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)

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   25,049 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Nicholas Ray
Writers:
Stewart Stern (screenplay)
Irving Shulman (adaptation)
more
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
NewsDesk:
(30 articles)
Blu-Ray Review: ‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’ Inspires Nothing But Hate
 (From HollywoodChicago.com. 16 November 2009, 8:08 AM, PST)
The Reelist: David Brind on Teen Angst
 (From Tribeca Film. 10 November 2009, 7:30 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Just so far ahead of its time.... more (210 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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements. (2005 re-issue)
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour (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
Filming Locations:
7529 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA more
Company:
Warner Bros. Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Originally based on a non-fiction work by Dr. Robert M. Lindner, about the hypno-analysis of a young criminal. Producer Jerry Wald intended to make a film of the work and commissioned several scripts, including one by Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), and Marlon Brando was set to star at one point, but the project was eventually shelved. When the studio bought Nicholas Ray's treatment "The Blind Run" it asked him to use the title of Lindner's work, but the film doesn't include anything else from the book. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Early in the movie, when Plato is being interrogated by the police, his wristwatch switches back and forth between having a metal band and having a leather band. more
Quotes:
Plato: If only you could'a been my dad. We could have breakfast in the morning. more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "The Sopranos: Big Girls Don't Cry (#2.5)" (2000) more
Soundtrack:
Wiegenlied, Op.49, No.4 (Lullaby) more

FAQ

In what other movies has James Dean starred?
Is "Rebel Without a Cause" based on a novel?
Was Plato gay?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
74 out of 110 people found the following comment useful.
Just so far ahead of its time...., 7 December 2004
9/10
Author: Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) from Toronto, Canada

This film bears watching once every 5 years or so. It is astonishing on many levels, not least of which is the exploration of the underbelly of the happy suburban post-war years in middle class America.

Yes, we all rave about the beautiful and sadly short lived life of James Dean who died before this movie opened. To die also in a manner highlit in this movie - he was co-incidentally a promo for it. Fast driving and fast cars. Poor James.

What I enjoy most though in all of it is the afore-mentioned exploration of hitherto fairly underdeveloped film themes in the America of the fifties. For one, there is the underlying homosexual element to the Sal Mineo character and his obsession with James. And here James is allowed to indulge and return this love, not overtly, but it is there, the tolerance and acknowledgment of it.

The character of Judy, played by Natalie Wood is also of tremendous interest. Here there is an incestuous component in her relationship to her father. It seems to me that the father is terrified of his attraction to his gorgeous daughter and keeps pushing her away to the degree that at one point he slaps her as she tries to kiss him. She escapes from home at every chance seeking male attention from wherever she can get it.

James' parents are a little overblown and too quickly resolved at the end. But the appearance of an "emasculated" Jim Backus (he wears an apron in case we don't quite get it!) is a sight for sore eyes. A little dated in the world of today but so far ahead of its time in 1955.

9 out 10. Satisfying on many levels.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
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Judy has emotional issues. PhazzedOut
How is this not in the top 250 jwalsh609
Rebel Without A cause Vs The Last Picture Show aakash-karkare
My dream... TerryGilliamFan
Who is the rebel? mcgryboski
'Wanna see a monkey?' kc385
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