Please Note: I’m not trying to mislead anyone here but I’m not actually writing a movie review on "Rebel Without a Cause." I’m writing about "Jimmy" as an actor and person. Now onto my review of one of the greatest legends of all time.
I was born in the early 1980’s yet idolized an American icon who lived and died well before I even entered this world. I was first introduced to him in the movie, "Rebel Without a Cause." I was only in elementary school and didn’t think much of him at the time.
I did find him attractive though and then starting thinking about him afterwards. I didn’t have much access to the internet back in the 1990s so I didn’t know how he died. I assumed he was still alive or that he may have passed away due to old age. Then one day, my sister saw a little article in a magazine. She showed it to me and then I realized he died tragically in a car accident at only 24 years of age. After that, I was quite curious about this actor and wanted to find out more about him.
I then started reading biographies about him and conducting research on the internet. Was he known for his sex appeal? His "method" acting? Was it his vulnerability(similar to Marilyn Monroe) that caught people’s attention? Or was it the silent struggle and misunderstood persona that he often portrayed?
Some may argue that Jimmy didn’t have originality or wasn’t the first "rebel" to come onto the scene in the 1950s. But I find him to be quite original. No one compares to this legend. He would rarely go by the original script when filming and had an amazing ability to give an impactful performance. He was all about taking risks. He thought outside of the box. How can that not be original?
Jimmy was someone who teenagers could identify with. It wasn’t just about going against authority but was also about being accepted in society. He helped to give a voice to those who were too scared to speak up or rebel.
He died way too young. "Live fast and die young" is one of his trademarks. He had dreams of acting more and someday becoming a movie director. He came a long way from where he was. He started out working as a parking attendant for CBS and then a stunt tester on the show "Beat the Clock." He then went on to act in various Broadway shows. His first television appearance was on a Pepsi commercial. The rest as they say was history.
Jimmy has influenced so many parts of our culture to this day. Such impacts include music(like Elvis, the Beatles etc.), movies(acting styles as well as biographical films), books, and fashion. If he was still living, would he have been considered such a great legend? Maybe not. I’m sure he would have achieved great things but there’s something "forever young" about him leaving this earth when he did. His soul lives on and will be engraved in our minds eternally. Perhaps that’s the image we would like to have and just can’t imagine it any other way.