Is james dean gay
It's Time We Let James Dean Be the Gender non-conforming Icon He Is
Late in the evening on September 30, , screenwriter William Bast sat at his typewriter in his cramped L.A. apartment surrounded by suitcases, banging out a movie outline. The next morning, he planned to carry those suitcases out to Sherman Oaks, where James Dean, his optimal friend and onetime girlfriend, had invited him to move in together in a large rented residence. As Bast told the story decades later, after a long, confusing courtship, full of starts and stops, denials and doubts, Dean wanted them to live together as partners and lovers, not just as friends. Around sunset, the phone rang with the news that Dean, just 24, was dead—killed when his Porsche collided with another car in the California desert. Bast dropped the phone and fell out of his chair, blacking out at the news. For half a century after, he carefully guarded Dean’s reputation, forcefully denying increasingly insistent rumors about the sexuality of the most renowned movie star in the world and the idol of millions. In death, Dean would become the perfect celebrity—a s
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James Dean () Kisses Marlon Brando ()—Two Men (then young studs) with a Decidedly Gay Side*
Living, as they did, in very homophobic times, the two actors hid their relationships with men outside of the Hollywood community that knew about their confidential lives. As the discussion below indicates, Dean and Brando were not alone among prominent gay (or bi) actors then recognizable outside of Hollywood as entirely straight male icons.
We report below what we have learned about these actors, proud, like they were, proud of who we are—gay, straight or bi!
Dean avoided military service on grounds of his sexuality (when asked, he told), but “when questioned” by others, he provided a more nuanced reply, suggesting he was bisexual: ”No, I am not a lesbian. But, I’m also not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back.” (Source: ) In the next post, we’ll see the on-screen three-way relationship with gay actor, Sal Mineo, whom Dean kisses. Stay tuned.
Before Brando, one of Dean’s closest boy friends was his UCLA roommate and screenwriter, William Bast, who lateCulture & Curiosities
I had meant to compose a bit about this a while back, but I got bogged down with work and then a machine accident and never quite got to it. While I was doing a literature review, I came across a truly bizarre anecdote that needed much more investigation. In Boze Hadley’s manual Conversations with My Elders, I interpret the following supernatural (and supernally ridiculous) anecdote about James Dean’s Rebel without a Cause costar Sal Mineo:
Part of the James Dean legend had it that his younger costar “turned queer” after Dean’s untimely death in According to the story, Sal attempted fruitlessly to contact his fallen friend at a seance. He thereafter wrecked his car in an accident, but fate intervened to spare Sal's life. However, the words “James Dean” suddenly appeared on the car’s windshield, and from that moment on, Sal Mineo was gay.
Now, that is certainly the courteous of ghost story I hadn’t heard before. James Dean’s evil ghost could turn people male lover. Uh-huh.
Now, Boze Hadleigh is a hard figure to receive at face value since many of the stories he
James Dean
James Dean was a classic Hollywood actor whose career, although short, left a lasting mark on Hollywood and the hearts of millions.
James Byron Dean was born in Indiana in , but moved to California when he was six years old. He had a tough childhood, and was sent advocate to Indiana to live with his sister and brother-in-law in when his mother died. While there, James was raised Quaker and helped out with the farm and household chores. During high school, James excelled in basketball, as well as drama and debate, and won several state titles for his attempts.
Even though he had adjusted to rural living, James picked up his life after graduating in , and moved to Los Angeles with the intention of attending Santa Monica Capital College to major in pre-law. After earning low marks in his pre-law classes, he soon realized that his true talents were in acting. James soon transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles.
He got his first break in a minor role on the television drama, Hill Number One () . His career didn’t get off right away as he had hoped,