James Dean The Curse of the Spyder



























James Dean
  The Curse of the Spyder


James Dean and "The Little Bastard"  Porsche 550 Spyder
Photo Credit Kelly Weiser  http://www.legendsofamerica.com/GH-CelebrityGhosts.html

Curses. Do they exist? What is a curse? A curse is considered to be the opposite of a blessing. It is an imprecation or calling down of misfortune or death upon an intended victim, or in some cases, an object. It is a common opinion among believers of the supernatural that if someone comes in contact with a cursed object they will also become cursed. And so some believe this was the case with the 1950's movie icon James Dean, after he purchased his Porsche 550 Spyder. Could this possible?



























1950's A Brief History



The 1950's was considered one of the best of times by many, yet it was also a time of segregation and rasism and had a profound affect on those who did not grow up in an all-American white household. It was also considered a time of innocence when children still obeyed their parents, girls were taught to behave like ladies, and boys were taught to be gentlemen. Premarital sex was shunned and dinnertime around the family table was a big event.

Terms like baby boomers, the Cold War, the Red Scare, segregation, bomb shelters, homemakers and breadwinners were the norm of the 50's. Betty Crocker resided in most American kitchens. In schools, Home Economics taught girls to become future homemakers and mothers while boys were taught to look forward to a future of working hard to care for their family, and family values were instilled at a young age. Television shows like Father Knows Best and Ozzie and Harriet were some of the set standards for the American home.

A lot of families were starting to own televisions, and with television came AM radio, 45 records, jukeboxes, and rock and roll music. And with rock and roll trickling into the mainstream radio and TV, teenagers began experiencing more freedom. Fashion styles began to change as men grew sideburns and longer hair that was greased, along with jeans and leather jackets, while the girls wore pedal-pushers, ponytails, and poodle skirts.



Car hops, classic cars, classic movies and music, B horror and Sci-fi movies will forever be associated with the 50's. And for those who lived in the 1950's, nothing could be compared to the times.  Life in the 50's both contrasted television and mirrored it in many ways, helping to shape the culture of the times and set the 1950's on its own map of history.


Television in 1955
           


The Bob Cummings Show, Elvis Presley's first appearance on Louisiana Hay Ride, I Love Lucy, The Lawrence Welk Show, Benny Hill (UK), This Is Your Life, The Honeymooners, The Tonight Show, Face The Nation, The Today Show, The Guiding Light, The Adventures of Superman, Dragnet, Truth Or Consequences, Jack Benny, Howdy Doody, Candid Camera, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Ed Sullivan Show, and the Mickey Mouse Club were just some of the shows to hit the airwaves.

Movies of 1955



To Hell and Back, The Seven Year Itch, Guys and Dolls, Tarantula, East of Eden, Love is a Many Slendored Thing, Diobolique, Rebel Without a Cause, The Tender Trap, Marty, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Lady and the Tramp, To Catch a Thief, Night of the Hunter, Oklahoma!, Mister Roberts, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and The Trouble with Harry were among some great movies of the year.


News of 1955

  

The war ended between USSR and Germany, Marion Anderson was the first African American singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, the Pentagon began development of ballistic missiles with nuclear weapons, Mac Donald's fast food chain restaurant opened to the public, jazz composer and sax player Charley Parker passed away, Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister (UK), Albert Einstein died, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.

 Mickey Mouse Club aired on TV, the Brooklyn Dodgers won the world series, Major league ball player Cy Young died, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white, establishing the beginning of the civil rights movement, Guinness World Records hit the book stores, and James Dean was killed in an auto accident.



































































































Music and Artists of 1955

                                                                                                       

Bill Haley and the Comets "Rock Around the Clock", "Earth Angel" by the Penguins, "Only You" by the Platters, "Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra, "Aint That a Shame" by Fats Domino, "Maybelline" by Chuck Berry, "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" by the Four Aces, "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "A Blossom Fell" by Nat King Cole, "Unchained Melody" by various artists, and "Sincerely" by the Maguire Sisters were just a few chart toppers of the day.

