Live Fast, Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of James Dean

Live Fast, Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of James Dean

Live Fast, Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of James Dean is a first â€” revealing James Dean from the inside out by someone who knew him intimately. Author John Gilmore recalls his first meeting with Dean in New York, their fast friendship, their riding motorcycles together, and their sexual encounters with women, men and each other. Deanâ€™s insights into his own Broadway success and the films that followed are revealed through Gilmoreâ€™s story as well as Deanâ€™s feelings of hatred toward a disapproving father; his intimacy with his mother and their secret games that later led to Deanâ€™s sexual confusion in Hollywood; Deanâ€™s obsession with death; and, finally, the posthumous rise of the legend.

Confused and antagonized by the immediate celebrity that descended on him following the release of his first feature film, East of Eden, Dean chose to protect himself against Hollywood and the world by surrounding himself with a handful of â€œmalcontent oddballs.â€ John Gilmore was among the privileged few. Gilmore says, â€œJimmy was obsessed with riding the â€˜black ship to hell,â€™ and for that quick time I was on board with him.â€

Through letters, diaries, tape-recorded conversations with the actor, and private remembrances by those closest to him â€” including Rock Hudson, Sal Mineo, Elizabeth Taylor, Eartha Kitt, Natalie Wood and Sammy Davis, Jr. â€” Gilmore constructs a seldom-seen portrait of the star. Contains over fifty choice photos and the complete Coronerâ€™s Report into Deanâ€™s fatal car crash.

Gilmore succeeds at conveying the sources of Dean's vulnerability and his preoccupation with death, elements that fueled both Dean's screen persona and his personal life. â€” Kirkus Reviews
Country USA
Manufacturer Amok Books
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2011-07-18
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Amok Books
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2011-07-18
Format	Kindle eBook

Live Fast, Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of James Dean

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