup features Gil Goldstein(accordion, musical director),
Chris Potter (sax), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Mike Manieri (vibes),
Richard Bona (bass/vocals), Don Alias (percussion) and a string
ensemble. For more information, log on to http://www.bluenote.net
The Tea Lounge in Park Slope, Brooklyn presents on Wednesday,
January 11th Paula Jeanine & American Ghazal feat Paula Jeanine
(vocals, percussion), Lee Boice (guitar/bass), Jerome Harris
(guitar/bass), Bill Buchen (percussion). On Thursday, January 12th
it is the turn of Mike Pride's Scrambler, feat.Tony Malaby (tenor
sax), Charlie Looker (guitar), Mark Helias (bass), Mike Pride
(drums). On Friday, January 13th a performance by Jessica Lurie
Ensemble features Jessica Lurie (vocals, flute and saxophone),
Erik Deutsch (keyboard), George Rush (bass), Eric Kalb (drums).
For showtimes and more information, visit http://www.tealoungeny.com