The Changing Face of the Icon

                                                     
Elvis Presley as Vince Everette  Jailhouse Rock 1957  


  Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler  The Wild One 1953  
Photo Credit Janeyesee  http://www.flickr.com/photos/33894056@N03/3263247653/
                                                                                         
1950's Hollywood introduced American movie-goers to a new breed of celluloid heroes with the rise of black leather, Levis, pompadours, duck tails, switchblades, rock and roll, and motorcycle gangs. Stars like Marlon Brando, Frankie Avalon, Elvis Presley, Fabian, Ricky Nelson, and Jerry Lee Lewis, were among the most idolized teen heroes of the 50's.

Some historians believe that the 1950's society in general proved to be the first indication of teenage rebellion. At a time when wholesome family values were instilled and upheld, the increasing liberal-minded and youthful rebellion emerged and were ostracized and rejected from much of society and from the family code of ethics.

 
    
But the future of America was ever changing, and with the rise of rock and roll music, American Bandstand, drive-in theaters, and hot rods, the moral upstanding values of the American teenager began to change with the times. And with the changes came an upsurge in music and celluloid idols that would forever change the face of the American icon.

Among those idols that swiftly shot to fame was the talented and introspective James Dean. He was considered the epitome of teenage angst. To thousands of teenagers who piled in their hot rods and jalopies on week-end nights and headed to the popular drive-in theaters to see their idols on the big screen, this fast-rising star became a role model and a hero to them.


Drive In Theater of the 1950's  Movie: The Ten Commandments 1956 
Photo Credit:  http://decentcommunity.com/2009/06/11/theres-nothing-more-decent-than-a-good-ole-fashion-drive-in/

And although Dean only appeared in three films in his short career, the obvious impact that this symbol of introverted detachment and cool charisma would leave upon the youthful counter cultural world, would turn him into a screen legend forever.
























































































































































































































































































A Brief History


Photo Credit: Mystical  http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizafairy/3700016592/

James Bryan Dean was born on February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana. At age nine, his mother died and the youth went to live with his uncle and aunt. After graduating from high school in 1949, Dean moved to California and enrolled at Santa Monica City College, where he became active in drama.

He later went to U.C.L.A. and majored in pre-law and minored in theater arts. After gaining several small roles on television, James landed a role in a Pepsi commercial. It was not long after, the handsome Dean decided to drop out of school and follow his dreams to the silver screen. He got bit parts and small roles in movies and commercials in the beginning, but eventually fame did come to the talented actor.

            A Rising Star

His first starring role was in a movie called "East of Eden" released in 1955. He played the troubled teenager Cal Trask, who was vying for the love and approval of his father, played by Raymond Massey, who favored Cal's brother Aron, played by Richard Divalos.


Richard Divalos and James Dean in East of Eden  1955


Julie Harris and James Dean  in East of Eden  1955

His next major starring role was in "Rebel Without A Cause." This movie was also released in 1955, and focused upon juvenile delinquency and personal displacement. Deans' character was a sensitive yet troubled teenager named Jim Stark. His co-stars were Natalie Wood (Judy) and Sal Mineo (Plato). Dean would be best remembered for his role in this movie for two particular scenes in which Stark gets into a switchblade fight, and also in a drag race called the "Chickie Run." His love of fast cars and racing were reflected in this film.




Ann Doran, James Dean, and Jim Backus in Rebel Without a Cause  1955


Natalie Wood and James Dean in a scene from Rebel Without a Cause 1955

Jimmy's third and final starring role was in the film "Giant" released in 1956. The movie also starred Rock Hudson (Bick Benedict), Dennis Hopper (Jordan Benedict III), and Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Benedict).



Dean (Rett Rink) is a handsome handyman who is envious of Benedicts' wealth and flirts with his wife Leslie. The movie is dramatic and touches on areas of racism, covetessness, desire, and greed. Dean's role is strong, proving once more that he is a talent to be reckoned with. Sadly, he would never live to see the fruits of his labor for the films, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. Dean was killed one month before Rebel was released, and one year before the movie Giant was released, he was only 24 years-old.

