The Making of Rebel Without a Cause [Hardcover]

Douglas L. Rathgeb (Author), Stewart Stern (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786419768 | ISBN-13: 978-0786419760 | Publication Date: September 24, 2004

This work is a complete history of this classic American film, from idea to script to film. In 1954, troubled director Nicholas Ray chatted at a dinner party about his controversial plan for a film about middle-class juvenile delinquents. He was told of a book, written by a prison psychologist and owned by Warner Bros., called Rebel Without a Cause. Unimpressed after reading it, Ray began writing his own story. Warner Bros. quickly bought it and hired Ray to direct the film.

From the backgrounds of the many players to the pre-production, production, and post-production of the film, the work covers every aspect of Rebel Without a Cause from its rudiments to the 1955 Oscars: the selection of cast and crew, legal fights, preparatory research, changing screenwriters and the many variations of the story, location scouting, auditions, the writing of the score, script readings, difficulties with the censors, romances and fights, shot-by-shot analyses of the directing, editing, screenings, and, of course, its star’s death. Dozens of intimate anecdotes fill the work with every detail from wardrobe decisions to James Dean’s pranks to the Air Pollution Control Board’s opposition to the final car crashes. An epilogue discusses the possible sequels, rights conflicts, documentaries, musicals, and spin-off attempts, and offers concluding words on the cast and crew. Sources include production records, publicity releases, scripts, newspapers, and discu! ssions with Stewart Stern. An appendix offers two unpublished letters from Stewart Stern to Nicholas Ray and to Marcus and Ortense Winslow.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"meticulously detailed...inspired...well organized...thoughtful" --Classic Images

"a detailed look...Rathgeb has done film history a service" --Film & History --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Novelist and reference librarian Douglas L. Rathgeb has published in The Journal of Popular Film and Television, Literature/Film Quarterly, Post Script and the Steinbeck Newsletter. He lives and works in Carmichael, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (September 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786419768
• ISBN-13: 978-0786419760
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,001,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Movie Gets a Great Book, October 30, 2004

By 

Lawrence J. Epstein ""Author of The Haunt... (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Making of Rebel Without a Cause (Hardcover)

This excellent book details the entire production history of one of the most important films in American history. I enjoyed the behind-the-scene glimpses, crisply told, and with an incredible amount of information about Rebel Without A Cause. The sheer research involved in the making of this book seems astounding. Most books on film I've read discuss the film as a work of art or provide chatty gossip about the stars. This book really explains how a film gets made. It's an eye-opening tour.