Indiana's Bad Boy

James Dean.

You have to admit that the following Dean still has, more than fifty years after his death.....and after only a short film career (3 films), is impressive. I'll admit, his persona in his films is intriguing.....but I don't get it.

So this college buddy and I plan to head to Dean's hometown of Fairmount (same guy who went with me to the lookout tower) to check his story out. We figured we should watch a Dean film the night before, so we watched Rebel Without a Cause. I couldn't follow it-and I would consider myself at least a little artsy. The next day we set off-stopped by the James Dean museum. His wax replica indicated he was short-that kinda disappointed me. Then we drove out past the farm he was reared on, and to the cemetery he is buried in. You could see that people had taken rubbings off his gravestone. There was also an assortment of lipstick cases, flowers, notes, etc. left on his stone.

Years later, I tried again.......I watched Giant. I still don't get it. Maybe I should watch that last film, East of Eden. Regardless, whatever the draw, I'm proud to say he was a Hoosier. I'm thinking about growing a pompadour, slicking it back and buying a black leather jacket to wear around town. I could be James Dean cool too, I think.