IMDb > Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Rebel Without a Cause
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Rebel Without a Cause (1955) More at IMDbPro »

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Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   24,879 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 16% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Nicholas Ray
Writers:
Stewart Stern (screenplay)
Irving Shulman (adaptation)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Rebel Without a Cause on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 October 1955 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
Teenage terror torn from today's headlines more
Plot:
A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
Powerful more (208 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

James Dean ... Jim Stark

Natalie Wood ... Judy

Sal Mineo ... John 'Plato' Crawford
Jim Backus ... Frank Stark
Ann Doran ... Mrs. Carol Stark

Corey Allen ... Buzz Gunderson
William Hopper ... Judy's Father
Rochelle Hudson ... Judy's Mother

Dennis Hopper ... Goon

Edward Platt ... Ray Fremick
Steffi Sidney ... Mil
Marietta Canty ... Crawford Family Maid
Virginia Brissac ... Mrs. Stark - Jim's Grandmother
Beverly Long ... Helen
Ian Wolfe ... Dr. Minton - Lecturer at Planetarium
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements. (2005 re-issue)
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Warnercolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints) | Dolby Digital (DVD version)
Certification:
Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated (video rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1981) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1956) | Spain:T | Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:Approved (No. 17504) (original rating) | France:-16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:18 | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (re-rating) (1976) | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG-13 (new rating) (2005) | West Germany:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
James Dean was free to star in the film because Elizabeth Taylor got pregnant, which delayed production of Giant (1956). more
Goofs:
Continuity: When police backup arrives at the Griffith Observatory, the officer approaches the vehicle on the driver's side to talk to the Juvenile Division officer in the back seat. There are two cutaway shots and now the conversation continues on the passenger's side of the car. The officers within the car change sides of the vehicle, too. more
Quotes:
Jim Stark: Turn out the light! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Neal Cassady (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Ride of the Valkyries more

FAQ

How did James Dean die?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
In what other movies has James Dean starred?
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25 out of 32 people found the following comment useful.
Powerful, 17 April 1999
Author: (pedro_miguel@juno.com) from Fresno, California

I agree with most of the reviewers. This movie is just as powerful as it was 44 years ago. Inside the cheesy braggadocio of an angry gangster is a confused kid. I can't think of a single person that did not feel alienated as a teenager. James Dean represents what every teenager would want to be. Individualistic: has a set of values and sticks to them Brave: engages in activities most of us would never consider (esp. chicky run) Kind: caring to Plato and Judy

James Dean is perfect in his role as Jim Stark. More is said in this movie through gestures than words. One lift of his eyebrow, one syllable can say so much. When he does speak, you know that he believes what he is saying. The shot of Jim rolling out of the speeding car is amazing. I can think of few modern action films that have had me riveted to the seat as I was during the switchblade fight.

Natalie Wood is superb in her role as well. Judy is looking for attention that isn't there. This is perfectly summed up when she says "I love somebody, all this time I was looking for someone to love me, but now I love somebody." She desperately looks for acceptance and acknowledgment in the wrong places because her father does not want to see her as a young woman.

Even though Dennis Hopper's role is rather small, you can see that he knows what he is doing. He portrays in my mind, someone easily pushed around when he tries to fit in. He seems different than the rest of Buzz' gang and even looks more boyish. He timidly tries to interject a comment in front of Buzz and is just brushed off.

I don't think that this movie is strictly an us versus them type of scenario. Trying to take care of Plato and to protect him, Jim realizes that being a parent is not as straightforward as he thought. His parents are more than just caricatures of the nagging wife and emasculated husband. Everyone in the film is confused about how they fit in to the big picture. The movie is simply told in the self centered manner any teenager would view it as. This can account for the sequences which many would see as over the top. I think the central theme of the cosmos presented in the planetarium show demonstrates how teenagers view themselves as the center of the universe. Thus all the scenes concerning each of the three teens conflicts are equally dramatic.

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