Based on John Steinbeck's novel and directed by Elia Kazan. James Dean plays Cal, a wayward Salinas Valley youth who, along with his competitive brother Aron (Richard Davalos), vies for the affection of his hardened father (Raymond Massey), making for a tragic Cain and Abel story.
Playing off the haunting sensitivity of Julie Harris, Dean's performance earned one of the film's four Academy Award nominations, which included stellar performances throughout, including that of Jo Van Fleet who won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress.
Screening as part of our April film series Brando, Clift, Dean - Method Actors and the Movies