The legendary actor James Dean, who died in a road accident at age 24, made only three films for which he received screen credit: "East of Eden" (1955), "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), and "Giant" (1956). As of May 31, 2005, you can get all three of these classic Hollywood movies in a six-disc DVD box set titled "The Complete James Dean Collection." Each film comes as a Two-Disc Special Edition DVD set loaded with extras.
"East of Eden," adapted from the novel by John Steinbeck, stars Dean, Julie Harris, and Raymond Massey, and it was directed by Elia Kazan. Set in Northern California in 1917, the story is about a troubled young man (Dean) struggling to win the affection of his stern father. DVD bonus materials include audio commentary by "Time" magazine's Richard Schickel, a one-hour documentary on Dean, and a new 19-minute documentary "East of Eden: Art in Search of Life" that relates the movie to Steinbeck and Kazan.
"Rebel Without a Cause" stars Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo, and it was directed by Nicholas Ray. The film is set in 1950s Los Angeles and captures the angst felt by many American youths during the repressive Eisenhower era. The DVD provides audio commentary by Douglas L. Rathgeb, author of "The Making of Rebel Without a Cause." Other DVD extras include the new 36-minute documentary "Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents" and the vintage "James Dean Remembered," which is over an hour long.
Based on Edna Ferber's novel, "Giant" stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and Dean, and it was directed by George Stevens. This movie is a sprawling epic about rural Texans over a period from the 1920s to the 1950s, and Dean plays a ranch hand who becomes an oil baron. An important story element concerns the prejudice of whites towards Latinos. The DVD provides audio commentary by filmmaker/family archivist George Stevens Jr., screenwriter Ivan Moffat, and critic Stephen Farber. The DVD also contains the 45-minute documentary "George Stevens: Filmmakers Who Knew Him," as well as a pair of documentaries about the movie—"Memories of Giant" and "Return to Giant"—whose combined running time is over an hour and forty-five minutes.
In addition to the three-movie, six-disc box set I'm describing here, each individual movie title is available separately.
Below I've listed all the special features of "The Complete James Dean Collection" DVD set.
DVD Details:
Release Date: May 31, 2005
Number of Feature Films: 3
Total Number of Discs: 6
"East of Eden" Two-Disc Special Edition:
Feature Run Time: 1 Hour 58 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG for Thematic Elements and Some Violent Content
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1), Color
English Dolby 5.1 Surround
French Dolby 2.0 Mono
English Subtitles
Spanish Subtitles
French Subtitles
Audio Commentary by Richard Schickel
Theatrical Trailer
Forever James Dean (1 hr.)
East of Eden: Art in Search of Life (19 min.)
Screen Tests (6 min. 20 sec.)
Wardrobe Tests (8 segments totaling 22 min.)
Deleted Scenes (19 min.)
3/9/1955 New York Premiere (14 min. 40 sec.)
"Rebel Without a Cause" Two-Disc Special Edition:
Feature Run Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for Some Violence and Thematic Elements
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1), Color
English Dolby 5.1 Surround
French Dolby 2.0 Mono
English Subtitles
Spanish Subtitles
French Subtitles
Audio Commentary by Biographer Douglas L. Rathgeb
Theatrical Trailer
James Dean Remembered (1 hr. 6 min.)
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents (36 min.)
Screen Tests (6 min. 25 sec.)
Wardrobe Tests (5 min.)
Deleted Scenes (16 scenes, Without Sound)
Behind the Cameras (3 segments totaling 21 min.)
"Giant" Two-Disc Special Edition:
Feature Run Time: 3 Hours 21 Minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.66:1), Color
English Dolby 2.0 Surround
French Dolby 2.0 Mono
English Subtitles
Spanish Subtitles
French Subtitles
Introduction by George Stevens Jr. (3 min.)
Audio Commentary by Film Critic Stephen Farber, Screenwriter Ivan Moffat, and George Stevens Jr.
George Stevens: Filmmakers Who Knew Him (45 min.)
Theatrical Trailers (5)
Memories of Giant (51 min. 30 sec.)
Return to Giant (55 min.)
New York Premiere Telecast (29 min.)
Hollywood Premiere (4 min. 20 sec.)
Giant Stars Are Off to Texas (37 sec.)
Stills (photos)
Documents (text)
Behind the Cameras: On Location in Marfa, Texas (6 min.)
Behind the Cameras: A Visit With Dimitri Tiomkin (6 min. 30 sec.)
A Giant Undertaking (text)
George Stevens Filmography (text)
Awards (text)
Cast and Crew (text)