   
James Dean  Giant  1956
Photo Credit Mystical   http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizafairy/3683651704/
 























































































































































































Racing In His Blood

James Dean and Rolf Wuetherich in the Spyder on their way to Salinas California
Photo Credit: Ronald Fields  http://www.qsl.net/w5www/ufo.htm  The Supernatural Zone

While James' career was on the rise, the actor purchased some cars he loved.
His first sports car was a red MG-TD. He loved pulling down the top of the convertible and racing down dark open roads. This would become a passion of the young star. He soon grew to love racing so much that he entered his first race in April of 1955, where he won first place in the amateur division, and third in the professional division.

A month later, Jimmy entered Bakersfield National Sports Car Races and came in first in his class. Another month later, he entered yet another race at Santa Monica and came in first again. It seems that the star was destined to follow the fast track as a race car driver, or at least he aspired to become one. After this race, Dean went to Texas and began filming his final film"Giant."

After completion of the film, James returned to Los Angeles and purchased the car of his dreams, a 1955 Porsche Spyder. He purchased it for $6,900 after selling his Speedster for $3,700 and named his pride and joy "Little Bastard." It was here his date with destiny began.

(The Sports Car Porsche 550 was Porsche's first race car with a top speed of about 150 MPH and very successful against competitors on the track)

Along with the car, Dean had his own personal mechanic for the Spyder, German born, Rolf Wuetherich, who worked on the car, and would be on hand for future races James would participate in. Rolf was also considered one of the best Porsche mechanics on the West Coast and much sought after by Porsche enthusiasts.






















































































Premonitions of Doom



It didn't take long for people to catch "a bad vibe" off of the car. One California car designer George Barris, who had known Jimmy since they met on the set of "Rebel Without a Cause" and worked on Deans' other cars said it gave him an eerie feeling whenever he was near it.

He felt a horrible sense of impending doom associated with the car that he couldn't shake. He had never experienced anything like it before. George recalled feeling this after Dean had dropped off the Spyder to have a racing stripe painted on it for an upcoming race he was entering in Salinas, California.

But George was not the only person to sense this overwhelming dread, several other individuals also felt this vague sense of darkness around the car, including Hollywood film actress, Ursula Andress, who was a friend of Dean, and also screen legend, Alec Guinness.

The James Bond beauty recalled one day how James stopped by her house after he purchased the car. He was thrilled and proud to show it off to her. But as Ursula walked around the car, she quickly detected negativity around the car and tried to warn him about her feelings, but the ever-smiling and proud new owner of the car just waved her off and laughed. He promised he would be careful then drove away. She never saw Dean again.


Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder   James Bond: Dr. No 1962

Friend Alec Guinness of "Star Wars" fame, warned Jimmy about the car, he tried to tell him the car was a death trap and that Jimmy would die if he kept it. He pleaded with Dean to get rid of it before it was too late. James paid him no mind. Guinness would later hear the tragic news that his friend was dead.


Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan-Kenobi

Star Wars: A New Hope 1977 Alec Guinness' character is a Jedi Master and Knight. His role in the Star Wars seriescaptivated audiences around the globe. Obi-Wan eventually lost in a  lightsaber dual with  Darth Vadar, hence turning him into a spirit form that continued to guide future Jedi's.

Still another friend, Nick Adams, of television fame "The Rebel " who played the character Johnny Yuma, told Jimmy how he got a weird feeling around the car. He felt something was terribly wrong with it. But Jimmy only remarked that he knew his death in a speeding car was his destiny.


Nick Adams of The Rebel 1959

(Adams played a haunted man with personal demons to face. Although the show had
its share of good episodes,the series was short lived and only lasted from 1959-61)

Finally, on September 30, 1955, before heading out to Salinas California for his race, Jimmy's own uncle, Charley Nolan, told his nephew that he was sitting on a time bomb and that he should be careful. He tried to warn the star of the bad feelings he got, but James wouldn't listen. Dean headed out and was never seen again. His fate would come to fruition soon.





















































































The Long Highway to Destiny


James Dean hopped in the "Little Bastard" with mechanic Rolf Wuetherich, and headed north out of Los Angeles, wearing his signature white t-shirt and dungarees. Two friends, Bill Hickman and Stan Roth, who was also a photographer, followed behind with a station wagon and trailer.

