mentions:
Cher
date & photographer unknown
Showing posts with label Academy Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academy Awards. Show all posts
January 27, 2020
February 8, 2017
45 RPMs 10: A Tribute To James Dean
Today, Wednesday, February 8, is the birthday of James Dean. So, I had to dip into my vinyl sea to find something for a tribute to him and reeled in this gem.
This 45 RPM tribute album features the main titles from two of the films James Dean starred in, East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause.
The scores for East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause, both (1955), were written by Oscar and Emmy Awards winner, Leonard Rosenman. They are performed on this recording by the Warner Brother Orchestra conducted by Academy Award winner Ray Heindorf.
East of Eden (1955)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
East of Eden was directed by Elia Kazan, and loosely based on the second half of the 1952 novel of the same name by John Steinbeck.
It is about a wayward young man who, while seeking his own identity,
vies for the affection of his deeply religious father against his
favored brother, thus retelling the story of Cain and Abel. The film was released on March 9, 1955.
Rebel Without a Cause was an attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, critique parental style, and explore the differences and conflicts between generations. The title was adopted from the 1944 book, Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath. written by psychiatrist Robert M. Lindner. The film itself, however, does not reference the Lindner book. Warner Bros. released the film on October 27, 1955,
This seems to have been a banner year for teenage rebellion as the same year, Blackboard Jungle was released between the two Dean films on March 25th, 1955 (see link below).
I have reasoned, perhaps the theme for Giant was not on the album as the score was written by another composer, Dimitri Tiomkin. Also, 45's were limited in length of time; that could have also been a factor.
James Byron Dean, born February 8, 1931, died on September 30, 1955, was an American actor who is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement. This was expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager, Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were as loner Cal Trask, in East of Eden (1955) and surly ranch hand, Jett Rink, in Giant (1956).
Dean's death in a car crash at the age of 24 ensured his legendary "Star" status. He was the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and remains the only actor to have had two posthumous acting nominations. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him the 18th best male movie star of Golden Age Hollywood in AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars list.
Net links:
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, February 8, 2017
~
~
June 12, 2014
Malik Bendjelloul ~ Searching for Sugarman & Sixto Rodriguez
photographer unknown
On October 8, 2012, I wrote an article on The Family Dogg & Sixto Rodriguez. It was prompted by a program I'd seen on television, 60 Minutes. I was delighted and amazed to learn about the saga and of the time, effort and money Bendjelloul had spent uncovering the story of musician Sixto Rodriguez and making a film of it. It was important to me because of the influence the music by Rodriguez had had on me in the early seventies.
I was so deeply affected by the memories the program stirred up in me, I wrote an article about it in less than a day; that almost never happens.
After I wrote it, I found Bendjelloul on Facebook and dropped him a line to thank him for his brilliant project. Although he was famous now, he had the time and courtesy to reply to me.
I was so deeply affected by the memories the program stirred up in me, I wrote an article about it in less than a day; that almost never happens.
After I wrote it, I found Bendjelloul on Facebook and dropped him a line to thank him for his brilliant project. Although he was famous now, he had the time and courtesy to reply to me.
"From: Facebook
To: Styrous
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2012 1:45 PM
Subject: New message from Malik Bendjelloul
Hi Sty, Thanks a lot for your message! And... very nice and initiated blog, you know your stuff!
keep up the good work!
all the best,
Malik"
To: Styrous
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2012 1:45 PM
Subject: New message from Malik Bendjelloul
Hi Sty, Thanks a lot for your message! And... very nice and initiated blog, you know your stuff!
keep up the good work!
all the best,
Malik"
To say I was blown away that he even took the time and effort to reply is putting it mildly but it demonstrates the caliber of the man and why I include it in this blog entry. Even though he was probably very busy, he responded to me; a rarity by many people much less a celebrity in today's world.
I was more than thrilled when I heard he had won the Oscar for best documentary at the Academy Awards a few months later on Feb. 24,
2013.
Malik Bendjelloul accepts the Oscar
for best documentary feature,
during the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles
file photo from
(AP / Invision / Chris Pizzello/Invision)
I hope Malik is finally free of his demons!
Yesterday, I was horrified and shocked when I found out Bendjelloul had jumped in front of a
train and committed suicide a month ago on May 13, 2014. I just couldn't
believe a man who was so young and talented would do this. But
this is not the first time I have been touched by a tragedy such as
this. And every time I have not been able to understand the demons in a
person's mind that would drive them to such a violent action as this. I
probably never will.
The incident was covered by The Hollywood Reporter.
The documentary film, Searching for Sugar Man, is available on Netflix.
The documentary film, Searching for Sugar Man, is available on Netflix.
I hope Malik is finally free of his demons!
Styrous ~ June 12, 2013
~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)