Roth was set to do a pictorial and story on Dean in Salinas, and would snap photos as the road trip commenced. The first stop was for gas and then they headed up highway 99. Upon reaching Bakersfield, the racing entourage had no idea that Deans life would come to a crashing halt soon.

On the opposite side of destiny's highway, a 24 year-old student named Donald Turnipseed was heading home after a weekend in his Ford Sedan, while Dean and his friends turned off U.S. 99 and onto Route 466. Dean pressed down on the pedal, allowing the Porsche's engine to open up, as the warm California air whipped past him.

Jimmy headed west on what would later become State Highway 46, which is known as "Blood Alley" for all the crashes and deaths that have happened on this highway. It was a straight line for miles and miles and Jimmy would push the limits of the Spyder, becoming a blur on the landscape and one with the little silver machine.

As Dean headed west on 46, Turnipseed was headed east on the two lane highway of Route 466. Dean continued on the highway inhaling one cigarette after another as he kept the pedal low to the floor and felt the luxurious whir of warm wind whipping past him. He paced the car at 85 miles an hour and continued towards where the 466 and the 41 intersect.

Dean made one last stop at a store, then headed back on the highway. And still, Donald Turnipseed continued east on 466. Fate was only moments away as the silver car raced at speeds up to 85 miles an hours.

The sun was setting lower in the west now, causing it to penetrate the windshield of the Porsche. The road was straight for miles without another car in sight. Nearing 6 p.m. the cars came in sight of one another, Jimmy kept his steady speed of somewhere around 80 miles per hour.


Suddenly the black and white Ford sedan began to cross the centerline of the highway, just ahead of Dean and Rolf. Turnipseed was making a turn onto junction 41. At that moment, James Dean screamed to Wuetherich that the other car was coming into their lane and that he had to have seen them and he had to stop.

In the next few seconds, what must have seemed like a cruel joke became reality as Turnipseed panicked and hit the brakes in front of Dean's oncoming car, and then there was a terrible moment of crashing metal and exploding glass as the two cars collided. Dean met his fate head-on.


The Spyder after the crash Rolf being helped by ambulance crew
Photo Credit Ken Robichaux at: http://www.pictureshowman.com


Wuetherich was thrown from the car and miraculously survived, Dean was slammed up against the passenger side door with a broken neck. His body hung limply over it in a twisted mess. James was said to still be alive when the ambulance arrived. They took him to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

And this is where James Dean became a legend. But the story doesn't end here. Deans car would continue on after the collision, as if it had a mind and a power all its own, or a curse...



















































Curse of the Spyder


James Dean and the cursed Spyder 1955 
Photo Credit Ryan at   http://www.porscheperfect.com/?s=james+dean+spyders=james+dean+spyder


Shortly after the crash that killed James Dean, the talk of the town was of the cursed car. Those that warned the star of the car's strange vibes were not surprised by the news of Jame's death, although they were saddened beyond belief. Many people wondered if a curse had been place upon the car, and if so, why? Did James Dean purchase a car that was cursed? If he had known, would he still have bought this dream machine?

Those that knew Jimmy believed that nothing would have swayed him from buying this car, he loved it. Maybe some deeper part of Dean understood that this car was in fact his fate, his speeding date with death, as he once told his friend Nick Adams. Many supposed that James Dean was cursed because of this car, and here are several reasons why:
George Barris, the car designer from California, bought the wreck later for
    parts since they were hard to come by and there were many salvageable               parts left on the Spyder. After the wreck arrived on his lot, some workers
    were unloading it when the car came crashing down on one man's legs and           broke them.
The engine was sold to a doctor who knew of the curse and still had the                engine installed in his race car. It was his first race with the newly
     installed engine, he was killed when his car went out of control and
     crashed.
Next, another doctor, who purchased the drive train, was also racing. His             car suddenly locked up rolled over. He survived to recount his terrifying
    story.
Next, a man who tried to steal the steering wheel was injured when he                  ripped his arm open. Others who tried steal parts from the car were also               injured.
 Barris sold the two good remaining tires from the Spyder,                                   although reluctantly, to a man who was into racing. He didn't believe in the          curse and wouldn't take no for an answer. A week later the man almost                wrecked his car when both tires blew out mysteriously. Both were in
     perfect working order. There was no reason why this should have
     happened.
 Next the car was in a storage place, a fire suddenly erupted. All the cars               in the building were destroyed, except for the Spyder. Coincidence?
 Other mishaps continued to take place around the car, but one terrible                  and unfortunate incident stands out among the many. George Barkuis was            transporting the vehicle to Salinas (where Dean met with his death) when              his truck suddenly went out of control. He was thrown from the truck. The          Spyder mysteriously slipped off from the flatbed and landed on top of him,          killing him. Another coincidence?

And lastly, the truck was on display in New Orleans when it suddenly               broke into pieces for no explained reason. After this, the car was being         transported from Florida to Los Angeles. The car never made it. It               mysteriously disappeared and has never been seen since.                            























































































































































In Conclusion


So do curses really exist? If one were to examine this case, it would seem very plausible, although some would consider it nothing more than bad luck. But what is bad luck? Could some bad luck actually be considered a form of a curse? In this rare case of the Porsche 550 Spyder, the misfortune continued to plague those who came in contact with the car, or purchased parts from it, long after the wreck that claimed the life of James Dean.

Was the car cursed? Perhaps we will never know, but what is known is that a bright young man was taken before his time. Perhaps our destiny's are preordained. Or perhaps we temp fate and bring about our own destiny's unwittingly. Whatever the case, it still does not explain the events that took place after the passing of James Dean. Maybe some things are meant to stay a mystery.

 Shortly before James Dean's passing, he was interviewed by Gig Young on driving safety. Gig asked James if he had any advice for young drivers. Dean said the following:

"Take it easy driving, the lives you save might be mine." Most people assumed that was a misquote on his part in which he actually meant to say, "The life you save might be yours." Perhaps James Dean had a premonition of his future. He told his friend Nick Adams that he knew his destiny was to die in a speeding car. There is a theory that some people who are close to death can actually sense it coming. Was this the case with Dean?

For many, the the cursed car is ancient history, along with the screen legend. But for others, we can go back into time and observe the eternal enigma that is wrapped up in shades of celluloid integrity, resistance, and fascination. And our fascination only appreciates over time.

And the legend that is James Dean lives on.


Photo Credit: Drizinha
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrizinhansm/3918877231/


James Dean's Resting Place in Park Cemetery  Fairmount, Indiana
Photo Credit Frank H. Brueckner


James Dean Junction 
Photo Credit Piotr Flatau   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_dean3.jpg


The James Dean Memorial in Cholame, California
James was killed 900 yards east of this site.
Photo Credit: Model Citizen

James Dean Quotes

"I think there is only one form of greatness for man. If a man can bridge the gap between life and death. I mean, if he can live on after he has died, then maybe he was a great man. To me the only success, the only greatness, is immortality."

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."

"They say you can't get it on with a girl in a Porsche. That's bullshit. If you don't believe me, ask Natalie Wood."

"No, I am not a homosexual. But, I'm also not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back."

"Live fast; die young; leave a good-looking corpse behind."


Copyright © Sylvia Zimmer 2008


 Related Videos



James Dean - Interview & Famous Drive Safely Spot


 
The Chickie Run Game



James Dean Tribute





Sources:
 
James Dean
Haunted Houses
Various Dean Biographies
Wikipedia
Brainyhistory.com
 Classictunes


SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR THEIR PHOTOS

Porche Perfect.com  http://www.porscheperfect.com/
Legends of America.com  http://www.legendsofamerica.com/index.html
The Supernatural Zone.com  http://www.qsl.net/w5www/ufo.htm
Decent Community.com   http://decentcommunity.com/
Pictureshow Man.com  http://www.pictureshowman.com/index.cfm

And all photos from Flikr.com



Note: All  graphics or images on this page have been used by permission, fair use,  or are in the public domain. Please do not copy images and link back to Paranormaland  as a source. Thanks.
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